The Toronto Maple Leafs will have lots to prove when they return to action this season as +325 second favourites on the odds to win the Atlantic Division at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Fresh off a first-place finish in the North Division that marked the team’s first division title win since 2000, the Maple Leafs face a stiffer test this time around as the league reverts to its previous divisional alignment. Toronto has finished no better than third in the standings since joining the Atlantic Division in 2013. And after yet another bitter postseason disappointment last season, the Maple Leafs are likely to be more focused on being playoff prepared than chasing regular season accolades. That is reflected on the Stanley Cup odds, where Toronto sits just shy of the favourites as a +1400 bet.
The Maple Leafs must also contend with more competitive opponents in their return to the Atlantic Division. The Tampa Bay Lightning return to action as strong +150 favourites at online betting sites to win their third divisional crown since 2017. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions are set to hit the ice with their championship roster largely intact, including Nikita Kucherov, who was sidelined for the entirety of the abbreviated 2021 regular season schedule by injury. The Lightning also outpace Toronto by a wide margin on the odds to win the Eastern Conference, but find themselves trailing the Colorado Avalanche as a +600 wager to pull off the Stanley Cup three-peat.
Further down the Atlantic Division odds, the Boston Bruins aim to rebound from last season’s third-place finish in the East Division as they return to action as a +350 wager on the division futures. The Bruins sit just ahead of the revitalized Florida Panthers, who look to take the next step as a +375 bet. After knocking on the playoff door in each of the previous three seasons, the retooled Panthers enjoyed a breakthrough last season, finishing fourth overall in the NHL standings with 79 points.
The Montreal Canadiens have a tough act to follow after enjoying a Cinderella run that took them to the Stanley Cup Final, including a first-round series win over Toronto. The Canadiens have made some notable offseason additions, including forwards Mike Hoffman and Christian Dvorak, and rearguard David Savard. However, that has not been enough to boost the team on the NHL divisional futures, where they lag at +3300.
The Detroit Red Wings hope to enjoy the dividends of their lengthy rebuild as they return to action sporting a line of +8000 on those NHL odds. The Ottawa Senators showed signs of a turnaround late last season but continue to trail at +10000, while the Buffalo Sabres occupy the basement on the board as +15000 longshots.
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