Connor McDavid. Sidney Crosby. The rest.

That's basically the hierarchy of talent in today's NHL, with those two greats expected to battle it out once again for the Art Ross Trophy as the top point producer.

There's other contenders, however, and it's quite possible that any of the following five players could take the scoring title:

5. Mark Scheifele

With 30 goals and 52 assists for the Winnipeg Jets last season, Mark Scheifele finished with the fifth-highest point total among all NHL players. He reached 82 points while appearing in only 79 games, and despite the fact high-scoring winger Patrik Laine missed nine games due to injury.

One would figure his assist total will be boosted if both he and Laine remain on the ice together over a full season, but his goal production may fall off a bit considering he scored at a 20 percent success rate in 2016-17.

Still, the Jets offense is loaded, and Scheifele will be at the middle of a large part of the action.

4. Patrick Kane

Over the past two seasons, no player has been more productive than Patrick Kane, and it's not even really close.

The Chicago Blackhawks winger registered 80 goals and 115 assists for 195 points in his last 164 regular season games, 21 more points than the second-ranked Crosby.

It remains to be seen whether his numbers were boosted by playing with Artemi Panarin, who's since been traded to Columbus for Brandon Saad. For now, Kane is riding the wave of his career, and should be expected to keep it going.

3. Nikita Kucherov

By the end of last season, Nikita Kucherov had put his name in the Hart Trophy conversation, and would have garnered some votes had the Tampa Bay Lightning made good on a late playoff push.

The Russian winger is a superstar few have yet to give the title, a station earned after registering 40 goals and 45 assists in 74 games last season. And that was without Steven Stamkos in the lineup for the majority of the season.

One gets the sense this 24-year-old is just getting started.

2. Sidney Crosby

He very well may have been supplanted as the best player in the world, but Crosby is second to one.

The Pittsburgh Penguins' all-world center recorded 44 goals and 45 assists in 75 games last season, missing the opening seven contests with a concussion. That 0.59 goals per game average is the second-highest of his career, proving he's aging quite well.

Crosby excelled once again in the playoffs, where he meshed well with young wingers Jake Guentzel and Conor Sheary.

Expect Sid to continue to do what he does best, and that's produce.

1. Connor McDavid

It's hard to imagine any player topping the Edmonton Oilers phenom anytime soon.

McDavid was the only player to reach 100 points last season, topping Crosby and Kane by 11 points in the Art Ross Trophy race. For his career, he's averaging 1.17 points per game, which works out to 96 over an 82-game season.

Only Kane has surpassed that total in any of the past three seasons, recording 106 in 2015-16.

In short, McDavid is the perennial favorite to win the scoring race until further notice.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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Of the NHL's four divisions, the Metropolitan is tracking to be the tightest this season, with as many as seven of the eight teams being in the playoff conversation.

As a result, any attempt to rank these clubs should come with the caveat that while there may be some separation between the top five and the bottom three, the tight point margins could be slim enough to change a team's ranking by a spot or two either way.

All of that is to underscore that this will be a very competitive division, and here's our best guess as to how it will all play out.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Winners of the past two Stanley Cup championships, the Penguins lost a couple of key players (Nick Bonino and Matt Cullen), and are therefore looking to fill big holes at center.

Still, a roster that boasts Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Kris Letang and Matt Murray remains formidable, and emerging young guns up front will help keep this team rolling for the foreseeable future.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Few take this team seriously, and perhaps that's warranted considering the Blue Jackets have only won three playoff games in their 17-year existence, while their success last season was largely buoyed by a 16-game win streak.

On paper, though, this roster is deep and talented at all skater positions, and Sergei Bobrovsky proved he's still elite with a Vezina campaign in 2016-17. The addition of Artemi Panarin gives Columbus a much-needed gamebreaker, and these Jackets will look to sting early and often.

Washington Capitals

The Capitals were forced to make some salary cap sacrifices following another disappointing early playoff exit, and while the Cup window may have closed without a win, the roster remains in good shape for the time being.

Alex Ovechkin is still at the helm of a powerful offense and Braden Holtby is as solid as they come, meaning regular-season success is still in the cards.

