The 2024-25 NHL season is less than a month away, so there’s no better time to start thinking about who will win the Stanley Cup.
The Florida Panthers have had their fun, parading the greatest trophy in sports across the world all summer. With training camps set to begin soon, it’s time to get back to business.
Let’s dig into the latest odds and make our 2025 Stanley Cup predictions.
NHL Stanley Cup Winner Odds 2025
NHL odds referenced below are current as of Friday, Sept. 6, and courtesy of bet365 Sportsbook.
- Edmonton Oilers (+800)
- New Jersey Devils (+900)
- Florida Panthers (+1000)
- Dallas Stars (+1000)
- Colorado Avalanche (+1100)
- Carolina Hurricanes (+1100)
- New York Rangers (+1300)
- Vancouver Canucks (+1400)
- Toronto Maple Leafs (+1400)
- Vegas Golden Knights (+1600)
- Nashville Predators (+1700)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (+1800)
- Boston Bruins (+1800)
- Winnipeg Jets (+2500)
- Los Angeles Kings (+2500)
This list essentially represents the top half of the league, as the other 17 franchises have odds of 40-1 or longer to win the Stanley Cup in 2025.
Among the teams not listed is the Utah Hockey Club (+8000), which will play its debut season after the owners of the Utah Jazz bought the Arizona Coyotes in April.
At the top of the board, it’s no surprise that the Oilers are the odds-on favorites after falling in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in June. Edmonton has two of the most talented players in the league, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and retooled its roster for another run at the Cup this offseason.
It is somewhat surprising to see the New Jersey Devils listed as the second-favorites after they missed out entirely on the 2024 postseason, seriously underdelivering on their lofty preseason expectations.
Who Will Win the Stanley Cup 2025?
Toronto Maple Leafs (+1400)
I know, I know. The Leafs are cursed.
Toronto has been to the playoffs each of the last eight seasons but only emerged from the first round once. However, this roster has too much talent for that to continue.
Auston Matthews, who led the NHL with 69 goals last season, is the franchise’s new captain, taking over from John Tavares. The Leafs also have a new head coach, Craig Berube, who led the Blues to the Stanley Cup in his first year in charge (2019).
His impact from the bench, along with the offseason acquisitions of Cup-winning defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and fellow blueliner Chris Tanev, could make the difference for Toronto this season.
Give me the Leafs to win their first Stanley Cup since 1967 as one of my NHL best bets today.
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Stanley Cup Favorites 2025
Edmonton Oilers (+800)
Given the parity of the Stanley Cup playoffs, I’m often hesitant to back the odds-favorite. Still, it’s tempting with a team like Edmonton.
The Oilers started the 2023-24 campaign 3-9-1, but everything changed when they fired HC Jay Woodcroft and replaced him with Kris Knoblauch.
The team posted a 46-18-5 record the rest of the way, producing an incredible 16-game winning streak — the second-longest in NHL history — that started before Christmas and ended in February. Edmonton went on to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006 and nearly pulled off an epic comeback after losing the series’ first three games to Florida.
While some depth pieces from that run moved on this offseason, the Oilers re-signed star forward Leon Draisaitl and added secondary scoring by bringing in veterans Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson. Plus, they still have the best player on the planet, Connor McDavid, who became just the sixth player in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy without winning the Cup.
He and the Oilers will be hungrier than ever to change that this season, and as long as they get more consistent goaltending from Stuart Skinner, they’ll have a great chance to accomplish that goal.
New Jersey Devils (+900)
The Devils were inarguably the NHL’s biggest disappointment last season, finishing seventh in the Metropolitan with 81 points — 24.5 points below their preseason projected total.
New Jersey was ultimately undone by its defense and goaltending, two areas GM Tom Fitzgerald addressed this offseason. He sent defenseman Kevin Bahl and a 2025 first-round pick to Calgary for goalie Jacob Markstrom, who should bring stability to a team that used five netminders last season. He also brought in veteran blueliners Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon, who should help shore up things in front of Markstrom.
Those pieces should bring stability to a team with plenty of offensive playmakers, including Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier.
Former Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe is a sensible hire for a team filled with young talent, though his postseason record leaves something to be desired. I’m not expecting a Cup run for New Jersey, but this team should return to the playoffs.
Stanley Cup Contenders 2025
Dallas Stars (+1000)
The Stars have reached the Western Conference Final two consecutive years, losing in six games to the Golden Knights and Oilers.
Is this the year Dallas finally breaks through?
The loss of veteran forward Joe Pavelski, who retired after recording 67 points in his age-39 season, is significant. However, the emergence of guys like Wyatt Johnston and Mason Marchment should help subsidize his production.
As long as Jake Oettinger is between the pipes, the Stars should be Stanley Cup contenders. The 25-year-old netminder regressed slightly during the 2023-24 regular season but was spectacular in the playoffs, posting a 2.24 GAA.
He’ll anchor this team for years to come, much like Igor Shesterkin in New York (more on him in a minute).
New York Rangers (+1300)
The Rangers won the President’s Trophy in their first season under head coach Peter Laviolette, setting franchise records with 114 points and 55 regular-season wins.
However, New York ultimately fell short when it mattered most, losing the Eastern Conference Final to the Panthers in six games. That was no fault of Shesterkin, who stood on his head at times in the playoffs, posting a .927 SV% despite facing nearly 33 shots per game.
GM Chris Drury seems content to run it back with essentially the same group, as an oft-discussed trade of captain Jacob Trouba never materialized this offseason. New York’s biggest moves included releasing playoff hero Barclay Goodrow and trading for 2023 Cup-winner Reilly Smith, who could see first-line minutes with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.
With Shesterkin as the anchor, the Rangers will have a chance to win the Stanley Cup in 2025. However, Artemi Panarin (120 regular-season points/15 playoff points) needs to contribute more in crunch time.
Stanley Cup Sleepers 2025
Nashville Predators (+1700)
After falling in the first round of the playoffs to the Vancouver Canucks, the Predators were arguably the biggest winners of the NHL offseason.
Nashville brought in 40-goal scorers Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, who add Cup-winning experience from their previous stops in Tampa Bay and Vegas and firepower to a lineup that finished 10th in scoring last season.
GM Barry Trotz also re-signed two-time All-Star netminder Juuse Saros to a long-term deal and brought in blueliner Brady Skjei to pair with Norris Trophy runner-up Roman Josi.
These upgrades make Nashville a legitimate threat to win the loaded Central and go deep in the playoffs.
Tampa Bay Lightning (+1800)
Stamkos and defenseman Mikhail Sergachev may be gone, but the Lightning still have plenty of talent.
The decision to sign free agent Jake Guentzel will help Tampa cope with the loss of their longtime captain, as the talented winger will slot in on the top line with Brayden Point and NHL points leader Nikita Kucherov.
Sergachev will be tougher to replace in the long term, but the return of veteran blueliner Ryan McDonagh, who won back-to-back Cups with Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021, helps keep the team’s championship window cracked open for at least one more season.
