Historical NHL Playoff Odds from Past Seasons

• This page archives NHL make/miss playoff odds for past seasons, tracking each team’s price to reach (or miss) the postseason from opening night through the stretch run
• It covers the 2022 and 2020 conference races, plus the realigned 2021 season, when the league split into four temporary divisions
• Want the current NHL playoff odds instead? Head over to the live make/miss board.

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The make/miss market prices one question for all 32 teams: will they reach the playoffs? Locks get bet down to absurd numbers, bubble teams swing week to week, and books pull a team’s line once it clinches or is eliminated. You’ll see “OTB” (off the board) or “OFF” in the tables below to mark those teams.

This page is the record, organized by season. Two formats need context. The 2020 season was cut short by COVID-19, and most books graded make/miss bets on the 24-team qualification round, treating the play-in winners and the top four seeds in each conference as having made it. The 2021 season used four temporary divisions, North, East, Central, and West, with the top four from each reaching the postseason.

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

2022 — East | West

2021 — North | East | Central | West

2020 — East | West

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2022 NHL Playoff Odds

The 2021-22 season returned to the standard two-conference format. The Atlantic and Metropolitan made up the East, while the Central and Pacific formed the West.

2022 Eastern Conference Make & Miss Odds

The East bracket locked early. The top eight pulled away by February, and the Islanders’ down year left them stuck in ninth, so by April the books had pulled almost every Eastern line.

Odds as of February 3.

• [April 5] The East picture was all but set, so almost no lines were offered. The only team still getting a price was the Islanders, ninth at +6500 to make it.
• [March 16] No East updates since February, with the top eight essentially locked and a 13-point gap between the last wild card and ninth.
• [February 3] The top eight were nearly locked, with Washington at -1200 in the final spot and the Islanders sitting at +600.
• [January 11] The Islanders were on the outside in ninth at +350, while every team in a playoff position was a heavy favorite.
• [December 13] Two months in, the 2021 Cup-finalist Canadiens had drifted to +2000 to make the playoffs.
• [November 30] A disappointing Islanders start showed in the odds, worsening from -280 to +245.
• [November 4] Florida held the best odds after a hot start, with the Flyers and Penguins hovering around the eighth and ninth spots.
• [October 5] Fringe playoff teams shortened as the season neared, Carolina from -150 to -172 and the Rangers from -120 to -177.
• [August 18] The Lightning opened with the best East odds, with the Capitals, Hurricanes, and Rangers clustered at -150.

2022 Western Conference Make & Miss Odds

The West went to the wire. Five teams scrapped for the final spots into April, with Dallas and Vegas neck and neck for the last seat and Dallas holding three games in hand at the April 5 snapshot.

Odds as of April 5.

• [April 5] Lines reopened for the Ducks and Sharks, but both faced double-digit point gaps to catch Vegas for eighth. Despite sitting ninth, Dallas was getting better odds than Vegas thanks to three games in hand.
• [March 16] Five teams battled for the last few spots: the Oilers, Kings, and Golden Knights in the Pacific, and the Predators, Wild, and Stars in the Central. The Jets still had a line but weren’t really in the hunt.
• [February 3] The Kings snuck into the eighth spot, improving from +150 to -126, while the Avalanche sat at -20000.
• [January 11] The Ducks, Kings, and Jets were on the outside, with Winnipeg at +170.
• [December 13] The Wild solidified themselves as a contender, shortening from -1025 to -3000.
• [November 30] The Jets and Stars sat on the bubble, Winnipeg lengthening from -164 to -128 and Dallas improving from -128 to -210.
• [November 4] Vegas slipped from -1600 to -475 after a slow, injury-hit start, while the Blackhawks won one of their first 11 and kept lengthening.
• [October 5] Edmonton climbed to the third-best Western odds at -355, with Colorado and Vegas still massive favorites to clinch.
• [August 18] The Avalanche opened as the West’s heaviest favorite to make it, while the Jets, Kraken, and Blackhawks hovered around the final spot.

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2021 NHL Playoff Odds

The 2020-21 season ran just 56 games and dropped conferences for four temporary divisions: North, East, Central, and West. The top four from each division reached the postseason, for 16 teams in all.

2021 North Division Make & Miss Odds

Montreal clinched the final North spot on May 12, joining Toronto, Edmonton, and Winnipeg. Calgary pushed late but came up short.

All odds as of May 12.

• [May 12] After taking a point in an overtime loss to Edmonton on May 10, Montreal secured the final North spot, joining Toronto, Edmonton, and Winnipeg.
• [May 4] Calgary and Vancouver kept pushing for the last spot, but Montreal held a 10-point lead in fourth. The Flames sat at +2400 to make it.
• [April 29] Calgary chased Montreal for the final spot, the Flames shortening from +850 to +550 while the Canadiens lengthened from -1400 to -750.
• [April 12] Calgary still had a mathematical chance, but oddsmakers were skeptical, lengthening the Flames to +850.
• [March 29] With Montreal at -1100 for the final spot, the picture was nearly settled. Calgary had the second-best odds at +400.
• [March 18] The final North spot came down to Edmonton and Calgary, the Oilers at -470 and the Flames at +130.
• [March 4] Toronto went off the board, meaning oddsmakers saw the Leafs as locked in. Edmonton had the next-longest odds at -1100.
• [February 10] Ottawa’s hopes dimmed, the Senators jumping from +1300 to +3400 over the week.
• [February 4] Winnipeg started to play better, shortening from +100 to -140.
• [January 20] Strong starts from Ottawa and Montreal shortened both, the Senators to +400 and the Canadiens to -320.
• [January 4] Toronto opened with the shortest North odds to make it at -835.

