Now that we're nearly a month into NHL free agency and teams' rosters are becoming more set, oddsmakers are releasing new predictions for next season's team point totals.
SportsBetting.ag released its odds this week:
Anaheim Ducks: 79.5
Arizona Coyotes: 90.5
Boston Bruins: 100.5
Buffalo Sabres: 83.5
Calgary Flames: 96.5
Carolina Hurricanes: 95.5
Chicago Blackhawks: 90.5
Colorado Avalanche: 98.5
Columbus Blue Jackets: 84.5
Dallas Stars: 96.5
Detroit Red Wings: 75.5
Edmonton Oilers: 85.5
Florida Panthers: 96.5
Los Angeles Kings: 73.5
Minnesota Wild: 85.5
Montreal Canadiens: 88.5
Nashville Predators: 97.5
New Jersey Devils: 89.5
New York Islanders: 92.5
New York Rangers: 87.5
Ottawa Senators: 68.5
Philadelphia Flyers: 90.5
Pittsburgh Penguins: 94.5
San Jose Sharks: 93.5
St. Louis Blues: 96.5
Tampa Bay Lightning: 108.5
Toronto Maple Leafs: 101.5
Vancouver Canucks: 90.5
Vegas Golden Knights: 100.5
Washington Capitals: 96.5
Winnipeg Jets: 95.5
Those totals would create the following playoff picture:
Atlantic Division
1. Tampa Bay Lightning: 108.5
2. Toronto Maple Leafs: 101.5
3. Boston Bruins: 100.5
Metropolitan Division
1. Washington Capitals: 96.5
2. Carolina Hurricanes: 95.5
3. Pittsburgh Penguins: 94.5
Eastern Conference Wild Card
1. Florida Panthers: 96.5
2. New York Islanders: 93.5
Pacific Division
1. Vegas Golden Knights: 100.5
2. Calgary Flames: 96.5
3. San Jose Sharks: 93.5
Central Division
1. Colorado Avalanche: 98.5
2. Nashville Predators: 97.5
3. St. Louis Blues: 96.5
Western Conference Wild Card
1. Dallas Stars: 96.5
2. Winnipeg Jets: 95.5
The team predicted to have the biggest drop in points compared to last season is the Lightning, who are predicted to drop 19.5 points from last season's absurd 128-point season, though they're still predicted to win the President's Trophy.
The team with the biggest gain is the Devils, who are predicted to add 17.5 points to last season's total of 72. No surprise there, given the additions of Jack Hughes and P.K. Subban, among others. These odds were also created before the Devils traded for and signed forward Nikita Gusev on Monday.
The 16 teams predicted to make the playoffs are the same as last season, with one change. The Blue Jackets, after losing Sergei Bobrovsky, Artemi Panarin and Matt Duchene, are predicted to finish with 13.5 fewer points than last season's total of 98 and miss the playoffs. The Panthers, who finished 12 points out of a wild cart spot last season with 86 points, are predicted to see an increase in 10.5 points to secure the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
