Leading up to the start of the 2023-24 season, theScore is counting down the top 100 players in the game today, as voted on by our NHL editors. We'll reveal players every day until the top 10 are unveiled Oct. 9.

100-71 | 70-51 | 50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1

Back surgery will keep Vasilevskiy on the shelf for the opening two months of the season. It marks the first time we've seen a chink in the armor of the 29-year-old since he took over the Lightning's starting role in 2016. We know what to expect from Vasilevskiy when he's in the net as a top-six Vezina finisher each of the past six seasons. But 2023-24 may be the time for Tampa Bay to start alleviating his workload.

Aho led the Carolina Hurricanes in goals (36) for the sixth straight campaign last season, and we fully expect him to make it seven. A cornerstone of the contending Canes, Aho already ranks fifth in franchise history in goals and points. He could've become an unrestricted free agent in 2024, but Carolina wisely signed the 26-year-old center to an eight-year, $78-million extension in July.

Shesterkin didn't equal his Vezina Trophy-winning performance of 2021-22 last season, but the New York Rangers goaltender still had a great campaign statistically. The Russian remains one of the NHL's best netminders, and while the Blueshirts aren't a perfect team, they rarely have to worry about the crease, thanks to Shesterkin's consistency.

Dahlin is meeting, and perhaps soon to be exceeding, the sky-high expectations placed upon him as the No. 1 overall pick in 2018. The 23-year-old is coming off his best season yet, with 73 points in 78 games while logging monster minutes and putting up stronger defensive metrics than ever before. Dahlin ranked seventh among all blue-liners in Evolving-Hockey's goals above replacement metric last season, showing he's well on his way to becoming the dominant two-way blue-liner he was advertised as.

Hedman has cracked the top 10 of this list in each of the last four years, but he falls out after an uncharacteristically poor campaign. He wasn't his usual dominant two-way self, and he only tallied nine goals and 40 assists in 76 games, resulting in his lowest point-per-game mark since 2015-16. Hedman turns 33 in December, and while it's possible this is the beginning of his decline, we refuse to rule out the all-time great from returning to the Norris Trophy conversation.

Marner still seeks his first 100-point season after finishing just one point short a year ago. The deft passer has added more of a shooting element to his game over the past two seasons, with consecutive 30-goal campaigns, and has established himself as a premiere two-way winger, earning his first Selke nomination last season. There's no denying Marner's status as one of the best right-wingers in hockey.

McAvoy's 2022-23 season debut was delayed due to injury, but the Boston Bruins' No. 1 defenseman posted seven goals and 45 assists in 67 matchups for the highest point-per-game rate (0.78) of his career while eating up just over 22 minutes of ice time per game. It feels as though the 25-year-old's time as a Norris Trophy finalist is right around the corner.

Josi is less than two seasons removed from racking up 96 points in 80 games, and the Nashville Predators defenseman produced 0.88 points per contest last season despite missing 15 due to injury. Josi is a perennial workhorse, averaging over 25 minutes of ice time since 2012-13. The 2019-20 Norris Trophy winner should continue to be a game-changer for the Preds, even at age 33.

Thompson has blossomed into one of the league's most electrifying talents, ranking in the top 25 among all skaters in points over the past two seasons (162). His emergence has galvanized the Sabres' upswing, and a 50-goal, 100-point season could be the next step for their top forward.

Five of our seven voters were on the same page with Eichel, ranking him between 22 and 24. The other two were split: One ranked him No. 8, while the other had him all the way down at 41. Regardless, Eichel hushed any critics about his play with a sensational postseason performance in which he led all playoff skaters with 20 assists and 26 points in 22 games en route to Vegas' Stanley Cup win.

If not for Linus Ullmark's remarkable season, Sorokin would likely be the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. The 28-year-old led the league with six shutouts, and a look at his advanced metrics shines an even brighter light on his campaign. Sorokin led the NHL with 51.4 goals saved above expected. He gets a ton of starts and ranks among the league's best in both traditional and advanced stats - that's why he's the No. 1 goaltender on this year's top 100 list.

Barkov, one of the NHL's best two-way forwards, provided stability in 2022-23 amid the Florida Panthers' roller-coaster campaign. He registered 23 goals and 78 points in 68 games - good for his third straight point-per-game season - while helping the Cats dictate play at five-on-five. The 28-year-old added 16 points in 21 playoff contests during Florida's miracle run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Heiskanen has been one of the league's most promising defensemen since debuting in 2018. The Dallas Stars blue-liner's commendable contributions had primarily been on the defensive end until he exploded for 73 points in 79 games last season. Heiskanen is now elite at both ends of the ice, and the Finnish rearguard is only 24 years old.

