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The NHL resumes play on Wednesday, February 25, following the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, and I’ve got five NHL futures bets to place out of the break.
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My top futures NHL picks before the teams return to action on Wednesday are headlined by the Minnesota Wild winning the Stanley Cup and Macklin Celebrini taking home some hardware.
5 NHL futures bets to make right now
Stanley Cup winner
Minnesota Wild logo
NHL Futures
Stanley Cup Winner
Futures Market
Minnesota Wild
Bet: Stanley Cup Winner
Odds
+1800
Edge snapshot: Elite goaltending stability, cap flexibility, and deadline upside.
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I don’t think the Minnesota Wild are done tweaking their roster ahead of the trade deadline on Friday, March 6, and I also expect them to add at least one more key piece to solidify their top-six forward group.
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The addition of Quinn Hughes has led the Wild to a 16-5-5 heater that’s good for the third-highest point percentage during the run, and the one-two punch of Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt gives them a rare stability in goal.
Don’t forget, the Wild have over $10 million of current salary-cap space, in addition to promising young talents in defensemen David Jiricek and David Spacek, and goalie Samuel Hlavaj.
Hart Trophy winner
Macklin Celebrini headshot
NHL Futures
Hart Trophy Winner
Futures Market
Macklin Celebrini
Bet: Hart Trophy Winner
Odds
+315
Edge snapshot: Olympic narrative + elite production + playoff push momentum.
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Narrative is critical to winning NHL Awards, and San Jose Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini gained plenty of momentum by leading the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics with five goals and adding another five assists playing in a top-line role with Team Canada.
Celebrini is also second in individual points percentage among NHL regulars, and his 81 points across 55 games are more than double the 39 Will Smith has put up to rank second on San Jose.
If Celebrini leads the Sharks to a postseason berth, he’ll be on the ballot to win the Hart Trophy, and this +315 price will look like a gift.
To reach the playoffs
Pittsburgh Penguins logo
NHL Futures
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To Reach Playoffs
Futures Market
Pittsburgh Penguins
Bet: To Reach Playoffs — NO
Odds
+255
Edge snapshot: Brutal schedule, shaky goaltending, and a Crosby injury cloud.
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There’s a strong case that the Pittsburgh Penguins have the hardest remaining schedule in the NHL, and I think captain Sidney Crosby is set to miss some time. Additionally, No. 1 goalie Stuart Skinner hasn’t been sharp with an .887 save percentage.
Returning to Crosby, he leads Pittsburgh forwards in five-on-five ice time per game and is second in overall points per 60 minutes and individual point percentage on the team.
To reach the playoffs
San Jose Sharks logo
NHL Futures
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To Reach Playoffs
Futures Market
San Jose Sharks
Bet: To Reach Playoffs — YES
Odds
+230
Edge snapshot: Easy remaining schedule and a real runway to the wild card.
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The San Jose Sharks have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league, and they’re just five points out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference. San Jose has also played three more road games than home, and superstar Macklin Celebrini should be shot out of a cannon following a dominant performance in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
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Additionally, the Sharks have 27 games remaining on the schedule, which is tied for the most in the NHL.
Stage of elimination
Utah Mammoth logo
NHL Futures
Stage of Elimination
Futures Market
Utah Mammoth
Bet: Eliminated in First Round
Odds
-135
Edge snapshot: Great five-on-five profile, but likely draws a heavyweight Round 1.
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I expect the Utah Mammoth to earn a wild-card berth in the Western Conference, which will position them to face either the No. 1 seed out of the Central or Pacific Divisions.
Utah has a solid young core and plays an elite five-on-five style with a fourth-ranked Corsi For percentage and league-leading expected goals percentage across its past 24 games.
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It’s just that a star-studded team will be waiting in the opening round of the playoffs, and I don’t envision the Mammoth to be able to beat the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, or Edmonton Oilers in a seven-game series.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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