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No matter what playoff position the Golden Knights end up in April, getting through the Western Conference will be difficult this postseason. Currently, four of the top five teams with the best playoff odds all come from the West—six in the top ten.

The Minnesota Wild have turned themselves into a very dangerous opponent with the acquisition of former Norris trophy-winning defenseman Quinn Hughes. Minnesota’s ascent could potentially impact Vegas’ road to their third Clarence Campbell Bowl.

As of right now, the three teams with the most points are all Central Division teams. Colorado (53), Dallas (49), and Minnesota (43) all have high expectations. However, league rules will end up punishing one of those three contenders immediately.

Hockey Reference’s WC Playoff Projections

Central Division

Colorado Avalanche (117.3)
Dallas Stars (105.2)
Minnesota Wild (99.6)

Pacific Division

Vegas Golden Knights (100.1)
Anaheim Ducks (96.6)
Los Angeles Kings (94.5)

Wild Card

Edmonton Oilers (90.3)
Utah Mammoth (89.6)

Hockey Reference’s playoff probabilities report projects Colorado with the first seed in the West and Vegas with the second. The NHL’s playoff format forces Dallas and Minnesota to battle it out in the opening round. One of the two most complete teams in the entire NHL will be eliminated. This creates a much softer path for the teams in the Pacific.

Now for the bad news. Winning the Pacific comes with its own challenges. As of today, the Golden Knights would be hosting the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. As confident as some VGK fans are, they’d prefer to see another Oilers series much later in the postseason.

Also, if teams like the Stars or Wild drop to a Wild Card position, the Golden Knights would be forced to accommodate one of them for an opening round series. With two-time Vezina trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck in net, even the Winnipeg Jets are a handful, though we’ve seen how Vegas historically performs against him in the playoffs.

Of course, it’s early to begin predicting playoff matchups. However, if projections play out the Golden Knights, and other Pacific Division clubs will have a path much less challenging than their Central Division friends.