Stanley Cup Playoffs 2026 predictions: Picks to win championship and Conn Smythe Trophy

Over the next few months, the best players in the world will lay it all on the line for a 35-pound piece of silver and nickel alloy. Which team will get its name etched on that iconic trophy?

Stanley Cup Final picks

(odds via BetMGM)

Nivison: This pick is full of chalk, but I can't overlook what my eyes and the numbers have told me all season long. The Avalanche and Lightning have been a cut -- or two -- above the competition in almost every aspect of the game. The Avs and Bolts are comfortably inside the top 10 of the league when it comes to creating scoring chances and goals, as well as preventing them.

If this is the matchup we get in the Stanley Cup Final, it will be a kaiju fight on ice. Colorado and Tampa Bay have Hart Trophy candidates (Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov), elite depth and have gotten strong goaltending. If one team has a slight edge, it's the Avalanche. Following the acquisitions of Nazem Kadri and Nic Roy, they have the best center depth in the NHL, and that matters in the postseason. Colorado also has something that Tampa Bay doesn't -- a true No. 1 defenseman in his prime in Cale Makar. Besides, as good as the Lightning have been, their plus-59 goal differential is still 40 behind the Avalanche's mark of plus-99. The Avalanche outlast the Lightning for their fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history. Pick -- Avalanche def. Lightning 4-3 (Avalanche future odds: +300)

Conn Smythe Trophy: Martin Necas | RW | Avalanche

There's a strong case to be made that Nathan MacKinnon has been the best player in the league this year, but he hasn't done it alone. Necas has been riding shotgun the whole time, and he just set new career highs in goals (38), assists (62) and points (100). As opposing defenses really hone in on MacKinnon in the playoffs, Necas might get a little more room to operate, and that's more than enough for him to do big damage. (Conn Smythe Trophy odds: +2200)

Baumgartner: The last team to win the Stanley Cup after winning the Presidents' Trophy for having the NHL's best record that season was the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013. This Avalanche squad has the right pieces to end the decade-long drought and break the curse. MacKinnon was on another level this year, winning his first Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the NHL's goal-scoring leader (53 goals) and finishing the season third in scoring with 127 points. Colorado's strong goaltending from Scott Wedgewood was another standout in an award-worthy season. The 33-year-old goalie led the NHL with a 2.02 GAA and a .921 save percentage. Add 100-point scorer Martin Necas, point-per-game defenseman Cale Makar and a shut down two-way center in Brock Nelson to the mix, Colorado has the formula to win the Stanley Cup. Pick -- Avalanche def. Lightning 4-2

Conn Smythe Trophy: Nathan MacKinnon | C | Avalanche

A fantastic regular season has MacKinnon in the conversation to win his second Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP. The race will be close, with other candidates like Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov and Macklin Celebrini all having standout seasons of their own. I don't know who will win the Hart, but I am confident that if Colorado were to win the Stanley Cup, MacKinnon would be the driving factor. (Conn Smythe Trophy odds: +500)