With the NHL preparing for a 24-team playoff, theScore will be counting down the top 50 players who will be taking part in this unique event, as voted on by our hockey editors. We'll reveal 10 players every day until the top 10 is unveiled on June 10.

50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

30. Alex Pietrangelo, Blues

Regardless of where Pietrangelo plays beyond 2019-20, the Blues captain is one of the NHL's most reliable defensemen and should make a significant impact this postseason. The pending unrestricted free agent played a major role in his team's Stanley Cup victory last June, and he's shown few signs of slowing down at 30 years of age.

29. Taylor Hall, Coyotes

Hall has only played in five playoff games through his 10-year NHL career. When he arrived in Arizona earlier this season, he had his eyes set solely on making the playoffs once again. The former Hart Trophy winner will look to make some noise in the Coyotes' play-in series and get another taste of postseason hockey before entering the offseason as one of the league's most sought-after free agents.

28. Mitch Marner, Maple Leafs

Marner missed a slew of games with an ankle injury this season, but he played at a pace nearly identical to last year's 94-point output when healthy. The crafty winger is a threat at even strength or on the power play and logs big minutes every game. His newfound success alongside Auston Matthews on the Maple Leafs' top line could be the ingredient the team has been missing throughout its recent run of playoff futility.

27. Tyler Seguin, Stars

Seguin may have endured a dramatic drop in production and a career-low 6.9 shooting percentage this season, but he still paced the defense-minded Stars in scoring. The 6-foot-1 pivot also dominated in the faceoff circle, winning 58.2% of his draws to set a new career high and rank fifth in the league. With his elite combination of speed, skill, and developed two-way acumen, there's no questioning Seguin's status as a game-breaking talent.

26. Brayden Point, Lightning

With Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov in the fold, Point is often the forgotten weapon in Tampa. After following his 41-goal, 92-point breakout campaign in 2018-19 with another stellar season, the 24-year-old has proven his big year was no fluke. The offense is just one side of the story with Point, though. He's definitely the best defensive player among the Lightning's "big three" up front, receiving a handful of Selke Trophy votes in each of the last two seasons.

25. Elias Pettersson, Canucks

Pettersson is one of the most electric and entertaining players in the league. The dynamic Canucks forward continued to improve this season following last year's Calder Trophy-winning campaign; he matched his rookie point production in three fewer games, increased his goals-per-game rate, and fired more shots on net. The sky is the limit for the supremely skilled Swede.

24. Ryan O'Reilly, Blues

O'Reilly stepped up big time last season during his first year with the Blues. He took home the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after helping St. Louis to a Stanley Cup victory, and he also claimed the Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward during the regular season. One of the league's best dual-threat centers, O'Reilly can do serious damage on both sides of the puck and will surely be looking for a repeat MVP performance this postseason.

23. Sebastian Aho, Hurricanes

Aho doesn't get the same league-wide attention as some other first-line centers in these rankings, but he's as capable as they come in any facet of the game. The 22-year-old plays in all situations, has sterling underlying stats, and posted a new career high in goals this season. His impact on the Hurricanes' success on a nightly basis is immense.

22. Jonathan Huberdeau, Panthers

The Cats' crafty winger is one of the game's elite playmakers and was the offensive catalyst for a Panthers team that finished sixth in goals per game (3.30) this season. On pace for 92 points over a full 82-game season, Huberdeau looked poised to become just the second player in franchise history to record consecutive 90-point campaigns. He ranks seventh in assists and eighth in points among all skaters since the beginning of 2017-18 and is finally getting the recognition he deserves as an elite talent.

21. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning

The league's reigning Vezina Trophy winner, Vasilevskiy is the best goalie in the league - at least according to these rankings. Even when he's out of position, the 25-year-old has the rare ability to make acrobatic saves that leave fans wondering, "how does he move like that?" But the best goalies of all time get it done in the playoffs. Vasilevskiy's .856 save percentage in four postseason games against the Blue Jackets last year isn't going to cut it for a team with championship aspirations.

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With the NHL preparing for a 24-team playoff, theScore will be counting down the top 50 players who will be taking part in this unique event, as voted on by our hockey editors. We'll reveal 10 players every day until the top 10 is unveiled on June 10.

