Reviewing the Updated 2026 Stanley Cup Odds for Every NHL Team
A lot can be surmised by a quarter season's worth of NHL games, especially if you're setting betting lines for Stanley Cup winners.
DraftKings has updated the numbers it put out at the beginning of the 2025-26 schedule, and the new math has altered perceptions of which teams are most and least likely to host a springtime parade.
The Colorado Avalanche, with just one regulation loss in their first 20 games, have gone from the fifth-most likely Cup champion to the clear favorite, with their odds dropping from 900 to 450. The Anaheim Ducks have also seen a spike in optimism, with odds dropping from 10000 to 5500.
Heading in the other direction, meanwhile, are the Nashville Predators, who were listed at plus-7000 to begin the season but have plummeted to 30000 after a 6-10-4 run through their first 20 games.
The B/R hockey team reviewed the updated numbers and reconfigured the six tiers on which teams were positioned to begin the season. Take a look at what we came up with and drop a thought of your own in the app comments.
The Gavin McKenna Tier
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32. San Jose Sharks ( plus-50000)
There's no reason to believe the Sharks will be parading in northern Californian in the spring, but Macklin Celebrini and Co. are surely trending up for the future.
31. Chicago Blackhawks ( plus-40000)
In reality, the Blackhawks are no closer to winning it all than the Sharks, but Connor Bedard's red-hot start also warrants optimism for a few years down the road.
30. Nashville Predators ( plus-30000)
There's no glee in Nashville, where the flop of 2024-25 has extended into this season. When the numbers guys add $23,000 to your prospective payout, it's a bad sign.
29. Calgary Flames ( plus-30000)
Calgary kept itself in the Western playoff race all last season, but it doesn't seem likely this time around. In fact, the Flames are in a better position for the No. 1 pick.
28. Seattle Kraken ( plus-20000)
Same old, same old for the Kraken. Seattle remains an extreme long shot, and a negative goal differential through 20 does nothing to dissuade the non-believers.
27. Pittsburgh Penguins ( plus-20000)
They were in a wild-card position into the weekend and may ultimately end a three-season playoff drought, but there's been nothing to warrant a change in the odds.
26. Philadelphia Flyers ( plus-15000)
Coach Rick Tocchet is getting more out of skilled youngsters than John Tortorella, so perhaps there's light at the end of the Philly tunnel. But not enough for a parade.
25. Boston Bruins ( plus-15000)
It's hard to get a read on the Bruins, who had a six-game losing streak and a seven-game win streak in their first quarter. Don't expect miracles, though.
Rebuilding or in Need of a Miracle
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24. New York Islanders ( plus-10000)
Matthew Schaefer has been an immediate difference-maker for the Islanders, getting them out of the Gavin McKenna tier but not quite in range of a deep run.
23. Buffalo Sabres ( plus-10000)
It's the same as it ever was for the perpetually irrelevant Sabres, who have missed the playoffs for 14 straight years and entered the weekend in the Eastern basement.
22. Columbus Blue Jackets ( plus-9000)
Coach Dean Evason and Co. are finding it a lot more difficult to repeat as the league's most positive surprise. They're neither bottom feeders nor contenders.
21. Vancouver Canucks ( plus-8000)
It's a jarring drop from pretender status to in need of a miracle for the Canucks, who'll be fortunate to stay in the Western race, let alone contend for anything more.
20. St. Louis Blues ( plus-7000)
The hottest team in the back half of 2024-25 has been among the coldest of 2025-26, thanks to the 27th-best offense and the league's worst goals-against average.
19. Detroit Red Wings ( plus-7000)
The long-term plan authored by GM Steve Yzerman may not yield a title or even a playoff berth, but a good start has meant some buy-in from the linemakers.
Pretenders
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18. Anaheim Ducks ( plus-5500)
The arrival of Joel Quenneville and the on-ice production of a maturing gathering of young talent have yielded the league's biggest tier spike for the Ducks.
17. Minnesota Wild ( plus-5000)
The Wild have played better in the last couple of weeks, though residing in the Central behind powerhouses Colorado and Dallas doesn't make contention easy.
16. Montreal Canadiens ( plus-4500)
Will the real "Les Habitants" please stand up? Montreal looked ready for a tier upgrade to start, but a 3-4-3 skid has brought them back to the middle of the pack.
15. Ottawa Senators ( plus-4000)
A good start makes it seem like the Senators are determined to be relevant again this season, but the $1,000 uptick in their payout indicates skepticism.
14. Utah Mammoth ( plus-3500)
It's not time to line up for a parade anytime soon in Salt Lake City, but the numbers guys have chopped $1,000 off the would-be payoff for a Mammoth title run.
13. New York Rangers ( plus-3000)
The line hasn't changed, but the Rangers seem a higher (or lower?) grade of pretender these days, given their 14th-place Eastern slot entering the weekend.
Dark Horses
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12. Winnipeg Jets ( plus-2800)
A dark horse at the beginning of 2025-26 remains a dark horse a quarter of the way in, and it doesn't get any easier with Connor Hellebuyck out for a bit with a knee issue.
11. Los Angeles Kings ( plus-2800)
The numbers on the Kings have ticked up after an uneven first 20 games, though maybe the league's best road record will change springtime perception.
10. Washington Capitals ( plus-2500)
Perhaps seeing is believing regarding the Capitals, who were an unheralded Eastern points leader last season. Anything is possible with Alex Ovechkin, right?
9. Toronto Maple Leafs ( plus-2500)
Maybe it's because they lost Mitch Marner. Maybe it's because they're the Maple Leafs. Either way, a mediocre first quarter has set Toronto's numbers tumbling.
Contenders
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8. New Jersey Devils ( plus-1400)
The preseason buzz about the Devils was clearly legit, given their 13-6-1 start, but they'll have to endure Jack Hughes' seemingly annual extended absence.
7. Tampa Bay Lightning ( plus-1100)
Seems the linemakers knew what they were looking at with the Lightning, who have remained near the top of the pecking order even after three early playoff exits.
6. Edmonton Oilers ( plus-1000)
Remember the optimism when Connor McDavid extended? It's almost gone, thanks to an ugly start attributed to poor defense and worse goaltending.
5. Dallas Stars ( plus-1000)
The line between the contender tier and top-level favorites level is so narrow it's meaningless for the Stars, who figure to be in the mix come spring.
Top Tier
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4. Florida Panthers ( plus-800)
Even with Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk shelved, the Panthers reached the weekend having gone 6-2-1 in their last 10. You tell them they can't win.
3. Vegas Golden Knights ( plus-750)
Winning 10 and losing 10 through the first 20 games hasn't boosted zeal from Vegas fans, but the Golden Knights are still built for the long haul.
2. Carolina Hurricanes ( plus-750)
The odds are static, and the Hurricanes have dropped from the overall betting favorite to a shared No. 2 choice, but they're still tops in the East.
1. Colorado Avalanche ( plus-450)
The Avs have been the league's best team through the first quarter, and the lines have reacted, cutting the would-be payout for a Colorado Cup win in half.
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