No 2026-27 Atlantic Division odds were posted in ESPN’s NHL futures feed on 24 September 2026, so this page names no price yet. The Buffalo Sabres go in as the holders, after winning the Atlantic in 2025-26 with 109 points from a 50-23-9 record.
That was a three-point margin. Tampa Bay and Montreal both finished on 106, and five of the division’s eight teams made the playoffs.
2025-26 Atlantic Division final standings
| Team | Record | Points | Goals for | Goals against | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Sabres | 50-23-9 | 109 | 288 | 241 | +47 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 50-26-6 | 106 | 290 | 231 | +59 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 48-24-10 | 106 | 283 | 256 | +27 |
| Boston Bruins | 45-27-10 | 100 | 272 | 250 | +22 |
| Ottawa Senators | 44-27-11 | 99 | 278 | 246 | +32 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 41-31-10 | 92 | 241 | 258 | -17 |
| Florida Panthers | 40-38-4 | 84 | 251 | 276 | -25 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 32-36-14 | 78 | 253 | 299 | -46 |
Tampa Bay had the best goal difference in the division, +59, and still finished second. Buffalo won the title on points. The two teams had the same 50 wins, and Buffalo’s three extra points came from overtime and shootout losses, 9 to Tampa Bay’s 6.
Toronto finished last with 78 points and allowed 299 goals, the most in the Atlantic. Florida, at 40-38-4, missed the playoffs from seventh.
How the Atlantic teams did in the 2026 playoffs
The division’s best playoff run came from third place. Montreal beat Tampa Bay 4-3 in the first round, then beat Buffalo 4-3 in the second, before losing the Eastern Conference Final 4-1 to Carolina, the eventual champion.
| Series | Result |
|---|---|
| First round | Buffalo Sabres beat Boston Bruins 4-2 |
| First round | Montreal Canadiens beat Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 |
| First round | Carolina Hurricanes beat Ottawa Senators 4-0 |
| Second round | Montreal Canadiens beat Buffalo Sabres 4-3 |
| Conference final | Carolina Hurricanes beat Montreal Canadiens 4-1 |
Buffalo, the division winner, went out to the team that finished three points behind it. For division futures that is the point to hold on to: the regular-season title and the playoffs are separate bets, and the division price only pays on the first.
Atlantic Division opening games for 2026-27
Every Atlantic team plays 84 games this season, and 28 of them are against the other seven teams in the division.
| Team | First game (ET) |
|---|---|
| Florida Panthers | Tue 29 Sep, at Carolina Hurricanes, 5 p.m. |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Tue 29 Sep, home to Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m. |
| Montreal Canadiens | Tue 29 Sep, at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. |
| Boston Bruins | Tue 29 Sep, home to New York Rangers, 8 p.m. |
| Buffalo Sabres | Thu 1 Oct, at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m. |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Thu 1 Oct, at New York Rangers, 7 p.m. |
| Detroit Red Wings | Fri 2 Oct, home to New York Rangers, 6:30 p.m. |
| Ottawa Senators | Sat 3 Oct, at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. |
Opening night has one Atlantic game against another Atlantic team, Montreal at Toronto. Buffalo’s first home game is Saturday, 3 October, against Chicago.
How to read Atlantic Division odds once they post
A price converts to a break-even chance. For plus money, divide 100 by the price plus 100: a team at +250 needs to win the division 28.6% of the time. For minus money, divide the price by the price plus 100: a favorite at -150 needs 60.0%.
A division bet is worth making only when you rate a team’s chance higher than its price does. Add up the eight teams’ break-even rates and the total will pass 100%, which is the book’s margin, so compare books before you take one.
More NHL futures and picks
The other three division races are on our Metropolitan, Central and Pacific pages. League-wide markets are on the Stanley Cup odds page, the NHL conference odds page and the Presidents’ Trophy odds page.
Game-by-game calls are on the NHL predictions hub, nightly lines on the NHL scores and odds page, and team pages start with the Buffalo Sabres. For paid NHL picks through the season, the membership trial is here.