50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

20. John Tavares, Maple Leafs

Tavares is as consistent as they come from a production standpoint, having played near or above a point-per-game pace in each of his last three seasons. The star pivot's more talented teammate rightfully owns a higher spot in these rankings, but the Maple Leafs captain deserves recognition as one of the best centers in the game.

19. Mark Stone, Golden Knights

One of the NHL's most intelligent wingers, Stone can do it all - whether it's scoring goals, dishing assists, or shutting opponents down defensively. After logging six goals and six assists in seven postseason games with the Golden Knights last year, Stone managed to keep the ball rolling during the 2019-20 regular season. He'll need to be at the top of his game once again if Vegas wants to make some noise in the playoffs.

18. John Carlson, Capitals

Carlson was the league's top offensive defenseman this season, and he's likely to win the Norris Trophy thanks to his eye-popping production. A legitimate game-breaker on the back end, he's a key cog in the Capitals' second-ranked offense that should see its firepower carry over despite a lengthy layoff.

17. Steven Stamkos, Lightning

The Lightning captain is fully recovered from core muscle surgery and will be itching to make a major impact after he had another strong individual season cut short. Armed with one of the most lethal shots in the game, Stamkos is a perennial scoring threat. The native of Ontario hit the 25-goal mark for the 10th time in his career this season to join the 400-goal club.

16. Aleksander Barkov, Panthers

Barkov regressed offensively this year after collecting 96 points in 2018-19, but it's his ability at both ends of the ice that makes him one of the game's elite players. He isn't overly physical despite his 6-foot-3 frame, but he does have an excellent stick. He finished second in the league with 100 takeaways last season and ranked 30th with 51 in 2019-20. The Panthers captain has finished top five in Selke Trophy voting each of the last two campaigns.

15. Roman Josi, Predators

It appears a significant portion of the hockey world has finally caught on to Josi's superstar skill set, but he still seems a bit underappreciated. The Predators blue-liner ranked third in the NHL in average ice time this season and finished tied with Alex Pietrangelo for second in goals by a defenceman; Zach Werenski was the only rearguard to net more tallies in 2019-20.

14. Artemi Panarin, Rangers

Few players were better than Panarin in 2019-20. He turned in an MVP-worthy debut campaign with the Rangers, notching 20 more points than the next-highest scorer on his team. All eyes will be on the Russian winger in the expanded postseason, and the Rangers may ultimately go only as far as Panarin can take them.

13. Victor Hedman, Lightning

If one was building a team from scratch and had to start with a defenseman, Hedman would be the man for the job. The towering Swede is the most complete blue-liner in the game, imposing his will on a nightly basis on both sides of the puck. The Bolts' forwards get most of the credit, but don't discount the impact of their No. 1 rearguard.

12. Brad Marchand, Bruins

Marchand continues to be a versatile force for one of the league's most consistent clubs. The Bruins' ultimate pest ranked second in the league in drawn penalties this season and plays a vital role on both special teams units. Seemingly improving with age, the 32-year-old was on pace to become the first Bruins player since Adam Oates in the early '90s to post back-to-back 100-point campaigns before the league suspended play in March.

11. Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs

Matthews took a major step forward in his development this season. He tied for the league lead with 35 goals at even strength and also tied a career high with 12 power-play markers. Without the puck, he tied for first among all NHL forwards with 78 takeaways. He's easily one of the most dangerous snipers in the game, and he's beginning to masters his defensive craft. He'll need to be a catalyst for the Maple Leafs if they hope to enjoy a deep playoff run.

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Xavier Gutierrez's primary task as the new president and CEO of the Arizona Coyotes will be finding a way to keep the team in the desert.

"(Owner Alex Meruelo and I) are very focused on creating a sustainable long-term solution that keeps this team at home, here, in Arizona," he said following his hiring Monday. "This will be an area that I am especially focused on and will be taking the lead on to find the right solution."

The Coyotes ranked 28th out of 31 teams in average attendance this season, according to ESPN. The franchise hasn't finished better than 28th since 2006-07 when they ranked 24th. In December, Forbes valued the team at $300 million - the lowest in the league.

The location of the Coyotes' home rink - Gila River Arena - has played a part in the team's poor attendance figures. It's located in Glendale, which is about a 20-30 minute drive from downtown Phoenix. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said last year that Gila River Arena "is not viable long-term."

