The Carolina Hurricanes are officially the latest installment to Lord Stanley’s silver rings.
With the 2025-26 season in the books, oddsmakers have forecasted the Hurricanes as favorites to repeat, with FanDuel offering them at a price of +650.
Carolina became the first team to sweep the first two rounds of playoffs since the NHL adopted the current four-round, best-of-seven format in 1987. They finished the Vegas Golden Knights in six games to win their first Stanley Cup since 2006.
The Hurricanes’ postseason prowess comes from a veteran group that’s been through lots of trial and error — this marked its eighth consecutive trip to the playoffs, sitting only behind the Avalanche and Lightning (tied with nine) as the longest active streak.
Rod Brind’Amour’s brand of aggressive forechecking and man-on-man defensive structure allowed the fewest shots in the regular season (23.9) while registering the second-most (32.1).
2026-27 Stanley Cup Odds
| Team | Stanley Cup Odds |
|---|---|
| Hurricanes | +650 |
| Avalanche | +700 |
| Lightning | 10/1 |
| Oilers | 11/1 |
| Wild | 12/1 |
| Panthers | 12/1 |
| Golden Knights | 14/1 |
| Senators | 16/1 |
| Stars | 17/1 |
| Devils | 20/1 |
| Canadiens | 25/1 |
| Ducks | 27/1 |
| Kings | 30/1 |
| Sabres | 33/1 |
| Mammoth | 33/1 |
| Flyers | 35/1 |
| Blue Jackets | 40/1 |
| Maple Leafs | 40/1 |
| Jets | 80/1 |
| Capitals | 45/1 |
| Sharks | 45/1 |
| Rangers | 60/1 |
| Penguins | 65/1 |
| Islanders | 80/1 |
| Red Wings | 80/1 |
| Blackhawks | 100/1 |
| Bruins | 100/1 |
| Predators | 100/1 |
| Blues | 100/1 |
| Flames | 225/1 |
| Kraken | 250/1 |
| Canucks | 500/1 |
The Avalanche fall next on the board at 7/1 odds. After winning the Presidents’ Trophy with a wire-to-wire season as odds-on favorites to win their second Cup in five years, the Avalanche were stunningly swept by the Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final.
With Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon and two-time Norris winner Cale Makar back for more, Colorado is never out of the conversation.
The Lightning follow with 10/1 odds to win their third Cup of the decade. After three straight Final appearances from 2020-22, the Bolts have been ousted in the first round for four straight postseasons.
It’s just become par for the course for Lightning stars to rack up gaudy numbers. Nikita Kucherov posted his sixth triple-digit point season while two-time Vezina winner Andrei Vasilevskiy led all goaltenders with 39 wins.
Meanwhile, the hourglass is trickling in Edmonton with Connor McDavid, who, after back-to-back Final appearances, was stunned in the first round by the Ducks. Listed at 11/1, the Oilers have a chance to end two long droughts: Edmonton’s first Stanley Cup since 1990 and Canada’s first since 1993.
McDavid’s 138 points led the NHL in his sixth season, winning the Art Ross Trophy. He signed a two-year, $25 million extension ahead of the 2025-26 season, signaling that his window to win a Cup as an Oiler is now or never.
The outlook for the locals isn’t all that rosy. The Devils are 20/1, the Rangers are 60/1, and the Islanders are 80/1.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
