Who are the favorites to win the Stanley Cup?

The quest for the 2025-2026 Stanley Cup begins on Tuesday as the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers host one of the Original Six in the Chicago Blackhawks, live on DAZN with NHL.TV in over 200 countries (excluding the US, Canada, and others). 

With the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Finals included, that's over 1,300 games available live* and on demand on DAZN.

In addition, subscribers can enjoy features such as home and away commentary selection and access to NHL programming, including Puck Personalities and Mic Drop.

Ultimate customers can also enjoy enhanced broadcast features and a discount at NHLShop.com. 

Every year, there are a select few who have a legitimate chance to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup. Who are those teams?

DAZN News breaks down who those Stanley Cup contenders are.

• Sign up for NHL.TV on DAZN now to watch the full season

Florida Panthers

How could you not start with the team that has gone back-to-back? 

But there are some roadblocks for the champions on their road to a potential three-peat, as two of the Panthers' top three scorers are out of action. Captain Aleksander Barkov is out for seven to nine months after suffering a torn ACL and MCL during practice last month, and Matthew Tkachuk is out for several more weeks as he's recovering from offseason surgery on a torn adductor muscle. 

How the Panthers react to these injuries and overcome the adversity to reach a fourth straight Stanley Cup Final is going to be something to keep a keen eye on. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is going to have to continue to show why he's one of the premier goalies in the world. Anton Lundell, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe will get a golden opportunity to step up and shine as the Panthers begin their quest for history.

Edmonton Oilers

If the two-time defending champions are the favorites, you definitely put the team they beat both times right below them. The supporting cast around superstar Connor McDavid largely remains the same, except for the quality additions of Andrew Mangiapane and Isaac Howard.

The Panthers have some issues, as we stated above, and so did the Oilers. That problem is the defense, as it was the Achilles heel for the reigning Western Conference Champions the last two seasons. 

Can goaltender Stuart Skinner rise to the occasion and be the anchor to finally get the Oilers over the hump and to the promised land?

Carolina Hurricanes

If it wasn't for the Panthers, it's possible we would be talking about the Hurricanes winning one or two Stanley Cups. Hurricanes management had a good offseason in trying to shore up any gaping holes with the addition of top winger Nikolaj Ehlers via free agency to join up with Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin.

If the Hurricanes are going to plow through to the Stanley Cup Finals, the defense in the postseason needs to be better. The team decided to run it back one more time behind the net with Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov. 

If that doesn't happen, it will be another year that the Hurricanes will be watching the Stanley Cup Finals from the sidelines. 

 

How to watch the NHL on DAZN: Live stream info

Every NHL game during the 2025/26 season, including the Stanley Cup Playoffs, is available worldwide on DAZN, excluding the United States and Canada.

With exclusive rights, DAZN is the only place internationally to watch NHL, with access to over 1,300 games per season, available live* and on demand.

You can watch the NHL via the DAZN App, available on smart TVs, phones, tablets, streaming devices, game consoles, and web browsers.

If you do not have the App already, then just follow these instructions....

• Download the free DAZN App from your normal App store on your TV, phone, tablet, or streaming device
• On a laptop or PC, visit www.DAZN.com/home
• Select 'Get started' or 'log in'
• Enter your email address, or sign up via the Apple, Google or Facebook options
• You then have access to all of DAZN's free content, including the Matchroom boxing channel, LIV Golf, and FIFA+
• Then, find the NHL page and click 'buy now' to choose your subscription level

For more information and to sign up here.

What's included in an NHL.TV subscription?

As well as every game of the season live* and on demand, an NHL.TV subscription also provides access to home and away commentary options, highlights, pre-season match-ups, and exclusive NHL shows, including Mic Drop and Weird NHL.

• Every game live, including the playoffs and the Stanley Cup Final
• Full game replays, condensed games, and highlights of all games
• Option of home and away commentary (majority of games)
• Select pre-season games
• On-demand NHL content, including Puck Personalities and Mic Drop

How much is the NHL.TV on DAZN?

NHL fans can watch the NHL.TV on DAZN either as a standalone subscription or as an add-on to a current subscription. Annual and monthly options are available, with an upfront season standard subscription in the UK costing £109.99. 

For prices in your country, consult DAZN.com.

*Select live games in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland will be blacked out but made available on demand following the conclusion of the game.