June 18 (UPI) — Less than 12 hours after losing to them in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, oddsmakers at a majority of sportsbooks listed the Edmonton Oilers as favorites over the Florida Panthers in the 2026 NHL title series.
The Oilers were listed as favorites or co-favorites Wednesday to win next year’s title at four of six major gambling sites, including BetMGM, DraftKings, Hard Rock Bet and ESPN Bet.
The Panthers, who beat the Oilers 5-1 in Game 6 on Tuesday to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup, were listed as favorites at Caesars and co-favorites at ESPN Bet.
The Carolina Hurricanes are the favorites at FanDuel and co-favorites at Hard Rock Bet, along with the Oilers and Colorado Avalanche.
The Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs are among other teams oddsmakers expect to contend for the title in 2025-26.
With Tuesday’s loss, the Oilers extended Canada’s drought without a Stanley Cup winning team to 33 years. Major off-season decisions loom for the Panthers, who won the title series 4-2.
Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett, who scored a playoff-best 15 goals, is headed to free agency. Fellow forward Brad Marchand, who joined the team in a March trade and totaled 10 goals and 10 assists in the playoffs, also is to hit the market.
Veteran defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Nate Schmidt are among the other Panthers headed to free agency.
Marchand said “we’ll see what happens,” when asked if he could return to the Panthers during Tuesday’s TNT broadcast of Game 6. Ekblad told reporters earlier this month that he hoped to stay with the Panthers “forever.”
But the two-time defending champions aren’t the only hockey franchise undergoing roster turnover.
Maple Leafs forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares and Stars forwards Matt Duchene and Mikael Granlund are among other key players headed to free agency.
The Panthers are expected to hold a Stanley Cup championship parade Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
