NHL Eastern Conference Odds: Who Will Win the East?

With the Stanley Cup Playoffs fading further into the rear-view mirror and free agency fast approaching, now’s a good time to take a look at how the Conference odds are shaping up for next season. 

The Eastern Conference is on a really good run here, with three of the last four champions hailing from this side of the bracket, thanks to Florida and Carolina.

Last postseason saw great, highly competitive series in the East, even though some usual mainstays, like the Panthers and Maple Leafs, missed the playoffs. With those teams reloading and retooling and with last year’s postseason entrants still in the mix, this upcoming season will be a major bloodbath in the East.

Here’s a look at the odds for who will win the Eastern Conference in the 2026-27 season.

NHL Eastern Conference Odds

Who’s Favored to Win the Eastern Conference?

Florida Panthers (+375)

Oddsmakers think that the Florida dynasty might not be over just yet, giving them the best odds to win the Eastern Conference next season. 

The Panthers’ 40-38-4 record and 84 team points weren’t good enough to get them into the playoffs. Florida dealt with injuries from start to finish last season. 

They began the year without Matthew Tkachuk and later lost captain Aleksander Barkov for the entire season. Other big contributors, like Evan Rodrigues, Carter Verhaeghe, and Sam Bennett, also missed time. 

Even after acknowledging they had fewer of their usual players in the lineup, the remaining Panthers still played below their typical standards. The injuries may have doomed the season from the start, but even after Tkachuk returned, the team didn’t really improve much. 

In Tkachuk’s 31 games played last season he had 13 goals, 21 assists, and was a -6 in plus/minus. Brad Marchand, who played in 54 games, was a -16. 

That slight regression and the injuries can be attributed to Florida playing basically an extra season’s worth of games across the last three postseasons where they reached the Finals each time. You could also make the argument that several Panthers, including Tkachuk, prioritized the national team duties at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics over the regular season. 

Before free agency even began Florida has already looked to fortify their lineup, adding Matthew’s brother Brady Tkachuk after a trade with Ottawa. Brady had 22 goals and 37 assists in 60 games played last season with the Senators and was also a big piece of the leadership group for Team USA’s first gold medal win since the Miracle on Ice.

The only big question mark for the Panthers is what they plan to do with Sergei Bobrovsky’s impending free agency. Bobrovsky’s reached the end of his 7-year, $70 million deal and is set to become a UFA on July 1. 

Florida will likely do everything to retain the 37-year-old’s services but if he gets too pricey they may be out of options after adding Brady Tkachuk’s deal to an already expensive roster.

Expect the Panthers to be back in the mix in 2027 after a relaxing spring and summer for the team this year.