With an 84-game regular season on tap, there are plenty of opportunities for bettors to find value beyond the Stanley Cup market. Our NHL Metropolitan Division season predictions break down the latest odds, offseason moves, key roster changes, and betting markets for every team in the division. From division and playoff futures to regular-season point totals and individual player props, here’s a closer look at the bets worth considering at online sportsbooks heading into the 2026-27 campaign.
Related: Atlantic Division Betting Preview
Carolina Hurricanes
Stanley Cup odds: +750
To win conference odds: +375
To win division odds: +120
To make the playoffs odds: -1000
Regular season points over/under: Over 108.5 (-105), Under 108.5 (-115)
Key additions: None
Key subtractions: G Frederik Andersen
Betting prediction: To win the division (+120)
The Hurricanes are in an excellent position to potentially repeat as Stanley Cup champions, largely returning the exact same winning roster minus goaltender Frederik Anderson, who shouldn’t be missed with Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov also on the depth chart in goal.
There’s no doubt that Carolina is the cream of the crop in the Metropolitan Division, with its only real threat coming from a revamped Washington team that is attempting to make one last Cup run for legendary forward Alex Ovechkin.
Featuring a suffocating forecheck and a deep forward corps, the Hurricanes are a complete pain in the ass to play against on a nightly basis, and they have several young players, like the Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake, that are blossoming into stars.
Picking a Stanley Cup winner this far out isn’t a sound betting strategy, but there is value given the weakened state of this division as a whole on backing this stacked Carolina team to cruise to a division crown.
Hurricanes to win the division
Washington Capitals
Stanley Cup odds: +1500
To win conference odds: +700
To win division odds: +325
To make the playoffs odds: -275
Regular season points over/under: Over 100.5 (-140), Under 100.5 (+110)
Key additions: F Alex Tuch, F Jordan Kyrou, F Boone Jenner, D Vincent Desharnais
Key subtractions: F Connor McMichael, D Trevor Van Riemsdyk
Betting prediction: Over 100.5 points (-140)
After just missing the playoffs with 95 points last year, the Capitals revamped their roster this offseason with the strong additions of Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, and Boone Jenner, who should all add significant value and depth to the forward corps. More importantly, the moves enticed legendary winger Alex Ovechkin to return for another season at age 40.
A quick glance at Washington’s top-nine forwards is quite impressive, with a strong mix of young talent and proven veterans that will be hungry for a deep playoff run. The team is also solid on goal with Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren and has a serviceable defensive corps led by Jakob Chychrun, who is coming off a breakout year.
If this team can stay healthy, it should have no problem eclipsing 100 points, especially considering there are two extra games on the schedule compared to last year.
Capitals over 100.5 points
New Jersey Devils
Stanley Cup odds: +2800
To win conference odds: +1400
To win division odds: +650
To make the playoffs odds: -130
Regular season points over/under: Over 96.5 (-110), Under 96.5 (-110)
Key additions: F Anthony Mantha, F Luke Evangelista, F Evan Rodrigues, F Jesper Boqvist
Key subtractions: G Jacob Markstrom, D Simon Nemec, F Angus Crookshank
Betting prediction: Jesper Bratt to record 80+ points (-115)
After notching 71 points in 82 games last season, Bratt is a prime candidate to reach the 80-point plateau in 2026-27.
He’ll likely be slotted onto the team’s first line alongside Jack Hughes and Anthony Mantha and should also play a prominent role on the top power-play unit, giving him plenty of opportunities to accumulate points throughout the season.
Bratt had eclipsed 80 points in both 2024-25 and 2023-24, and he should have no problem rebounding to nearly a point-per-game pace on a Devils team that boasts high-end offensive talent.
Bratt to record 80+ points
Philadelphia Flyers
Stanley Cup odds: +5000
To win conference odds: +2500
To win division odds: +1000
To make the playoffs odds: +120
Regular season points over/under: Over 92.5 (-115), Under 92.5 (-105)
Key additions: G Joseph Woll, F Noel Acciari
Key subtractions: G Sam Ersson, F Garnet Hathaway
Betting prediction: Over 92.5 points (-115)
The Flyers edged into the playoffs with 98 points last season and appear poised to net similar results in 2026-27 after a relatively quiet offseason aside from the massive RFA offer sheet the Flyers submitted for Ducks star Leo Carlsson that was ultimately matched by Anaheim.
Upgrading at the backup goalie position with Woll over Ersson, who was one of the worst goaltenders from an analytics perspective with minus-16.5 Goals Saved Above Expected last season, should help net a few more wins behind starter Dan Vladar, and a full season from exciting young winger Porter Martone in the top six could help bolster the club offensively. And If the team can find a way to motivate forward Matvei Michkov after a disappointing 2025-26 campaign, it will be in even better shape to eclipse 93 wins and contend for a potential playoff spot.