Point is an underrated but indispensable piece of the juggernaut Tampa Bay has built. The 27-year-old commands top-line duties down the middle with a strong two-way game and is fresh off a career year in which he posted 51 goals and 95 points. He's also one of the Bolts' most clutch players, with 44 career game-winning tallies to his credit, along with 82 points in 82 playoff games.

Kaprizov is exactly what the Wild franchise sorely lacked ever since Marian Gaborik departed in 2009: an electrifying, game-breaking player who can single-handedly drive an offense for a well-rounded, defensively stingy team. Since coming over to North America, Kaprizov ranks 12th in the NHL with 234 points in 203 games. At 26 years old, he's only getting better, too.

Robertson doesn't dazzle in the same way as the other elite forwards around him on this list; he's not even the primary puck carrier on his line. But all he's done since becoming an NHL regular in 2020 is put up points. One-third of arguably the most consistent line in hockey, the 24-year-old exploded to exceed 100 points for the first time last season and continues to inch closer to his maiden 50-goal campaign.

Karlsson is taking his talents to Pittsburgh after an incredible season that saw him post 101 points while skating in all 82 games for the first time since 2015-16. The reigning Norris Trophy winner pulled off those numbers on a struggling San Jose Sharks squad and became the first rearguard to hit the century mark since Brian Leetch in 1991-92.

Pettersson played all but two games last season, just like he did in 2021-22. But the Vancouver Canucks center collected seven more goals (39) and 27 more assists (63) than his previous campaign to top the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. Pettersson also tied teammate J.T. Miller for the league lead in shorthanded goals with five. The Swede - who'll turn 25 in November - has developed into a true superstar.

Fox's Norris Trophy hopes last season were dashed by Karlsson's historic offensive output, but the Rangers' top rearguard was one of the game's elite again in 2022-23. He earned a first-team All-Star selection for his 72 points while thriving in both power-play and shutdown roles. Fox is the complete package as a defender and ranks second among defensemen in points (193) and fourth in goals above replacement (40.8) over the past three campaigns.

Rantanen became more of a shooter in 2022-23, and it paid off. He fired 306 shots on net - 0.33 more per game than his previous career high - which resulted in a personal-best 55 goals, shattering his previous high of 36. Rantanen, who was ranked as high as seventh by one of our voters, was oh-so-close to making it three Avalanche players in the top 10 of our list.

(Analytics sources: Evolving-Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs traded forward Sam Lafferty to the Vancouver Canucks for a fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft, the team announced Sunday.

Lafferty will make $1.15 million this season and was a bubble candidate to make Toronto's roster with final cuts looming. The Maple Leafs will likely carry a roster smaller than 23 players due to salary cap restraints and could fill out their forward group by signing Noah Gregor from his professional tryout agreement or giving preseason standout Fraser Minten a chance.

All 32 NHL teams have until 5 p.m. ET on Monday to finalize cap-compliant rosters for the 2023-24 campaign.

Toronto acquired Lafferty prior to last season's trade deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks along with defenseman Jake McCabe. The 28-year-old winger managed six points in 19 regular-season games after the move and added a goal and two assists in the playoffs.

He was a fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2014 and has registered 59 points in 210 career games.

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We've covered the Atlantic, Metropolitan, and Central Divisions, which leaves us with the Pacific as the last one to cover before regular-season games start on Oct. 10.

The group out west is headlined by the defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights and one of this year's top favorites, the Oilers.

The betting market suggests these two powerhouses should be fighting for the division crown all season.

Futures

The Oilers head into another campaign with Stanley Cup aspirations. Connor McDavid is coming off the best season of his career, tallying 153 points and winning his third MVP award. Alongside Leon Draisaitl, this duo is by far the best one-two punch in the league.

However, Edmonton's core lacks playoff success. The team's reached the conference finals only once in McDavid's eight-year career, getting swept by the Avalanche in 2022.

Oddsmakers are giving the Oilers a 10% chance of winning their first Cup since 1990.

The Golden Knights hoisted their first Stanley Cup last season in the franchise's sixth campaign. A large portion of the roster is returning, and the betting market believes Vegas has a 7.7% chance of repeating.

Defending isn't all that uncommon. Two teams - Lightning and Penguins - have won back-to-back Cups in the past eight years.

To Make The Playoffs

The betting market indicates that three teams from the Pacific should make the playoffs. The Kings have an implied probability of 80% before a steep drop off to the remainder of the clubs.

The Flames, Kraken, and Canucks appear to have a decent chance of reaching the postseason. Only Seattle made the playoffs of this group last season.

