The 2025 NHL season has been a memorable one for a variety of reasons but with just four teams still in the hunt for Stanley Cup glory, the stakes are sky high.
For the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers, a place in NHL history beckons and all four sides will be out to etch their name into NHL folklore.
Recent NHL behemoths the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers were backed by many punters to be in Stanley Cup contention this season, but the Dallas Stars and Carolina Hurricanes have surprised plenty of ice-hockey betting enthusiasts this term.
When it comes to Stanley Cup betting, wagering in Alberta and most other Canadian cities tends to centre around home hopes, with 7 of the 32 NHL sides operating out of Canada.
That said, the performances of both the Hurricanes and the Stars have caught many punters on the hop this season and both sides have more than a puncher’s shot at clinching NHL glory this season.
Semi-final hockey tends to bring out the best and worst in teams and their fans, with so much on the line for all involved and this feels no different in the 2025 season.
Let’s assess the chances of all four teams left in Stanley Cup contention in 2025, as the NHL campaign turns towards the sharp end of the season:
Carolina Hurricanes
For the Carolina Hurricanes, this feels like a bit of a free hit, with their last Stanley Cup win coming back in 2006 and they have defied pre-season expectations to reach the last 4.
A side with plenty of young and exciting talents, Hurricanes would be setting the stall out for the next generation if they were able to clinch the NHL title in 2025 and they cannot be discarded.
Finishing second in the Metropolitan Division, ahead of the likes of the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers, the Hurricanes can chalk this off as a good season, regardless of how it plays out from here.
Next up in the last 4 is defending Stanley Cup champions Florida Panthers, who have been in sublime form in recent seasons, and they continue to be the benchmark in the NHL.
Beating the Panthers in a 7-game series would be a serious coup for the Carolina Hurricanes but they are a dangerous team on their day, and they will be dreaming of reaching a first Stanley Cup final in two decades.
Dallas Stars
While the Dallas Stars did manage to reach the Stanley Cup in 2020, their last NHL title triumph came back in 1999, and it is a city that expects.
Over the past few seasons, the Stars have been trending in the right direction in the regular NHL season and a run to the last 4 of the Stanley Cup feels like justification for their hard work and improvements made.
The Stars were more consistent than ever in the regular season campaign in the Central Division this year, managing 50 wins from their 82 games played and their play-off series win over the Winnipeg Jets felt very significant.
Playing the Edmonton Oilers in the last four won’t be easy, a side well-versed in the rigours of play-off hockey and it should be a bumper clash between these two NHL behemoths over 7 potentially unmissable games.
Edmonton Oilers
2024 NHL play-off heartache will be plaguing the Edmonton Oilers, and they are back and ready to fire again here in 2025.
Having been edged out by the Florida Panthers in an epic 7-game series last year, the Oilers vowed to come back stronger and look well set to have another crack at Stanley Cup glory this time around.
It has been 35 long years since the Oilers managed to lift the Stanley Cup trophy and while they’ve had some impressive personnel in that time, this group of players is arguably their best shot at lifting the title.
Playing the Dallas Stars over 7-games won’t be easy but the Oilers should be better for their experiences last season and are coming into form at exactly the right time.
Florida Panthers
Stanley Cup holders the Florida Panthers have been the team to beat in the NHL over the past few seasons, and they look to have their game on point as the play-offs develop.
A run to the Stanley Cup final in 2023 was backed up by their infamous 2024 win over the Edmonton Oilers and another Stanley Cup appearance here would see the Panthers on the brink of a dynasty.
The unfancied Carolina Hurricanes are their semi-final opponents, a side that carry plenty of threats but who perhaps don’t have the knowhow of the Panthers.
All eyes will be on Paul Maurice’s side again this year and they look to be in a great place to potentially retain the Stanley Cup.
