Hurricanes favored to repeat, followed by Avs, Golden Knights - ESPN

The Carolina Hurricanes had been on the brink of championship-level hockey for several seasons before finally breaking through to win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2006. Perhaps because of this strong pedigree, bookmakers are making the Hurricanes the favorites to win the Cup again in 2027.

Carolina shows a leading +700 to win the Stanley Cup for the 2026-27 season, followed immediately by the Colorado Avalanche (+800) and the Stanley Cup runner-up Vegas Golden Knights (+850), according to DraftKings Sportsbook odds. The Edmonton Oilers (11-1), Florida Panthers (11-1) and Tampa Bay Lightning (12-1) make up the next tier.

There is some notable variance across the American sportsbook marketplace. At BetMGM and Caesars, the Avalanche are the Stanley Cup favorite, with the Hurricanes in second. Additionally, the Golden Knights have longer odds at several other books, reaching as high as 14-1 at FanDuel, while the Lightning have the third-best odds at a couple of shops.

Bookmakers' belief in Carolina wavered very little over the past year and is extending into next season. The Hurricanes came into the 2025-26 campaign as the +750 co-favorites to lift the Cup and were the second favorite going into the postseason at +475 at DraftKings.

The Stanley Cup futures markets are always competitive, and 2026-27 appears to be no exception, with 12 teams at 25-1 or better. The perennially contending Minnesota Wild (14-1), Dallas Stars (15-1) and Ottawa Senators (16-1) are ahead of a small gap before a tier consisting of teams that broke out this season, including the Montreal Canadiens (22-1), Anaheim Ducks (25-1) and Buffalo Sabres (25-1).

The rebuilding Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks occupy the bottom of DraftKings'