Offensively early Stanley Cup picks for 2025-26
Welcome to the final DFO Roundtable of the season!
The Stanley Cup has been handed out. The NHL shifts to offseason mode, and we’ll soon see many clubs’ outlooks change dramatically for better or worse. But before we get an educated sense of 2025-26’s alpha dogs, I want you to lay some blind pride on the line. Who is your offensively early Stanley Cup pick for 2025-26?
MATT LARKIN: They’ve been the poster children for ‘Almost’ in the Rod Brind’Amour era, but I think the Carolina Hurricanes are positioned for a big offseason that will build on their considerable success. Pretty much all their core contributors remain signed long-term. They have several promising prospects ready to pitch in on entry-level AAVs. And they have tons of cap space this summer. If owner Tom Dundon is willing to open his wallet, Canes GM Eric Tulsky should take an already-great team and make it a Stanley Cup favorite by next October.
STEVEN ELLIS: I have never, ever picked the same team to win the Stanley Cup in back to back years. But I don’t think the Florida Panthers are done yet. Look at the damage the Panthers did without Matthew Tkachuk or Aleksander Barkov being at 100%. I know they’ve got some high-end UFAs to worry about, but they’ve shown they’re a serious destination and any smart UFA would want to a piece of it. It’s the last year of Sergei Bobrovsky’s contract, and I’m not sure how good he’d be after that, so it feels like next year might be the last where the team is a serious threat. But the way they’re playing – and the way Bill Zito manages them – I wouldn’t bet against them.
PAUL PIDUTTI: At this time of year, it’s so easy to talk yourself out of every team except the Stanley Cup champion being the favorite. After all, we’ve seen 31 franchises have their flaws exposed. I’m going off the board a little and taking the Vegas Golden Knights. Their core is a little more seasoned than you’d like and Mark Stone’s health is always a concern. But Vegas has a few things going for them that excite me: 1. They are coming off a 110-point season — a top-six team in both goals for and against. 2. Outside of Edmonton and L.A., the Pacific Division will feature five teams that don’t figure to scare anyone. 3. While they are only rumors at this stage, Alex Pietrangelo on LTIR could mean significant cap relief and a new lease on the franchise’s flexibility to wheel and deal over the next year. 4. Most importantly, the front office has proven for eight years straight that it’s cutthroat and able to reinvent itself to ice a legitimate Cup contender. So, while it feels like Vegas’ credibility took a hit from an underwhelming second-round exit, I’d be shocked if they aren’t a major threat in 2025-26.
SCOTT MAXWELL: I’m going to side with Paul here and go with the Vegas Golden Knights. I thought they were one of the few teams on a similar level as the Panthers this season (I did pick them to face the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final in my bracket, after all), and I think this looming situation with Pietrangelo could really make things interesting. Considering that we know Vegas’ love of making a big splash, they have the best potential to see their Cup chances take a massive swing up. I’m also going to say it’s Vegas for another reason: that big splash might be Mitch Marner. Yes, he doesn’t have the best reputation in the playoffs. But have you ever considered the fact that the most Toronto Maple Leafs thing to happen with this Marner situation is that he finally performs in the playoffs, wins the Stanley Cup, and probably the Conn Smythe as well? The karma factor is too big to pass up for this pick when we know absolutely nothing about what these teams will look like. I got the Panthers right for this topic last year, you can trust me.
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