Updated August 18, 2026
The 2026-27 NHL season begins September 29, and the Stanley Cup futures market already has a clear group of contenders. Carolina and Florida are the current +650 co-favorites at DraftKings, followed closely by Colorado at +700. Edmonton and Vegas round out the group priced below +1000.
Our ranking considers current Stanley Cup odds alongside 2025-26 performance, playoff results and significant offseason roster changes. The sportsbook order is a useful starting point, but it does not necessarily match our ranking of the NHL's ten strongest Cup contenders.
Odds via DraftKings as of August 18, 2026. Futures odds are subject to change.
Colorado enters 2026-27 after a 55-16-11 season and a trip to the Western Conference Final. The Avalanche led the NHL with 3.63 goals per game and a .909 team save percentage, giving them one of the strongest statistical foundations in the league.
There were notable offseason changes. Valeri Nichushkin, Ross Colton and Jack Drury departed, while Jaden Schwartz, Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L'Heureux were among the additions. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar remain at the center of a roster built to contend immediately.
Editor's notes
“By far my strongest candidate to win it all. Last season’s ending was disappointing, as they were swept by the Knights. They still have the strongest overall core, and with Makar and MacKinnon in the primes of their careers, they should be among the biggest favorites to win it all this season.”
Carolina enters the season as the defending Stanley Cup champion after going 53-22-7 and then 16-3 during its championship playoff run. Most of the core responsible for that success remains in place.
The biggest change comes in goal. Frederik Andersen left Carolina for Edmonton, leaving Pyotr Kochetkov and Brandon Bussi as the leading options. Seth Jarvis is also expected to miss the beginning of the season following shoulder surgery. Those are meaningful changes for a team attempting to become the NHL's first repeat champion since Tampa Bay in 2021.
Editor's notes
“Of course, the reigning champions have to be in the conversation to win it again. It’s not that uncommon for a team to go back-to-back, and since Carolina is pretty much the same team as last season, they are definitely capable of going all the way again. The question, however, is whether the goalie situation has been fixed. Sure, Brandon Bussi was in the crease when the Hurricanes sealed the deal, but Frederik Andersen carried them all the way to the Final, playing 16 games as Carolina swept the Sens & Flyers, and ended the Canadiens’ hot streak in just five games. Bussi then won the final three games to secure the Stanley Cup. Notably, Andersen is now with the Oilers.”
Florida's 40-38-4 record last season came without captain Aleksander Barkov, who missed the entire NHL campaign following ACL and MCL surgery. Barkov returned to competitive action with Finland at the 2026 World Championship in May.
The Panthers also made one of the offseason's biggest moves by acquiring Brady Tkachuk to join Matthew Tkachuk. Their goaltending has changed significantly, however, with Sergei Bobrovsky leaving for Toronto and Jacob Markstrom arriving as part of a new-look tandem.
Editor's notes
“One of the bigger talking points this offseason. The Panthers have made some moves, most notably bringing in the other Tkachuk brother while moving on from Bobrovsky in net. Markstrom has had a solid NHL career and has certainly done well for himself. But is he really the goalie who can get the Panthers back to their winning ways — and back into the playoffs? For the latter, surely a healthy Barkov will be a game-changer. And perhaps an ‘OK’ goalie is enough. I haven’t forgotten the days when Bobrovsky was known as ‘Playoff Bob’ for all the wrong reasons, before eventually turning that reputation completely around. Perhaps we’ll see something similar from ol’ Marky”
Dallas finished 50-20-12 last season before Minnesota eliminated the Stars in the first round. The roster still includes an established core led by Jason Robertson, Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston, Miro Heiskanen and Jake Oettinger.
One major offseason question was settled in July when Robertson signed a one-year, $12 million contract. He led Dallas with 96 points, including 45 goals, in 82 games last season. The Stars did lose young forward Mavrik Bourque, but their leading scorer and most important established pieces remain in place.
Editor's notes
“One of the highlights of the playoffs, if you ask me, was Minnesota-Dallas. Six games, and it could have gone either way. But the injury to Roope Hintz proved too costly. I think a lot of people underestimate Dallas or simply forget about them, but they have one of the most complete teams in the league. They are solid across the board, with very few weaknesses. And let’s not forget that the core of this team reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2020. The Stars have been knocking on the door for a long time, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they go all the way this season.”
Tampa Bay won 50 games last season but was again unable to turn a strong regular season into a deep playoff run. The Lightning have now gone four consecutive seasons without winning a playoff series.
The defense changed substantially this offseason. Veteran John Carlson joined Tampa Bay, while Darren Raddysh departed after a career year. Ilya Mikheyev was another notable addition, while Nick Paul and several depth forwards moved on. Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy and the established core continue to give Tampa Bay a high-end foundation.
