Who Wins The Stanley Cup? My 2025-26 NHL Regular Season + Playoff Predictions

The new NHL season is right around the corner, and it’s time to break down how I see the season playing out. This league is as competitive as ever, but only one team can win it all — and someone has to claim the crown. Here are my season predictions and let's enjoy a great year of hockey!

Atlantic Division Standings

1. Toronto Maple Leafs — 110 pts

2. Tampa Bay Lightning — 106 pts

3. Florida Panthers — 100 pts

4. Montreal Canadiens — 98 pts (WC1)

5. Ottawa Senators — 92 pts

6. Detroit Red Wings — 87 pts

7. Buffalo Sabres — 84 pts

8. Boston Bruins — 80 pts

 I’ve got the Boston Bruins finishing last for the second straight year—not because they’re awful, but because it feels like they’re inching toward a retool, with David Pastrnak carrying the load and Jeremy Swayman needing to cover for a thin defense core outside of Charlie McAvoy. In seventh, I’ve slotted the Buffalo Sabres—there’s talent with Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Bowen Byram, and Tage Thompson, but until they prove otherwise, their goaltending keeps me from putting them near a playoff spot. Detroit Red Wings fans won’t like this, but I still don’t see them making it, as their defense core is far too weak despite some nice pieces like Mo Seider, Dylan Larkin, and Lucas Raymond, while I think Steve Yzerman’s seat finally starts to warm up. Now for my hot take: either Ottawa or Montreal misses the playoffs, and I’m leaning Ottawa—not because I dislike the roster, but you simply do need to have some surprises. That means I have my Montreal Canadiens in fourth, grabbing a wild card spot thanks to the sign-and-trade for Noah Dobson, the addition of Zach Bolduc, and growth from Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov, and Lane Hutson. In third are the Florida Panthers—even without Barkov for the season and Kachuk until January, I trust Bill Zito to keep them competitive and Anton Lundell to take a step forward. In second, I’ve got the Tampa Bay Lightning—the most stable and least questionable team in the division with Kucherov, Point, Hedman, and Vasilevskiy still anchoring the core. And finally, for the second straight year, I’m picking the Toronto Maple Leafs to win the Atlantic. Even without Mitch Marner, I like the depth moves around the edges, I expect William Nylander to elevate again, and with Auston Matthews fully healthy, I think he pushes for 60 goals as the Leafs ride that to the division crown—though the real question remains whether this version of Toronto can finally deliver in the postseason.

Metropolitan Division Standings

1. Carolina Hurricanes — 114 pts

2. New Jersey Devils — 108 pts

3. Washington Capitals — 100 pts

4. New York Islanders— 93 pts (WC2)

5. New York Rangers — 87 pts

6. Columbus Blue Jackets— 83 pts

7. Philadelphia Flyers — 77 pts

8. Pittsburgh Penguins — 74 pts

I have the Pittsburgh Penguins finishing last in the Eastern Conference; as much as Sidney Crosby is still elite, the roster around him is crumbling, and I think a rebuild begins this season. Just ahead of them are the Philadelphia Flyers, who will be competitive with Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras taking steps forward under Rick Tocchet, but their goaltending keeps them out of the mix. The Columbus Blue Jackets slide back slightly after last year’s surprising push, and while I like Adam Fantilli and Zach Werenski, I don’t see that same offensive spark repeating itself. The New York Rangers also miss the playoffs for me—even with a full season of J.T. Miller, this roster feels too old and flawed. My surprise playoff pick is the New York Islanders, who, with Ilya Sorokin in net, a healthy Matthew Barzal, and Bo Horvat creating a strong one-two punch down the middle, I think sneak in as a Wild Card team. The Washington Capitals follow as one of the most well-rounded teams in the division, with a strong defensive unit and reliable goaltending keeping them steady. The New Jersey Devils bounce back with a healthy Jack Hughes leading the charge and claim home-ice advantage, while the Carolina Hurricanes once again prove to be the class of the division, finishing on top with their depth, consistency, and the key additions of Nikolaj Ehlers and K’Andre Miller. If they address goaltending before the deadline, this could finally be their Cup year.

