The Stanley Cup playoffs are nearly a month away and the standings are beginning to shape up. Fans can see who their favorite team might be facing in the first round.
Many teams still have at least 15 games to go and so the standings can still change vastly. However, there's no doubt that there can be some mouth-watering matchups that unfold in the first round of the playoffs.
Here are three are some of the berst potential first-round playoff series.
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars
Aside from this matchup being an absolute battle of the titans, there is more to it between these two teams. Dallas and Colorado sit second and third in the Central Division, but it's one player who will stir up the storylines of this tie.
Earlier in the season, the Avalanche and Mikko Rantanen were trying to agree on a contract extension but were not able to come to an agreement. Without Rantanen's request, he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes.
This move shellshocked Rantanen and it was evident in his play for the Hurricanes. Eventually, he was traded to Dallas and signed an eight-year extension with the team. Now, he faces an opportunity to play against the team that drafted him in a playoff series.
Ottawa Senators vs Toronto Maple Leafs
The NHL hasn't seen a "Battle of Ontario" in the playoffs since 2004. This provincial rivalry has been lost for several years as both teams seemed to qualify for the playoffs at different times for the last two decades. However, in 2025 fans might get to taste the rivalry on the biggest stage.
The Maple Leafs need to catch the Florida Panthers to win the Atlantic Division to play the Senators. The alternative situation would be if Ottawa can reach the Tampa Bay Lightning for third place in the division.
While Toronto has been outperforming Ottawa in the last few seasons, the Sens seem to get the better of the Leafs when they go face-to-face. In the last 10 games, the Senators have come out on top six times, including victories in their last four meetings.
It won't be an easy series for the Maple Leafs like some might think and there will be lots on the line in this potential matchup.
Edmonton Oilers vs Los Angeles Kings
These two teams. have seen too much of each other when it comes to the playoffs. For three straight seasons, the Oilers and the Kings have faced off in the first round. in all of those series, Edmonton has had home-ice advantage.
While it looks like these two teams will meet in the postseason for the fourth straight time, Los Angeles has a chance to claim home ice for the first time as the two teams are in a tight race for second place in the Pacific Division. That will be important for LA, especially since they have the best home record in the NHL at 22-3-4 and an 828-point percentage.
The Oilers are coming off a Stanley Cup final appearance and were just one win away from winning the Cup against the Panthers. They'll be hungry to get back to that stage of the playoffs and certainly won't want the Kings to stop them from doing that.