What could work in this trio's favor is that two of the worst teams in the NHL are also in the Pacific. Playing additional games against the Ducks and Sharks is a luxury that clubs on the bubble in the Central Division don't have. Those extra contests could prove extremely important when the wild-card spots are up for grabs late in the campaign.

The Sharks (+275) and Ducks (+350) are the favorites to have the worst regular-season record.

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There are countless ways to analyze what may lie ahead for the upcoming NHL season but, in this exercise, we're taking the philosophical route and asking a collection of questions with answers that, while unforeseen right now, will have a significant impact on the 2023-24 campaign when it's all said and done.

Let's dive right into it.

What's in store for new-look Bruins?

The Boston Bruins enter 2023-24 as one of the league's most fascinating teams. After rewriting the record books last year, the B's suffered a humiliating first-round playoff elimination before losing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to retirement. Boston is bound to regress from the best regular season in league history, but how steep will the decline be? New captain Brad Marchand believes his club will be just fine.

"I don't know how people look at the depth on our team and say that we're going to fall off the radar," Marchand told ESPN. "There's a great opportunity for everyone here to do something bigger and build something new and continue the legacy that those guys built."

He has a legitimate argument. Boston won two playoff games this past spring without Bergeron and Krejci, and the Bruins have made a habit of proving hasty naysayers wrong as their core's gotten older. Even though Boston likely won't compete for a second straight Presidents' Trophy, the club still boasts strength at every position group, is led by a Jack Adams-winning head coach, and plays in a division that could be more wide open than it appears. The Bruins have had the Maple Leafs' number for a decade, the Lightning and Panthers are starting the year with significant injuries, and the Senators, Sabres, and Red Wings are still trying to establish themselves as playoff contenders.

Perhaps Marchand is right?

Will the Erik Karlsson experiment work?

The Pittsburgh Penguins occupied much of the summer spotlight. They pried Kyle Dubas from Toronto, spent lavishly in free agency, then traded for the reigning Norris Trophy winner - a blockbuster that trumped all the club's other moves and will define a critical season in Steel City, where missing the playoffs again simply isn't an option.

Karlsson, 33, is coming off the best season of his Hall of Fame career, and one of the best we've seen from a rearguard in the modern era as he eclipsed 100 points. Equally as important, he played 82 games for the first time since 2015-16. His health is paramount going forward for the Penguins, who owe Karlsson $10 million per season through 2027. Age and price point were the main detractors among critics of Pittsburgh's pursuit of Karlsson, but the time for punditry has passed. Now it's time to see if Dubas' all-in gamble will pay off on the ice - and it's far from a guarantee.

The Penguins project to have one of Karlsson or Kris Letang on the ice for most of the game at even strength, where the former's presence should help Pittsburgh's breakout immensely. Karlsson will also be tasked with reviving the Penguins' star-studded - but 14th-ranked - man advantage. He and Letang will both get top-line power-play minutes to start, but two right-handed shots running the point is unconventional. Additionally, Pittsburgh had plenty of talent on its top unit last season, but couldn't click for whatever reason. Adding another weapon to the arsenal doesn't guarantee success if the plan of attack is off.

On paper, it's easy to see why adding Karlsson could be a home run for the Penguins, but time will tell if the transition will be seamless or not.

What lies ahead for this summer's trade bait?

Trade rumors ran rampant over the offseason for a glut of players entering the 2023-24 season on expiring contracts or on teams in the doldrums. Among the alleged bait: Mark Scheifele, Connor Hellebuyck, Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, Brett Pesce, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Travis Konecny, to name a few. Alas, none of them were moved, and none of them were extended. Was the speculation all a ruse, or are we in for an all-time trade deadline in a few months?

The Jets and Flames looked destined for fire sales after rocky seasons but managed to keep most of their talent - namely the first four stars listed above - for another kick at the can. While their fans may be relieved to start the campaign with their rosters still intact, neither Canadian outfit is necessarily a lock to make the playoffs. If Winnipeg and/or Calgary are out of contention come the March 8 trade deadline, they could hold a serious influence over the frenzy. Contending teams will undoubtedly be calling about players of that caliber.

Elsewhere, Carolina seems content to let Pesce play out the final season of his contract and boast perhaps the deepest defensive corps in the league. A trade could have made sense a few months ago but, with the season upon us, why would the Cup-contending Canes give up such a vital piece? The same could be said for Kuznetsov and Konecny, even though the Capitals and Flyers don't have feasible championship aspirations.

Trading any of these players now isn't beneficial to their respective clubs, but it would be favorable for blockbuster-hungry fans if they're back in the trade mix within a few months.

Can the Senators or Sabres shake up the playoff race?

Many were shocked at the meteoric rise of the New Jersey Devils last season: They went from seventh in the Metropolitan Division to third in the entire NHL in one year. Naturally, many wonder who could be the next contender lurking in the shadows.

