Who’s your dark horse Cup contender?

Must be projected as a middle-of-the-pack team, between 85 and 100 points by Dom’s model at the start of the season. Projected point total in parentheses.

A bar chart of The Athletic's polling of its NHL staff from March 10–12, 2025 found that the Tampa Bay Lightning are considered a dark horse Cup contender.

Tampa Bay Lightning (97.0 points)

55.2%

Winnipeg Jets (97.7 points)

24.1%

Washington Capitals (85.5 points)

17.2%

Vegas Golden Knights (96.1 points)

3.4%

Note: Survey of 29 staffers from The Athletic's NHL staff between March 10–12, 2025. Figures are rounded.

Source: The Athletic (NHL Staff Survey)