Currently, Minnesota sits third in the Central Division, trailing Winnipeg by seven points and the League-leading Predators by 15. While it seems unlikely anyone will dethrone Nashville in the remaining games of the season, it's certainly possible for Minnesota -- or another team -- to leapfrog past Winnipeg.
The two wild card teams are also Central Division teams, Dallas and Colorado, who are both just three points behind Minnesota. The Avalanche, who won in St. Paul on Tuesday night, jumped into the first wild card position thanks to a game in hand over Dallas.
As it stands, the Wild and Jets would face off in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The teams have already met four times in the 2017-18 season, with the Jets coming out on top in three of those games.
Barring one 7-2 game back in November, the two divisional foes have been fairly evenly matched. While Minnesota dropped both games in October, they were both one-goal contests. And most recently, the Wild got the better of Winnipeg, 4-1, at home in January.
That November game was an outlier in many ways, with the Wild racking up 29 penalty minutes while only managing 19 shots on goal. Two of the goals it allowed came as it was on the penalty kill.
Meanwhile, the win in January was much more on-brand for Minnesota's style of play. The Wild amassed only 4 penalty minutes, and scored a power-play goal in the midst of a 41-shot barrage.
Yet if the Wild drops to a wild card position, it could easily see itself facing Nashville or Vegas. The Wild has has a winning record against the Predators this year, but last season's Stanley Cup runner-up has a lot to prove as it returns to the postseason.
Currently, the Preds are set for a divisional matchup of their own against the Stars. Nashville leads the season series with a record of 3-0-1, its only loss coming in a shootout right before the holiday break in December.
Meanwhile, Colorado finds itself paired with the most successful expansion team in NHL history: Vegas. The two have only met once this season, but with two games on the docket in late March, it could very well prove to be a playoff preview. Vegas trounced the Avalanche, 7-0, in that sole game.
It's a testament to the strength of the Central Division that there are only two teams on the outside looking in at the playoff picture.
St. Louis has 79 points and a game in hand on Dallas, ensuring they remain an integral piece of the postseason puzzle. The Blues are currently building a two-game win streak, with their next game a must-win against the Avalanche.
Chicago, on the other hand, sits 11 points back from the Blues despite being the next-closest team in the hunt. The Blackhawks risk missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade, when they managed 88 points during the 2007-08 season.
Barring an incredible run to the finish line, it's unlikely Chicago, with its 12 remaining games, will be able to reach that plateau this season.
Anaheim and Calgary, two Pacific Division teams, are close in the hunt, as well; both have 80 points and are on the heels of Colorado and Dallas. As Minnesota wraps up the season with two games apiece against Nashville and Dallas, and one against the Ducks in Anaheim, every point will matter in the standings.
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