NHL Metropolitan Division Odds: Who is the Team to Beat?

Last season’s Stanley Cup winner, the Carolina Hurricanes, will hoist their banner on opening night and embark on a campaign to repeat as Metropolitan Division winners.

As the start of the 2026-27 NHL season looms, there may be a clear favorite in the Metro, but that doesn’t mean the second through eighth ranked teams aren’t interesting. There are starry rosters like the Capitals and Devils, both looking to reassert their playoff medal, and some up-and-comers like the Islanders. 

Here’s a look at how those odds are looking as of September 28.

NHL Metropolitan Division Odds

NHL Metropolitan Division Favorite

Some divisions are hard to figure out. Others aren’t. 

There’s a strong favorite in this division and it’s the defending champion Hurricanes. 

Carolina finished the regular season with 113 points and a 53-22-7 record, which was the best in the Metro and the Eastern Conference. They finished eight points off of the Presidents’ Trophy winner Avalanche. 

The Hurricanes are in an excellent position to repeat that same winning formula this season. All of their biggest pieces from last year’s run — like Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, Logan Stankoven, Nikolaj Ehlers — are signed to long-term contracts. 

Their main point of roster turnover was losing goalie Frederik Andersen, who signed a one-year $2.8 million deal with Edmonton. Andersen had spent five seasons in Carolina, winning the William Jennings Trophy in 2022. He had an insane 1.89 GAA in 16 playoff starts on the Hurricanes Cup run. 

But, Andersen’s former backup, Brandon Bussi, is a more than worthy inheritor of the starting job. He actually had more starts than Andersen during the regular season, earning a 2.47 GAA in 39 starts.

Despite the star power on some of the other teams in this division — like Alexander Ovechkin on the Capitals, Jack Hughes on the Devils, or Sidney Crosby on the Penguins — Carolina is a much more complete team.