NHL futures odds, analysis: Will coaching change help lead Islanders into the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

SportsLine NHL analyst Scott Erskine gives an overview of the playoff hunt amid a late-season coaching carousel

With just eight games remaining on their 2025-26 regular-season schedule, the Vegas Golden Knights decided to part ways with head coach Bruce Cassidy and replaced him with John Tortorella, who guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup championship in 2004 but now is coaching his sixth NHL team.

The move appears to have worked as Vegas, which went 4-10-2 over its final 16 games prior to the change, has won all three contests with Tortorella behind the bench and is one point behind both the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks for first place in the Pacific Division.

While the Golden Knights were in a better position in the standings when they switched coaches, the New York Islanders took a page out of their book Sunday, firing Patrick Roy after losing four consecutive games and hiring Peter DeBoer. 

New York has struggled since posting a season-high five-game winning streak that bridged the Olympic break, going 7-10-0 while failing to string together three straight wins during that stretch. The club entered Monday one point behind the Philadelphia Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division and the Ottawa Senators for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

DeBoer, who is 10 years younger than Tortorella, also is with his sixth team. The 57-year-old took the New Jersey Devils (2012) and San Jose Sharks (2016) to the Stanley Cup Final but has yet to lead a club to a championship.

The Islanders are one of nine active teams to win the Stanley Cup four or more times but haven't lifted the trophy since 1983, when they won it a fourth consecutive time. Their last appearance in the Final was the following season.

DeBoer, who reportedly was signed not just for the remainder of this campaign but also the following three, has very little time to turn things around on Long Island. New York has just four games left on its schedule -- one fewer than both Philadelphia and Ottawa. However, all four are at home and one is against the Senators.

Ottawa and Philadelphia both are in action Tuesday, with the former hosting Tampa Bay and the latter visiting New Jersey. The Islanders aren't in action until Thursday, when the Toronto Maple Leafs - who will be postseason spectators for the first time since 2016 - pay them a visit.

They then face the Senators before ending the regular season against two tough opponents in the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina entered Monday first in the East while Montreal, which had its eight-game winning streak halted by the Devils on Sunday, are four points back.

While general manager Mathieu Darche may have faith in DeBoer's ability to right the ship and take the Islanders to the playoffs, the major sportsbooks do not. As of Monday, they believe the Senators and Flyers both have a better chance of reaching the postseason.

The NHL futures odds at most major sportsbooks see the Islanders as fairly big underdogs (see chart below) to reach the postseason, with odds in the +210 to +240 range, while the Flyers are about a pick'em in the NHL future odds with prices of around -105 to -115 on either side, depending on where you shop. The oddsmakers are much more bullish in the NHL futures market for the Senators, with a price of -320 to -400 required to back them to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

ODDS TO MAKE PLAYOFFS

TEAM

DRAFTKINGS

FANDUEL

CAESARS

BETMGM

New York Islanders

+240

+210

+228

+230

Ottawa Senators

-400

-320

-345

-400

Philadelphia Flyers

-115

-125

-125

-115

ODDS TO MISS PLAYOFFS

TEAM

DRAFTKINGS

FANDUEL

CAESARS

BETMGM

New York Islanders

-295

-270

-285

-295

Ottawa Senators

+310

+250

+270

+300

Philadelphia Flyers

-105

-105

+105

-105

After taking on the Lightning, Ottawa hosts the Florida Panthers and visits the Isles and Devils before ending the slate at home against the Maple Leafs. Florida and Toronto already have been eliminated from playoff contention, while New Jersey's chances are slim to none.

The Flyers follow the opener of their three-game road trip against the Devils with matchups versus the Detroit Red Wings, who also are in the mix for the second wild card in the East, and the Winnipeg Jets before hosting Carolina and Montreal.

The outlook would become a bit brighter for DeBoer and the Islanders if Ottawa and Philadelphia fail to earn points on Tuesday. Should the Senators lose to the Lightning in regulation, Thursday's showdown with New York would become monumental. But make no mistake, there is no margin for error for the Isles and their new head coach if they hope to avoid missing the playoffs for a second straight season.