The two consensus options are Buffalo and Ottawa, who are set to make the Atlantic Division much more interesting in 2023-24. The Sabres and Senators were each on the cusp of the postseason last year, and both squads got better while, as mentioned above, the usual suspects in the division got a little bit weaker. It could be the perfect recipe for either - or both - teams to shift the landscape of the Eastern Conference.

Although the young core of the Senators has plenty of time to emerge into a powerhouse, this coming season is likely playoffs or bust for the jobs of head coach D.J. Smith and general manager Pierre Dorion. Ottawa hasn't reached the postseason since 2017, and a berth this year is the only appropriate measure of progress for a team with all the pieces to compete. A full year of Jakob Chychrun, while also adding Vladimir Tarasenko and Joonas Korpisalo to a rock-solid pre-existing roster, might make for something special in Canada's capital.

The Sabres will again ice a young, lethal offense and a modestly reinforced blue line as they look to snap the NHL's longest active playoff drought of 12 seasons. While much of Buffalo's roster will be the same as the one that missed the postseason by a single point in April, there's now a potentially massive improvement between the pipes in rookie Devon Levi. He's undeniably the Sabres X-factor for the season ahead and, if his debut campaign goes anywhere near as well as his path to the pros went, Buffalo could be in for a significant surge in the standings.

Is Bedard a lock for the Calder?

Probably. But we're not gift-wrapping the hardware to Bedard just yet. The NHL's latest generational star is already putting on a show night in and night out during the preseason and is the rightful Rookie of the Year favorite. However, generational players aren't always decorated in their debut seasons - Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby can attest - and there's a deep group of freshmen that could cause some chaos in the Calder race. Let's highlight a few.

First, there's Coyotes stud Logan Cooley, who may have already scored the goal of the year with his dazzling spin-o-rama Down Under. The University of Minnesota product has a year on Bedard and will be given every opportunity to succeed with major ice time in Arizona.

Adam Fantilli, who went two picks after Bedard this summer, may already be the Columbus Blue Jackets' No. 1 center. He's a scintillating blend of size and skill and could enjoy a productive debut campaign playing in a sneaky talented top six.

Other candidates include the aforementioned Levi, who will be a lock to be at least a finalist if he leads Buffalo to the playoffs. Devils' youngster Luke Hughes has the name cache and the raw talent to be an immediate star, while Matthew Knies is going to get a golden chance to be an impact player on a Maple Leafs squad that should compete for a division title.

This question could age like milk if Bedard lights up the league in his first year as many expect but, at least for now, keep an eye on the rookie race in 2023-24.

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Connor McDavid is confident Chicago Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard can handle the pressure of adapting to NHL life as a potentially generational No. 1 pick.

"It's a really, really hard league," the Oilers captain told NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "It's a league full of grown men that have been playing for a long time, and you know what? He's a really special 18-year-old hockey player, and it'll take some time.

"I don't expect it to take all that much. He's that good. But I think that's just a reminder. It's a really, really hard league, and there's a lot of change going on at that age."

Bedard is widely regarded as the top talent to enter the NHL since McDavid was given the same label when he was drafted in the top spot in 2015. Comparisons between them have been commonplace at this point of Bedard's career, but the 18-year-old said in August he isn't aiming to immediately match McDavid's lofty standards.

McDavid has lived up to his pre-draft hype and then some, winning three MVPs and five scoring titles through his first eight seasons. The 26-year-old had 48 points in his debut campaign, which was limited to 45 games due to a shoulder injury.

Bedard, the odds-on favorite to win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, looked comfortable in the preseason, notching one goal and four assists in four appearances.

His regular-season debut is scheduled for Oct. 10 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Bedard and McDavid will clash for the first time on Dec. 12 in Edmonton.

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There's little doubt about the front-runner for the Hart Trophy as the NHL season approaches. Connor McDavid rightfully took home the hardware for the second time in three years and third time overall after piling up 153 points in 2022-23.

Where the debate begins - as was the case for virtually all of last season - is in mulling the runners-up. While we expect the two other finalists from the summer to again vie for MVP honors, a previous winner will look to get back in the mix and a different perennial contender should keep himself in the hunt if he can stay healthy.

Jack Hughes appears destined to be a fixture in the Hart conversation for years to come, but he's not yet among the handful of the league's most valuable players. The Devils dominated as a team last season, and the young star's deep supporting cast got even deeper when New Jersey traded for Calgary Flames leading scorer Tyler Toffoli in late June. Consider Hughes an honorable mention.

Here are the top five MVP candidates as we near the start of the 2023-24 campaign:

5. Nathan MacKinnon

If anyone has a stellar group around him, it's MacKinnon. But few would argue with the Colorado Avalanche center being in the upper echelon when it comes to the NHL's most important players.

