One of the best time periods on the sports calendar is just around the corner as the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff approaching. With the regular season winding down and the postseason set to begin Saturday, the first-round matchups are now taking shape on the schedule.
One series has seemingly been prophesied for months thanks to the NHL’s (oft-criticized) playoff format that pits the No. 2 and No. 3 teams in each division against each other. Just as projected, the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild will face off in the opening round in a clash between Central Division titans.
As opening odds go live for each playoff series on DraftKings Sportsbook, we get our first look at which side betting markets favor. As things currently stand, the Stars are favored at -125 odds to win the series outright. However, the Wild aren’t far behind whatsoever and hold +105 odds to advance out of the first round.
These Central Division rivals are certainly well acquainted with each other. They just met last Thursday in a perhaps the most pivotal matchup of each team’s regular season to determine who would claim home-ice advantage for this series. The Stars fell behind in that one but rallied multiple times to take a 5-4 victory and ensure an extra home game in Dallas if need be, but the fisticuffs and extracurriculars which took place during that matchup were almost an even bigger story than the outcome. That competitive fire should make this a thrilling series, but there are even more subplots to follow.
This is a grudge-match opportunity for Stars forward Jason Robertson, who was arguably snubbed from a Team USA selection by Wild GM Bill Guerin. Plus, these franchises are already inextricably linked given that the Stars relocated to Dallas from Minnesota — perhaps the fanbase up north still holds some ire for that reason. The matchup also opens conversations about whether the NHL’s postseason format is flawed given the talent level of both rosters and that the Stars and Wild are respectively second and third in the Western Conference by a wide nine-point margin at minimum. There’ll surely be much debate, but the consensus among fans seems to be that top teams should be rewarded with lighter matchups in the opening round rather than a buzzsaw based on division rivalries.
Whatever the case, this series should provide exhilarating, high-stakes hockey to begin the Stanley Cup Playoff. Dallas holds +1000 odds to win the Stanley Cup, the fourth best of any team on DraftKings Sportsbook. Minnesota comes in at +1600, good for for seventh on the leaderboard.
