After a 5-1 Game 6 win in the Stanley Cup Final over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, the Florida Panthers captured back-to-back championships. Gaining the lead just four minutes into the game, center Sam Reinhart netted the opening goal along with three others, and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 out of 29 shots.
Now, the focus turns to the 2025-26 season. The NHL Draft and free agency are on the horizon, and teams will look to upgrade to compete with the Panthers. Who can challenge them for the 2026 Stanley Cup? Let's take a look at four teams.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay faced Florida in the first round in a matchup many thought would go seven games. Unfortunately for the Lightning, the Panthers made quick work of their in-state rival, winning in five games.
Despite the loss, Tampa Bay will return almost everyone from its 2024-25 squad that finished seventh overall in the league. That includes 2025 Ted Lindsay and Art Ross winner Nikita Kucherov, 2025 Vezina finalist and former winner Andrei Vasilevskiy, 80-point forwards Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel and Brandon Hagel, and former Norris winner Victor Hedman.
With that roster, they should once again be a top team in the East and should go toe-to-toe with Florida in the Atlantic Division.
Dallas Stars
Dallas made a big splash at the trade deadline, landing superstar winger Mikko Rantanen and signing him to an eight-year contract. Unfortunately for the Stars, they lost to the Oilers in the Western Conference Final, and, following the loss, head coach Peter DeBoer was let go.
That doesn't mean that Dallas can't improve from this past season's results. In addition to Rantanen, they also return starting goaltender Jake Oettinger, top forwards Roope Hintz and Wyatt Johnston and defenseman Miro Heiskanen.
With just under $5 million in cap space, they'll have to do some maneuvering to resign top scorer Matt Duchene and captain Jamie Benn, but if the Stars can get it done, they'll come into 2025-26 with one of the best rosters in the NHL.
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas was a favorite in the West heading into the playoffs, but fizzled out in five games against the Edmonton Oilers in round two. The Pacific division champions should once again be in the running as a Cup favorite, now two years removed from their 2023 championship.
They should return a similar roster to this past season, which includes top 10 point finisher Jack Eichel, captain Mark Stone and defenseman Shea Theodore. Additionally, they're rumored to be a front-runner to sign top free agent forward Mitch Marner, who would boost an offense that already saw top-five numbers.
One snag? The health of top defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. If he is unable to play next season, Vegas' Stanley Cup hopes will take a big hit.
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche are one of the favorites heading into 2026 and for good reason. Despite trading Rantanen, their roster still includes former Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon, 2025 Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar and captain Gabriel Landeskog, who returned to hockey this postseason after missing three seasons due to injury.
They shored up their center depth, signing trade deadline acquisition Brock Nelson to a three-year deal in June.
Although they do play in the ultra-competitive Central division, with one of the league's best forwards in MacKinnon and a defenseman in Makar, the 2022 Stanley Cup Champions should once again be a threat to win it all.
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As the Pittsburgh Penguins continue trade talks centered around wing Rickard Rakell, the veteran has drawn a lot of interest around the league. The Penguins may be able to net some strong assets for him in any deal, but there is also a high asking price to move the wing. Rakell could be a real game-changer for a team this late in the offseason, and there is some smoke around a trade happening. But where the veteran lands remains a major mystery around the NHL. NHL insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period linked the Seattle Kraken to a deal for Rakell. While it remains to be seen if a deal will come about, the Kraken could be a solid landing spot for the veteran. Rakell remains a valuable scoring option and could heavily impact any team that would land him. Last season for the Penguins, the veteran wing scored 35 goals and 35 assists, showing his strong productivity. The biggest obstacle for the Kraken in trading for Rakell is that he owns an eight-team no-trade list. It's unknown which teams are on this list, so Rakell would need to waive this if Seattle were part of it. We have seen players do this over the years, so it's possible that a deal could happen. But it has also been reported that Rakell would prefer to stay with Pittsburgh, despite all the trade rumors around him. If Seattle were able to pull a deal for Rakell off, it could help them get back to the postseason. Seattle has missed the playoffs in three of the four years that it has been a franchise in the league, and the front office has a lot of pressure to win moving forward.