Colorado's catalyst might have some trouble cracking the top three because of how incredible Cale Makar is - not to mention Mikko Rantanen, Devon Toews, and some shrewd offseason additions. But MacKinnon's individual impact is undeniable. Despite missing 11 games due to injury last season, he ranked third in the NHL in wins above replacement and goals above replacement, which are both cumulative statistics as opposed to averages.

That alone demonstrates MacKinnon's value, as the two players above him on those lists (McDavid and Matthew Tkachuk) played more games than he did. MacKinnon's rate of 1.56 points per game last season was bested by only two players - McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. If MacKinnon can avoid missing more than 10 games due to injury this time around, he should garner serious Hart consideration.

4. Matthew Tkachuk

Tkachuk was brilliant in 2022-23. The Florida Panthers' tenacious talent deserved plenty of praise for his WAR and GAR figures, particularly in the context of this race because they factor in two-way play. He also buried 40 goals while ranking among the league leaders in points and several other categories. Voters rightfully recognized him for his efforts, as he finished third for the Hart before leading the Panthers all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.

However, the upcoming season is already looking more challenging for Tkachuk and his team. For one thing, key defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour are out to start the year with no definitive return dates. Tkachuk does have a prime opportunity to further prove his value by carrying the Panthers without those blue-liners. Doing so would bolster his MVP case if he and the club manage to excel in their absence.

But, on the other hand, Florida only made the playoffs by a single point in the spring, and the Cats need to make it again for Tkachuk to be a serious Hart candidate. If they slip out of the postseason picture with their integral rearguards missing time, it'll be much harder for MVP voters to consider Tkachuk. One could argue it's actually more impressive to thrive on a worse team, but that's not how Hart voters typically think.

Tkachuk has already proven he can provide the Panthers with significant value, but his team's fortunes - or misfortunes, as the case may be - could hinder his Hart chances, even if he matches or improves his statistical output.

3. Auston Matthews

Matthews wasn't in the thick of the Hart race last season because his typically eye-popping production and newfound defensive prowess diminished as he played through a hand injury. Assuming his health holds up in 2023-24, there's little reason to suspect the player who amassed 60 goals during his MVP campaign in 2021-22 can't pull off something similar again.

The 26-year-old enters this season with the added pressure of having signed a contract extension in August that'll make him the NHL's highest-paid player in 2024-25. However, Matthews' track record of posting arcade-like offensive numbers when healthy, along with his commendable two-way play, suggest he'll be firmly in the Hart discussion yet again. He'll also be playing on the penalty kill in 2023-24, which is a testament to his defensive growth and should only further cement his case.

Two of the Toronto Maple Leafs' divisional opponents - the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning - are expected to take steps back this season, even if they do still make the playoffs. Leading the Maple Leafs to a division title would also strengthen Matthews' case among voters who place importance on the success of a candidate's team (regular-season success, of course).

The Leafs have three other stars and some depth on the roster. But if their best player can separate himself from his teammates by a sizeable margin in terms of production while authoring strong underlying numbers, he'll be right back in the race he won outright two seasons ago.

2. David Pastrnak

Much like with the Panthers and Tkachuk, the Bruins' predicted slide in the standings could affect Pastrnak's MVP chances. However, the difference here is that Boston isn't likely in danger of missing the playoffs. The Bs won't ... be ... as good as they were in their historically dominant 2022-23 campaign, but that could actually help their game-breaking winger's Hart pursuit.

The Bruins are expected to tumble because Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Dmitry Orlov are all gone. Their depleted supporting cast means Pastrnak will need to do even more heavy lifting, which in turn will demonstrate his value to a greater degree - assuming he performs as he's shown he can.

Pastrnak amassed 34 more goals and 46 more points than his closest teammates last season, so just imagine what those disparities will look like in 2023-24 without those four departed impact players around. Pastrnak's playmaking abilities and even-strength dominance make that scenario quite plausible. It might even provide enough evidence for him to usurp McDavid as the front-runner (gasp), but Pastrnak has his work cut out for him in that regard.

1. Connor McDavid

Choosing anyone else for this spot would be foolish. There's no disputing that McDavid is the most valuable player in the NHL - generally speaking - so all he has to do is play like it to justify the honor. The Edmonton Oilers superstar certainly did that last season when he led all of the league's skaters in goals, assists, and points (a whopping 153) while besting all forwards in average ice time.

Expecting virtually any other player to duplicate that kind of success would be questionable, but no one will be surprised if McDavid equals - or even exceeds - the absurd numbers he posted in 2022-23. Sidney Crosby recently said he would never bet against McDavid when asked if his Oilers counterpart was capable of notching 170 points this season.

