5 NHL Cinderella Teams That Can Win the 2026 Stanley Cup

We've reached the familiar, dreaded lull in March Madness action. It's always jarring to rip through two rounds of win or go home basketball in four days, then have to wait four more days for the Sweet 16.

Don't fret, we can use this time to lock in on the down-to-the-wire playoff race in the NHL. There's absolute chaos on the playoff bubble as the Canadiens, Penguins, Bruins, Blue Jackets, Islanders, Red Wings, and Senators are all separated by just three standings points. Meanwhile out West, the divide between the ferocious teams at the top and the teams vying for a playoff spot is getting hard to ignore.

Could any of these teams on the bubble have an Iowa-esque upset in them? Here's a look at five NHL Cinderella teams that can with the 2026 Stanley Cup.

Buffalo Sabres

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Zach Benson and Rasmus Dahlin

Put your pitchforks down, Buffalo: We know what the Sabres have accomplished this season is less like a Cinderella run, and more like the real thing coming to fruition after years of just slightly missing pieces. This is a team that was supposed to be talented and supposed to break the playoff drought for a few seasons now, and the Sabres are finally putting the pieces together. This isn't some out-of-nowhere, happy-go-lucky sideshow.

Buffalo's Atlantic Division reign, 44-20-7 record, +44 goal differential, and prowess against the toughest opponents in the league show us that.

But when most of us pictured the Sabres finally breaking their league-worst 14-year playoff drought, maybe we pictured a cute, exhale of a first-round exit that felt more like relief and a curse reversed than a serious Cup run.

Nope, not these Sabres. A first-round exit wouldn't be good enough for these Sabres, and it's that attitude that finally got them here in the first place. Buffalo has that menacing "nothing to lose, nothing to fear, let's see how far we can really take this" vibe this year. It's a perfect time to have that vibe, while the best teams in the West eat each other alive in the first few rounds, and the East eats itself alive before the playoffs even start.

Columbus Blue Jackets

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Jet Greaves and Zach Werenski

The Blue Jackets have quietly hung around the playoff race in the East, and they currently own the No. 3 spot in the Metro. They aren't totally in the clear by any means, as their 85 standings points are tied with the Wild Card Islanders', but they have to feel pretty good about where they're at right now.

You know who else has to feel pretty darn good? Breakout goaltender Jet Greaves. According to MoneyPuck.com, he ranks No. 7 among all NHL goaltenders with 16.2 goals saved above expected. In his first full season in the NHL, he's got a .910 save percentage and a 2.58 goals against average through 45 games.

A goaltender like this -- especially one who opponents don't have as much experience playing against -- can really throw a wrench in all of our playoff predictions. If Greaves can steal a few games for the Blue Jackets, if Zach Werenski can give the team exactly what he gave Team USA on the biggest stage, and if Columbus can get a teensy bit more production all around, the Blue Jackets could survive a few rounds.

New York Islanders

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Matthew Schaefer and Ilya Sorokin

All it takes is one sentence to justify the New York Islanders' Cinderella run hopes: Through Matthew Schaefer and Ilya Sorokin, all things are possible.

The Islanders' rise this season has been more thrilling and has looked better at times than their No. 2 Wild Card positioning currently indicates, but the East is the East. If this team can simply hang on to a playoff spot, it's the exact kind of team that could just keep going.

There's generational talent, 2025 No. 1 overall draft pick, and Calder Trophy front runner Matthew Schaefer, who slotted into a top pairing role in his first NHL season and immediately made an impact. There's the absolutely beastly season Ilya Sorokin has put up, ranking No. 3 in the NHL in goals saved above expected, with a .913 save percentage to boot. There's a healthy Mat Barzal, who seems evolved and eager to make some noise, and there's veteran production from Bo Horvat.

Don't sleep on the Islanders.

Pittsburgh Penguins

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Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin

Well, well, well. It looks like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and the Penguins will return to the playoffs this season, and it didn't even take that year of tanking and/or aggressive retooling we may have anticipated.

The Penguins currently sit in No. 2 in the Metro with 86 standings points in a very tight Eastern Conference race. They held down the fort when Crosby was out for a few crucial weeks nursing his unfortunate Olympic injury, and now the captain is back. That stretch really instilled that this team is far deeper than Crosby, and that if we keep underestimating the Penguins, they could make a deep run.

GM Kyle Dubas' decision to hold on to Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson paid off -- those two sit right behind Crosby in scoring for Pittsburgh. If the Penguins can do something about Kris Letang's struggles -- or if he can step up just one more postseason for his team, they could make some noise. Defense and goaltending have been a struggle overall, but hey, we've seen some great stretches out of Stuart Skinner when it comes time for the playoffs.

Utah Mammoth

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Clayton Keller

Yes, it's hard to imagine that anyone other than the Avalanche, Stars, or Wild will emerge from the West. But with the way the Stanley Cup playoffs are formatted, most likely only one of those teams will make it to the Conference Finals. By then, that team has probably already faced two of the hardest opponents in the entire playoffs.

Given the sad state of the Pacific Division, being in the Wild Card 1 spot out West sets that team up for the most success available in that situation, and it's looking like the Mammoth are going to be that team.

Do they have the goaltending? That's an interesting factor, as Karel Vejmelka is capable of going on a run, despite an up-and-down performance in net this season.

They have decent scoring depth, and Dylan Guenther is emerging as an up-and-comer to keep your eye on. Logan Cooley's return from injury provided a much-needed spark and some star power. With Cooley at full strength, you could see the Mammoth sneaking past a few teams, and the bracket sets them up to do so.