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are the two best players currently on the ATP Tour, with either man having won every Grand Slam this season. With their fan base divided, Polish WTA star Iga Swiatek has chimed in on the debate. Both men have established a professional rivalry that will likely go down in tennis history, with Alcaraz currently leading 8-5 in career meetings. The Spaniard defeated Sinner in the final to win the Roland Garros title earlier this year. However, Sinner avenged his loss a few weeks later, dethroning Alcaraz after defeating the defending champion in the final to win his first Wimbledon title. Swiatek joined Sinner in the winner's circle at SW19, as the former World No.1 powered through the field to win her maiden Wimbledon title. Swiatek dropped only one set en route to the final, where she soundly defeated American Amanda Anisimova in the final. Although Sinner sits on top of the ATP rankings after having won two Grand Slam titles this season, Swiatek admitted to employing the same approach as Alcaraz. The WTA star stated she preferred his more laid-back approach, in addition to his commitment to taking some personal time away from tennis. Alcaraz's approach suits her better, says Swiatek "I wish I was more like Carlos because I have got to say he is a big inspiration in terms of that,” said Swiatek in an interview with TVA Sports. “He always says that the most important thing for him on a tennis court is to enjoy it and have fun and I sometimes forget about that. “And sometimes with all the pressure around and things we need to do off the court, you need to remind yourself about this kid that started playing tennis, instead of winning for somebody and having this baggage on your shoulders. “For sure, when Carlos shows that and when he speaks about that, it is always a good reminder for me, and I try to do that as well, but without me working on it, I think my mind would automatically go to just working, working, working." The Warsaw native is competing at the 2025 Canadian Open in Montreal, where she is the second seed. Swiatek will kick off her campaign with a second round clash against China's Guo Hanyu on Wednesday.
The New York Yankees acquired several talented veterans after superstar outfielder Juan Soto walked in free agency this past offseason, with southpaw pitcher Max Fried (12-4, 2.62 ERA) chief among them. They signed the latter player to an eight-year, $218 million contract, and he's given them their money's worth thus far. Fried leads New York's pitching staff in wins and ERA. The 31-year-old is also tied for third in baseball in wins, is 11th in ERA, and is 11th with a 1.03 WHIP. Still, the Yankees could use pitching help, given that ace Gerrit Cole is out for the year after getting Tommy John surgery, and 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil will make his first start of the season on Sunday. Fried was asked after Tuesday's bout with the Tampa Bay Rays if he's anxious to see what New York does ahead of Thursday's Trade Deadline, via SNY. "You've just got to take care of business every day," he said. "That's not something that we can control...We have baseball games to win." The Yankees did just that on Tuesday, beating the Rays 7-5 in a comeback effort. Fried earned his 12th win after allowing four runs (two earned) in 6.2 innings to go with nine strikeouts and two walks. The veteran also tossed a career-high 111 pitches. Over the last few days, the Yankees acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies and fellow third baseman Amed Rosario from the Washington Nationals. They also traded pitcher Carlos Carrasco to the Atlanta Braves for a player to be named later or cash. New York will face Tampa Bay again on Wednesday and Thursday.
The New York Yankees got the win Tuesday night, but Anthony Volpe’s stat line told a more complicated story. The 24-year-old shortstop launched his 15th home run of the season, the longest of his career, in a 7–5 victory over the Rays at Yankee Stadium and also committed his American League-leading 15th error. One swing of the bat, one misstep in the field. That’s been the story of Volpe’s 2025 season. “He’s really, really good out there,” manager Aaron Boone said postgame. “But he’s clearly had some struggles… a little indecisive with that last throw. We can’t be indecisive there.” Boone was visibly frustrated when asked if he might give Volpe a day off to rest his mind. “I’m not gonna answer that now,” he said. Volpe, to his credit, didn’t duck from the moment. “I know what I’m capable of,” he said. “It’s frustrating. It’s not discouraging. I know the standard I have for myself. I’m just going to keep pushing to improve every day.” This is new ground for Volpe, who won a Gold Glove in 2023 and had never committed more than 17 errors in a full season. Now, with two months left to play, he’s almost matched that number and leads the AL in miscues. Offensively, he’s held his power. Tuesday night, his 452-foot home run was the longest of his career. Through 105 games in 2025, Volpe is batting .216 with a .283 OBP, 15 homers, 57 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. But he’s also carrying a .694 OPS and a rising share of fielding lapses. The Yankees, already missing Aaron Judge and juggling a battered rotation, don’t have the luxury of letting Volpe work through this quietly. Amed Rosario is able to handle shortstop for a game here and there and they still do have Oswald Peraza on the roster to give Volpe a day to clear his mind. Boone, however, is adamantly behind Volpe. Brian Cashman has made it clear he is, too. Part of what they love is his work ethic. The Yankees are betting that Volpe will find his way out of this.