EA NHL 26 season sim predicts Vegas Golden Knights will win Stanley Cup

EA Sports has simulated the entire 2025-2026 NHL season in NHL 26, and the Vegas Golden Knights are projected to win the Stanley Cup. They’ve also shared other key season highlights, the final regular season standings, and other details. Let’s take a look at what they found.

Las Vegas Golden Knights to win Stanley Cup, according to EA NHL 26

The #NHL26 Season Sim has spoken Vegas goes all the way!

— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) October 7, 2025

A new simulation in EA Sports NHL 26 predicts the Vegas Golden Knights will win the Stanley Cup in 2026. Here’s a look at how the game says they’ll do it.

Firstly, let’s take a look at the regular season standings:

2025-2026 NHL Standings, according to EA NHL 26

Eastern Conference Standings:

*- Denotes Playoff berth

Atlantic Division
1. *Toronto Maple Leafs
2. *Tampa Bay Lightning
3. *Florida Panthers
4. *Montreal Canadiens
5. Ottawa Senators
6. Buffalo Sabres
7. Detroit Red Wings
8. Boston Bruins
Metropolitan Division
1. *New York Rangers
2. *Washington Capitals
3. *Carolina Hurricanes
4. *New Jersey Devils
5. Pittsburgh Penguins
6. New York Islanders
7. Columbus Blue Jackets
8. Philadelphia Flyers

Western Conference Standings

Central Division
1. *Colorado Avalanche (Presidents’ Trophy)
2. *Dallas Stars
3. *Winnipeg Jets
4. Minnesota Wild
5. St. Louis Blues
6. Nashville Predators
7. Utah Mammoth
8. Chicago Blackhawks
Pacific Division
1. *Edmonton Oilers
2. *Las Vegas Golden Knights
3. *Vancouver Canucks
4. *Los Angeles Kings
5. *San Jose Sharks
6. Seattle Kraken
7. Calgary Flames
8. Anaheim Ducks

The Knights finished second in their division, the Pacific, which sent more teams to the playoffs than any other. Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche had the best overall record in the league and won the Presidents’ Trophy.

NHL 2026 Postseason Results, According to EA NHL 26

Eastern Conference − Round 1

(A1) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (WC1) Montreal Canadiens → Maple Leafs win 4-2
(M1) New York Rangers vs. (WC2) New Jersey Devils → Rangers win 4-3
(A2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (A3) Florida Panthers → Lightning win 4-3
(M2) Washington Capitals vs. (M3) Carolina Hurricanes → Capitals win 4-2

Round 2

Maple Leafs vs. Lightning → Maple Leafs win 4-2
Rangers vs. Capitals → Rangers win 4-2

Eastern Final:

Maple Leafs vs. Rangers → Rangers win 4-3

Western Conference − Round 1

(C1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (WC2) San Jose Sharks → Avalanche win 4-1
(P1) Edmonton Oilers vs. (WC1) Los Angeles Kings → Oilers win 4-2
(C2) Dallas Stars vs. (C3) Winnipeg Jets → Stars win 4-3
(P2) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (P3) Vancouver Canucks → Knights win 4-2

Round 2:

Avalanche vs. Stars → Avalanche win 4-2
Oilers vs. Golden Knights → Golden Knights win 4-3

Western Final:

Avalanche vs. Golden Knights → Golden Knights win 4-2

Stanley Cup Final

Vegas Golden Knights defeat New York Rangers 4-2

The EA Sports NHL 26 video game predicts the Vegas Knights will win Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the New York Rangers. The simulation also shows the Knights beating the Canucks, Oilers, and Avalanche on their way to the championship series.

Notably, neither of last year’s finalists – the Florida Panthers or Edmonton Oilers – reached the championship series this year. The Panthers didn’t even advance beyond the first round. The Knights, on the other hand, defeated the Oilers and then moved on to win the Western Conference, getting revenge for their loss to Edmonton in the same round last season.

It’s remarkable that the New York Rangers, after missing the playoffs last year, reached the Finals with a new coach. The Rangers certainly have enough talent to compete in the playoffs, but you’d expect a new coach and new players to need some time to gel as a team.

The official NHL season for 2025-2026 started last night, and tonight the Vegas Knights will play host to the Los Angeles Kings.

2025-10-08 18:11

Las Vegas Golden Knights to win Stanley Cup, according to EA NHL 26

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