2026 Stanley Cup odds: Oilers ahead of Panthers in opening odds

New York Times

4 hours ago

Opening championship odds are usually not all that creative, so it's not a surprise to see the two finalists for the last two years open as the favorites for next year's Stanley Cup. The Florida Panthers just beat the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row, but it's the Oilers that open as the favorite ahead of the Panthers to claim the Cup in 2026.
The Oilers are +650 on BetMGM, with the Panthers next at +750. As it was throughout the playoffs, the odds remain tight at the top. The Colorado Avalanche (+800), Dallas Stars (+850) and Carolina Hurricanes (+900) aren't far behind the top two.
Florida has a chance to be the first back-to-back champion since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980 to 1983. That was an era of dynasties in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens winning four in a row from 1976 to 1979 directly before the Islanders' run. The Panthers are the seventh team to win back-to-back Cup titles since the Islanders' four-peat (Oilers 1984-85 and 1987-88, Pittsburgh Penguins 1991-92 and 2016-17, Detroit Red Wings 1997-98, Tampa Bay Lightning 2020-21). Of the previous six, only the 2022 Lightning made it back to the Cup Final before losing to Colorado.
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The Panthers have some major questions to answer in the offseason with captain Brad Marchand, 37 years old, and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett heading into free agency. Bennett had 22 points in the playoffs, including six in six games against the Oilers, and will turn 29 on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Oilers still have Connor McDavid, which makes them an obvious contender. Edmonton has come oh so close to ending Canada's Stanley Cup drought, but after coming one game short last year, they were two games short this year. The last Canadian champion remains the 1993 Canadiens.
As for the other teams near the top of the odds board, that lack of creativity shows up again. All four teams that made the conference finals are in the top five in the odds to win it next year. The only exception is Colorado, which is a recent champion (2022) that has remained a favorite in the odds for the last few years.
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(Photo of Connor McDavid and Seth Jones: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)