The Coyotes unveiled a design for a joint facility in Tempe with Arizona State in 2016, but the plans folded after the university ended negotiations.

Meruelo officially purchased the Coyotes last July, becoming the first person of Hispanic heritage to serve as an NHL chairman. Gutierrez, who says he's been business associates with Meruelo for "over a decade," became the first Latino in NHL history to hold the titles of president and CEO.

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Buffalo Sabres goalie Carter Hutton confessed he struggled with an ongoing vision issue during the 2019-20 season.

After seeking treatment, Hutton discovered he suffered from convergence insufficiency, a disorder in which a person's eyes don't move at the same time. He learned his left eye moved slower than his right and attended therapy throughout the season to correct the problem.

"It started to come back around big time in January," Hutton said, according to Buffalo News' Lance Lysowski.

He added, "(Therapy) became part of my daily routine. I would do a ton of different eye training and things to get better at that. In the moment it was obviously tough. Now, moving forward, I learned a lot of skills to help improve that area and make my eye strength better and work on stuff. We weren't sure what it was. It was something I managed throughout the season."

Hutton admitted the vision impairment made it difficult for him to track pucks on the ice, and even routine practice drills became difficult.

The 34-year-old doesn't blame his eyesight for his poor play at times during the season. From Oct. 24 to Jan. 30, the veteran netminder recorded an 0-8-4 record with a 4.04 goals-against average and .872 save percentage.

"I didn't perform as well as I needed to at times, and obviously, I think it was 12 straight I was winless, which is really tough to swallow," Hutton said.

He continued, "It's obviously something that needs to change. During the year, I can't have these lulls and I'll get back to doing what I do best. I've played in the league for a long time. I didn't just forget how to play. I had a rough go with some stuff and we'll get back to it."

Hutton went 12-14-4 with a 3.18 goals-against average and .898 save percentage in his second season with the Sabres.

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Eugene Melnyk's charity previously directed a small fraction of the money it generated toward its intended cause.

The Ottawa Senators owner created The Organ Project - a private, Toronto-based not-for-profit foundation - in 2016, with the goal of ending the organ transplant waiting list and "changing the current environment so that, in the near future, nobody in Canada will die while waiting for an organ transplant."

However, while it gained $991,708 in revenues during 2018, it contributed barely $5,000 of that to organ donor awareness, according to Postmedia's Rick Gibbons, who cited filings from the Canada Revenue Agency.

Melnyk's charity is separate from the Senators Foundation - the team's charitable arm - which announced its intent to sever ties with the club last week.

The Senators Foundation donated $100,000 to The Organ Project at a charity gala in 2018.

Of the roughly $1 million taken in by Melnyk's charity, it spent $779,464 on fundraising costs and another $238,118 on management and administration, according to the filings obtained by Gibbons, who was informed that these types of figures are "almost certain" to be scrutinized by tax officials.

Unlike the Senators Foundation, the Organ Project doesn't require a board of directors to oversee operations, and according to Gibbons, the latter entity appeared to be directed solely by Melnyk. However, it shut down in 2019 and didn't fulfill a promise to reopen this spring.

The Senators and their foundation will formally part ways if they're unable to resolve their dispute by July 31.

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Welcome to Puck Pursuit, an interview-style podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's national hockey writer.

Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.

ESPN hockey prospects writer Chris Peters joins the show to discuss a variety of NHL draft-related topics, including:

• Full scouting report on top prospect Alexis Lafreniere
• Is Quinton Byfield a lock to go second overall?
• Tim Stutzle and German hockey's "sweet spot"
• Rest of Chris' top-10 prospects for 2020 draft

... and more

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The Arizona Coyotes hired Xavier A. Gutierrez as their new president and CEO, making him the first Latino to hold those positions in NHL history, the club announced Monday.

He joins the Coyotes after serving as managing director of Clearlake Capital Group, a private equity firm based in California. He has over 20 years of experience as a business executive, investor, and dealmaker, according to the team.

Gutierrez fills the vacancy left by the May departure of Ahron Cohen, who moved on from the organization and his dual roles as the club's president and CEO.

Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo became the first and only person of Hispanic heritage to serve as chairman of an NHL club when he took over last July.

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