NHL 2026-2026 Season Preview - The Stanley Cup Contenders Pt II
We formally kicked off hockey season yesterday with my two favorite NHL teams to win the Stanley Cup and their conferences! With puck drop simply around the corner it is time to secure some NHL future bets to give you something to root for all season. And don't forget, Betting News will be dropping sharp NHL player props, game scripts and bets to keep your bankroll rolling for the entire NHL season. But first, let's dissect the upcoming 2025-2026 NHL season, and see just how much of the script we can get right.
Today we will highlight my 2nd 2 favorites to hoist Lord Stanley.
1. The Dallas Stars: +850 to win the Cup/ +450 to win the West on BetOnline:
Dallas Stars are one of the deepest teams in the league and could be a Stanley Cup contender!
What makes them a strong bet
- Star Power and Recent Acquisition of Mikko Rantanen: Rantanen signed up with Dallas by means of a blockbuster trade and extension around last trade deadline. He's a seasonal 80-point + offending driver, and having him on the top line vastly improves their scoring ceiling. He will now have an opportunity to make his effect on destiny for a complete season. This is just another elite player to contribute to an absolutely offense that has Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston and Matt Duchene. Last season Dallas was third in goals for per video game played, balancing 3.38 GF/GP.
- Depth Moves & Cost Control: Players like Matt Duchene re-signed, plus keeping or acquiring depth forwards, re-signing Nils Lundkvist on defense. Also, Jamie Benn returning at a low cap struck makes the leadership bench strong without hamstringing spending plan. From leading to bottom, this is among the deepest groups in the league.
- Goaltending and Defense: Jake Oettinger is established and capable beginning goaltender and one of the NHL's rising stars. Oettinger also has a rock solid blueline in front of him. In 2015 Dallas 7th least amount of objectives versus per video game.
- Near misses out on recommend close: Dallas has come close in recent seasons, especially in the Western Conference. That normally implies they have the pieces, just perhaps improving structure (coaching, defensive systems) will put them over. Add this all up and you can see why the Dallas Stars are one of the best NHL future bets for winning the Stanley Cup.
Challenges/ Risks
- Western Conference is stacked: Multiple strong rivals (Vegas, Edmonton, and Colorado) will challenge. The roadway to Lord Stanley is much more ruthless in the West than the East. Even placing at the top of the department or conference does not make playoff seeding any easier by round 2.
- Coaching change: Dallas fired Pete DeBoer and now have Glen Gulutzan; modification durations sometimes cost drops in play. Gulutzan is much less knowledgeable than DeBoer, which could hurt this team in it's ability to make a deep playoff run.
Path to Success
For Dallas to win the West & make a deep run, they need Rantanen to synergize completely with Robertson and Hintz; depth players need to step up; defense and goaltending need to be constant. If Oettinger is strong and the matchups prefer them, they can make Conference Finals and beyond. Good value on their odds if you think in the brand-new top line and depth appearing.
2. The New Jersey Devils: +1,400 to win the Cup/ +650 to win the East on BetOnline:
The captain Hischier will seek to push his Devils even more than they have actually remained in years
What makes them intriguing & sleeper prospective
- Core young stars: Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt have actually revealed top-6/ high output. For circumstances in 2024-25, Bratt had 88 points; Hischier's goal scoring was strong. Follow these 3 stars with complimentary pieces like Timo Meier and Dawson Mercer and this group has the fundamentals of a really strong offense.
- Young Core: The Devils have two gamers who might end up being emerging stars on their blueline. Both Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec were high draft picks. And while Nemec has not rather measured up to being picked as the second general pick in 2022, Luke Hughes has begun to reveal why he might be a top defenseman in the league. If both players take another action in their development the Devils will have one of the greatest defensive core in the league.
- Cap versatility & room to grow: The Devils have over 5.2 million in cap area. This will allow them to add a substantial piece to make a huge playoff push. This sort of cap flexibility is not something other competitors on this list have. The Devils have all the pieces to make a huge playoff push, making them a great NHL futures bet. But can they overcome their challenges.
Weaknesses/ What Needs to Improve
Health and Injury History: The New Jersey Devils ranked 20th in goals for per game played. That does not precisely yell "Cup winner". But this was mostly due to the mass of injuries they withstood. The Devils will require their top gamers like Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton to play the bulk the season in order to be a real contender, something that has actually not happened in the past two seasons.
- Lack of depth beyond the top guys: Their secondary scoring and 3rd/4th lines are weaker than the elite groups. They'll need more production and consistency there. This is no much better detailed than by the groups power play success. The team had the second most efficient power play, transforming 28.5% of the time last season. However, they were ranked 20th in GF/GP, indicating they had a hard time to score at even strength. The Devils will require more production outside of their leading 6 this season.
If New Jersey can enhance their depth scoring, make it through routine season without a lot of injuries, get favorable playoff seeding, and tighten up defensively, they might distress in the East. Their odds make a decent worth bet - less most likely than Panthers, however the benefit is strong. If they win the Atlantic or get high seed, then conference finals becomes reasonable, and Cup not difficult.