A team from Florida has won the Eastern Conference in each of the past five NHL seasons. The Tampa Bay Lightning were the Eastern Conference champs in 2020 and 2022, while the Florida Panthers represented the East in 2023-2025. Both clubs are among the betting favorites to take home the 2026 NHL Eastern Conference title.
The Panthers won their second consecutive Stanley Cup in June, beating the Edmonton Oilers in six games. The Panthers look to become the first team to win the Cup in three successive seasons since the New York Islanders won four straight between 1980 and 1983.
The 2025-2026 NHL season kicks off on October 7, 2025 with three games: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers, and Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings.
Before we look at the odds, picks and predictions for the 2026 NHL Eastern Conference, check out the Vegas Stanley Cup odds for 2025-26.
| To Win 2025-26 NHL Eastern Conference |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Panthers | +300 | +300 | +300 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +425 | +375 | +400 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +750 | +900 | +1000 |
| New Jersey Devils | +800 | +800 | +900 |
| Washington Capitals | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| New York Rangers | +1500 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Ottawa Senators | +1600 | +1200 | +1400 |
| Montreal Canadiens | +2200 | +2800 | +2500 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | +3300 | +3300 | +3300 |
| Detroit Red Wings | +3300 | +4000 | +5000 |
| Boston Bruins | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| New York Islanders | +5000 | +3300 | +3300 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | +5000 | +3300 | +4000 |
| Buffalo Sabres | +6000 | +4500 | +5000 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +7500 | +7500 | +10000 |
The Florida Panthers have represented the Eastern Conference in the past three Stanley Cup Finals, winning the past two Cups. The team looks to join the dynasty conversation in 2025-26, and the betting odds say the Panthers might just do that.
Florida has had an amazing off-season so far with general manager Bill Zito inking potential free agents Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad to new deals. The only substantial difference from the club that will start the 2025-26 campaign is Jeff Petry replacing Nate Schmidt on defense.
The concern for Florida will be age and activity as the team is getting older, and with three consecutive runs to the Cup final, they’ve played a lot of hockey.
The Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference for the past several years, and the team has made the postseason every year since 2018-19, advancing to at least the second round in all but one season (2019-20). Last year, the Hurricanes made it to the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to the Florida Panthers in five games.
The Hurricanes have been in search of the one piece that would put them over the top. The club hung its hopes on Jake Guentzel and Mikko Rantanen in the past. They struck out with those signings. This year, Carolina went out and picked up former Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers, signing him to a six-year deal. Ehlers has had 61 and 63 points in his past two seasons, numbers which were not far from his career-high of 64 points in his sophomore season in 2016-17.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a well-coached team with a lot of talent. The club did not do much in free agency this year, which is not much of a surprise because the current unit has played well over the past few seasons.
While the Lightning stood pat during free agency, the team is likely to keep a close eye on its performance during the 2025-26 season and react accordingly, especially as the playoffs and trade deadline near.
Right now, the Lightning feel like a long shot to win the Eastern Conference, but that could change as the season progresses.
Heading into free agency, it seemed inevitable that the Panthers were going to lose at least one player between Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad. That the club managed to ink all three makes the Florida Panthers the pick to win the NHL Eastern Conference in 2025-26.
Prior to making any bets, check the latest NHL Vegas odds. You definitely should be taking advantage of these Vegas betting site bonuses.
