After the Avalanche’s 5-2 loss to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, coach Jared Bednar acknowledged that winning the division has its perks. Colorado’s goal, at one point merely to survive its injuries and make the playoffs, is now to earn a more ambitious first-place finish.

The eight playoff teams in the West are all but decided, barring any late drama involving Nashville or Calgary. The remaining games are all about the bracket puzzle. We ranked the Avalanche’s seven playoff challengers in order from easiest hypothetical first-round matchup (7) to hardest (1).

7. Winnipeg Jets >> The Central will have trouble catching Vegas, but this is the incentive to win the conference. Winnipeg has fallen off a cliff after a good start to the season. The Jets are below .500 in their last 30 games, making them easily the least intimidating playoff team in the NHL.

6. Seattle Kraken >> Looks like the reward for winning the Central is being the villain of the first playoff series in Kraken history. Pundits thought Seattle would fade after its strong start, but with balanced scoring and low-event hockey to limit chances, the expansion darlings have stuck around.

5. Minnesota Wild >> Second and third in the Central will meet in the first round. That makes the Wild a safe bet. Minnesota boasts the third-best scoring defense in the NHL, bolstered by John Klingberg at the deadline. Whether its offense can keep up without the injured Kirill Kaprizov is an alarming unknown, though.

4. Vegas Golden Knights >> Why is the team with the best record in the West not at the bottom of the list? For starters, Vegas is Colorado’s least likely first-round opponent, so the exact center of this list is a fitting spot to bury the least relevant discussion.

3. Los Angeles Kings >> Also unlikely in the first round, but a sleeper to make a deep run. L.A. has won both matchups with the Avalanche this season. The Kings are balanced, deep and defensively unflappable. They gave Colorado’s power play nightmares earlier this month.

Most importantly, they’ve gotten better throughout the season. Since Jan. 1, they’re 20-7-4 after entering the new year with a minus-six goal differential.

2. Dallas Stars >> They’ve led the Central most of the season. They have the most complete roster in the West, complete with a young superstar scorer (Jason Robertson), an experienced core (Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski, Tyler Seguin), trade deadline forward depth (Max Domi, Evgenii Dadonov) and high-end defensemen (Miro Heiskanen).

1. Edmonton Oilers >> Earning a higher seed but being forced to go through Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the first round is a tough break for anyone. The Oilers are likely to finish third in the Pacific, but there’s still the chance they slip into the first wild card spot.