NHL Playoffs: Who to Root For in the Central

Last Update: Thu Apr 16, 2026, 1:10 pm ET

Read Time: 10 minutes

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Only one division is not locked in, and that is the Pacific. So logically today we will breakdown the four teams from the Central Division and figure out which one will become your favorite team during the NHL Playoffs. This division is loaded, with the odds favorite Colorado Avalanche topping the league, and the remaining three teams all at or near the top of the West (a Mammoth win during their last game places them 4th in the West). So let's just say, this is a TOUGH division. We have already broken down the Atlantic and the Metropolitan divisions. Time to head West and see which teams in the Central you should, or shouldn't root for!

Here at Betting News we want to ensure that you are ready to pick a team to cheer on. A team to act like an expert in when you're grabbing beers with the boys and/or girls. A team to become obsessed with until June, when one NHL team will hoist Stanley Cup. So if your favorite team isn't making the cut, or you just want a team from the other conference to root for we got you covered in this series.

I'll be breaking down each division, highlighting the narrative of each tea, in a playoff spot,. I'll let you know why you should root for them, or why you should spit on the ground any time you hear their name. Let's get started with the Central Division.

1. Colorado Avalance: – 1st Place Record: 54-16-11| 119 pts | Locked into the top Western Spot | Lucky Rebel:

The Colorado Avalanche have been dominant all season, and will be in the NHL playoffs

The Story

There are good teams, great teams, and then there's what Colorado has been in 2025-26. The Avalanche clinched the Presidents' Trophy with a 52-16-11 record and 116 points, securing the Central Division title and the Western Conference's top seed. Nathan MacKinnon led the charge with a career-high 52 goals — tops in the NHL — and became the first player in Avalanche franchise history to record 20 three-point games in a single season.Cale Makar posted his third straight season with at least 75 points, and Martin Necas set a new career high in points on a roster that, top to bottom, is the most complete in hockey.

The only shadow hanging over Colorado's season? If they win the Cup, they would become the first Presidents' Trophy winner to prevail in the postseason since the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks — a curse that has bitten the best team in the league 12 years running. So yeah, this year's NHL playoffs is pretty important for the Avalanche.

This is one of the best cores in all of hockey, yet they only have one Cup during their ascension to dominance. The Avalanche have a lot to prove, despite being the top team this year. Can they put it all together again and get to glory? Or will they falter yet again?

Why you should root for them: MacKinnon is playing the greatest hockey of his career — which is saying something — and he hasn't won a Cup since 2022. Yes McDavid is the best player in the world right now. But MacKinnon plays more of a playoff style of hockey. A true bull in a china shop approach to his game, and he will be extremely motivated to get a second Cup. This team is built to win now, Landeskog is healthy, and a repeat coronation would cement this Avalanche core as one of the great dynasties in modern NHL history.

Nearly all of these players are likable and this is a team who could be a dynasty in hockey, if only the salary cap and injuries haven't held them back (oh and goaltending) in seasons past. It's always easy to root for the best, so if you are the type that just wants to root for a winner, there is no better than riding the Avalanche down hill.

Why you should root against them: Nobody likes a bandwagon fan who just roots for the best team in the league and acts snobby about it. NOBODY. And despite what I said about most of this team being likable, there is still that "nuke" on the roster whose antics behind the scenes are bad enough even the NFL would consider kicking him out of the league. So go ahead and be that guy, and root for the favorite to win it all in the NHL playoffs so you can rub it in to all your friends that you were right and then wonder why you don't get invited out anymore.

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2. Dallas Stars – 2nd Place Record: 50-20-12 | 112 pts | Lucky Rebel:

Dallas Stars players celebrate together after scoring a goal at home this year.

The Story

Dallas started the year looking like Colorado's only real challenger in the Central and spent most of the season trying to keep pace with the Avalanche's historic pace. They couldn't — but 50 wins and ~112 points is nothing to apologize for. The Stars come into the playoffs as one of the most dangerous second seeds in the West, with the kind of depth, goaltending, and playoff experience that makes them a genuine threat to go on a run. They'll open against Minnesota — a divisional rival they know well — in what should be one of the most competitive first-round matchups in the Western Conference.

