So far in the 2025-26 season, the NHL has shown a level of parity that many other leagues would envy. The salary cap has long been a factor in the NHL, creating a host of legitimate contenders. But this year, the compressed Olympic schedule adds to the potential for parity. Cause of the February Olympic break that lasts nearly three weeks, the NHL is cramming in games to avoid ending with a Stanley Cup presentation on July 4.
As a result of the condensed schedule, teams often find themselves fatigued and out of gas. On the right night at the perfect moment, a good team will routinely lose to a lesser NHL Betting Lines team. Additionally, there are good NHL teams that gamblers can’t quite get a feel for. At times, the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers look good enough to make a serious run. On the other hand, they are still not dominant enough to fully trust.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are the best team not to make the Stanley Cup Final. Dallas is coming off three consecutive Western Conference Final appearances—each time they earned 106 or more points with a win percentage of no less than .646. Head coach Pete DeBoer paid with his job after last year’s Western Conference Final debacle, in which he melted down in the decisive fifth game.
With DeBoer getting the Online betting boot, an old friend returned to Dallas for a second tour of duty as head coach. Glen Gulutzan was outgunned in his first tour of duty with the Stars and then faced the same dilemma as head coach of the Calgary Flames. But this time, Gulutzan has the horses to make for a serious Stanley Cup run.
Dallas is playing well under Gulutzan, with a 25-9-7 record and a .695 win percentage. But in the NHL, the real deal is the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Playoff hockey is an entirely different sport from regular-season hockey. And that is where DeBoer was judged, just as Gulutzan will be judged. Dallas is showing tremendous balance and 200-foot coverage as a team. To illuminate, the Stars rank 3rd in goals scored, 2nd in power-play efficiency, 5th in fewest goals against, and 6th in penalty killing.
Dallas has a trio of forwards who can light the lamp and keep them in contention. Namely, RW Mikko Rantanen leads Dallas with 16 goals, 40 assists, 56 points, and a +3. LW Jason Robertson adds 24 goals, 24 assists, 48 points, and a +15. And then C Wyatt Johnston brings 20 goals, 26 assists, and 46 points. Additionally, on the blue line, D Miro Heiskanen brings seven goals, 28 assists, 35 points, and a +4. Heiskanen is one of the top power-play quarterbacks in the NHL with 13 assists.
Most important of all, Dallas is getting reliable goaltending. Jake Oettinger has a 2.57 goals against average and a .907 save percentage. His record is 16-7-3 with two shutouts. Also, Casey DeSmith has a 2.44 goals against average and a .912 save percentage. His record is 9-2-4 with one shutout.
Dallas opens a 6-game road trip on Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes. That is followed by a Wednesday night game against the Washington Capitals and a Saturday night game against the San Jose Sharks.
New York Rangers
Initially, when Mike Sullivan was hired as head coach of the New York Rangers, he was touted as the missing piece of the puzzle. Sullivan led the Pittsburgh Penguins to two Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017 in a career that ran from 2015-16 through last season. But Sullivan missed the playoffs in his final three seasons as Pittsburgh ran out of gas.
However, the Penguins are in playoff position while the Rangers are not. After making the 2024 Eastern Conference Final, the Rangers were touted as a Stanley Cup favorite last year. Instead, they failed to make the playoffs, and that poor play has continued for much of Sullivan’s first year. Overall, the Rangers rank 31st in the NHL for goal scoring. Of major concern is the ultimate question. Could it be that New York is overrated?