The NHL's 24-team playoff format has given new life to clubs that were outside the postseason picture when the season was suspended in March.

Due to the unique best-of-five setup, hockey fans will be treated to several thrilling and unpredictable matchups before the traditional Round of 16 gets underway.

Here are the three higher-seeded squads most in danger of being upset.

Pittsburgh Penguins (No. 5 seed in East)

Regular season vs. Canadiens: 2-1
Goal differential: 8-7 Penguins

Players reportedly fought against the play-in series being a best-of-three specifically because of superstar talents like Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price and their ability to single-handedly steal games. A best-of-five gives the Penguins a little more room for error, but not much.

However, Price hasn't played in the postseason since 2016-17, and although he's posted save percentages of .933, .920, and .919 over his three previous playoff runs, it's hard to say where his game will be after such a unique layoff. The puck-stopper owns a .929 save percentage across three starts against Pittsburgh this season, but the Penguins took the season series despite captain Sidney Crosby suiting up for just one of those contests.

The neutral-site factor also leads to an intriguing case for a Canadiens upset. The Penguins ranked second in home wins with 23 this season and were .500 on the road. Meanwhile, the Habs were far better away from the bright lights of the Bell Centre, and Price produced a save percentage of .917 on the road compared to .901 at home. Playing in an empty arena could benefit Montreal.

But most of the star power in this matchup belongs to the Penguins, and they should have a healthy lineup - with the exception of Nick Bjugstad - for what feels like the first time all season. The club will also be motivated after suffering an embarrassing first-round sweep at the hands of the New York Islanders last spring.

Edmonton Oilers (No. 5 seed in West)

Regular season vs. Blackhawks: 1-2
Goal differential: 10-9 Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks are far from the dynasty they were over the last decade, but the club still possesses a ton of winning pedigree and game-breaking talent. Though the Oilers finished 11 points ahead of Chicago, Edmonton isn't nearly as experienced in the postseason.

Along with Price, players reportedly cited Blackhawks star Patrick Kane as a reason they didn't want a shorter play-in series. Kane leads all players in the series in postseason goals (50) and points (123), and he's known for playing his best hockey when the stakes are the highest after winning three Stanley Cups and taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy.

All things being equal, the Oilers are certainly the better team. Two of the best players in the world are on their side in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and after Chicago dealt Robin Lehner to Vegas at the trade deadline, Edmonton owns an edge between the pipes too. The Blackhawks' core group is also much older, so although the layoff provided them with some much-needed rest, it could take Chicago a little bit longer to find its legs once the puck drops.

Regardless of the outcome, this matchup between two dynamic and exciting clubs should provide hockey-starved fans with everything they were missing.

Carolina Hurricanes (No. 6 seed in East)

Regular season vs. Rangers: 0-4
Goal differential: 17-9 Rangers

Despite this being a showdown between the sixth and 11th seeds, these two teams were closer in quality this season than those rankings would suggest.

The Hurricanes finished with 81 points through 68 games, while the New York Rangers earned 79 points in 70 outings. Now, Carolina must earn its playoff spot against a top-heavy Rangers team that's dominated this matchup in recent years.

New York swept the season series this year, with superstars Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad combining for 16 points in those four contests. Since the 2017-18 campaign, the Hurricanes own a 2-10 record against the Rangers and have been outscored 49-29.

The Rangers' goaltending could pose a problem for their opponents. Though he's years removed his prime, Henrik Lundqvist posted a 3-0 record with a .949 save percentage against Carolina this season, and rookie Igor Shesterkin was quick to make a name for himself by picking up 10 wins through his first 12 career starts.

However, the return of blue-chip defenseman Dougie Hamilton will give the Hurricanes a major boost, and their fourth-ranked penalty kill could nullify the Rangers' potent power play. Carolina also deploys a more well-rounded offense, and that depth should play to its advantage over a five-game series.

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Winnipeg Jets captain and Minnesota native Blake Wheeler tweeted a statement Saturday calling for systemic change in the United States amid protests following George Floyd's killing.