Carolina Hurricanes

This southern squad was the belle of the offseason ball, adding Scott Darling in net and bringing back Justin Williams to help out an emerging group of talented young forwards.

General manager Ron Francis has also assembled one of the NHL's best rosters of defensemen, and the Hurricanes are primed to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2009.

New York Rangers

The Rangers are quietly trending towards a younger and faster roster, and that certainly bodes well in today's NHL. The addition of Kevin Shattenkirk on defense and the ever-steady presence of Henrik Lundqvist in net will help this team's chances.

The latter, however, isn't playing as much as he used to, and if the Rangers have to rely on Ondrej Pavelec for any length of time, all bets are off.

Philadelphia Flyers

This team is somewhat in limbo, having amassed a wealth of young talent - particularly on defense, although Andrew MacDonald is their highest-paid defenseman - but they also feature an aging core, and are facing the same old question marks in net.

Brian Elliott was supposed to be the answer in Calgary last season but faltered, and he's now expected to replace an underappreciated Steve Mason, who jetted off to Winnipeg.

They'll be a playoff bubble team, but the Flyers may be a year or two away from taking a big step forward with Nolan Patrick starring up front.

New York Islanders

Will he stay or will he go? Until John Tavares decides one way or the other, his contract situation will hang heavy over the Islanders.

There's impressive young talent up front waiting to take off, but the loss of Travis Hamonic, coupled with questions in goal, will keep this team from competing with the heavier hitters in this division.

New Jersey Devils

The Devils made impressive strides in the building process over the summer, adding Nico Hischier as the first pick at the draft and signing free agent standout defenseman Will Butcher.

Any team would want Cory Schneider and Taylor Hall on its side, but the pieces here just don't fit quite yet, meaning another lottery pick is in this team's future.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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Steven Stamkos is officially back.

The Tampa Bay Lightning captain will make his preseason debut Friday against the Nashville Predators, marking his first appearance since tearing the lateral meniscus in his right knee back on Nov. 15, 2016.

He said he's felt good in training camp, but game action will be the true test.

"It's just getting in the flow of things where you're reacting out there, not thinking," Stamkos said, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "When you get injured the tendency is your mind is telling your body to protect that certain area that's injured.

"It's a natural reaction to an injured area. And really when you're over it is when you're not thinking about it. You're just going out there responding to the play, you're letting the game come to you. That's what I'm hoping for tonight."

It's not Stamkos' first comeback following a serious leg injury, seeing as he broke his leg early in 2013-14.

But prior to last season's setback, he registered nine goals and 11 assists in 17 games, and is confident he can get back to that high level of play.

"Listen, I snapped my leg in half and came back and was playing the best hockey of my career," Stamkos said. "So this is another hurdle. I'm confident that when you put in the work, you're going to find ways. It may be different ways. You may have to adjust certain parts of your game. But we'll handle that when I see how it feels in a game situation. We'll know more tonight."

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The standoff between the Boston Bruins and restricted free agent David Pastrnak is over.

The team signed the 21-year-old forward to a six-year, $40-million contract. The new deal will run through the 2022-23 season and carries an average annual value of $6.67 million.

It's the culmination of a lengthy negotiation that threatened to bleed well into training camp.

Pastrnak's camp, though reportedly seeking Leon Draisaitl money, ultimately used Nashville's Filip Forsberg as a point of comparison, according to Dreger. In the end, the Bruins winger will earn $4 million more than his Predators counterpart.

Pastrnak will now be the team's third-highest-paid forward behind David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron, according to Cap Friendly.

He registered 34 goals and 36 assists in 75 games last season,

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The Winnipeg Jets signed center Bryan Little to a six-year contract extension with an average annual value of $5.291 million on Thursday.

The new deal will begin in 2018-19 as Little plays out his current contract, which carries a cap hit of $4.7 million this season.

Little, 29, was originally drafted 12th overall by the Atlanta Thrashers at the 2006 NHL Draft and is entering his 11th season with the club.

