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NHL Odds: Metropolitan Division Is Anyone's to Win

By Iain MacMillan

The Islanders and Penguins sit atop the odds list to win the crowded Metropolitan Division this NHL season.
The Islanders and Penguins sit atop the odds list to win the crowded Metropolitan Division this NHL season. / Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
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The NHL is returning to its previous alignment and divisions prior to the shortened 2020-2021 season, and the Metropolitan Division is expected to be the most contested group in the league.

While nobody in the division is considered a top tier Stanley Cup contender, six of the eight teams are solid squads that could make a run by the time the playoffs come around.

The New York Islanders are set as the slight betting favorites at +325, but a handful of teams are right behind them on the odds list.

Odds to win the Metropolitan Division

All odds listed below are via WynnBET.

  • New York Islanders +325
  • Pittsburgh Penguins +350
  • Carolina Hurricanes +375
  • New York Rangers +500
  • Washington Capitals +500
  • Philadelphia Flyers +650
  • New Jersey Devils +1700
  • Columbus Blue Jackets +10000

Will We See a New Division Winner in 2021-22?

Since the NHL went through a major realignment ahead of the 2013-14 NHL season, only three different teams have won the division. The Pittsburgh Penguins won it in its first year of existence, followed by the New York Rangers in the 2014-15 campaign. Since then, the Washington Capitals have won it five straight seasons since the 2015-16 season.

The Islanders, Hurricanes, Flyers, Devils and (unlikely) the Blue Jackets could all be first time winners of the division.

The Islanders fell one series short of the Stanley Cup Finals last season, being eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. They’ll look to return to the semi-finals for the third straight season, but this time they’ll hope to be successful. With the majority of their roster intact from last year, they are the deserving favorites to be crowned kings of the Metropolitan.

Washington Capitals Will Try to Win Sixth Straight Division Title

The Capitals are certainly an aging team, but they may just have enough left in their tank to win the division for the sixth straight season. Alexander Ovechkin re-signed with the Capitals for another five years, but it’s clear that the best days are behind the 35-year old.

Washington made the postseason in the shortened campaign, but fell to the Boston Bruins in the opening round. They’ll need to make some moves during the season if they want to re-tool enough to make another playoff push, but crazier things have happened in the NHL.

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