The winner between the Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights could face the Edmonton Oilers in the second round of the playoffs.

Minnesota started this season strong but struggled down the stretch due to key injuries. They barely clinched a playoff spot, thanks to a clutch Joel Eriksson Ek goal with just 21 seconds left last Tuesday. Without that, the Calgary Flames, who finished just one point behind, could have taken their spot.

Fortunately for the Wild, they enter the playoffs fully healthy. Star forward Kirill Kaprizov missed significant time from late December through April, aside from a brief return in January. Eriksson Ek also battled injuries but returned around the same period.

When healthy, Minnesota is dangerous. Before Kaprizov’s injury, the Wild held a strong 21-10-4 record, just five points behind Winnipeg with a game in hand, even after a rough 4-6-0 stretch.

Still feeling the salary cap pinch from the Ryan Suter and Zach Parise buyouts, the Wild didn’t make major moves at the trade deadline. Their key acquisition was Gustav Nyquist, picked up for a 2026 second-round pick. They also added Justin Brazeau from Boston, sending Jakob Lauko, Marat Khusnutdinov, and a late-round draft choice in return.

Historically, playoff success has eluded Minnesota. Since joining the NHL in 2000-01, they’ve reached the second round only three times, last winning a second-round game in 2014. Although the Wild frequently qualify for the playoffs, missing just twice since 2012-13, they’ve consistently struggled to advance deeper.

Vegas, meanwhile, enjoyed another successful regular season, posting a 50-22-10 record and earning home-ice advantage for the first two playoff rounds. Surprisingly, they avoided using the LTIR loophole this year, and their only notable trade-deadline move was reacquiring original “misfit” Reilly Smith from Detroit for Brendan Brisson and a 2025 third-round pick.

This marks Vegas’ fourth Pacific Division title in eight seasons. Each time they’ve won the division, they’ve reached at least the Conference Finals, twice advancing to the Stanley Cup Final and winning their first championship in 2023.

Last season, Vegas entered as a wildcard team and lost in the first round to the Dallas Stars. After taking a 2-0 series lead, they fell in seven games, ending their bid for back-to-back Stanley Cup wins.

Interestingly, the Wild and Golden Knights have playoff history. Due to pandemic realignment, they faced off during the playoffs for the shortened 2021 season, with Vegas winning in seven games.

Will the Golden Knights embark on another deep playoff run? Or can the Wild break their decade-long drought and advance to round two? Tune in Sunday night to find out!