While the league’s top teams battle for the Stanley Cup, several others are contending for the unfortunate distinction of having the NHL worst record odds. The tank is already underway for multiple teams and we haven’t even dropped the puck on the new season yet.
In this analysis, I review the latest worst NHL team odds this season, examine the bottom-tier clubs, and share my predictions for which team will finish with the NHL’s worst record in 2026-27.
2026-27 Worst NHL Team Odds
The following NHL worst record betting odds are courtesy of Lucky Rebel:
| TEAM | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Vancouver Canucks | +300 |
| Calgary Flames | +450 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | +600 |
| St. Louis Blues | +1600 |
| Nashville Predators | +1800 |
| Detroit Red Wings | +2000 |
| New York Islanders | +2200 |
| Boston Bruins | +2500 |
| Winnipeg Jets | +2500 |
| New York Rangers | +2800 |
The Vancouver Canucks (+300) have the shortest odds to finish with the worst record in the NHL. With odds of +300, this equates to a 25% implied probability that they’ll finish last in the standings and secure the first pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. Vancouver is coming off a difficult season and will need significant improvement to avoid remaining at the bottom of the league.
According to top NHL betting sites, the Calgary Flames (+450) have the second-best odds of posting the league’s worst record. Calgary is still working through a rebuilding process and has valuable draft capital to help accelerate its turnaround. With the Flames among the favorites to finish last, there are questions about whether their young core is ready to take a significant step forward this season.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks (+600) have the third-shortest odds to finish with the NHL’s worst record. The Blackhawks have been building around their young core and are expected to improve over time, but their lack of experience leaves them vulnerable to another difficult season.
At +600, Chicago carries a 14.3% implied probability of finishing with the league’s worst record, making them another team worth monitoring in this market.
You can find up-to-date worst NHL team odds at Lucky Rebel by navigating to Sports > Hockey > NHL Futures > Worst Regular Season Record.
2026-27 Worst NHL Team Favorites
Before revealing my worst NHL team picks, let’s evaluate the worst of the worst before the start of the season:
Vancouver Canucks (+300)
The Vancouver Canucks are coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history, finishing the 2025-26 campaign with a 25-49-8 record and just 58 points.
That was the worst record in the NHL, making Vancouver a particularly noteworthy team for bettors heading into 2026-27. In fact, we cashed the Canucks to finish with the NHL’s worst record last season as more of a longshot at +2000.
The Canucks’ 25 wins were the fewest in the NHL, while they scored just 210 goals and allowed 314. Their minus-104 goal differential was also among the league’s worst marks, highlighting just how significant the gap was between Vancouver and the rest of the league.
The offensive struggles were particularly concerning, with the Canucks averaging only 2.56 goals per game throughout the season.
The Vancouver Canucks have fired general manager Patrik Allvin after finishing the season last in the NHL with 14 fewer points than the 31st-place Chicago Blackhawks. pic.twitter.com/shy8uuk7I8
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 17, 2026
There have been significant changes heading into 2026-27, but it’s difficult to argue that Vancouver has dramatically improved its roster. The Canucks moved on from Patrik Allvin and made changes to their hockey operations department, while Manny Malhotra was brought in as the team’s new head coach. The organization is clearly attempting to change direction after last season’s disaster.
Vancouver has added some veteran experience during the offseason, including forwards Brendan Gallagher and Paul Cotter, while Jamie Oleksiak and Luke Schenn provide additional experience on defense.
However, the Canucks have also lost key pieces, including Marcus Pettersson, Nils Hoglander and Teddy Blueger. Pettersson was traded to the New York Rangers for a conditional 2030 first-round pick, while Hoglander was dealt to Nashville for a 2029 third-round selection.
Ultimately, the Canucks remain the team to beat in the worst-record market. They were the NHL’s worst team last season, and while the offseason additions could help stabilize the roster, there isn’t enough evidence yet to suggest they’re ready to make a dramatic jump in the standings.
After cashing Vancouver at +2000 last season, +300 is a much shorter price, but the Canucks are favorites to have the worst record in the NHL in 2026-27 for good reason.
Calgary Flames (+450)
Also in Western Canada, the Calgary Flames are an intriguing candidate to finish with the NHL’s worst record after taking a major step backward during the 2025-26 season.
Calgary finished with a 28-45-9 record and 65 points, putting them near the bottom of the NHL standings. More importantly for this market, the Flames spent much of the season selling off veteran talent and appear to be fully committed to a rebuild.