Just like the Avalanche, this is one of the most complete teams up and down the lineup. They are also one of the most exciting. They were 9th in golas for per game played this season, which is the 3rd best in the West. This was despite taking some major injuries after the Olympic break. They have a great mix of exciting young talent, and solid vets. And they have been knocking at Lord Stanley's door season after season. This is an NHL playoff tested team.

Why you should root for them: Because Dallas has been knocking on the door for years and has the talent to finally break through. A city that still hasn't forgotten the 1999 Cup is ready. And boy would it be something to see Mikko Rantanen knock out his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, and then go on and win it all. So if you want to go (slightly) against the grain, the Dallas Stars have it all to make a long run in the NHL playoffs and be a "asphalt grey" horse to win it all.

Why you should root against them: It's Dallas. The Stars have an infuriating way of playing just well enough in the regular season and then making everyone question their playoff ceiling every spring. If you hate the Cowboys, you probably also hate the Stars. There's just something about Dallas sports that rubs you the wrong way. It's like the Philadelphia of the West. Not always the most dominant, but their fans are loud and obnoxious.

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3. Minnesota Wild — 3rd Place Record: 46-24-12 | 104 pts | Lucky Rebel:

Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson and defenseman Quinn Hughes celebrate after a win.

The Story

Minnesota added Quinn Hughes at the deadline and became a genuinely dangerous team — and Ryan Hartman's 22-goal, six-game point streak down the stretch gave them exactly the kind of secondary scoring depth contenders need. The Wild have been one of the best defensive teams in the Western Conference all season, ranking fourth in the NHL in goals against. They enter the playoffs with 252 goals for and just 218 against — a +34 differential that is among the best in the West.

This is a team who has been building to really make a splash in the NHL playoffs and will not stand to lose in the first round yet again. They may not have the best center depth in the league, but they have one of the best wingers in Kirill Kaprizov and could have the best blueline in the entire league. A long run in the NHL playoffs would not exactly be a Cinderella story, but it wouldn't be far from it.

They're not flashy, but they're built to win in April.

Why you should root for them: Because Minnesota hasn't won a Stanley Cup — ever — and Kirill Kaprizov is one of the most exciting players in hockey. This is a rabid hockey state. The state that has the "hockey flow" championship. The state that brings you "Minnesota Nice". The State of Hockey deserves a parade.

Why you should root against them: They play so responsibly and systematically that watching them in a scoreless second period feels like watching paint dry on a cold Minnesota January morning. You know what it is. And also, with their first round match up against the Dallas Stars, it seems difficult not to see history repeat and another first round exit. Who wants to root for heartbreak? Not I.

4. Utah Mammoth — 4th Place Record: 43-32-6 | 92 pts | Lucky Rebel:

Utah Mammoth Dylan Mammoth reacts after scoring a goal vs. the Rangers.

The Story

One year of existence. One playoff berth. The Utah Mammoth — relocated from Arizona and rebranded with a thundering new identity — have already exceeded every expectation for a franchise in its first season. They successfully avoided having to face the Avalanche in the first round and will now play the next door rivals the Vegas Gold Knights. It really feels like anything can happen. And this team is absolutely beloved by the city of Salt Lake and the state of Utah.

They are a younger team, with exciting studs like Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley and a still young core of Mikhail Sergachev, Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. Many of the Coyote ex-pats have not gotten a true playoff run in their careers and should be giving it their all. This is a team that has some magic behind it, and could surprise everyone with a long NHL playoff run.

Why you should root for them: It's year two. The players are bought in, the fanbase is electric, and there is nothing more fun in sports than a first-year team overachieving. This is a story and a true darkhorse. They have a blueline built with Cup winners (Sergachev, Schmidt, Marino, Cole) and a young hungry forward group. Andre Tourigny is one of the longest tenured coaches in the NHL and has brought this team from the bottom of the standings to their first playoff birth under his guidance. It's easy to root for an underdog, and this is exactly the type of underdog who can not only bark, but bite.

Plus I will be rooting for them so….

Why you should root against them: If they get bounced in five or six by the Golden Knights you will quickly see all a team and fanbase feel true heartbreak for the first time. And you don't want to watch that happen to something so genuinely new and joyful.

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