The NHL’s current playoff format, which has been implemented since the 2013-14 season, has been questioned by fans and NHL personnel since its inception.

The basis of the league’s current division-based set bracket is to guarantee four divisional matchups in the 16-team tournament, with each divisional two-seed playing each divisional three-seed. The two division winners per conference then end up drawing against a wild-card team based on their finish in the standings.

This can create some heavyweight tilts in round one, and this season is no different, as three of the top four teams in the league, the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Minnesota Wild, all reside in the Central Division.

Wild general manager Bill Guerin would like to see something different.

“You know what, it’s funny, we talk about it a lot. Personally, I would like to see it change, but I understand why we don’t,” Guerin said on First Up with Aaron Korolnek and Carlo Colaiacovo Thursday.

“It 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’t see that a ton.”

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 of talent imbalances creating unfair seeding increases further.

The pushback argument? To be the best, you’re going to have to beat the best anyway.

“You have to be careful what you wish for, too,” said Guerin.

“There’s a scenario that doesn’t really matter because you are going to play a good team no matter what. The parity in the league is so strong that you’re going to play somebody good.”

The current format also opens the door for lesser teams to be rewarded, like the Pacific-leading Anaheim Ducks, who would have home-ice advantage until the conference final, while also playing lesser competition along the way.

“On 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’t gotten there,” said Guerin.

“So I see both sides of it, to be quite honest with you. That’s really the crappy part of it, somebody’s going home. I guess competitively, if you look at it, you’re gonna play a good team anyway. But I do agree that one of the top three teams should not be going home.”