Power Ranking The Most Likely Stanley Cup Winners Of The 2026 Playoffs

The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are imminent. All 16 teams punched their ticket to the postseason, the matchups are set, and now hockey fans get to sit back, (not) relax, and enjoy the most intense postseason across all the major sports.

During the final slate of regular season play, and with the 16 Playoffs teams set, today is the perfect time to take a look at the odds each team has of winning the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season by power ranking teach franchise’s chances.

Ranking All 16 Teams’ Chances Of Winning 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Coming into the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs the Colorado Avalanche are the favorites to win the West and the Carolina Hurricanes are the team to beat in the East. Of course, anything can happen in the Playoffs. My Tampa Bay Lightning tied the NHL record with 62 regular season wins in 2019 only to get swept in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets who failed to make the Playoffs this year after imploding at the finish.

For the purposes of these power rankings heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I will defer to my infallible hockey source Money Puck whose Playoffs predictions I hold to be sacrosanct. The thoughts below are my own and mine alone but I’ll use their odds as they are the best around.

16. Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks have the lowest odds to win the Stanley Cup in 2026 at just 1.9%. Their odds to make it out of the first round are only 36.8%… Not great. Going up against the Oilers in Canada to start the Playoffs is a tall task to face.

Anaheim enters the playoffs with a -16 goal differential, the second worst of any team in the post season. They accumulated 90 points on the season which is fewer than 4 teams that didn’t make the playoffs. In their last 10 games, the Ducks are 2-6-2. To say that they are limping their way into the Stanley Cup Playoffs is generous.

15. Los Angeles Kings

The Kings hold the second-worst odds to win the Stanley Cup this season at just 2.9%. They have a 38.7% chance of advancing out of the first round of the Playoffs as they are set to face the Colorado Avalanche who have been the best team in hockey by far this season.

Why will the Kings lose? Their -20 goal differential is the worst of any team in the Playoffs. LA’s 90 points is tied with Anaheim and miles behind the league leaders.
Why will the Kings win? To their credit, the Los Angeles Kings are getting hot at the right time. LA is 7-1-2 in their last 10 games and will seek to keep that momentum going into the first round.

14. Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers come into the Playoffs as the 3rd seed in the East and are set to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in a fun in-state rivalry to kick things off. To say that these two teams know each other well would be a wild understatement.

According to Money Puck the Flyers have just a 3.2% chance of winning Lord Stanley’s Cup but they have a 47.7% chance of winning their first round matchup, pretty great odds for an underdog. The Flyers are 7-3-0 in their last 10, have a +7 goal differential on the season, and split their regular season games 2-2 against the Penguins. This series could be a coin toss, IMHO.

13. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins have a 3.7% chance of winning it all this season and a 52.3% chance of beating Philly in the first round. Pittsburgh split their regular season games against Philly 2-2 but hold an edge in the first round.

Their +25 goal differential is solid but they lack a bust out star this season. Sidney Crosby leads the team in points with 74, which is 35th best in the league. Pittsburgh is 5-5-0 in their last 10 but have lost 3 games in a row coming into the final game of the season. That’s not exactly the type of momentum you want to see headed into the Playoffs.

12. Montreal Canadiens

My Tampa Bay Lightning open up the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Montréal Canadiens. The trash talk with a friend in Montréal has already begun with him attempting to convince me this is the best Canadiens squad of his life… The numbers say otherwise.

The Habs and Tampa tied with 106 points on the season. Montreal’s +27 goal differential pales in comparison to Tampa’s +61. The Canadiens are hot, 7-3-0 in their last 10, and they were 24-9-8 on the road this season.

All that in mind, Montréal only has a 3.9% chance of winning the Stanley Cup this season and a 44.5% chance of winning their first round matchup. Those odds will certainly shift heavily should they win Game 1 but let’s be honest, that isn’t happening.

11. Utah Mammoth

Making their NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs debut are the Utah Mammoth who finish 14th in the league. They open up their postseason against the Vegas Golden Knights, another new team but a club with deep playoffs experience since they came to exist in the 2017-18 season.

The Utah Mammoth have a +30 goal differential which is considerably better than Vegas (+12) but Utah only has a 4.1% chance of winning it all. Their odds of beating Vegas in Round 1 sits at 41.4% currently.