Editor's notes
“Tampa has been a contender for ten years now. But what we saw from the Lightning in the playoffs against Montréal wasn’t very reassuring. I’m not taking anything away from Montréal, but seeing Kucherov become invisible when it mattered most was concerning. Then again, maybe we shouldn’t be too surprised — this was the fourth year in a row that Tampa was knocked out in the first round. Let’s just hope Victor Hedman returns healthy. Veteran John Carlson is an interesting signing, but Darren Raddysh’s departure will likely be a tough blow after he contributed 70 points (22+48) during the regular season.”
Vegas reached the Stanley Cup Final last season after finishing 39-26-17 during the regular season. The Golden Knights remain built around an experienced core and showed again in the playoffs that their regular-season record does not necessarily define their postseason ceiling.
There are changes entering 2026-27. Pavel Dorofeyev departed after scoring 37 regular-season goals, with Victor Olofsson added to help replace some of that offense. Ryan Craig also takes over behind the bench in his first NHL head-coaching position.
Editor's notes
“Vegas has a strong foundation to build on, and the core of Stone, Eichel, Marner, Hertl, Karlsson and Andersson can absolutely compete. Considering their playoff run, knocking out the Avs and then giving Carolina a real challenge, Vegas has to be mentioned here. Pavel Dorofeyev will certainly be missed, though, and the goalie situation doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.”
Edmonton finished 41-30-11 and was eliminated in the first round last season, ending a run of two consecutive appearances in the Stanley Cup Final. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl continue to give the Oilers one of the league's most dangerous offensive foundations.
The organization made significant changes around them. Frederik Andersen signed in Edmonton, Darnell Nurse was traded, and Mike Babcock replaced Kris Knoblauch as head coach. Ryan Shea and Mathieu Joseph were among the other offseason additions.
Editor's notes
“Let’s face it: the ship has sailed for the Oilers, and McDavid needs to go somewhere else if he wants to win. I really don’t think Mike Babcock is going to turn this around and make them better. And while Freddy Andersen is now a Stanley Cup-winning goalie, I think he could be badly exposed unless Babcock finds a way to make Edmonton a much more structured team.”
Montreal took another major step forward in 2025-26, finishing 48-24-10 and reaching the Eastern Conference Final. The Canadiens' case for further improvement starts with a young core that already includes Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson.
The offseason was relatively quiet compared with several other contenders. Brett Berard was added, while Montreal retained Kirby Dach on a one-year contract. Much of the team's upside therefore depends on continued development from its existing roster rather than a major veteran acquisition.
Editor's notes
“Another highlight from last season. The Canadiens are in a really good spot, both now and for the years ahead. Will they be just as good as last year – or even better? Well, now there are expectations on them, and that changes things, especially if results start going against them. But are they ready to compete this season? They reached the Conference Final, and the core of this team is between 20 and 27 years old, with several players on team-friendly contracts. There’s plenty of reason to believe they are.”
Washington missed the playoffs with a 43-30-9 record, but few contenders changed their forward group as aggressively during the offseason. The Capitals added Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner, while Alex Ovechkin signed on for a 22nd NHL season.
Tuch and Kyrou both bring established 30-goal production, while Jenner adds another experienced forward to the middle of the lineup. Washington also added Vincent Desharnais on defense as part of a roster overhaul designed to return the team to playoff contention immediately.
Editor's notes
“The Caps have made some interesting signings and splashed the cash to bring in some top talent. And let’s not forget they also have Pierre-Luc Dubois, who missed most of last season through injury. Washington looks very interesting, to say the least, but I hope the organization focuses on making the playoffs and winning rather than turning this season into another Ovi circus.”
Minnesota went 46-24-12 and reached the second round last season. Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy remain the foundation of the offense, while the Wild added two-time Stanley Cup winners Blake Coleman and Olli Määttä during the offseason.
The forward group also lost several established contributors. Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Johansson and Vladimir Tarasenko all departed, creating openings in the top six. Minnesota will need to replace that production while building on last season's first playoff-series victory in more than a decade.
Editor's notes
“Let’s put it like this: Minnesota still looks great, but there are some big shoes to fill. Sure, they’ll have Quinn Hughes from the start this time after acquiring him in December. But they’ve lost a lot of scoring and leadership with Zuccarello, Middleton, Tarasenko and Johansson all gone. The defense is top-tier. The goalie tandem is perhaps one of the best in the league. And the first line and power play are also top-tier. The challenge this season will be offensive depth. The replacements don’t look as strong on paper, and that could become a problem over the course of a full season.”
