With the 2023-24 NHL regular season just under seven weeks away, it’s admittedly a bit early to look ahead to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
However, the offseason is also the best time to find value plays, so today, I’ll examine a plethora of NHL teams’ odds to make the postseason.
Let’s get into those latest NHL playoff odds and make our best bets and sleeper selections of teams to qualify for the postseason next spring.
Odds To Make NHL Playoffs
NHL odds used for these best bets are current as of Sunday, Sept. 3, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Colorado Avalanche (-1000)
- Carolina Hurricanes (-1000)
- New Jersey Devils (-750)
- Edmonton Oilers (-750)
- Dallas Stars (-750)
- Toronto Maple Leafs (-700)
- New York Rangers (-600)
- Vegas Golden Knights (-600)
- Los Angeles Kings (-400)
- Boston Bruins (-300)
- Florida Panthers (-220)
- Pittsburgh Penguins (-205)
- Minnesota Wild (-200)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (-190)
- Calgary Flames (-180)
- Winnipeg Jets (-150)
- Seattle Kraken (-150)
- Buffalo Sabres (-120)
- New York Islanders (+100)
- Ottawa Senators (+130)
- Vancouver Canucks (+145)
- Nashville Predators (+160)
- Louis Blues (+160)
- Detroit Red Wings (+230)
- Washington Capitals (+235)
- Philadelphia Flyers (+650)
- Arizona Coyotes (+750)
- Chicago Blackhawks (+800)
- Columbus Blue Jackets (+900)
- Montreal Canadiens (+1700)
- Anaheim Ducks (+1700)
- San Jose Sharks (+1700)
Best Bets to Make NHL Playoffs
Buffalo Sabres (-120)
Instead of choosing heavy favorites and locking up your money for months on a future with super-short odds, my best bets will focus on teams in and around even odds, starting with the Buffalo Sabres.
It’s been 12 years since Buffalo last appeared in a playoff game, but there is lots of optimism in Western New York heading into the 2023-24 campaign.
Most recently, the Sabres have done a tremendous job building through the draft and stockpiling high-end talent. This includes selecting Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power first overall in 2018 and 2021, respectively, providing Buffalo with two “towers of power” on the blue line to complement the likes of Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner, and Alex Tuch.
- See why Thompson is a contender in our Rocket Richard Trophy odds.
Last season saw the Sabres post impressive numbers in the advanced metrics department, ranking fourth league-wide in both Shooting % on Shots on Goal and Goals For Per 60 Minutes, per MoneyPuck.
After years of mediocrity, Buffalo is finally poised for a massive breakout campaign, especially when you factor in the talent and youthful exuberance on display.
At an enticing (-120) price point, I’d jump on Buffalo to finally end its drought and qualify for the postseason.
Ottawa Senators (+130)
Next up is the Ottawa Senators, who have continued to take strides as one of hockey’s most exciting young teams.
Although the 2022-23 NHL campaign was a disappointing one in Ottawa, there’s excellent reason for optimism.
For starters, Sens general manager Pierre Dorion went big-game hunting in free agency, inking Joonas Korpisalo and Vladimir Tarasenko.
For a team that ranked 29th in Goal Differential Above Expected and 25th in Goals Against Per 60 Minutes (GAA), per MoneyPuck, Korpisalo should provide stability in the crease and keep Ottawa in games throughout the campaign, something that was severely lacking a season ago.
In addition to the upgrade in goal, the Sens will also look to their youngsters in the form of Tim Stutzle, fresh off a 90-point season, Drake Batherson, and Josh Norris to continue their development and spearhead Ottawa’s offensive output.
Like the Sabres, the Senators have bolstered their roster and should be on course for a spot in the playoffs next spring, making their (+130) odds all the more attractive.
Sleeper Picks to Make NHL Playoffs
Arizona Coyotes (+750)
My sleeper selections to qualify for the postseason will focus on young, up-and-coming teams with long odds and tons of upside. Let’s start with the Arizona Coyotes.
For a team that finished near the bottom of the Western Conference standings a season ago, the Arizona Coyotes gave contending teams headaches on their home ice of Mullet Arena, posting a respectable 21-15-5 record. This statistic holds relevance because the Yotes are slated to be even more competitive and pesky this season.
Heading into the 2023-24 season, Arizona further bolstered its roster with the acquisitions of Matt Dumba, Alex Kerfoot, Sean Durzi, and top-prospect Logan Cooley, who is ready to make the full-time jump to the NHL after tearing it up at the University of Minnesota.
- Want to bet more hockey futures? Check out our 2024 Stanley Cup odds.
From an advanced metrics perspective, the Coyotes ranked 11th in the NHL in both Shooting % on All Shot Attempts and Shooting % on Unblocked Shots, a testament to their increasing ability to create offense and generate scoring opportunities.
Arizona also saw a massive jump from star winger Clayton Keller, who posted career-highs in goals (37), assists (49), points (86), and Shooting % (16.59%).
Given the on-ice improvements the Yotes underwent this offseason, look for Arizona to be one of the season’s surprise teams that could end up squeaking into the playoffs.
Columbus Blue Jackets (+900)
Like the Coyotes, I’m targeting the Blue Jackets as one of my sleeper picks to make the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoff due to their high upside, propensity for massive on-ice improvements, and long odds.
After one of the worst seasons in franchise history, Columbus brought in several new pieces to accelerate its rebuild and restore the on-ice product.
For starters, the Jackets hired Mike Babcock behind the bench. A former Stanley Cup champion and one of the most colored coaches in NHL history, Babcock brings a winning pedigree and revamped program that should go right to the legs of a young Jackets club on the upswing.
On the ice, the Jackets brought in Damon Severson and Ivan Provorov via trade and are set to welcome Adam Fantilli, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Last season saw Columbus struggle mightily to score goals, ranking dead last in Goals % and 30th in both Shot Attempts (Corsi %) and Shooting % on Shots on Goal, per MoneyPuck.
Columbus’ offseason acquisitions, coupled with another year of development from Kirill Marchenko, Cole Sillinger, and Kent Johnson, and you’re looking at a vastly improved hockey team that can only go up.
Sprinkle some change on the Jackets to squeak into the dance next spring at a very intriguing price.