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Colorado Avalanche: NHL Analyst Craig Button Believes They are the Favorites to Win it All

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Glenn Kaplan | Last updated Mar 9, 2026 2:19 PM ET

The Colorado Avalanche won the 2021-2022 NHL Stanley Cup title in six games over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Colorado has not been back to the finals since then, but they have a great team once again in 2025-2026.

At the moment, the Avalanche have a 43-10-9 record with 95 points this season. Colorado has the best record in the NHL, and they could very well win the Presidents' Trophy. A team has not won the Stanley Cup and a Presidents' Trophy in the same season since the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks.

The Avalanche are a loaded team this season no doubt. Nathan MacKinnon can very well be one of the frontrunners to win the Hart Trophy.

NHL Analyst Craig Button Believes That the Colorado Avalanche are the Favorites to Win the Stanley Cup

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) at Ball Arena.Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Craig Button of TSN talked about who he believes is his Stanley Cup favorite for the 2025-2026 NHL season. He said, "The Colorado Avalanche are the clear (Stanley Cup) favourite." There is no doubt that a lot of other NHL analysts also believe that as well.

At the moment on FanDuel Sportsbook, Colorado has the best odds to win the Stanley Cup this season at +270. After the Avalanche, the Tampa Bay Lightning have the second-best odds at +500 and the Carolina Hurricanes have the third-best odds at +550. It is not a surprise that the Avalanche have the best odds to win the Stanley Cup this season.

They have been the most dominant team in the NHL all season long. Over the last two games, Colorado defeated both the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild. The Avalanche will probably have to beat one of those teams if they want to go all the way.

The next game for Colorado will be on Tuesday night at home against the Edmonton Oilers. They could very well be the first team this season within the next week or so to get to 100 points in the standings. The Avalanche will continue to be favored as long as no major injuries happen along the way here.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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