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Opening 2022 NHL Division Odds For All 32 Teams – Who Offers the Best Value to Win the Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central and Pacific Divisions?

Brady Trettenero

by Brady Trettenero in NHL Hockey

Updated Aug 18, 2021 · 6:32 AM PDT

2022 NHL Opening Odds - Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, Pacific
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) confers with Vegas Golden Knights left wing Max Pacioretty (67) in the first period of Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series Tuesday, June 8, 2021,in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
  • NHL Divisional odds for the 2021-22 season have been released
  • The league is returning to traditional divisions following the pandemic
  • Read below to see the odds for the Atlantic, Metropolitan, Pacific, and Central Division

NHL Divisional odds for the 2021-22 season have been released ahead of puck drop in October. The league is reverting back to the previous divisional alignment that was in place prior to the pandemic. With the arrival of Seattle in the Pacific, Arizona is shifting to the Central.

The Avalanche and Golden Knights are heavy favorites to win their respective divisions, while the Cup-winning Lightning are favored to take the Atlantic. The Metropolitan Division is wide open and features no clear betting favorite.

We lay out the 2022 NHL Division odds for all 32 teams and provide you our best value bets.

Atlantic Division Odds

Team Odds
Tampa Bay Lightning +130
Toronto Maple Leafs +220
Boston Bruins +425
Florida Panthers +550
Montreal Canadiens +3500
Detroit Red Wings +10000
Ottawa Senators +15000
Buffalo Sabres +20000

All odds as of Aug. 18th at DraftKings

Fade Bolts in Atlantic 

The Lightning are favored to win the Atlantic Division in 2021-22 after winning a second straight Stanley Cup in 2020-21. The Bolts have been a powerhouse over the past few seasons, but they’ve lost a plethora of talent from their Cup winning teams. Yanni Gourde, Blake Coleman, and Tyler Johnson are among the key departures. They’ll still be a powerhouse, but there’s isn’t much value given all the losses.

The Panthers are easily the best value play in the Atlantic Division odds heading into 2021-22. Florida finished with the same number of regular-season points as Tampa Bay last season and got significantly better this offseason. The Panthers added a quality goalscorer in Sam Reinhart and will have a fully healthy Aaron Ekblad. Not to mention, goalie prospect Spencer Knight is garnering early Calder buzz.

Pick: Florida Panthers (+550)

Metropolitan Division Odds

Team  Odds
New York Islanders +330
Pittsburgh Penguins +350
New York Rangers +525
Carolina Hurricanes +525
Washington Capitals +525
Philadelphia Flyers +650
New Jersey Devils +1600
Columbus Blue Jackets +10000

Anything Goes in Metro

Unlike the three other NHL Divisions, there is no clear betting favorite in the Metropolitan Division. The Islanders are favored at +330, but there are four other teams with odds shorter than +600. Barry Trotz’s team came within one game of reaching the Cup Final in 2020-21, but they finished fourth in the East Division. You have to go back to 1988 for the last time the Isles have won their division.

The Capitals are tempting considering they’ve won the Metro in five straight seasons. Unfortunately,  their core is aging and on the decline. The Flyers are the wildcard after a crazy offseason that saw them land Ryan Ellis, Rasmus Ristolainen, Cam Atkinson, and Keith Yandle. Pittsburgh and Carolina have goalie concerns, while the Rangers remain weak on defense. A potential rebound year for Carter Hart puts value on Philly.

Pick: Philadelphia Flyers (+650)

Central Division Odds

Team Odds
Colorado Avalanche -220
Minnesota Wild +575
Dallas Stars +1000
St. Louis Blues +1200
Winnipeg Jets +1600
Chicago Blackhawks +1600
Nashville Predators +6000
Arizona Coyotes +30000

Avs Will Dominate Central

The Avalanche are the heaviest favorites in the NHL Division odds after capturing the Presidents’ Trophy in 2020-21. Colorado’s price to win the Central should come as no surprise considering they are also the favorites in the 2022 Stanley Cup odds. The Avs are stacked once again entering 2021-22 with an elite core of Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar.

Minnesota could challenge Colorado considering they finished with just seven fewer points than the Avs last season. There are too many questions marks, however, as Kirill Kaprizov is unsigned and veterans Zach Parise and Ryan Suter were bought out. If Kaprizov returns to Russia, Minnesota’s odds will significantly lengthen. Pay the steep price for the Cup favorites to win their division.

Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-220)

Pacific Division Odds

Team  Odds
Vegas Golden Knights -170
Edmonton Oilers +400
Seattle Kraken +800
Calgary Flames +1300
Vancouver Canucks +1500
Los Angeles Kings +3000
San Jose Sharks +4000
Anaheim Ducks +25000

Kraken Arrive To Weak Pacific 

Seattle is listed as +800 in the NHL Divisional odds following the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. They’ll look to take advantage of a weak Pacific Division that features only one true Cup contender. The Golden Knights are rightful division favorites after finishing tied with Colorado in points in 2020-21. While Vegas lost Marc-Andre Fleury, they still have a solid core led by Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, and Alex Pietrangelo.

The Kraken are intriguing longshots, but there are reasons to tread lightly. Seattle’s defense and goaltending is solid, but the offense lacks elite game-breaking talent. The Oilers are also a team to stay away from, as they’ve lost Adam Larsson and Ethan Bear from an already shaky blueline. Vegas is the safe play, as they are loaded at each position and have won the Pacific in two of the last three years.

Something else to consider with Vegas is they’re rumored to be interested in Sabres’ forward Jack Eichel. Whichever team lands the superstar will see a major bump in both their NHL Divisional odds and Conference odds. Vegas is heavily favored to win the Pacific, but those odds could increase even more come puck drop. The Golden Knights actually offer solid value given the question marks surrounding Edmonton and Seattle.

Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (-170)

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