NHL Metropolitan Division Odds, Picks, Predictions 2022-23: Hurricanes Offer Reliable Choice

In an uncertain division, the consistency of the Carolina Hurricanes gives them the edge to win the Metropolitan Division. Here's a look at the early odds and top picks to win the Metropolitan Division.

The NHL's Eastern Conference was a tale of haves and have-nots last season. That also held true for the Metropolitan Division, in which the fourth-place Washington Capitals were 16 points behind the first-place Carolina Hurricanes, but also 16 points ahead of the fifth-place New York Islanders.

Carolina ranked fifth in the NHL in five-on-five score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals percentage last season. The Pittsburgh Penguins ranked seventh by the same measure. The rest of the division had the Capitals 14th, New Jersey Devils 15th, Islanders 21st, New York Rangers 24th, Philadelphia Flyers 27th, and Columbus Blue Jackets 30th.

While that would seem to put some separation between Carolina, Pittsburgh, and the rest of the division, that might make an underdog like New Jersey more appealing, provided the Devils can get adequate goaltending.

Here are our top picks, and predictions for Metropolitan Division futures odds (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook, BetMGM, PointsBet, and Barstool Sportsbook).  

Top Metropolitan Division Odds and Picks

Hurricanes

The Hurricanes won their division in back-to-back seasons, playing to a .711 points percentage in the process. They consistently control shot counts and adding defenseman Brent Burns should add a more dynamic playmaking element to their blueline. Losing newly acquired winger Max Pacioretty to a torn Achilles limits Carolina’s regular-season potential, but the 'Canes are still worthy division favorites. Unfortunately, the ‘Canes are such consensus favorites that there is not great value to be found. The +225 price via Caesars or PointsBet holds some appeal.

Penguins

Winning the division has been a relative rarity for the Penguins. They have captured one division title in the past eight seasons and finished second during their two most recent Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017. Pittsburgh kept the band together this offseason, re-signing veteran center Evgeni Malkin and No. 1 defenseman Kris Letang to remain at the team’s core with Sidney Crosby. While that should make the Penguins a playoff team, it is reasonable to wonder if they have enough around them to win their division. Their odds are shorter than they should be for a team built around a trio of stars in their mid-30s.

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Rangers

The Rangers are coming off a 110-point season. Their .671 points percentage was their second-highest in the past 50 years. However, there is a certain amount of risk involved in projecting them to finish even better in the standings this season because they were so dependent on goaltender Igor Shesterkin. Maybe Shesterkin turns in another season in which he is the best goalie on the planet, but the prices for the Rangers seem relatively short given how dependent they are on their goaltending.

Capitals

Expectations are not as high for the Washington Capitals this season, in part because the core of the team is getting older, but especially because two of those core pieces are going to miss significant time. Star center Nicklas Backstrom is recovering from hip surgery and his timeline for a return is uncertain. Power forward Tom Wilson is still recovering from a torn ACL and could miss the first two months of the season. Washington brought in right winger Connor Brown and center Dylan Strome to help push this team back into the playoffs for a ninth straight season. The Capitals won the Metropolitan Division in five of those seasons, but the trend line is going the wrong way and even if the Capitals can reach the playoffs, they are deservedly a long shot to win the division.

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Islanders

After missing the playoffs last season, there is some optimism that the Islanders could bounce back under new head coach Lane Lambert. However, the Islanders did not make notable improvements in the offseason and even at their most competitive, they have not won a division title since 1987-88. Although the Islanders did not have the kind of play driving numbers that would suggest sustainable success, they do have one of the top goaltending tandems. Starter Ilya Sorokin is one of the premier goaltenders in the league and he is backed up by an over-qualified Semyon Varlamov. At many top sportsbooks, the Islanders have shorter odds than the Capitals, which reflects the uncertainty for both teams.

Devils

After recording just 63 points last season, on the surface, it is hard to fathom the Devils making the leap to being a playoff team, let alone a division winner. However, the Devils have the potential to make a big improvement because their expected goals numbers were around league average last season only to get submarined by horrendous goaltending. If Vitek Vanecek and MacKenzie Blackwood can offer league-average play in net, the Devils have a team that is capable of challenging for a playoff spot. To get over the top, and possibly contend for the division title, they probably need rising star center Jack Hughes to have his breakout season. That still might be worthwhile at a 20-to-1 price.

Blue Jackets

While the Blue Jackets are an unlikely division winner, especially given their horrendous possession stats last season, the arrival of star left winger Johnny Gaudreau offers some kind of hope for a wild-card berth. The offense needs to clicks and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins needs to deliver a standout performance. That might not seem like the most likely outcome but the Blue Jackets are at least worth monitoring at odds as high as +5000.

Flyers

After a 61-point season, the Flyers did little to improve their roster, which means that any kind of turnaround is going to fall on new head coach John Tortorella. Top center Sean Couturier being injured even before the season starts should pretty much seal the Flyers’ fate. They are much more in play for Conor Bedard with the top pick in the draft than they will be to win the Metropolitan Division.  

Make sure to keep an eye on our Live Odds page throughout the week to get the best lines possible and connect with others in the SBR community on our popular sports betting forum.

Where to Bet on the NHL

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook
PointsBet
BetMGM

SEE ALSO: All picks, odds, and sports betting news. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

Metropolitan Division Picks made 9/27/2022 at 2:12 p.m. ET.