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2025-26 NHL Futures: Stanley Cup, Playoffs Odds, Picks and Predictions
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The National Hockey League (NHL) regular season is in the books, but hockey fans know that the best is yet to come. We all know that hockey playoffs are the best playoffs in all of sports, and the Stanley Cup is easily the best championship trophy, and it might not even be close. It is also the most difficult to obtain, as it requires 16 more victories, and the task can be extremely daunting to get to that point.
The Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup each of the past two seasons, but they did not qualify for the playoffs, so a new champion will be crowned this season. In addition, we have some new blood back in the postseason, like the Buffalo Sabres, who ended the longest postseason drought in NHL history. Not only did they qualify, but they won the Atlantic Division, and they're legitimate Cup contenders. We welcome the Anaheim Ducks and Utah Mammoth to the party, too. It's been a hot minute since the Ducks have been serious contenders, and the Mammoth give Salt Lake City its first taste of the playoffs.
We will take a look at the updated Stanley Cup champion odds and other various fun futures.
2025-26 Stanley Cup Postseason Futures and Predictions
Colorado Avalanche - Stanley Cup Winner (+340)
*All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
If you picked the Avalanche at the Olympic break, they were as low as +220, so confidence is a little less high on Colorado going into the postseason. However, Colorado is still the chalk.
Colorado secured the Presidents' Trophy with 121 points, going 55-16-11 during the regular season, eight points clear of the Carolina Hurricanes, who ended up with 113 points and their first-ever No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Perhaps the sportsbooks have cooled on the Avalanche a little based on the supposed curse of the Presidents' Trophy. Since it has been awarded in 37 previous seasons, we've had just eight of those trophy winners take home Lord Stanley's chalice. In fact, the last Presidents' Trophy winner to also hoist the Stanley Cup came in 2012-13, when the Chicago Blackhawks won in a lockout-shortened season. They secured the Presidents' Trophy with 77 points over 48 games. You have to go all the way back to the 2007-08 season when the Detroit Red Wings won it all in a full regular season and playoffs.
It's not necessarily the Presidents' Trophy curse that I am bearish on the prospects of the Avalanche. I am not necessarily sure I trust the combination of Mackenzie Blackwood and/or Scott Wedgewood in between the pipes. We all know the Avalanche have offense for days with Nathan MacKinnon (53 goals, 127 points, plus-57), Martin Necas (38 goals, 100 points, plus-47), Cale Makar (20 goals, 79 points, plus-32) and even Brock Nelson (33 goals, 10 power-play goals, 65 points). There are plenty of great complementary pieces with Brent Burns, Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, and the surprising Sam Malinski, too.
If you trust the goaltending, then the No. 1 overall seed for the chance to still more than triple up seems like a good deal.
Don't make any bets on your favorite sports betting apps without first consulting the latest NHL odds.
Dallas Stars - Stanley Cup Winner (+1300)
*All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
If you want a little bit better of odds, look to the Dallas Stars. They finished with 112 points, third-best in the NHL, but, unfortunately, they're in the same division as the Avalanche and Minnesota Wild in an ultra-competitive Central.
It's very possible Dallas is bounced in Round 1 by the Minnesota Wild in Gary Bettman's super stupid playoff seeding situation. Really, Dallas should either be the No. 2 or 3 seed in the West, facing either the Anaheim Ducks or Utah Mammoth in the first round, if we did it the 'old' way. One Stanley Cup contender is going to be sent home in the first round. That's awful.
If Dallas can survive Minnesota, which is a very strong team with 104 points, it won't likely get any easier. But this Stars team is battle-tested, and Jake Oettinger is a top-tier goaltender, and Dallas has the likes of Jason Robertson (45 goals, 96 points, plus-22 rating) and Wyatt Johnston (45 goals, 86 points) to make some noise on offense. Oh yeah, don't forget Mikko Rantanen (22 goals, 77 points), too, especially if he gets a crack at Colorado. The Stars aren't quite as deep as the Avs, but they have their 'stars', too, and this team is more than capable of bringing the Cup back to the Metroplex.
Don't make any bets on your favorite sports betting apps without first consulting the latest NHL odds.
Playoff Awards/Markets to Watch
Conn Smythe Trophy Winner - Nathan MacKinnon (+700)
I won't spend a lot of time on this. We focused, above, on the Cup picks. If Colorado wins, Nathan MacKinnon is obviously going to be a big reason why. Necas (+3000) for the chance to multiply by 30 points is a big bargain, too. He had 100 points, and yet he has some very distant odds for this award. Next.
East Playoffs - Carolina Hurricanes - First Round Series Winner (-170)
The Hurricanes secured the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time in Hartford/Carolina franchise history, yet there is a little bit of doubt surrounding this team's championship potential. Consider me among the doubters, too.
As a Maple Leafs fan, consider me an expert on playoff failure and what the symptoms can be. Luckily, this season, I need not worry about that, since Toronto got 'Elimination Day' out of the way early.
Anyway, Carolina has a tremendous system, rock-solid coaching, etc. However, the concern is with the goaltending. Frederik Andersen had a revival down the stretch, but we all know there is an injury right around the corner. His propensity for injury haunts all Caniacs, especially since those ailments seem to creep up when it matters most. Pyotr Kochetkov is potentially going to be available, if needed, and Brandon Bussi (31-6-2, 2.47 GAA, .895 SV%) had a special season. However, even with that sparkling record, there are doubts Bussi could be the guy in the playoffs, as he showed signs of faltering down the stretch.
All of that being said, the Senators aren't coming out of this first-round series with a win, and the Canes are a bit underpriced. I was surprised this wasn't in the -200 to -220 range. Take advantage.
East Playoffs - Montreal Canadiens/Tampa Bay Lightning - Over 5.5 Games (-170)
The Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning meet in the first round. These Atlantic Division combatants couldn't catch the Sabres, who won the division, but these teams right there in the end.
Both teams finished with 106 points, tied for third-most in the Eastern Conference, with the Lightning securing home-ice advantage with 40 regulation wins, the tiebreaker, while the Habs had just 34 RW.
These teams split the regular-season series 2-2, and two of the meetings were one-goal games. Expect this to be a war and to perhaps go to seven games.
We'll play it safe and cash a ticket if this series goes six or seven games, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see a decisive Game 7 needed here, and the Canadiens (+210) wouldn't be a bad roll of the dice for a potential series upset, either. If you really like the Habs, or you think Montreal will lose in seven games, taking the Canadiens +1.5 Games (-113) in the series spread is also a decent play.
