We are now just 21 days away from the start of the NHL season.

The offseason felt significantly longer, especially here in Edmonton, after the Oilers were bounced in the first round of the playoffs. However, the good news is that Garry Bettman has given us an extra two games on the schedule to look forward to.

With every NHL season, there are always teams that overachieve and underachieve. The Buffalo Sabres were an overachiever in 2026, and the Toronto Maple Leafs significantly underachieved. Who will it be this season?

As the season approaches, your NHL futures need to be placed sooner rather than later. Right now is the best time to take a look at what Bet365 has to offer. Can you find that team that goes in the opposite direction from what they planned? Here are three teams that have value heading into the season.

Maybe I am just a fool, but the Boston Bruins at +275 to make the postseason are incredible odds. They’re currently the odds-on favourite to finish last in the Eastern Conference on bet365. Obviously, the pushback is that Florida and Toronto are expected to be better this season. Understandably. However, Detroit is likely to take another step back in that division, so there are points to be had there. Do we expect Buffalo to remain a threat in the Atlantic? After more than a decade of missing the playoffs, don’t be so easily convinced they stay there. Remember what happened to the Oilers after the 2017 playoffs? Additionally, Boston only lost Viktor Arvidsson this summer and replaced him with J.J. Peterka. While it’s fair to be cautious about whether they can get back to 100 points, they’re closer to the playoffs than the basement of the East.

If you agree that the Bruins aren’t the worst team in the East, but don’t think they make the playoffs, they’re currently +120 to hit 90 points, which is a good alternative wager.

Am I still bitter about the Ducks beating the Oilers last postseason? Yes.

However, this bet is not based on a personal grudge but on the fact that they look worse this season. The absence of Jacob Trouba, Radko Gudas and John Carlsson from their blueline makes them look significantly worse. Aside from Jackson Lacombe, their blueline is now a mashup of bottom pairing defenceman. Mix that in with the fact that Cutter Gauthier hasn’t signed a new contract yet and could miss the start of the season. It was a summer of distress in Anaheim, and there’s a chance that it catches up to them in the regular season. The Pacific Division isn’t exactly a murderous row of teams, but the LA Kings and San Jose Sharks will want to make a push this season. You can make easy arguments that they both have stronger lineups than the Ducks right now, too. They’re talented up front with Leo Carlsson and Beckett Senecke, but Lukas Dostal had shaky moments last season, and the blueline in front of him got weaker. +115 is too good a number to pass up.

Obviously, I’d love to see the Oilers win the Pacific Division. However, they literally never do. Instead, they always finish 2nd. Edmonton has finished second in their division six of the past seven seasons. There’s always the extra hype going into the season, especially with a new coach on the bench, but the inevitable still happens in April. They finish 2nd and play the LA Kings in the first round. +280 is a strong number, especially when you consider you’re not getting value anywhere else on the Oilers. They’re +175 to win their division, -190 to get 100 points, and -900 to make the playoffs. If you want to bet on them winning the Pacific, by all means, but the numbers suggest finishing second is more likely.

Stay tuned for some NHL player futures as we approach the start of the 2026-27 season.