Pacific Division Standings

1. Edmonton Oilers — 110 pts

2. Vegas Golden Knights— 106 pts

3. Vancouver Canucks — 98 pts

4. Los Angeles Kings— 97 pts (WC2)

5. Anaheim Ducks — 89 pts

6. Calgary Flames— 81 pts

7. Seattle Kraken — 78 pts

8. San Jose Sharks — 60 pts

In last place once again, I have the San Jose Sharks—I like the young core they’re building with Will Smith, Macklin Celebrini, and Michael Misa joining the mix, but it’s going to be another year of growing pains, and I expect them to move veterans at the deadline. In seventh, I’ve got the Seattle Kraken, a team under quiet pressure this season—Matty Beniers and Shane Wright both need to take major steps forward, but their inconsistency and potential deadline sell-off could sink them again. The Calgary Flames follow in sixth; Dustin Wolf gives them hope in net, but with little offseason improvement and stronger competition around them, I see a slight step back. The Anaheim Ducks are a trendy dark horse, and with veterans like Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider now in the fold, plus young stars Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier improving, they’ll be better—just not quite playoff-ready yet. The LA Kings sneak in as a Wild Card team, though I hated their offseason—adding aging pieces like Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin doesn’t inspire confidence, and this roster is trending older. In fourth, I’ve got the Vancouver Canucks rebounding from last year’s chaos; a calmer, more focused season should mean big years from Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, and Brock Boeser, while Demko and Lankanen provide steady goaltending. They’re back in the postseason mix. In second, the Vegas Golden Knights remain a powerhouse, and the addition of Mitch Marner should elevate Jack Eichel—who I predict will hit 50 goals—but their injury-prone core keeps them behind Edmonton. Finally, the Oilers take the top spot in the Pacific—after two straight trips to the Cup Final, Connor McDavid and company will come out firing, motivated to finally finish the job. Goaltending might still be a question, but it won’t hold them back from a dominant regular season.

Central Division Standings

1. Dallas Stars — 113 pts

2. Winnipeg Jets— 109 pts

3. Colorado Avalanche — 105 pts

4. Utah Mammoth— 98 pts (WC1)

5. St. Louis Blues — 94 pts

6. Minnesota Wild— 91 pts

7. Nashville Predators — 70 pts

8. Chicago Blackhawks — 68 pts

I think this will be the Chicago Blackhawks’ best season yet in the Connor Bedard era—he could push 80 points, and Spencer Knight should prove he can be a legitimate No. 1 goalie—but the roster is still too young and flawed, so I have them finishing last. In seventh, I’m going with the Nashville Predators, who completely disappointed me last year and look poised for another rough season; too many aging veterans and not enough upside. In sixth, I have the Minnesota Wild—a bit of a hot take, but I simply don’t trust their health or depth. Kirill Kaprizov is elite, but he’s only played a full season once, and I think regression hits this group. Just missing the playoffs in fifth, I’ve got the St. Louis Blues. They ended last season strong, but I’m not sure they can sustain that level all year, and I see them just falling short of the postseason. In fourth, claiming a Wild Card spot, I have the Utah Mammoth—I love what they’re building in their second season. With Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther, and J.J. Peterka leading the way, I think this group stabilizes and breaks through into the playoffs. In third, I’ve got the Colorado Avalanche—still a powerhouse with McKinnon and Makar, but the pressure is mounting after multiple playoff disappointments. If they bow out early again, I wouldn’t be shocked to see major changes, including Jared Bednar being on the hot seat. Second, the Winnipeg Jets, last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners, remain a strong regular-season team even after losing Ehlers and adding Jonathan Toews—but they need to finally deliver in the playoffs or risk becoming “Toronto West.” And finally, winning the Central, I have the Dallas Stars. This team is absolutely loaded—they’ve been to three straight Western Conference Finals, they now get a full season of Mikko Rantanen, and a coaching change should inject new energy. On paper, this might be the best roster in the West, and I think they finish as the top seed in the conference.

Playoff Predictions: Dallas Stars Beat the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Final

I’m not going round by round, but my conference final picks are the Washington Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning in the East and the Dallas Stars vs. Edmonton Oilers in the West. With Florida dealing with injuries, I think Tampa finds a way through, and while Washington might regress in the regular season, their size, depth, and defense make them a tough out come playoff time. I think the Capitals outmuscle their way to a Stanley Cup Final appearance.

Out West, I think we see Edmonton and Dallas meet for the third straight year, but this time the Stars get their revenge. With a full, healthy season and a deep, balanced roster, I think the Dallas Stars finally break through and win the Stanley Cup in 2026—ending a potential storybook ending for Alex Ovechkin.