Last season, he was limited to 59 games, but still registered 21 goals and 26 assists for a point-per-game average of 0.8 - a single-season career high. It was the fourth straight season he reached at least 40 points for the Jets and the fifth time in his career that he eclipsed the 20-goal mark.

His new AAV will maintain his status as the team's third-highest-paid forward behind Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, according to Cap Friendly.

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The New Jersey Devils agreed to a $25-million, six-year deal with restricted free agent Damon Severson, the team announced Monday.

"We are happy to have Damon under contract through the 2022-23 season," said general manager Ray Shero. "Damon brings an important dimension to our hockey club and he is a young defenseman that we are excited to work with. This deal shows our ownership's commitment in what we continue to build here. We look forward to helping Damon continue to grow and develop as a player."

The deal does not include a no-trade clause, reports TSN's Bob McKenzie.

Severson, a second-round pick at the 2012 NHL Draft, led all Devils defensemen with 31 points last season (three goals, 28 assists), averaging 20:21 of ice time in 80 games.

This new deal makes him the team's second-highest-paid defenseman behind captain Andy Greene.

The contract breaks down by season as 2017-18: $2,500,000; 2018-19: $3,000,000; 2019-20: $4,675,000; 2020-21: $4,675,000; 2021-22: $5,050,000; 2022-23: $5,100,000.

The Devils now have all their free agents signed, leaving the team with $10.367 million in projected cap space, per Cap Friendly. Some of that could be used on Jimmy Hayes or Tim Erixon, both of whom will be at training camp on professional tryouts.

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Change is inevitable.

In today's NHL, it's incredibly rare for a player to remain with one team for the entirety of his career.

There's been no shortage of roster shuffling this summer, providing us with three players in particular who are going to look really weird in their new jerseys.

Marc-Andre Fleury

Let's be honest - it will be odd to see any player take to the ice wearing a Vegas Golden Knights jersey.

There will be many firsts for the NHL's 31st franchise, and it's likely the first win will be earned by Marc-Andre Fleury, who's only ever played for the Pittsburgh Penguins after being selected first overall in 2003.

Here's another look at Pittsburgh's all-time leader in wins (375) and save percentage (.912).

"Flower" has already given a preview of his new mask. Now bring on the skates and full gear.

Patrick Marleau

Drafted second overall in 1997 (after future teammate Joe Thornton), Patrick Marleau basically wrote the San Jose Sharks' record books over the past 19 seasons.

While Thornton decided to re-sign with the club with a view to finally getting over that Cup hurdle, Marleau surprisingly went his own way, choosing instead to sign with the upstart Toronto Maple Leafs, who could contend as early as this season.

Marleau recently gave San Jose a peek at his new threads before moving North.

Yeah, that's weird.

Artemi Panarin

We only had two seasons to get used to Artemi Panarin in a Chicago Blackhawks jersey, but he sure put on a show.

The 2015-16 NHL rookie of the year regularly made magic with frequent linemate Patrick Kane. In 162 games with the club, Panarin scored 61 goals and added 90 assists, and only six players around the NHL recorded more points over that time: Kane, Sidney Crosby, Jamie Benn, Nicklas Backstrom, Erik Karlsson, and Blake Wheeler.

Traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in order to bring Brandon Saad back to Chicago, Panarin seems pumped to switch his jersey number from 72 to 9, with the former worn by Sergei Bobrovsky.

First impressions are hard to shake, and seeing Panarin in Columbus blue will take some getting used to.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Connor Brown to a three-year contract extension worth $6.3 million, the team announced.

Brown, Toronto's last remaining restricted free agent, will therefore carry an average annual valuation of $2.1 million against the salary cap.

In his first full season with the Maple Leafs, Brown registered 20 goals (17 at even strength) and 16 assists, finishing fifth on the team in goals and eighth in points.

Brown will once again be a restricted free agent at the end of this new deal, per Cap Friendly.

The Maple Leafs now have 23 players under contract with less than a month to go until training camp.

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There's simply no room for error in the salary cap era.

If an offensive talent isn't carrying his cap hit's worth in goals and points, his team is less likely to succeed in the long run.

Here, then, are five players who must produce this season in order to render their cap hits more tenable.