It might be tough for the Flyers to replicate their 98 points from a season ago, but a line of 92.5 certainly seems like a low total for a team that has a relatively low floor. We like them to come in somewhere around 95 points, especially considering the two extra regular-season games added to the NHL schedule this year.
Flyers over 92.5 points
Columbus Blue Jackets
Stanley Cup odds: +5500
To win conference odds: +2800
To win division odds: +1200
To make the playoffs odds: +145
Regular season points over/under: Over 92.5 (+100), Under 92.5 (-130)
Key additions: F Valeri Nichushkin, D Ryan Lomberg, D Colton White, G Pheonix Copley
Key subtractions: F Boone Jenner, F Mason Marchment, F Zach Aston-Reese
Betting prediction: Blue Jackets over 92.5 points (+100)
The Blue Jackets finished with 92 points a year ago, and they should yield similar results this season, especially with two more games added to their regular-season schedule.
Trade winds surrounding star defenceman Zach Werenski have calmed, and star winger Kirill Marchenko didn’t get moved this winter, so there should be some stability around the squad heading into training camp.
Columbus doesn’t boast an overly sexy roster, but the Blue Jackets play hard and always seem to find a way to be relevant and in the playoff mix come the final month of the season. The emergence of Jet Greaves into a legitimate No. 1 goalie is also in their favour, after the young netminder posted 16.5 Goals Saved Above Expected last season, ranking him ninth among all goalies.
At even money, you can put the Blue Jackets in the same tier as the Flyers and expect them to battle it out for a playoff spot in the division.
Blue Jackets over 92.5 points
Pittsburgh Penguins
Stanley Cup odds: +7000
To win conference odds: +4000
To win division odds: +1800
To make the playoffs odds: +190
Regular season points over/under: Over 90.5 (+105), Under 90.5 (-135)
Key additions: F Andrei Kuzmenko, F Nick Robertson, D Trevor Van Riemsdyk
Key subtractions: F Anthony Mantha, G Stuart Skinner, D Ryan Shea
Betting prediction: Penguins to miss the playoffs (-250)
How much longer is this team going to put off a rebuild?
Yes, it worked out last season, with the team’s aging core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson, and Kris Letang rallying for a playoff run. But the rebuild is inevitable, and those players are all another year older, with Malkin now 40 and Crosby and Letang one year shy of that number.
They’re going to have to break the band up at some point, and based on the low regular season points totals and their long odds to make the playoffs, online sportsbooks clearly believe this is the year Pittsburgh falls off and blows things up.
It’s also hard to back a strong season from a team that has Arturs Silovs as the No. 1 goaltender on the depth chart.
Penguins to miss the playoffs
New York Rangers
Stanley Cup odds: +8000
To win conference odds: +4000
To win division odds: +2200
To make the playoffs odds: +225
Regular season points over/under: Over 88.5 (-110), Under 88.5 (-110)
Key additions: F Pavel Dorofeyev, F Oliver Bjorkstrand, D Sean Durzi, F Eeli Tolvanen, F Joe Veleno, G Joonas Korpisalo
Key subtractions: F Vincent Trocheck, G Jonathan Quick, D Will Borgen
Betting prediction: Pavel Dorofeyev to score 35+ goals
Dorofeyev scored 37 goals and recorded 64 points in 82 games for Vegas last season, and now he’ll get the chance to play in a top-six role for the Rangers and on the top power-play unit alongside some proven playmakers, like Mika Zibanejad.
The winger loves to shoot the puck, as evidenced by his 230 shots on net last season, and he’s lethal on the power play, finishing second in PPG with 20 last year with Vegas.
He should see tons of ice time in high-leverage situations for the Rangers, who will surely be counting on him for the majority of their goal output in 2026-27.
Dorofeyev 35+ goals
New York Islanders
Stanley Cup odds: +12500
To win conference odds: +5500
To win division odds: +2500
To make the playoffs odds: +240
Regular season points over/under: Over 87.5 (-110), Under 87.5 (-110)
Key additions: G Vitek Vanecek, D Matthew Kessel, F Mattias Maccelli
Key subtractions: F Anders Lee, G David Rittich, F Maxim Shabanov, D Carson Soucy, D Adam Boqvist
Betting prediction: Under 87.5 points (-110)
The Islanders overperformed last year thanks to a breakout season from defenceman Matthew Schaefer and elite goaltending from Ilya Sorokin. But aside from those two players, this team doesn’t have anything to get exciting about.
Mat Barzal, one of the team’s only productive forwards, is already set to miss training camp due to injury, putting his status in jeopardy for the early portion of the season. Bo Horvat has been named the team’s new captain for the 2026-27 campaign, but this supporting forward cast is subpar.
This team appears to be looking ahead to brighter days when its deep prospect pool matures, so it could be a long season on Long Island.
