# 2026-27 NHL season preview: Best value bets

> Eight teams are within striking distance of the Stanley Cup, with Montreal, Colorado, and Florida leading the pack.
- Title: 2026-27 NHL season preview: Best value bets · New York Post
- Summary: Eight teams are within striking distance of the Stanley Cup, with Montreal, Colorado, and Florida leading the pack. The 2026-27 NHL season is wide open, with…
- Keywords: nhl, stanley cup, 2026-27 season, betting odds, montreal canadiens, colorado avalanche, carolina hurricanes, florida panthers, matthew schaefer, wyatt johnston, hart trophy, norris trophy
- Source: New York Post — https://nypost.com/2026/09/16/betting/2026-27-nhl-season-preview-best-value-bets-for-stanley-cup-hart-vezina-norris-trophy
- Published: 2026-09-16T13:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nhl, stanley cup, 2026-27 season, betting odds, montreal canadiens, colorado avalanche, carolina hurricanes, florida panthers, matthew schaefer, wyatt johnston, hart trophy, norris trophy
## Stanley Cup race is wide open
Eight teams have odds between plus-650 and 13-to-1 at FanDuel, with Florida Panthers favored at plus-650 after reloading with Brady Tkachuk.
## Montreal Canadiens at 25-to-1
The Canadiens reached the Eastern Conference finals last spring and have an elite young core under stable coach Martin St. Louis, with no team in the NHL having a higher ceiling.

> no team in the NHL has a higher ceiling than the Habs
## Schaefer's Hart Trophy value
Matthew Schaefer is 100-to-1 to win the Hart Trophy after nearly winning the Calder. If he wins the Norris Trophy as a sophomore, he'll be in Hart conversation as a league face.
## Johnston's Hart and goal bets
Wyatt Johnston is 300-to-1 for the Hart but 16-to-1 to lead the NHL in goals. He scored 45 last season and has increased totals each year, making a 60-goal campaign realistic.
## Viggo Bjorck Calder at 40-to-1
The Winnipeg Jets committed to Viggo Bjorck as their number-two center, and early rookie camp returns suggest he'll make the team. Odds will likely drop by opening night.
## Sanderson's Norris Trophy play
Jake Sanderson is the Ottawa Senators' most important player, logging nearly 25 minutes per game in all situations. A small offensive uptick makes him a serious Norris contender at 33-to-1.
## Arniel's Jack Adams value
Scott Arniel faces off-ice turmoil with Connor Hellebuyck wanting out, but getting the Jets to the playoffs despite this chaos would put him in Jack Adams conversation at 60-to-1.
## Key takeaway

The 2026-27 NHL season is wide open, with multiple contenders at reasonable odds and several undervalued individual award bets available.