Panthers Betting Favorites for Atlantic Division; Is That Wise?

The reigning Stanley Cup champions were on cruise control last season. From start to finish, the drama and adversity that accompanies most NHL seasons were muted. The Florida Panthers’ destination seemed clear, and any deviation from the course would have been a surprise. The question was not if they would be one of the final teams standing, but who could stop them.

As it turned out, not even the best player in the game, Connor McDavid, and a near-historic hot streak could stop Florida from their appointed destiny to lift the Cup.

Sure, the team suffered a couple of losses on the free agent market, including defenseman Brandon Montour, but Sam Reinhart signed for a monster payday to stay, and Sasha Barkov remains the team’s heartbeat.

So, it stands to reason that oddsmakers would love the Panthers to win the Atlantic Division. The Panthers are almost prohibitive betting favorites on NHL betting sites to win the division this coming season, going off at +230.

The retooling Toronto Maple Leafs with that immensely talented core are the second favorite, bubbling around +300 at most sports books. Somewhat surprisingly, the Boston Bruins are +500. Given their offseason additions, which include angry defenseman Nikita Zadorov and potential point-per-game center Elias Lindholm, Boston might seem to be far more formidable than a team with those odds.

And that’s just one reason why we should ask if it is wise to bet the Panthers to win the division: The Atlantic Division has surged well past the Metro Division as the dominant group in the Eastern Conference and might be the deepest division in the NHL.

The second reason is far more important to the Panthers and Panthers fans.

Winning the division just doesn’t matter unless a team has something to prove. Ask the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers about winning the Metro last season. Ask Boston what winning the division in recent years has meant for their playoff success.

In the 1990s and 2000s, winning the division meant an advantageous seed in the 1 vs. 8 conference playoff format. Indeed, it was far more valuable. However, since the NHL returned to the divisional format, winning the division earns a wild card team in Round One, but the second round could be against the second-best team.

Winning the division just isn’t that important.

And with a summer of watching Sam Bennett eat Capt’n Crunch out of the Cup, a summer to reflect on overcoming overwhelming odds, and a red-hot Edmonton team in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Panthers should understand what is important.

It’s important to show up in big games and crucial to make the playoffs. However, everything else is superfluous. The Panthers already have the challenge of the shortest offseason ever. Never before has the Stanley Cup gone so late into June, butting up to buyout windows, the NHL Draft, and the July 1 free agent frenzy. There’s no reason the Panthers need to expend extra energy to finish a spot or two ahead in the standings.

Let the desperate Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston, or even the Ottawa Senators, desperately trying to end a seven-year playoff drought, empty their resources in the regular season pursuits. Winning the Stanley Cup puts those regular-season trivialities in perspective.

So, let the oddsmakers bet the Panthers because they’re still the most complete, difficult-to-beat team in the division, just don’t be shocked when the don’t.

Because it doesn’t matter.