NHL 2026-2026 Season Preview - The Stanley Cup Contenders Pt II
We officially started hockey season yesterday with my 2 favorite NHL groups to win the Stanley Cup and their conferences! With puck drop simply around the corner it is time to lock in some NHL future bets to provide you something to root for all season. And don't forget, Betting News will be dropping sharp NHL gamer props, game scripts and bets to keep your bankroll rolling for the whole 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 second two favorites to raise Lord Stanley.
1. The Dallas Stars: +850 to win the Cup/ +450 to win the West on BetOnline:
Dallas Stars are among the inmost groups in the league and might be a Stanley Cup competitor!
What makes them a strong bet
- Star Power and Recent Acquisition of Mikko Rantanen: Rantanen joined Dallas by means of a hit trade and extension around last trade due date. He's a perennial 80-point + offensive chauffeur, and having him on the leading line vastly improves their scoring ceiling. He will now have a possibility to make his effect on the Stars for a complete season. This is simply another elite player to add to a definitely offense that has Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston and Matt Duchene. Last season Dallas was third in goals for per video game played, averaging 3.38 GF/GP.
- Depth Moves & Cost Control: Players like Matt Duchene re-signed, plus retaining or acquiring depth forwards, re-signing Nils Lundkvist on defense. Also, Jamie Benn returning at a low cap hit makes the leadership bench strong without hamstringing budget plan. From top to bottom, this is among the deepest teams in the league.
- Goaltending and Defense: Jake Oettinger is established and capable starting goaltender and among 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 suggest close: Dallas has actually come close in recent seasons, particularly in the Western Conference. That typically means they have the pieces, simply maybe (training, defensive systems) will put them over. Add this all up and you can see why the Dallas Stars are among the very 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 road to Lord Stanley is much more brutal in the West than the East. Even positioning at the top of the department or conference does not make playoff seeding any simpler by round 2.
- Coaching modification: Dallas fired Pete DeBoer and now have Glen Gulutzan; modification periods in some cases cost drops in play. Gulutzan is much less skilled than DeBoer, which might injure this group in it's capability to make a deep playoff run.
Path to Success
For Dallas to win the West & make a deep run, they need Rantanen to synergize fully with Robertson and Hintz; depth players must step up; defense and goaltending require to be constant. If Oettinger is strong and the matchups prefer them, they can make Conference Finals and beyond. Good worth on their chances if you believe in the new leading line and depth showing up.
2. The New Jersey Devils: +1,400 to win the Cup/ +650 to win the East on BetOnline:
The captain Hischier will want to press his Devils even more than they have remained in years
What makes them interesting & sleeper potential
- Core young stars: Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt have shown top-6/ high output. For instance in 2024-25, Bratt had 88 points; Hischier's goal scoring was strong. Follow these three stars with complimentary pieces like Timo Meier and Dawson Mercer and this group has the basics of a very strong offense.
- Young Defensive Core: The Devils have 2 gamers who might become emerging stars on their blueline. Both Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec were high draft choices. And while Nemec has not quite lived up to being selected as the 2nd general pick in 2022, Luke Hughes has actually started to show why he might be a leading defenseman in the league. If both gamers take another step in their development the Devils will have one of the greatest defensive core in the league.
- Cap flexibility & room to grow: The Devils have more than 5.2 million in cap area. This will allow them to add a substantial piece to make a big playoff push. This sort of cap versatility 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 objectives for per game played. That does not precisely scream "Cup winner". But this was largely due to the mass of injuries they endured. The Devils will need their leading gamers like Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton to play the majority the season in order to be a true contender, something that has not taken place in the past 2 seasons.
- Lack of depth beyond the leading guys: Their secondary scoring and 3rd/4th lines are weaker than the elite groups. They'll require more production and consistency there. This is no much better illustrated than by the groups power play success. The group had the second most productive power play, converting 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 six this season.
If New Jersey can improve their depth scoring, make it through routine season without too numerous injuries, get beneficial playoff seeding, and tighten up defensively, they may distress in the East. Their odds make a decent value bet - less most likely than Panthers, but the advantage is solid. If they win the Atlantic or get high seed, then conference finals ends up being practical, and Cup possible.