2026 Stanley Cup Final Prediction
And then, there were two.
My colleagues and I at Bleacher Report recently made our predictions for the Stanley Cup Final. The following is my selection as this year’s champion. You can see the full staff list by following this link, and feel free to make your prediction in the comments section below.
The Hurricanes finished first in the Eastern Conference. Under head coach Rod Brind’Amour, their vigorous forechecking and suffocating defensive play have them entering this series with just one loss in 13 playoff games.
Meanwhile, the Golden Knights were in danger of missing the playoffs until they hired John Tortorella as coach on March 30. His aggressive, physical, defense-first style carried them to a stunning sweep of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
The Hurricanes’ second line of Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven, and Jackson Blake gives them much-needed scoring punch that they were missing in previous years. They’ve also received solid goaltending from Frederik Andersen, who has a postseason-leading GAA of 1.41.
What the Golden Knights have that the Hurricanes lack is Stanley Cup experience, with most of their roster having been part of their 2023 Cup run. Mitch Marner leads the postseason with 21 points, Jack Eichel leads in assists (16), and Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden each have 10 goals.
Those factors could give the Golden Knights the edge. They’ve proven they can pull off an upset, while the Hurricanes have not yet faced a team as experienced and deep as Vegas.
Prediction: Vegas in 6
Vegas in six isn’t unreasonable…I do expect both Marner and Andersen to put on a show. The playoffs MVP will be between the two with Hart right there…lots of crow will be on the menu for the Marner haters. 🤣
Canes. In6
Vegas in seven. Carter Hart will win MVP. The most fun will be watching the Commission have to give the trophy to Hart. 🤣😂🤣
Vegas in six. MVP to Carter Hart. Marner won’t win as those Toronto voters probably won’t vote for him. The highlight will be watching the commission give the trophy to Hart. 🤣😂🤣
In that case he will have Daly do it 😉
I like this match-up. I feel the underdog Canes are up to it but will take 7 games to pull it off.
Underdog? They’re literally the hands down favorite?
Carolina in 5.