The Colorado Avalanche are shaping up to be the Stanley Cup winners in 2026, according to my predictions.
This statement, made a month ago, came about when asked about my favorites for the Cup. At that time, I felt I was going against the grain, as many were betting on the Edmonton Oilers, after their consecutive losses in the final, the Dallas Stars, who had lost three consecutive conference finals, and the Vegas Golden Knights, who added Mitch Marner in the offseason.
My surprise was great when reviewing the predictions of ESPN’s hockey family, where the Avalanche were listed as the favorites in a very close contest. A nightmare for any prognosticator.
As is tradition, I shared my pick for the Stanley Cup with a team member during the player media event in Las Vegas:
Me: I want to inform you that I am betting on you to win the Stanley Cup.
Cale Makar, Avalanche star
Cale Makar: I appreciate that.
Cale Makar, Avalanche star
Me: I also want to inform you that I am not good at predicting who will win the Stanley Cup.
Cale Makar, Avalanche star
Makar: Well, let’s hope we prove otherwise.
Cale Makar, Avalanche star
My choice is for the Avalanche to outperform the Carolina Hurricanes, who are trying to break through their ceiling in the Eastern Conference under coach Rod Brind’amour. Below, I explain my complete predictions for the 2025-26 NHL season standings.
Atlantic Division
- Tampa Bay Lightning
- Ottawa Senators
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Florida Panthers
- Buffalo Sabres
- Montreal Canadiens
- Detroit Red Wings
- Boston Bruins
A clear example of the constant rebalancing of power in the Atlantic Division is that the Lightning haven’t led the division since the 2018-19 season. Despite having key players like Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Victor Hedman, among others.
The Lightning will take the Atlantic this season. Kucherov’s line with Point and Guentzel averaged more than four goals per 60 minutes in 5-on-5 situations. The Cirelli and Hagel duo produced a 61% expected goals percentage together last season. Tampa Bay will have at least one new banner to raise after this season.
The Senators, who made the playoffs last spring for the first time since 2017, will continue to rise if the forward group cooperates.
Mitch Marner’s departure represents a loss of points for the Maple Leafs. However, the arrival of Matthew Knies could compensate, as he is ready to shine after a season of 29 goals. The Leafs know what they have in William Nylander and Auston Matthews, who could surpass 60 goals this season.
As for the Panthers, will they be able to survive without Matthew Tkachuk until December and without Aleksander Barkov until April? The answer is “probably, in this conference.” The Panthers’ most important player this season is Sam Reinhart, who will have to lead his line in Barkov’s absence.
The Sabres are the most perplexing team in the Atlantic this season. Despite some improvements, questions about the team persist.
The Canadiens also qualified for the playoffs last season, but I think this young and talented team will regress before they advance. Their defensive ability is an issue, and it doesn’t seem like they’ve done much to fix it.
For the Red Wings, the arrival of John Gibson could be a game changer. With promising youngsters like Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson, and Lucas Raymond, they don’t have the talent to make the playoffs, but they do have enough to limit their chances in the lottery.
The Bruins could be in trouble. If the defense corps is healthy, they could get some wins. However, the team’s depth is not enough to aim for more.
Metropolitan Division
- Carolina Hurricanes
- New Jersey Devils
- Washington Capitals
- New York Rangers
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- New York Islanders
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Philadelphia Flyers
The Hurricanes, along with the Oilers and the Golden Knights, have the best chances of making the playoffs. Carolina has achieved an effectiveness above 60.4% in six of its seven seasons with Brind’Amour as coach.
The Devils could be waiting for a trade for Quinn Hughes. They have a talented defensive line and the goaltending of Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen. If the team is lucky with injuries, the Devils could surprise this season.
The Capitals don’t know what the future holds for Alex Ovechkin, but they can focus on repeating his incredible 111-point campaign from last season.
