- NHL.com polled 35 players on who they think will win the 2026-27 Stanley Cup
- The Florida Panthers got 15 of the votes, the champion Hurricanes got 6
- Read below for the full breakdown and what players said about the race
NHL.com polled 35 players this offseason on who they think will win the 2026-27 Stanley Cup, and the Florida Panthers came out on top by a wide margin.
Fifteen of the 35 players picked Florida, even though the Panthers missed the playoffs last season after three straight trips to the Cup Final. The polling happened at the NHL/NHLPA European Media Tour in Munich in August and the North American Player Media Tour in Las Vegas earlier this month.
Captain Aleksander Barkov is back after missing all of last season with a knee injury from the first day of training camp. Florida also landed Brady Tkachuk in a trade with the Ottawa Senators, pairing him with older brother Matthew up front.
Here’s the trade that reshaped Florida’s forward group:
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider was asked why he’s picking the Panthers to win it all. “I think they’re just loaded,” Seider said. “They’re ready to go. Everybody should be healthy.”
Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog is sold on Florida too. “They lost Sergei Bobrovsky but brought in Jacob Markstrom,” Landeskog said. “Listen, they’re stacked. It doesn’t automatically mean you’re going to win, but if I had to give you a preseason favorite, that’s probably it.”
Carolina wasn’t far behind in the voting. The defending champion Hurricanes got six votes after knocking Florida’s playoff-less roster out of the picture on the way to their first Cup in 20 seasons last spring. Carolina just unveiled its championship rings ahead of Tuesday’s opener against the Panthers.
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel was blunt about his own pick. “It has to be Carolina,” Guentzel said. “Pretty much the whole team coming back, so it has to be them.”
Colorado and Ottawa each picked up two votes. Senators forwards Jake Sanderson and Tim Stutzle both picked their own team, the same group Carolina eliminated in the first round last spring.
Five other teams got a single vote apiece:
- Dallas Stars
- New York Rangers
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Vegas Golden Knights
- Washington Capitals
Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson was asked how much stock he puts in preseason favorites. “Honestly, I think the favorites never really mean anything,” Thompson said. “It’s just about making playoffs, and then once you’re in, anything can happen. It comes down to will and who wants it more.”
The real test starts Tuesday, when Carolina hosts Florida to open the season and raises its championship banner before puck drop.
