Bet on the Top NHL Teams | What You Should Know

NHL Season Overview 

The NHL currently has 32 Teams, split into Eastern and Western Conferences.

There are two Divisions established within the conferences according to the location of the teams. One which includes the Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions that make up the Eastern Conference.

The Western Conference has two divisions: the Central and the Pacific.

NHL Conference & Division Structure:

• Eastern Conference (16 teams)
  • Atlantic Division (8 teams)
  • Metropolitan Division (8 teams)

• National Football Conference (16 teams)
  • Central Division (8 teams)
  • Pacific Division (8 teams)

All NHL Teams List & Team Map

The entire rosters of all 32 NHL clubs, separated by Conference and Division, can be seen down below in our NHL Teams list.

Take a look at our Map that shows you exactly where all NHL teams are located.

Click here to view the map.

How Many Teams Make The NHL Playoffs?

The answer to the question of how many NHL teams are there at the start of the playoffs is 16. Eight teams battle it out on each side until two teams are left to play the Stanley Cup Final. 

We will highlight the important areas of the NHL postseason to give you a simple view of how the playoffs are played.

There are various rules in place that determine how many teams make the NHL playoffs, from the first rounds with wildcards to the division and conference finals and then the grand finale in June.

• Eight teams advance from both the Eastern and Western Conferences
• The top three teams in each division earn a bye into the playoffs
• The last four teams are decided on the two highest point seasons from each Conference
• Each Conference will play through the playoff schedule
• The two remaining Conference teams then play in the Stanley Cup Final
• All playoff games are based on a best-of-seven series.

“Each conference has the potential for one division to qualify five teams for the playoffs while the other division qualifies just three.”

NHL Wildcards & Byes 

The NHL season produces four wildcards (two from each conference), but there are currently zero byes being offered to any of the teams.

This is regardless of if they come out as the top-performing teams in the conference. The opening playoff round for each Conference looks like this:

• Top Conference Seed vs. 2nd Wild Card
• 2nd Conference Seed vs. 1st Wild Card
• 2 x Divisional Seed 2 vs. Seed 3

Our Expert Advice – Betting on NHL Teams

We all want our teams to win, and we will likely back our teams throughout the season. To be successful and to build up a bankroll of profit, we need to bet smarter with a solid strategy that puts our favorite teams and emotions aside.

The best way is to plan out your bets and not place any wagers too hastily.

“Informed decisions are the way to go, and this is what we want our readers to appreciate when betting on NHL teams and New York hockey teams in particular.”

Betting on popular teams will likely bring you some quick wins, but the odds will rarely be profitable over the long run.

Take some time to explore the betting options available to you, combine them with some of our betting strategies, and you should start seeing more high-value bets that make more sense in creating bigger winnings.

The smaller details help you become a more experienced and smarter bettor, so scrub up on your NHL odds, get a recap on the NHL rules, and then read on as we bring you the lowdown on the three local New York hockey teams.

The Top New York Hockey Teams

New York is home to three NHL teams, so there is plenty of betting action to research and follow throughout the season.

Whether you are a big fan of the Rangers, Islanders, or Sabres, knowing the general outlook for the teams and all the NHL teams across both Conferences will only help your betting journey.

It has not been great for New York NHL teams recently, but there are signs of potential growth across all three, and the table below shows that there have been some past successes within the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Under the Microscope – NHL History, Legacies & Performances

New York hockey teams and the NHL go hand in hand, and so there is never any trouble in finding performance news and historical statistics from seasons already played.

All this helps to build your knowledge and, hopefully, place more winning bets throughout the NHL season and into the playoffs.

If you are new to the sport, we’ve got some key areas to explain based on the best NHL teams ever played, big rivalries and local NY players.

More than that we have some interesting facts about the three local NHL New York hockey teams.

New York NHL Teams

The teams from New York have enjoyed mixed success over the years. The New York NHL teams are New York Rangers, New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres.

Both the Rangers and Islanders have picked up multiple Stanley Cups, but the Sabres are currently one of the teams with the longest run without a single Stanley Cup win, although the future is looking brighter.

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers team is one of the “Original Six,” is based out of Madison Square Garden, and has enjoyed multiple Stanley Cup wins throughout the years.

Four wins and several runner-up positions, along with extended time in the NHL, puts the Rangers up there as the most famous of the New York hockey teams.

New York Islanders

The New York Islanders play their home games at the newly created UBS Arena and have been playing NHL games since 1972.

The Islanders tend to put in some impressive runs, namely the 14 straight playoffs and four straight Stanley Cup wins through the 70s and 80s.

Many Hall of Famers came from those winning teams, although recent success has been hard to come by.

Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres is another team that entered the NHL in the 70s, but unlike the Islanders, they have not managed to pick up any Stanley Cups in the process.

Playing out of the KeyBank Center, some feel that the Sabres are looking like a team that could now hold some potential. All the fans will be hoping they can build on the two losing Stanley Cup appearances to date.

Legendary NY Players & NHL Rivalries

New York has provided the NHL with some true greats of the game. We have picked out the players born across the Empire State that managed to rack up 1000+ appearances in the NHL.

• Mathieu Schneider
• Brian Gionta
• Dustin Brown
• Craig Conroy
• Joe Mullen
• Todd Marchant

It’s no secret the NHL comes with heated rivalries, and many of these have been brewing over the years. We picked out some of the top matchups where there will always be extra on the line.

• Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
• New Jersey Devils vs. New York Rangers
• Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals
• Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
• Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers

Who Makes a Claim as the Best NHL Team in History?

One team usually comes out on top when debating the best-ever NHL teams, and that is the Montreal Canadiens.

However, there are several other teams that are worthy of a mention, and some fans will fight their cause long into the night. 

Here are some of the standout NHL teams, along with why they deserve mention:

• 1967 Montreal Canadiens – best season performance with 60-8-12
• 1984 Edmonton Oilers – best playoff performance by Wayne Gretzky (47 points)
• 1992 Pittsburgh Penguins – won 11 straight playoff games to win a 2nd consecutive Stanley Cup
• 1982 New York Islanders – capped off their fourth Stanley Cup win
• Montreal Canadiens – the team with the most Stanley Cups in NHL history