Playoff race includes almost everyone in the NHL

The trade deadline is upon us, which means the playoffs are rapidly approaching.

The playoff race is now an interesting battle and NHL betting handicappers have to pay close attention to who is involved.

In the past, the race for the playoffs – and more specifically, the eighth seed – was a race between four or five teams. But with overtime losses now factoring for the playoff chase and NHL betting, the league is one tight-knit group of teams.

As it stands right now, the Colorado Avalanche, who are dead last in the Western Conference, are really only 11 points out of a playoff spot with 18 games to go. Clearly, they have lots of ground to make up but that simply demonstrates that the gap between the eighth-seeded team in the West and the 16th-seeded team is not as wide as you might perceive.

The 12th-seeded St. Louis Blues are just four points out of a playoff spot but six points can get them as high as the sixth-seed in the West.

The race is a little more clear-cut in the Eastern Conference, which is why you will likely see your sportsbook adjust its lines on teams like the Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Atlanta Thrashers and New York Islanders.

In the East, just five points separate the teams between the sixth seed and the 10th seed, which means it will be a tight race down the wire.

In general, the races can be perceived in two different ways. On one hand, because of the overtime losses, teams do get free points, which does make the standings much closer than it should be. But on the other hand, since points are handed out regularly, a six-point deficit is actually much bigger than it appears in the new NHL.

Sportsbook lines are adjusting to the teams who are gearing up for playoff runs because we all know the online betting sharps will be looking for games that match teams with something to play for against teams that have nothing to play for.

The trade deadline will give us a good indication of which teams are planning to make a serious Stanley Cup run and which teams are planning to play for a high draft pick. With so many teams close to each other in the standings, though, don’t be surprised if there are far more buyers than sellers at the deadline.

Stanley Cup odds figure to change after the deadline passes, so keep an eye on the betting lines but, more importantly, keep an eye on which teams are being active at the deadline and which teams are focusing on their future.