It's hard to disagree with the former best player in the world's assessment of the current one. And it's not just about counting stats, either, as McDavid's NHL-best WAR and GAR from a season ago further illustrate how valuable he is to his team.

(Analytics sources: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving-Hockey)

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Leading up to the start of the 2023-24 season, theScore is counting down the top 100 players in the game today, as voted on by our NHL editors. We'll reveal players every day until the top 10 are unveiled Oct. 9.

100-71 | 70-51 | 50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1

Larkin's quietly put together back-to-back 30-goal, near-point-per-game campaigns. Now locked in at an $8.7-million cap hit for the next eight years, the 27-year-old remains the face of the Red Wings for the foreseeable future as the team looks to get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Oettinger was a workhorse for the Stars in 2022-23 and was one of just seven goalies in the league to appear in 60 or more games. The 24-year-old handled his increased workload admirably, establishing new career highs with 37 wins, five shutouts, and a .919 save percentage. He's the guy in Dallas.

There was a time when Malkin was much higher on this list but, despite his drop, he showed last season that he still has plenty left in the tank. The Pittsburgh Penguins power forward, who turned 37 in July, collected 27 goals and an impressive 56 assists in 2022-23. Injuries have been an issue for Malkin in the past, but he played all 82 games in the last campaign. He also took more shots on goal than he had in a season since he led the NHL in that department in 2011-12.

Though it didn't get a ton of attention, Keller enjoyed one of the most impressive seasons in the league last season for the lowly Coyotes, authoring a career-high 37 goals and 86 points after breaking his femur late in 2021-22. From February onward, the 25-year-old was the league's fourth-most prolific scorer, trailing only Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Nathan MacKinnon. Not too shabby.

Stamkos, 33, remains productive, tallying 34 goals and 84 points last season. It was his eighth time hitting the 30-goal mark and seventh time reaching the 80-point plateau. He still possesses one of the game's most lethal one-timers and it's hard to envision him slowing down as long as he stays healthy.

Despite dipping below the point-per-game mark for the first time since 2016, Marchand was still a massive part of the Bruins' historic regular season. Boston will need the 35-year-old to remain an elite two-way driver as the team enters its post-Patrice Bergeron era.

The 2022-23 campaign was full of even more Mika magic than usual. Zibanejad reached new heights with a 91-point campaign that saw him lead the offensively potent Rangers with 39 goals in 82 contests. Maybe a 100-point season is what's next for the sniping Swede in the Big Apple.

Nylander will be out to prove he deserves a hefty new contract as a pending unrestricted free agent, but he's already done plenty. He notched career highs in goals (40), assists (47), and points while playing in all 82 regular-season games last season, adding four tallies and six helpers in 11 playoff contests. If the move from wing to center sticks, it'll go a long way in securing him the payday he desires.

The Devils have some flashier players, but Hischier is the up-and-coming club's heart and soul. New Jersey's captain put forth a career-high 80 points last season while posting defensive metrics strong enough to earn him second place in Selke Trophy voting. The hardware could very well be in Hischier's near future now that Patrice Bergeron is out of the running.

Toews sometimes gets overshadowed by his defense partner, Cale Makar, but there's no denying that Toews is elite in his own right. He can drive play offensively and he's also a lockdown defender. Two of our voters thought he deserved a spot in the top 25, which is justifiable considering he's finished no lower than sixth in goals above replacement among blue-liners in each of the last three seasons.

Panarin still ranks among the league's top playmakers: Only Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have tallied more assists than Panarin since 2019. The 31-year-old has scored at a 90-point pace every season in New York and shows no signs of slowing down.

After an injury-riddled first year as a Devil, Hamilton truly arrived in New Jersey in 2022-23. The talented defenseman posted a career-high 22 goals and 74 points while skating in all 82 games for the first time since 2018-19, proving to the Devils that he's worth every penny of the seven-year, $63-million contract he signed in July 2021.

Tkachuk is no longer the Ottawa Senators' brightest star (see below), but the club's captain remains a multi-talented franchise cornerstone and its most important player. The 24-year-old winger collected over a point per game last season and notched at least 30 goals (35) for the second straight campaign. He also ranked fourth in the NHL in shots on goal and 11th in hits while boasting stellar underlying numbers.

Stutzle evolved into a full-blown offensive superstar last season, and don't be surprised if he soars up our list by this time next year. The 21-year-old is one of the top young players in the league and is the Senators' purest offensive catalyst, as evidenced by his 39 goals in 2022-23. The sky truly feels like the limit for Stutzle, and he's just getting started on a career that carries a ton of promise.