10. Edmonton Oilers

Of all the Canadian teams in the NHL the one I would most like to see break the Stanley Cup streak are the Edmonton Oilers. Evidently the ownership feels differently as they fail to invest in the team year after year and simply rely on their top two stars to carry the team to the Playoffs.

Edmonton have a 4.7% chance of winning it all this season and a 54.6% chance of winning Round 1 where they will face the Ducks at home. Connor McDavid leads the league in points (119) and Leon Draisaitl ranks 9th with 97 points. Those two will put up enough effort to get the Oilers through to Round 2 but that is likely where their road ends.

9. Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators’ Stanley Cup chances sit at 6% and their odds of winning their first round matchup is just 41.6%. That is because they will face the Carolina Hurricanes who have the best record in the East.

Ottawa are 11th in the league in points (97) with a +30 goal differential. Tim Stützle is their top scorer with 83 points on the season (ranks 22nd). I think this series goes to 6 games but ultimately Carolina beats the Sens and move on.

8. Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins’ Stanley Cup Playoffs chances sit at 6%. They open up their postseason play against the Buffalo Sabres who shocked everyone this season with their play.

Boston has a 46.4% chance of winning round 1. Their +22 goal differential is solid and they put up 100 points on the season but Buffalo plays fast and hard.

7. Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars have made deep Stanley Cup Playoffs in recent years. Their odds right now are 6.1% to win it all.

Dallas will open up Round 1 against the Minnesota Wild and hold a 49.2% chance to advance, making this the tightest first round matchup. Jason Robertson has been on fire this season and will give Minnesota all they can handle.

6. Tampa Bay Lightning

As a Tampa Bay Lightning fan, I see no reason the Bolts don’t win their 4th Stanley Cup this season. The odds say otherwise though, putting them at 6.3% to win it all and 55.5% to advance out of the first round.

I was at Monday night’s OT win against Detroit. The boys looked sharp. They are 6-4-0 in their last 10, 24-12-5 on the road this season which looked a lot better until their recent road trip, and they hold the second-best point differential in the league at +61. I’m ready to raise another banner.

5. Minnesota Wild

The Wild have a 7.2% chance of winning it all and 50.8% chance of winning their first round matchup against the Stars. This will be an electric series from start to finish.

Kirill Kaprizov is 13th in the NHL with 89 points and Matt Boldy ranks 19th with 85 points. They’ve got some snipers, plenty of Playoffs experience,and I like Minnesota’s chances to give Colorado a battle in the second round if they advance.

4. Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres have an 8.5% chance of winning it all, the second-best odds in the East. Buffalo will face Boston in the first round and have a 53.6% chance of advancing.

The Sabres’ +48 goal differential and 108 points this season seemed to come out of nowhere. They were pulling receipts yesterday on all their haters. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin have been on heaters this season. They are a real problem for anyone they face.

3. Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas has experience. They won it all in 2023. Their odds to win the Cup this season are 10.2% and they have a 60.5% chance to advance out of the first round.

Despite those great odds, the Golden Knights finished the season 13th in points (93) with a +12 goal differential. They are 6-1-3 in their last 10 games but Jack Eichel is a stud. Mitch Marner is a stick. They’ve got all the pieces to go DEEP.

2. Carolina Hurricanes

Similar to the Florida Panthers who won it all last year, the Carolina Hurricanes got tired of losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning so they copied Tampa’s style of play and just brought in younger players. It has worked out wonderfully for them as they are the leaders in the East, the #1 seed, and will face Ottawa in Round 1.

Carolina has a 12.4% chance to win the Cup and a 58.4% chance to advance out of the first round. Sebastian Aho leads the team in points (80) and ranks 25th in the league. Carolina are 7-2-1 in their last 10 and boast a +56 goal differential which is 3rd best in all of the NHL.

1. Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche have been the team to beat for the entirety of the 2025-26 NHL season. Nothing has changed going into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Colorado’s chances to win the Cup stand at 12.8% and they have a 68% chance of advancing out of the first round. Colorado only lost 16 games in regulation this entire season!

Nathan MacKinnon ranks 3rd in points (127) and Martin Necas ranks 8th (100). That 1-2 punch right there is devastating for opposing goalies. On paper, bookies would hand Colorado the Cup right now but that’s why the play the games. Anything could happen.

Who do you have winning the Stanley Cup this season? Let us know in the Facebook comments or email me anytime at cass@brobible.com!