Oddsmakers lean toward Oilers, Hurricanes for '26 title

The Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup last year and retained their title on Tuesday, yet sportsbooks aren't convinced about their prospects for a three-peat.

Two leading gambling sites listed the back-to-back Cup runner-up Edmonton Oilers as the favorite to emerge on top next year, and another site views the Carolina Hurricanes as the leading contender.

The Panthers are no worse than the second favorite at any of the sportsbooks, and ESPN Bet considers the Panthers, Oilers and Colorado Avalanche all as co-favorites at +700.

Florida closed out a six-game win in the finals by defeating the Oilers 5-1 on Tuesday in Sunrise, Fla.

Looking ahead to next year, DraftKings has the Oilers at +650 as they try again to become the first Canadian team to hoist the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993. The Panthers are second at +700, with the Hurricanes (+900), the Dallas Stars (+900) and the Avalanche (+1000) rounding out the top five.

BetMGM also lists the Oilers at +650, ahead of the Panthers (+750), Avalanche (+800), Stars (+850) and Hurricanes (+900).

Carolina, which lost to Florida in five games during the Eastern Conference finals last month, top the FanDuel board at +700. The Panthers and Oilers are next, each at +750, with the Stars and Avalanche both at +850.

The last franchise to win the Stanley Cup more than two years in a row was the New York Islanders, who emerged on top four consecutive seasons from 1979-80 to 1982-83.

--Field Level Media