The NHL feels a bit top-heavy these days.
After three conference finals appearances in seven years, the Hurricanes finally pulled the sword from the stone and won Lord Stanley. They return virtually the same roster to run it back in 2026-27, priced as +650 co-favorites with the Panthers.
Of course, Florida hoisted the Cup in both of the previous two seasons, and it was Florida who ousted Carolina in two of the previous three conference finals.
The Panthers took a vacation last season. With the exhaustion of three straight Stanley Cup appearances and a historic wave of injuries, they missed the playoffs. But they’ve recuperated and welcomed Brady Tkachuk alongside his brother Matthew to restore themselves as the most feared team in hockey.
The Avalanche, Oilers, Golden Knights, and Lightning all follow next on the odds board, each of whom has either won or appeared in the last seven straight Cup Finals.
Since the turn of the decade, the advanced analytics era has changed the criteria for winning four best-of-seven series. Pure skill stalls out by May and June, and if there’s any blueprint these past teams share, it’s depth and structure to create shot suppression.
Analytics departments hunt for heavy, high-volume forecheckers who also rank elite in puck-retrieval and zone-exit metrics. Players with low point totals, but who project a healthy expected goals share (xG%) or high-danger scoring chances created, are how the bottom six forward lines are designed.
2026-27 Stanley Cup picks, best bets
Colorado Avalanche (7/1, DraftKings)
Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar losing the Olympic gold medal game and getting swept in the Stanley Cup Playoffs within a few months has to be good for a loud response.
After running away with the Presidents’ Trophy, it was hard not to see the Avalanche cruising their way through the playoffs. But that’s hockey.
Colorado returns the same core that helped it finish No. 1 overall in expected goals share and shot attempt differential at 5-on-5. It still owns one of hockey’s most devastating offensive cores, with MacKinnon coming off a league-leading 53 goals and Martin Necas breaking out for 100 points.
The two-time Norris winner in Makar is still very much in his prime, and anchors a defense that allowed an NHL-low 2.40 goals per game last season.
Goaltending duos used to be frowned upon, but the Mackenzie Blackwood-Scott Wedgewood tandem turned a potential weakness into a strength. Wedgewood led qualified goalies with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage.
With the Panthers and Hurricanes overshadowing them on the odds board, they’re available at a discount.
Dallas Stars (14/1, DraftKings)
I’m placing a lot of stock in the Central Division, but if there’s any team that’s paid their dues (I suppose other than Edmonton), it’s Dallas.
The Stars’ special teams compensated for them last year: they were a middle-of-the-road 5-on-5 force and finished second in the NHL with a 28.6 percent power play. That was powered by 45-goal scorers Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston, whose 27 power-play goals led the league.
Dallas allowed just 2.71 goals per game, second in the NHL, behind a blue line featuring Miro Heiskanen’s 63 points and Esa Lindell’s 179 blocked shots.
Betting on the NHL?
Jake Oettinger is primed for a Vezina run. His .899 save percentage was the first sub-.900 mark of his career, but he still recorded four shutouts and has finished with positive goals saved above expected in five consecutive seasons.
After reaching 50 wins in three straight seasons for the first time in franchise history and appearing in the conference final three of the last four years, something is ready to give.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.