Six of our seven voters ranked Hintz between 31 and 42, with the lone outlier coming in at 55. That's about as consensus as it gets for a player in this portion of the rankings. The Stars' first-line center is coming off back-to-back 37-goal seasons and an excellent 2023 playoffs in which he recorded 24 points in 19 games. He's a rare breed with both power and finesse.

Despite the persistent trade rumors, Hellebuyck remains a Winnipeg Jet entering the final season of his contract. A workhorse goaltender of a seemingly bygone era, Hellebuyck led the NHL in games by a netminder for the fourth time in six years and reached the .920 save percentage mark for the first time since his Vezina trophy campaign in 2020. He's in for a big payday next summer.

The Great Eight posted his 13th career 40-goal season last year, but what else is new? It's nothing that we haven't come to expect from the 38-year-old sniper. Not only will Ovechkin be looking to get his Capitals back into the playoffs in 2023-24, but he'll also continue his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's record: Ovi is 73 tallies away from taking the No. 1 spot on the NHL's all-time goals list.

No NHL goaltender faced more shots or made more saves than Saros last season. Only Hellebuyck played as many games as his Nashville Predators counterpart, and no other puck-stopper saw as much ice time as the Finnish netminder in 2022-23. Despite his workload, Saros ranked among the league's best in save percentage and goals saved above expected. He's been one of the NHL's best goalies for some time now, and he's still in his prime.

Injuries have hurt Stone's stock in recent years, but he proved he's still a world-class player this past spring. He captained the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup and bagged 24 points in 22 games along the way. A healthy Stone is still the best defensive winger in hockey, and his offensive prowess shouldn't be slept on. Since arriving in Vegas, he's managed 203 points in 218 games.

The newest captain of the Canucks, Hughes has been one of the game's most dynamic offensive defensemen since becoming a full-time NHLer in 2019-20. He ranks third among blue-liners in points in that span, trailing only Roman Josi and Cale Makar. But his defensive game has come a long way since his rookie campaign, and he's established himself as one of the game's best all-around players.

(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving-Hockey)

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Wyatt Johnston shoulder checks to his right, then his left, before collecting the puck deep in the Seattle Kraken's zone. With icing waved off and opponents now barrelling down on him, the Dallas Stars rookie forward quickly but casually roofs it - backhand, short side, awkward angle - past the goalie.

At the other end of the rink, Jake Oettinger stands slack-jawed in Dallas' crease. He's trying to process what just happened; it's Game 7 in the second round of the NHL playoffs, for crying out loud. Johnston not only rose to the occasion in a high-pressure moment but scored on a tricky maneuver that requires confidence, creativity, and hockey intelligence.

"Most kids his age would maybe fold or crumble in a situation like that. But Johnny embraced it, and he leaned into his ridiculous skill set," Oettinger said in a recent phone interview. "He wanted to be a difference-maker."

That goal, scored with 7:12 left in regulation, turned out to be historic. At 20 years old and one day, Johnston became the youngest player in NHL history to net a series-clinching goal in a Game 7. Impressively, it wasn't an isolated flash of brilliance. Johnston's first pro season, which covered 101 total games, was defined by his ability to one-up himself every few weeks.

"There was never that moment where you were like, 'Oh, this kid's hit the rookie wall,'" Stars winger Joe Pavelski said. "No, it was like, 'What else can we give him now? What else can he learn? What else can he develop?'"

Johnston's mature game is accompanied by a wholesome personality and aw-shucks looks. Childhood friends describe him as the "nicest kid on the planet," and last year, he was the little brother figure on the Stars.

"A lot of the guys have been playing in the league for a decade," Johnston told theScore. "I still have a lot to learn from them. I'm still only 20 years old."

Johnston, the 23rd overall pick in the 2021 draft, grew up in Toronto. He was an elite forward at an early age and spent half his minor hockey career skating with and against kids a year older than him. One of his coaches back then was legendary defenseman Paul Coffey, who'd tell any NHL scout and general manager who'd listen that Johnston doesn't rely solely on his offensive skills.

"It didn't matter what point of the game it was - if I needed to win a faceoff, to kill a penalty, to score a goal, Wyatt was always the first guy I tapped to go out there," Coffey recalled of a teenager with "off the charts" hockey sense.

Marc Savard, the former head coach of the OHL's Windsor Spitfires, joked about how Johnston made his job easy. "When Wyatt was on the ice, I could go to the dressing room if I needed to because I knew nothing bad was going to happen in our end," Savard said. "That's pretty high praise because I know he can score, make plays. But he's damn good in his own zone, too."

