Historical NHL Conference Championship Odds from Past Seasons

• This page archives the NHL Eastern and Western Conference champion odds for past seasons, with opening prices, in-season movement, and final series numbers
• Tampa Bay came out of the East three years running through 2022, while Dallas (2020) and Colorado (2022) won the West
• Want the current NHL conference odds instead? Head over to the live futures board.

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Before the playoff bracket reshuffles every spring, the conference futures market spends a full season sorting out which team comes out of the East and which comes out of the West. Injuries, trades, and playoff matchups swing these numbers hard, especially once the bracket is set and the series prices take over.

This page is the record, split into Eastern and Western sections for each season, with the charts, in-season movement notes, and the final series odds. One note on 2021: the league scrapped its conference format that year for four temporary divisions because of COVID-19, and sportsbooks pulled their conference markets in January. The 2021 section below is the preseason board, captured before it came down.

Use the links below to jump straight to a season and conference:

2022 — East | West   ·   2021 — East | West   ·   2020 — East | West

2022 Eastern Conference Champion Odds

Tampa Bay came out of the East for the third straight spring. The Lightning weren’t the preseason favorite, but they took over the market by midseason and closed out the Rangers in a six-game conference final to finish at -500.

2022 Eastern Conference Closing Odds

Odds as of June 10, 2022 at Caesars Sportsbook.

How the 2022 Eastern race played out:

• [June 9] A third straight win sent Tampa to -495, while the Rangers, down 3-2, faded to +400.
• [June 6] Tampa got one back in Game 3 and the series odds went nearly level, the Rangers -140 and the Bolts slight underdogs at +120.
• [June 4] Up 2-0, the Rangers were a -260 favorite with the series shifting to Tampa.
• [June 1] The Lightning entered the Eastern Conference final as -182 favorites over the Rangers (+155).
• [May 29] The Rangers improved to +442 after forcing a Game 7 with Carolina.
• [May 27] The Rangers faded to +1000 after losing Game 5 to the Hurricanes.
• [May 24] The Lightning were -130 to win the East a third straight time after sweeping Florida, hoping Carolina (+158) and the Rangers (+825) played a long series.
• [May 22] Carolina (+128) and Tampa (+143) became favorites to meet in the final, holding 2-0 leads on the Rangers (+1700) and Panthers (+488).
• [May 15] Into the second round, Florida (+168) led, Carolina (+250) was second, and Tampa (+280) third.
• [May 10] A 3-2 OT win in Game 4 lifted Florida from +338 to +268, back to favorite. Toronto faded from +313 to +463 after a 7-3 loss to Tampa.
• [May 8] Down 2-1 to Washington, Florida faded to +338. Toronto (+313) became the favorite with a chance to go up 3-1 on Tampa.
• [May 1] Florida entered the postseason around +250 as the East favorite. First-round opponent Washington had the longest odds of the eight teams.
• [April 19] With the Islanders and Blue Jackets eliminated, the East was down to eight. Florida (+300) topped the field, likely first-round foe Washington at +1400.
• [April 1] Florida kept improving, moving from +330 to +275 since late February.
• [February 23] Florida jumped Tampa for the top spot, neck and neck. Pittsburgh sat fifth at +725.
• [February 3] Tampa stayed favored, with Florida edging Toronto for second, improving from +463 to +415.
• [January 11] Tampa moved back on top, widening the gap after a Panthers slump.
• [December 13] Tampa and Toronto sat right behind Florida; the Leafs improved from +550 to +475.
• [November 30] Washington made headway, improving from +1250 to +725 over the month.
• [November 11] Florida became the favorite around +450, while Toronto and Tampa worsened.
• [October 20] A week in, Florida shortened from +1000 to +750 and the Islanders lengthened from +750 to +850.
• [October 8] The Islanders shortened from +950 to +750 four days before puck drop.
• [September 22] Tampa remained the favorite at +330, with Toronto second at +575.
• [August 16] The reigning back-to-back Cup champion Lightning opened as East favorites. Boston’s opening number sat at +650.

2022 Western Conference Champion Odds

Colorado was the class of the West from opening night and never gave up the top spot. The Avalanche opened at +200, sat as the favorite all year, and swept past Edmonton in the conference final to reach their first Cup Final since 2001, closing at -5000.

2022 Western Conference Closing Odds

Odds as of June 4, 2022 at Caesars Sportsbook.