The Calgary Flames have been eliminated from playoff contention for the 4th straight season 😕❌ pic.twitter.com/aN3tC4UXSn
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 8, 2026
That sell-off continued throughout the season. Calgary traded Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights in January after he recorded 30 points in 48 games, while Nazem Kadri was sent back to the Colorado Avalanche at the trade deadline.
Kadri had 41 points in 61 games for Calgary before the trade. The Flames also moved MacKenzie Weegar and Blake Coleman, leaving significant holes in a roster that was already struggling to produce offense.
The offseason has continued that rebuilding approach rather than signaling an immediate push up the standings. Calgary did make an interesting move by acquiring 22-year-old defenseman Simon Nemec from New Jersey, along with forward Maxim Tsyplakov.
Nemec recorded 26 points in 68 games last season and gives the Flames another young piece to build around. Calgary also acquired defenseman Jacob Middleton from Minnesota, but traded Coleman and Olli Maatta in that deal, further emphasizing the organization’s focus on the future.
Calgary also has plenty of motivation to prioritize its young core after selecting defenseman Carson Carels in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft. The Flames are accumulating prospects and future draft capital, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into wins immediately.
At +450, Calgary carries an implied probability of 18.2% to finish with the NHL’s worst record. That’s a significant price compared with Vancouver, but the Flames have lost too much veteran talent to ignore.
If their young players aren’t ready to take major steps forward, Calgary could quickly emerge as Vancouver’s biggest challenger for the NHL’s basement.
Chicago Blackhawks (+600)
The Chicago Blackhawks are another team worth considering at +600 after finishing the 2025-26 season with a 29-39-14 record and 72 points. That was an improvement from their previous season, but it still left Chicago eighth in the Central Division and outside the playoffs.
The biggest concern is that the Blackhawks remain heavily dependent on a young core. Connor Bedard is obviously the centerpiece, but Chicago still needs significant development from its other young players to take the next step.
Bedard also missed time during the 2025-26 campaign, and the team has already been forced to find solutions around his absence heading into the new season, which will keep him out until at least mid-November.
Connor Bedard skating and shooting at Blackhawks Ice Center this morning pic.twitter.com/skpw6ewTpY
— CHGO Blackhawks (@CHGO_Blackhawks) September 11, 2026
Chicago did make some important moves this offseason. The Blackhawks added defensemen Bowen Byram and Ian Cole to bring more experience to the blue line, while Roman Kantserov is expected to challenge for a significant role after putting up 64 points in 63 KHL games last season. The organization also continues to have plenty of young talent coming through its pipeline.
The biggest question is whether those improvements are enough to move Chicago out of the NHL’s bottom tier. The Blackhawks are clearly further along in their rebuild than Vancouver or Calgary, but a regression from Bedard or another injury to their young core could quickly put them back in the basement.
At +600, Chicago carries a 14.3% implied probability of finishing with the league’s worst record, making them an interesting third choice behind the Canucks and Flames.
2026-27 NHL Worst Record Longshots
There are two teams to consider adding to your NHL worst team betting card. A lot could change between September and the spring, so looking at underdogs is worthwhile. Consider small bets on these two clubs below:
2026-27 NHL Worst Record Prediction and Betting Pick
The Vancouver Canucks should be better in 2026-27, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be good. Vancouver finished last season with just 58 points, a massive 14 points behind the next-worst team. Even closing that gap significantly may not be enough to escape the NHL basement.
The Canucks added veteran experience with Brendan Gallagher, Paul Cotter, Jamie Oleksiak and Luke Schenn, but they still need major improvements from their young core. After scoring only 210 goals and allowing 314 last season, Vancouver has too many holes to overlook.
The Canucks don’t need to repeat last season’s disaster, rather they simply need to remain worse than the rest of the bottom-feeders. We’ve already cashed Vancouver at +2000 to finish last, and we’re going right back to them.
The price isn’t nearly as big, but +300 remains the best bet to finish with the NHL’s worst record in 2026-27.
Where to Bet on the Worst Record in the NHL Odds?
Betting on the NHL’s worst 2025-26 regular season record is available in limited online bookies My top suggestion is to place your bets for the worst NHL record at Lucky Rebel.
With odds for every team in the league and updated prices throughout the season, Lucky Rebel has an extensive list of options.
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