With the new playoff setup, there will be a guaranteed playoff matchup between two Central Division teams and a possible matchup between the division's top team and another Central Division team that gets a Wild Card spot. As of March 24, here are the two most likely Central Division playoff matchups.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Colorado Avalanche
It is unclear which team would have home-ice advantage as the Hawks only lead the Avs by three points and have played one more game, but this matchup seems highly likely.
At the beginning of the season, fans would have considered this an absolute mismatch as the Blackhawks won the 2013 President's Trophy AND the Stanley Cup while the Avalanche finished with the second-worst record in hockey; however, a resurgence by Colorado has pushed the Avs right into the playoffs.
This would be a fantastic series, as a rivalry may already be budding between these two new divisional foes. Blackhawks fans remember Patrick Roy's comments about former Blackhawk Jeremy Roenick when the two were playing, but now the new Avalanche head coach has taken a shot directly at the fans, saying he hated playing in the Windy City since the stadium was so quiet.
If they meet up, you can be sure that the Chicago faithful will bring the noise.
Also, seeing Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp face Matt Duchene, Paul Stastny, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog would be an absolute treat.
Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues
It looks as if the Minnesota Wild will get the top Wild Card spot and face off against the winner of the Pacific Division as the Blues will get the top record in the West. St. Louis will face the second Wild Card team, which will either be the Phoenix Coyotes or Dallas.
Seeing Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn take on an incredible Blues team would be fun to watch. The two have not met in the playoffs since 2001 and a matchup is long overdue. Dallas is on the way up and St. Louis is already at the top, but the Stars could pose a tough challenge early on if the Blues have trouble containing Seguin and Benn.
Also, an interesting sub-plot in the series would be Ryan Miller and Steve Ott of the Blues taking on Lindy Ruff: their former head coach with the Buffalo Sabres. Ott also spent some time with the Stars.