The 2026 Stanley Cup Final opens Tuesday on ABC at 8 p.m. ET with the Carolina Hurricanes facing the Vegas Golden Knights. Carolina seeks its first Cup since 2006, while Vegas aims to repeat as champions after its 2023 title, according to ESPN.
ESPN polled a panel of 23 experts ahead of the series and collected picks that include projected lengths for the final. The panel is narrowly siding with Carolina: 13 of the 23 experts picked the Hurricanes to win the championship, ESPN reports.
Predictions ranged from five to seven games. Erik Johnson offered the shortest projection, selecting the Golden Knights in five. A large portion of the panel forecasted six-game series outcomes for either club, while several analysts anticipated the series would extend to seven games.
Individual selections cited by ESPN included Sean Allen and Meghan Chayka predicting the Hurricanes in six, and Roxy Bernstein, Ray Ferraro and T.J. Oshie projecting Carolina in seven. Among those picking Vegas, John Buccigross, Stormy Buonantony, Cassie Campbell-Pascall and Sachin Chandan each chose the Golden Knights in six, while Emily Kaplan and Mark Messier saw the series going seven games in Vegas’ favor.
ESPN compiled the expert votes and offered additional playoff coverage, including schedule information, odds and feature pieces on the finalists and offseason looks for eliminated clubs, according to the network.
