Wild general manager Bill Guerin<\/a> would like to see something different.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s funny, we talk about it a lot. Personally, I would like to see it change, but I understand why we don\u2019t,\u201d Guerin said on First Up with Aaron Korolnek and Carlo Colaiacovo Thursday.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt goes year to year. I think this year is just really unique in that you have these three really strong teams all in one division. You don\u2019t see that a ton.\u201d<\/p>\n .@mnwild<\/a> General Manager Bill Guerin on on his crazy year with the Wild and Team USA, Auston Matthews’ exemplary leadership & playing in a tough central division https:\/\/t.co\/dZoluhfFvd<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 First Up (@FirstUp1050) March 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Like most sports leagues, talent imbalances shifting from one conference to another is going to happen, but by segmenting the teams a second time through the divisions, the risk that those imbalances create unfair seeding increases further.<\/p>\n The pushback argument? To be the best, you\u2019re going to have to beat the best anyway.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to be careful what you wish for, too,\u201d said Guerin.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a scenario that doesn\u2019t really matter because you are going to play a good team no matter what. The parity in the league is so strong that you\u2019re going to play somebody good.\u201d<\/p>\n Having failed to advance past the first round in any of their eight trips to the playoffs since 2015, the Wild, though, would take any breaks they could get. <\/p>\n The current format also opens the door for lesser teams to be rewarded. Take the Pacific-leading Anaheim Ducks<\/a>, for example, who are well below the Avalanche, Stars, and Wild in points, but would have home-ice advantage until the conference final while also playing lesser competition along the way than those three Central Division teams.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the other side of it, the teams that work so hard to get to the top, maybe deserve to at least play one of the teams that haven\u2019t gotten there,\u201d said Guerin. <\/p>\n \u201cSo, I see both sides of it, to be quite honest with you. That\u2019s really the crappy part of it, somebody\u2019s going home. I guess competitively, if you look at it, you\u2019re gonna play a good team anyway. But I do agree that one of the top three teams should not be going home [in the first round].\u201d<\/p>\n The Avalanche, Stars and Wild appear locked in to to the top three spots in the Central Division, with the third-place Wild sitting 14 points ahead of the fourth-place Utah Mammoth<\/a>. Colorado holds the Division lead, three points up on Dallas and eight points up on Minnesota. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ZDTKGATZCBBG7OBCUEIN5QBTDM.png\")
West Playoff Picture – March 12 <\/p>\n