How the 2022 Western race played out:

• [June 7] An epic comeback in Game 4 sent Colorado to its first Cup Final since 2001.
• [June 4] A Game 3 win gave Colorado a 3-0 series lead at -4500, with Edmonton out to +2200.
• [June 1] The Avs improved to -457 after a wild 8-6 Game 1 win over Edmonton.
• [May 29] Colorado entered the Western Conference final as -247 favorites over Edmonton (+200).
• [May 27] Edmonton improved from +400 to +183 after ousting Calgary in five games.
• [May 24] Up 3-1 on the Blues, Colorado was a heavy -215 favorite. Edmonton, up 2-1 on Calgary, was second at +400.
• [May 22] After taking a 2-1 lead on the Blues, Colorado improved from -120 to -158. St. Louis faded from +800 to +1400.
• [May 15] After a thrilling Game 7 win over the Kings, Edmonton improved to +450. Colorado shortened to -120.
• [May 10] Colorado became the odds-on West favorite at -103, helped by extra rest with every other series tied 2-2. Calgary improved to +355 after evening its series with Dallas.
• [May 8] Up 3-0 on Nashville, Colorado (+110) was near even money. Down 2-1 to Dallas, Calgary faded to +450 but held second.
• [May 1] Colorado opened the playoffs as a big West favorite, as short as +130 at some books.
• [April 19] Anaheim, Chicago, and San Jose fell off the board, while Vancouver (+10000) and Winnipeg (+25000) hung on with six games left.
• [April 1] Vegas’s West odds were the longest they’d been all year, out to +1000 at some books.
• [February 23] Calgary held the third-best West odds at +650, sitting ahead of Vegas in the Pacific standings.
• [February 3] Colorado stayed favored. The Kings made a big move, going from +5350 to +1950 since early December.
• [January 11] Vegas and Colorado were the top two again, with the Wild and Flames worsening after the COVID-19 pause.
• [December 13] Minnesota became the third betting favorite, with Colorado and Vegas the teams to beat.
• [November 30] A tight race, but Colorado stayed favored. Vegas held second despite early struggles.
• [November 10] The Blues shortened sharply, from +1750 to +1000.
• [October 20] A week in, Edmonton was the biggest mover, from +1100 to +950, while Vegas jumped to +340.
• [October 8] Four days out, the West didn’t budge. Colorado remained the favorite.
• [September 22] Still a two-team race between Colorado and Vegas. Seattle shortened a touch to +1750.
• [August 16] Colorado and Vegas opened on top at +200 and +300. The expansion Kraken opened at +1700.

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2021 Eastern Conference Champion Odds

There’s no conference champion to crown for 2021. The NHL scrapped its conference format for the 56-game season, splitting into four temporary divisions because of COVID-19 travel restrictions, and sportsbooks pulled their conference markets in January 2021. What’s below is the preseason board for both conferences, captured before the markets came down.

2021 Eastern Conference Preseason Odds

Preseason odds last updated Nov. 12, 2020.

Preseason movement before the market came down:

• [November 12] Odds barely moved, though the Lightning rose from +383 to +400.
• [October 15] After signing Taylor Hall and other pieces, Buffalo shortened from +3750 to +2700.
• [October 7] Following the 2020 NHL Draft, the Rangers shortened to +1250.
• [September 29] The Stanley Cup champion Lightning opened as 4-1 (+400) favorites to win the East, followed by Boston at +550.

2021 Western Conference Champion Odds

2021 Western Conference Preseason Odds

Preseason odds last updated Nov. 12, 2020.

Preseason movement before the market came down:

• [November 12] Little movement, though Dallas shortened to +917, tying St. Louis.
• [October 15] After signing defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, Vegas became co-favorites with Colorado.
• [October 7] No movement to report, as no Western teams were active in the draft.
• [September 29] Colorado opened as the early +325 favorite, closely followed by Vegas at +350.

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2020 Eastern Conference Champion Odds

Tampa Bay opened as the East favorite and, after the long COVID-19 pause and a bubble restart, made good on it. The Lightning rolled through the bracket and finished off the Islanders in a six-game conference final, closing at -3000 on their way to the Stanley Cup Final.

2020 Eastern Conference Closing Odds

Odds last updated Sept. 15, 2020.

How the 2020 Eastern race played out:

• [September 17] Tampa Bay sealed the deal in Game 6, winning in overtime.
• [September 15] Up 3-1, the Lightning were prohibitively short -3000 favorites to oust the Islanders.
• [September 8] An 8-2 rout in Game 1 sent Tampa’s odds to -500. The Islanders faded to +375.
• [September 6] Tampa was a -195 favorite to win the East over the Islanders (+160) in the conference final.
• [September 1] Anticipating a Tampa-Islanders final, books set the Lightning -176 and the Islanders +170.
• [August 28] Up 2-1 on Boston, Tampa was a +132 favorite, with Philadelphia second at +319.
• [August 21] Despite meeting in round two, the Lightning (+192) and Bruins (+234) both had better odds than the Flyers (+281) and Islanders (+414).
• [August 10] With the first round set, the top-seeded Flyers were East favorites at +281 after sweeping their seeding games.
• [July 15] Bettors penciled in Pittsburgh, whose odds improved from +816 to +810 while Montreal’s fell from +3740 to +4200.
• [July 3] The Rangers (+2480) overtook the Islanders (+2530) for a top-eight spot, despite being underdogs to Carolina (+2300) in qualifying.
• [June 12] Philadelphia (+592) and Washington (+663) had byes to the round of 16, but longer odds than Boston (+345) and Tampa Bay (+328).
• [May 20] The long layoff was seen as a negative for the hottest teams; the Flyers dropped from +500 to +550.
• [March 19] After the COVID-19 hiatus, the Bruins improved to +325, with a rested Boston viewed as a class apart.
• [February 13] The Sabres tumbled from +3767 to +6833 with a playoff spot now a pipe dream.
• [January 28] Florida (+1133) lagged Toronto (+967) despite third place in the Atlantic, both well behind Tampa, Washington, Boston, and Pittsburgh.
• [January 22] Tampa (+450) took over top spot despite trailing Boston by eight in the Atlantic. Washington (+456) slipped as Pittsburgh (+600) pushed.
• [January 9] Washington became the favorite at +429, while Tampa (+458) edged Boston (+461) for second.
• [November 27] The Islanders (+640) kept surging, even after their point streak ended in Anaheim.
• [November 13] The Bruins took over top spot (+480), while the Islanders (+870) moved into the top four.
• [October 29] Tampa (+420) was still favored, but Boston (+460) was closing fast.
• [October 7] A week in, both favorites shortened: Tampa from +350 to +340, Toronto from +510 to +420, and Boston from +550 to +500.
• [August 27] The longshots shortened: Columbus from +3600 to +3400, Detroit from +6500 to +6200, Ottawa from +12700 to +12000.
• [August 9] Columbus plummeted from +2000 to +3600, while Toronto (+590 to +530) overtook Boston (+520 to +550) for second.
• [July 16] Despite a first-round exit the year before, the Lightning opened as East favorites by a wide margin.

2020 Western Conference Champion Odds

Dallas pulled the upset. The Stars were a +767 afterthought among the top seeds in June, but they knocked off the heavily favored Golden Knights in five games to win the West, closing at -360 once they’d seized a 3-1 series lead.

2020 Western Conference Closing Odds

Odds last updated Sept. 14, 2020.

How the 2020 Western race played out:

• [September 15] Dallas did what few thought it could, beating the heavily favored Golden Knights in just five games.
• [September 14] On the morning of Game 5, Dallas was a -360 favorite to turn its 3-1 lead into a Cup Final berth.
• [September 9] Even at a game apiece, books favored Vegas -257 to advance, with Dallas at +210.
• [September 8] Vegas was still favored by a narrow -125 to +105 margin despite losing Game 1.
• [September 6] Vegas opened -225 over the Stars in the West final, its third straight series opening at -200 or shorter.
• [September 1] Holding a 3-1 lead on the Canucks, Vegas was a massive -167 favorite to win the West.
• [August 28] Down 2-1 to Dallas after a Game 3 win, Colorado was an optimistic +331, more than twice as short as Vancouver (+740), tied 1-1 with Vegas.
• [August 21] Vegas (+131) and Colorado (+168) remained heavy favorites, facing Vancouver (+700) and Dallas (+554) in round two.
• [August 10] Vegas edged Colorado for the #1 seed and led the conference futures narrowly, +246 to +268.
• [July 15] No team’s odds lengthened more than Chicago’s, which fell from +2350 to +3500.
• [July 3] Despite being named a hub city, Edmonton’s odds slipped from +1092 to +1120.
• [June 12] Dallas (+767) sat far longer than the other top-four seeds: Vegas (+340), Colorado (+360), and St. Louis (+433).
• [May 20] With fan-less playoffs likely, Vegas slipped from +325 to +378 on a lost home-ice edge.
• [March 19] The Golden Knights (+325) became West favorites during the coronavirus hiatus.
• [February 13] The top three favorites were all from the Central (Colorado, St. Louis, Dallas), with no Pacific team looking like a lock to make the playoffs.
• [January 28] Preseason favorite Vegas kept falling, now at a season-long +745, still best in the Pacific but behind three Central teams.
• [January 22] The West was tightly packed, ten teams between +481 and +1400. Only Anaheim, Winnipeg, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Minnesota were true longshots.
• [January 9] Colorado was favored to win the West, even with St. Louis shorter than even money in the Central.
• [November 27] Riding an 8-1-1 stretch, Dallas climbed to third at +670.
• [November 13] The favorites fell back to the pack, with no team shorter than Vegas at +470. The West was wide open.
• [October 29] It was neck and neck between Vegas (+370) and Colorado (+390), with the Avs expected to lengthen after injuries to Mikko Rantanen and Gabe Landeskog.
• [October 7] The first in-season update shook things up. Vegas was a hyper-short +350 (from +420), and the biggest loser was San Jose (+970 to +1300).
• [August 27] The Canucks (+1900) bounced the Coyotes (+2000) from the top ten.
• [August 9] The biggest loser was Edmonton, falling from +1700 to +2500. Only the Kings (+6600), Ducks (+5000), and Wild (+3000) had worse odds.
• [July 16] Vegas was the early favorite at +470, viewed as dominant 5-on-5 after acquiring Mark Stone the prior season.