P.K. Subban

2017-18 cap hit: $9M
2016-17 stats: 66 GP, 10 G, 30 A

Simply put, P.K. Subban is the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL, and his numbers must more closely reflect that fact.

He did miss a chunk of games due to injury during his first season with the Nashville Predators, and he played some very fine hockey when healthy, especially in the playoffs.

But when your cap hit is set to be $1 million more than reigning Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns, you need to rank higher than 13th in points per game, or at least be the most productive defenseman on your own team.

Corey Perry

2017-18 cap hit: $8.625M
2016-17 stats: 82 GP, 19 goals, 34 assists

"Scorey" Corey Perry he was not last season, as the Anaheim Ducks winger recorded his lowest goal total since his sophomore year.

In fairness, his shooting percentage was way down, 8.8 percent in comparison to his career mark of 13.2. But still, Perry is counted on to score, and the Ducks can't see him routinely hunted down by the opposition once again.

Leon Draisaitl

2017-18 cap hit: $8.5M
2016-17 stats: 82 GP, 29 G, 48 A

For one season, Leon Draisaitl will be the highest-paid player on the Edmonton Oilers.

Draisaitl earned his hefty raise on the strength of a breakout year - his second full season - in which he finished eighth on the NHL's points list. He also helped the club clinch a playoff spot, and lead the Oilers in postseason scoring with six goals and 10 assists in 13 games.

For the Oilers to remain on an upward trajectory, Draisaitl must at least maintain that level of success, especially after his cap hit is eclipsed by $4 million by Connor McDavid beginning in 2018-19.

Related: How banking on a self-reliant Draisaitl affects McDavid, Oilers' Cup chances

Rick Nash

2017-18 cap hit: $7.8M
2016-17 stats: 67 GP, 23 goals, 15 assists

Rick Nash remains on the New York Rangers' books for one more season, serving as the team's second-highest paid player next to Henrik Lundqvist.

He did reach 42 goals in 2014-15, but has struggled to remain healthy and hit the back of the net on a consistent basis since.

A modest resurgence, however, would greatly help the Rangers' chances in what will be a very competitive Metropolitan Division.

Zach Parise

2017-18 cap hit: $7,538,462
2016-17 stats: 69 GP, 19 goals, 23 assists

By his own admission, last season last season stunk for Zach Parise.

The Minnesota Wild winger was limited by nagging injuries and illnesses, and finished with his lowest full-season totals since his rookie year with the New Jersey Devils.

Parise is entering the sixth year of a monster 13-year, $98-million contract signed in 2012, and the Wild need him to come back refreshed and ready to help bring a Cup to his hometown.

- Salary information courtesy: Cap Friendly

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Jussi Jokinen is set to provide the Edmonton Oilers with great value both on and off the ice.

The Finnish forward signed a one-year, $1.1-million contract with the club Friday, and will be expected to contribute at both ends of the ice, as he has over the course of his career.

More than that, Jokinen will be called upon to mentor Jesse Puljujarvi, Edmonton's fourth overall pick in 2016, who played for Finnish Elite League club Karpat - a team Jokinen owns in part - before coming to North America.

It's a role he's already embracing.

"I'm there any time (Puljujarvi) needs something," Jokinen said, per Chris Wescott on the team's website. "I think he'll be a great player for the Oilers for a long time. He's a young guy and it's not easy to come into the League but I'll do everything I can to help him grow as a player and person."

It's the kind of relationship Jokinen benefited from when he broke into the NHL.

"I remember when I was a young guy I came to the Dallas Stars and Jere Lehtinen was my roommate my first year I was able to learn from him what you have to do to be an NHL player," he said. "I learned how you have to train, how you have to play and carry yourself and stuff like that so I learned a lot from him."

Jokinen is averaging 0.61 points per game since 2005, and consistently boasts positive possession numbers, making him a tremendous low-risk, high-reward signing for the Oilers.

Even if he remains for only one season, his impact could be lasting should he indeed impart some important lessons on young Puljujarvi, who registered one goal and seven assists in 28 games for the Oilers last season.

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