What Are the Best Stanley Cup Predictions This Season?

ccording to Ozoon futures data, our Stanley Cup predictions for the top contenders include the following:

• Colorado Avalanche
• Carolina Hurricanes
• Tampa Bay Lightning

These teams have been perennial contenders in the Stanley Cup playoffs the last several years and still have strong rosters and elite goaltending. For the very best value, find them in the futures market before we approach the finals.

Winners of the 2025-26 President’s Trophy, Colorado had the top offence and defence in the league and a monster +99 goal differential this regular season. If they’re too chalky for you, consider the top team in the East, the Carolina Hurricanes, who’ve reached the Conference Finals two of the last three postseasons.

Which Teams Are Favourites to Win the Stanley Cup?

The top two favourites to win the 2026 Stanley Cup at Ozoon Sportsbook are the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes. The Avalanche are the top team in the Western Conference, while Carolina is the top team in the East.

Not too far beyond the ‘Canes are the Lightning, who finished third in the East, but have a superior goal differential (+59) compared to the No. 2 Buffalo Sabres (+47). Nikita Kucherov matched his 44-goal career high from 2023-24 and has managed to tally two assists and one goal in the Lightning vs Canadiens series so far. Check out the five players who could define the 2026 Stanley Cup Final and see if your pick makes the list.

After these three juggernauts, we have:

• Vegas Golden Knights
• Edmonton Oilers

Since becoming a team in 2017-18, Vegas has missed the playoffs only once. Last year, they made it to the second round where they were eliminated by the next team on the board.

Edmonton was Canada’s best hope at ending the Canadian Stanley Cup drought when they faced the Florida Panthers in the Cup Finals in back-to-back years. Their star forward, Leon Draisaitl returned from injury for their first round series: Oilers vs. Ducks.

Which Underdog Teams Could Surprise in the Playoffs?

Every year, there are a few surprise contenders who shake up the hockey landscape in the postseason. These picks offer great value—especially for longer-term bets, like series winners.

Montreal Canadiens

The youthful Montreal Canadiens return to the playoffs with some experience under their belt, the product of a rebuild that’s starting to look like a masterclass.. They face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1 of the postseason, just like last year, but will have a more developed roster capable of handling the highs and lows of playoff hockey. Their right winger, Cole Caufield, is having a career season and finished second in league for regular season goals scored (51).

Ottawa Senators

The Senators got hot at the end of the season, winning five of their last six games and qualifying for the postseason as the second wild card team in the East. They’re definitely an underdog in their Round 1 series against Carolina, but could pull off an upset if their starting netminder, Linus Ullmark, can carry his strong season finish into the playoffs.

What Factors Matter Most for Stanley Cup Predictions?

Trying to predict a Stanley Cup-winning team is easier when you know what to look for ahead of time.

Does Goaltending Decide the Stanley Cup?

Elite goaltending is almost always part of a Stanley Cup-winning team. This could come from an average goalie heating up at just the right time, or a seasoned star goalie carrying their usual metrics into to postseason. Having strong goaltending boosts a team’s confidence and supports more offensive drives.

How Important Is Playoff Experience?

Playoff experience gives players better resilience when games go sideways. More than half of the Stanley Cup-winning teams since 2005-06 reached the Conference Finals or better the year prior.

Do Regular Season Rankings Matter?

The regular season rankings determine which teams qualify for the postseason and who gets home ice advantage in head-to-head matchups. Despite that, only eight teams that have won the President’s Trophy—which is awarded to the team with the most points in the standings—have gone on to win the Stanley Cup.

What Are the Most Popular NHL Futures Bet Types?

Our futures market has lots of popular long-term bets for hockey fans, including the following:

Conference Winners

Bet on which team will represent the Western and Eastern Conference in our Conference Finals betting section. All eligible teams are listed with American odds, and the further ahead you are, the better those odds will be.

For example, if the Colorado Avalanche are listed as +145 favourites to win the Western Conference, you’d win $145 on a $100 bet.

Stanley Cup Winner

The most popular futures bet is the Stanley Cup winner. All eligible teams are listed with odds. As teams are eliminated from contention, they’re removed from the list. Beyond the futures market, you’ll find a variety of other bet types that help keep things interesting during the postseason—and our NHL Betting Guide will help shed light on each one. Props offer fun side betting opportunities like First Goal Scorer, Anytime Goal Scorer, Correct Score and more, and don’t overlook award markets like who’s leading the Conn Smythe race.

How to Bet on Stanley Cup Futures Strategically

Futures betting is all about timing your bets. The earlier you place them, the better the potential payout, but the less sure you’ll be about your picks. When you place them later, you sacrifice some payout but get higher probabilities. We each have a different tolerance for risk versus reward, with conservative bettors preferring the later bets, and more risk-tolerant players prioritizing higher payouts.

Whichever camp you fall in, you can hedge your bets by making multiple picks instead of one, and even stagger their timing. As new information comes out regarding injuries—as well as hot and cold stretches—you can incorporate it into the later-season picks.

Instead of thinking of futures betting as a one-pick hit or miss, you can think of it like a series of picks that become more certain as time goes on.

What Should Bettors Watch Before the Playoffs Start?

Improve your postseason bets by watching for the following three indicators of playoff success:

• Team Form

The playoffs are brief, if a team heats up at just the right time, they can carry that momentum through much of the postseason.

• Injuries

Injuries to star players, especially starting goalies, can spell disaster for even the most competitive Stanley Cup contenders.

• Matchups

There’s no denying that some teams match up better than others. A quick way to see how two teams fare against each other is to check a hockey reference site for team versus team stats. You can see how the teams match up in the regular season and postseason, year by year.

Our NHL Playoffs Guide gives even more insight on how to bet on the playoffs, including links for popular awards markets, like the Conn Smythe.

Stanley Cup FAQ