The Stanley Cup playoffs are a peak time for NHL betting and interest among hockey fans.
Which team will skate off with the hardest trophy to win in sports? RotoWire.com provides a fun way for you to predict it. We asked AI model Claude to project the playoffs 100 times, providing a winner for each round. Here are the results:
| Team | 2nd Rd | Conf Final | Cup Final | Cup Win | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 93% | 62% | 50% | 37% | |
 | 74% | 54% | 34% | 16% | |
 | 66% | 29% | 20% | 14% | |
 | 66% | 33% | 16% | 10% | |
 | 55% | 32% | 14% | 4% | |
 | 55% | 28% | 9% | 4% | |
 | 65% | 33% | 8% | 3% | |
 | 34% | 6% | 4% | 3% | |
 | 52% | 17% | 7% | 2% | |
 | 45% | 20% | 3% | 2% | |
 | 35% | 19% | 3% | 2% | |
 | 45% | 23% | 10% | 1% | |
 | 26% | 14% | 6% | 1% | |
 | 34% | 12% | 6% | 1% | |
 | 48% | 15% | 7% | 0% | |
 | 7% | 3% | 3% | 0% |
If you don't like what you see in these simulations, change it! With our interactive tool, you can re-simulate the entire playoffs as many times as you like. You can run 100 simulations yourself, or as many as 10,000.
2026 Stanley Cup Favorite
The model comes to the same conclusion as anybody checking Stanley Cup odds, or anybody who ever looked at the NHL standings at any time during the season: The Colorado Avalanche will be tough to beat.
The Avs led the Central Division pretty much wire to wire and clinched the Presidents' Trophy on April 9. Colorado had two 10-game winning streaks and took just two regulation losses in its first 40 games. The Avs piled up 121 points, the most in a season since the Boston Bruins had a record 135 points in 2022-23.
Their first-round Western Conference opponent, the Los Angeles Kings, had 90 points, the fewest of any playoff team. The Kings had a league-high 20 losses in overtime or a shootout and scored 225 goals, the fourth fewest in the league.
Legal, regulated sports betting apps have Colorado as the favorite, with anywhere from +265 to +360 odds depending on the operator.
Who Might Surprise The Field?
The Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars have a right to complain about the playoff format. Those teams, respectively, had the third-most and seventh-most points in the standings, yet they meet in the first round.
Whoever emerges from that series must be considered a serious threat to Colorado in the second round, assuming the Avs advance past the Kings. Minnesota held its own against Colorado in the regular season; each team had one regulation win, one overtime win, one shootout loss and one regulation loss in their four meetings.
As of April 17, Caesars Sportsbook has +1400 odds on both the Stars and the Wild to win the Stanley Cup.
In the Eastern Conference, the Carolina Hurricanes have the top seed with 113 points, but the spread between top and bottom in the East is narrow. Just 15 points separate the Canes from bottom seed Philadelphia (98 points). So if there is any value to be had in betting on the underdogs, it might well be in the East.
The East had plenty of turnover, with half the field changed from last season's playoffs. The Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers are all in the field after missing out last year.
At FanDuel Sportsbook, the Tampa Bay Lightning has +480 odds to win their third Stanley Cup in seven seasons, the best of any East team.
