By Rebecca Phillips
The race for the Stanley Cup is well and truly underway.
Ice hockey is always one of the most unpredictable, and yet exciting betting markets in professional sports.
Everything is to be considered due to the sport’s intensive nature.
Injuries, playoff momentum, unstoppable goaltending and depth scoring all possess the ability to completely change the landscape overnight.
And yet, four teams have separated themselves from the pack – earning themselves the title of the strongest contenders of the 2025-26 season.
They are all within touching distance of ice hockey’s most prestigious trophy – so prestigious most current hockey players refuse to touch it, unless they themselves have earnt the right too.
West Coast finalists – Avalanche vs Golden Knights
If you’d have asked me two weeks ago my money would’ve been on the Colorado Avalanche.
The Avalanche managed to come out on top of the regular season – winning the 2026 Presidents’ Trophy as the league-wide points leader.
Led by superstar Nathan Mackinnon and backed by one of the league’s deepest rosters, Colorado combine explosive offense with post-season experience.
The Avalanche have consistently ranked among the NHL’s top teams offensively whilst also boasting a strong defensive core, capable of handling high-pressure playoff hockey.
This is an aspect of their game-playing ability which is crucial for their next semi-final game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Stanley Cup playoff series are played as a best-of-seven format, as it’s considered the fairest way to decide the better team.
As it stands Vegas Golden Knights have won three out of those seven games – and Avalanche zero.
To make it to the final the Knights need to win just one more game – and the Avalanche? All four remaining games.
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What to consider when betting?
Whilst the Avalanche have gained back one key player (Cale Makar), they’ve also lost another to injury.
Mackinnon came off the ice in their most recent game against the Knights – receiving a nasty puck to the knee.
It’s uncertain whether we’ll see the star at their next game – this Wednesday (27/5/26 – 2:00AM GMT).
One does have to consider that the Knights struggled to beat the Anaheim Ducks in the previous quarter final games – a team that well – quite frankly everyone was surprised made it to the playoffs.
While Avalanche have consistently been the public and bookies’ favourites to win – if you’re a numbers man, it’s looking like the Vegas Golden Knights might swing this one.
And if that’s not enough to convince you, The New York Times believes the Vegas Golden Knights have a 91 per cent chance of making it to the Stanley Cup final and a 47 per cent chance of winning the entire tournament.
East Coast finalists – Canadiens vs Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes have emerged as betting favourites in several markets.
The Hurricanes’ disciplined system makes them incredibly difficult to break down over a seven-game series.
Not to mention incredible performances from goaltender Frederik Andersen have only strengthened their Stanley Cup credentials.
The series currently stands at 2-1 to the Hurricanes – so it’s anyone’s game.
However it must be noted that the Hurricanes won both their previous rounds against the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers, sweeping them both four nil – not affording their opponents a single point.
The Canadiens on the other hand have had more of a bumpy ride, just about scraping a win against Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres – winning both series 4-3.
Most sportsbooks such as the New York Times currently have Montreal around +670 to win the Stanley Cup – translating roughly to a 13 to 14 per cent chance of lifting the cup.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, have a 63 per cent chance of making it to the final and 34 per cent chance of claiming victory.
Tips and tricks
Despite their odds, the Hurricanes notoriously always seem to stumble at the final hurdle – often losing out to the Florida Panthers in the Easter Conference final, demonstrating pressure sometimes isn’t always everybody’s friend.
Montreal, meanwhile, have become one of the surprise stories of the playoffs.
A notable reason bettors still give Montreal a chance is their youthful core.
Players such as Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have stepped up offensively, while strong goaltending has helped the Canadiens stay competitive when faced with tight playoff games.
If the Canadiens win, it will be the first time in 32 years that a Canadian team has won the cup.
Let’s see if the Canadiens can do what the Oilers couldn’t and bring it home for Canada.
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Michael Davey