2021 East Division Make & Miss Odds

Washington, Pittsburgh, Boston, and the Islanders came out of the East, with Boston the last team in.

• [May 4] The East playoff teams were set, with Washington, Pittsburgh, Boston, and the Islanders locked in. Boston was the last team in.
• [April 29] The Rangers shortened from +2000 to +1300, trailing Boston by four points with eight games left.
• [April 12] The Rangers and Flyers still had hope, both four points out of fourth, with New York at +600 to make it.
• [March 29] Washington and the Islanders locked up spots, while Pittsburgh (-1100) and Boston (-650) jockeyed for the third and fourth seeds.
• [March 18] Buffalo and New Jersey came off the odds list, leaving the Rangers with the longest price for the final spot at +500.
• [March 4] Buffalo was essentially out, the Sabres jumping from +410 to +1200.
• [February 10] Boston emerged as the team to beat, shortening from -750 to -1100.
• [February 4] A 7-1-2 start nearly solidified Boston, shortening the Bruins from -340 to -750.
• [January 20] Little changed after the first week, the Islanders dipping from +130 to +100 and the Sabres shortening from +325 to +230.
• [January 4] Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, and Pittsburgh all opened favored to make it out of the East.

2021 Central Division Make & Miss Odds

Carolina, Florida, and Tampa Bay led the Central, and Nashville edged Dallas for the final spot after a strong finish.

• [May 10] Carolina, Florida, Tampa Bay, and now Nashville qualified from the Central, the Predators clinching last after a battle with Dallas.
• [May 4] Nashville held a four-point lead on Dallas for the final spot at -1100. The Stars had lost four straight with four games left.
• [April 29] Nashville led Dallas by two points with five games left, both listed at -110 for the final spot.
• [April 12] Nashville held a four-point lead on Chicago and six on Dallas, sitting at -110 after a remarkable March.
• [March 29] Nashville surged with five straight wins, tying Dallas for the second-best odds at the final spot at +115.
• [March 18] Carolina and Florida came off the board as locks, while Chicago and Dallas battled at +110 for the last spot.
• [March 4] Tampa Bay and Detroit went off the board, leaving Carolina with the longest Central odds to make it.
• [February 10] Nashville trended the wrong way, opening at -134 and drifting to +450 after a 5-8-0 start through 13 games.
• [February 4] Florida’s hot start lengthened Columbus (+175) and Nashville (+135).
• [January 20] Tampa Bay lengthened from -1000 to -650, while Detroit shortened from +1150 to +800.
• [January 4] Tampa Bay and Carolina opened as the top Central favorites, the Lightning at -1000.

2021 West Division Make & Miss Odds

Vegas, Colorado, Minnesota, and St. Louis took the West’s four spots once Arizona was eliminated on May 10.

• [May 10] The West field was finalized once Arizona was mathematically eliminated. Vegas, Colorado, Minnesota, and St. Louis made it.
• [May 4] Arizona wasn’t mathematically out but sat at +3400, five points behind St. Louis with a tough schedule.
• [April 29] After wins over the Wild and Avalanche, St. Louis positioned itself for the final spot at -750.
• [April 12] San Jose pushed late, four points back of St. Louis and shortening from +750 to +650.
• [March 29] Minnesota and Colorado went off the board as locks, leaving St. Louis the favorite for the final spot at -140.
• [March 18] The Kings and Blues raced for the last spot, St. Louis ahead at -175 and Los Angeles at +220.
• [March 4] Minnesota nearly clinched, shortening from -140 to -600 after winning five of seven.
• [February 10] Minnesota and Arizona were neck and neck for the last spot, the Wild at -140 and the Coyotes at +135.
• [February 4] Vegas shortened from -490 to -700, tied with Colorado for the shortest West odds.
• [January 20] A solid start shortened Minnesota from +105 to -120.
• [January 4] Colorado, Vegas, and St. Louis all opened as big favorites to make it out of the West.

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2020 NHL Playoff Odds

The 2019-20 season was paused in March by COVID-19 and resumed in a 24-team format. There was no single grading rule across the industry, but most books treated the qualification round as the end of the regular season: the eight teams that advanced from the best-of-five play-in series, plus the top four seeds in each conference, were graded as having made the playoffs, and the play-in losers as having missed. The tables below show the final pre-pause odds from January 28.

2020 Eastern Conference Make & Miss Odds

A pre-pandemic snapshot. By late January, most East contenders were already off the board as locks, with a handful of bubble teams still carrying a price.

Odds updated Jan. 28, 2020.

• [January 28] Toronto stayed a -150 favorite to make it despite sitting two points out of a wild card.
• [September 13] Carolina’s odds improved sharply from the open, going from +100 to -170.
• [August 26] The teams that opened as odds-on East favorites to make the playoffs were Boston, Florida, New Jersey, the Islanders, the Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Toronto, and Washington.

2020 Western Conference Make & Miss Odds

The West was tight before the stoppage. Only St. Louis and Colorado were considered locks at the January 28 update, with several teams still battling on the bubble.

Odds updated Jan. 28, 2020.

• [January 28] The fight for Western spots looked fierce, with only the Blues and Avalanche considered locks.
• [September 13] Not much moved in the West, though the once-mighty Blackhawks faded from even money to +120.
• [August 26] The teams that opened as odds-on West favorites to make the playoffs were Arizona, Calgary, Colorado, Dallas, Nashville, San Jose, St. Louis, Vegas, and Winnipeg.