That hard-wired versatility endeared Johnston to Pete DeBoer, too. Dallas' head coach talked glowingly about him throughout 2022-23, concluding in May that he'd never seen a rookie transition like Johnston in his 15 years running an NHL bench. Johnston made the team out of training camp, contributed immediately, and got better with additional responsibilities.

"This guy is unflappable," DeBoer told reporters ahead of the postseason.

Johnston appeared in every regular-season game, averaging 15:29 a night. He centered - and elevated - captain Jamie Benn and either Evgenii Dadonov or Ty Dellandrea and earned roles on both special teams. He tied Calder Trophy winner Matty Beniers for most goals by a rookie (24) and led all first-year players with 21 even-strength tallies. (For context, annual 50-goal threats Alex Ovechkin and Leon Draisaitl scored 22 and 20 at even strength, respectively.)

"I've heard people say it, and it's been true: You don't really understand how good the NHL game is until you're out there and in the middle of everything," Johnston said, reflecting on his All-Rookie team showing. "You get to see how good the guys you're playing against are, and it's pretty eye-opening."

Nothing about the above quote is untrue. Yet, Oettinger would be quick to note how the messaging is typical of Johnston: even-keeled, modest, and deferential.

"We always give him shit," the goalie said with a laugh. "The guys will chirp him. We'll tell him he's cocky. But it's totally a joke because he's actually the exact opposite. Most people, if they were doing what he's doing, they'd be walking around like they're God's gift to earth. But he's the exact opposite: a nice kid that, personality-wise, is, honestly, very normal. He's down to earth."

"I don't think you could ever get in an argument with him," added Jack Beck, Johnston's longtime pal and a forward for the OHL's Soo Greyhounds. "We'll get into little back-and-forths, especially about hockey, but he's always just so nice about it. I've never gotten in a fight with him. Ever. It'll never get heated."

Johnston is less polite on the ice. He refuses to live on the perimeter like some of his offensively gifted peers, instead reminding coaches and scouts of Pavel Datsyuk. Similar to the future Hall of Fame center, Johnston cares deeply about the defensive side of the game, doesn't shy away from puck battles, and uses his smarts and quick stick to regularly strip it from opponents. With possession, he excels at distributing and shooting in tight quarters.

"Even if you're not directly focusing on it," Johnston said about the art of stripping pucks, "when you're playing a scrimmage, three-on-three, or even a normal game, it's something you're able to work on here and there.

"That's one thing that's always been a strength of mine. A lot of it is experience, timing, and realizing when the puck is exposed, so you can attack at that exact moment."

Being mentioned in the same sentence as Datsyuk is "pretty awesome and pretty generous" - and at least partially attributable to studying the former Red Wings great. "I watched his highlights a few weeks ago," he said.

This cerebral approach to impacting three zones will be Johnston's calling card throughout his career. Even though he's been dealing with a minor upper-body injury in the preseason, he says he feels prepared for his sophomore campaign, which starts Oct. 12. He added eight pounds of muscle in the summer, giving his shot extra zip and helping with puck protection.

Now 6-foot-2 and 184 pounds, Johnston considers himself fortunate to have Pavelski, a respected vet who's twice his age, as a mentor. He lived with Pavelski and his family as a rookie and decided to return to the spacious Dallas-area home for Year 2 after briefly exploring other options.

"You've got time to live on your own the rest of your life," Johnston said. "Situations like this, with Pavs and his family, don't come up too often."

The situation is ideal. Johnston gets to be part of the Pavelski family while being away from his own and can regularly pick the brain of a first-line winger who's played 1,250 NHL games. Observing and asking about Pavelski's preparation and recovery methods alone is invaluable education.

The more Johnston embraces the off-ice aspects of being a pro, the better off he'll be. "What he's doing isn't a fluke," Johnston said of Pavelski's longevity.

Asked how Johnston can avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, Pavelski shared this bit of wisdom: "If there's anything to focus on, it's that you can't be satisfied. You need to want more. You have the foundation, you're willing to put in the work, so what can you add to that base without subtracting?"

The Stars, who lost in the Western Conference Final last year, are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. Led by 2017 draftees Oettinger, Miro Heiskanen, and Jason Robertson, the roster's a terrific mix of mid-career stars, veteran depth, and promising youngsters. And Johnston's in line for a bump in ice time.

"Even last year, the belief in the room was that we could win the Cup. And it's the same this year," Johnston said. "That's the expectation. That's the goal. Everyone's bought into that; everyone believes that."

Last October, Johnston was focused on starting his NHL career without any major hiccups, so the organization wouldn't have a choice but to keep him around all season. A year later, he's an essential piece of a win-now core and "just scratching the surface," according to his goalie.

"Johnny wants to be great. He wants to be a great NHLer," Oettinger said. "And I know, 100%, that he's going to be."

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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