"I've wanted to say something for a while, but it's been really difficult knowing what to say. My hometown is burning. Businesses where I grew up are being boarded up. America is not OK," Wheeler wrote.

"Growing up outside Minneapolis, I always felt sheltered from racism. That's because I was. Most people I grew up with looked like me. I never had to be scared when I stopped at a traffic light or saw the police in public. My kids will never know that fear either.

"I'm heartbroken that we still treat people this way. We need to stand with the black community and fundamentally change how the leadership in this country has dealt with racism. I'm sorry it has taken this long, but I'm hopeful that we can change this NOW. George Floyd's life mattered. Ahmaud Arbery's life mattered. So did every other life that has been lost by this senseless violence and racism."

Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed Monday in Minneapolis after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on his neck for over eight minutes while Floyd was handcuffed on the ground. The incident has sparked mass outrage and protests across the U.S.

San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane, one of the few black players in the NHL, called Friday for more high-profile athletes to publicly speak out against racism. Sharks captain Logan Couture backed Kane on Saturday, stating that athletes cannot continue turning a blind eye to racism in hockey.

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Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno believes his club's biggest edge in its best-of-five play-in matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs may lie behind the bench.

"In a shortened series, I think the coach that knows his team best and knows how to get the quickest performance out of his team, you know, is going to have an advantage," Foligno said, according to Mark Masters of TSN. "The team that gets their minds to their identity is going to have an advantage."

Veteran head coach John Tortorella has served as the Blue Jackets' bench boss for five seasons. He's won 110 career playoff games, captured the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year on two occasions, and guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to a Stanley Cup title in 2004.

He also coached Columbus to a historic sweep of his former club as the Blue Jackets ousted the 62-win Lightning in the opening round of the 2019 postseason.

Known for his passionate approach, Tortorella put his coaching bona fides on full display while delivering a memorable speech to his players ahead of that series.

"He trusts us, and that trust has been built now for a few years," Foligno said. "You can go back to the video before the series in Tampa and that speech he gave, and that's exactly how all of us were feeling.

"He was dead on, because nobody was expecting anything out of us and we all felt slighted, so he was right in there with us and saying, 'We don't take a backwards step to these guys, we go right at them,' and that's a big reason why we had the success in that series."

Foligno believes Tortorella was paramount in helping the Blue Jackets carry last season's success into 2019-20, coaching them to a 33-22-15 record despite the offseason departures of several high-caliber talents and injuries to key players throughout the campaign.

"We could have easily strayed with the injuries we faced and the question marks going into the season, but he did a great job and we followed suit," Foligno said. "Now that belief is in the locker room. When you have a coach like that who can coach off emotion but also practicality, that's a huge benefit for us."

The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, replaced Mike Babcock with rookie head coach Sheldon Keefe in November following a 9-10-4 start to Babcock's fifth season with the team. Though Toronto's play remained inconsistent, the team improved under Keef, posting a 27-15-5 record.

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The NHL clarified its plan for processing conditional trades involving 2020 draft picks in a memo sent to teams this week, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

With the NHL and NHLPA agreeing upon a unique 24-team playoff format, the league has ruled teams must advance to the round of 16 for trade stipulations contingent on playoff appearances to take effect. Teams' round-by-round progression in the postseason will be measured from the 16-team stage onward.

"More specifically, for trade condition purposes, a club will not be deemed to have qualified for the playoffs unless or until they have progressed into the round of 16, and 'playoff games/rounds' will only include the games/rounds played in the round of 16 or later," the league wrote, according to LeBrun. "We believe this interpretation will best reflect the intentions of the parties at the time of the trade."

Several deals around the league were left in question when the NHL suspended its season on March 12.

The Vancouver Canucks dealt a conditional 2020 first-round pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning last offseason; if Vancouver missed the 2020 postseason, the pick was to convert into a 2021 first-rounder. The Lightning sent that pick to the New Jersey Devils in February in a deal for Blake Coleman.

Under the league's ruling, the Devils will own the pick in 2020 if the Canucks beat the Minnesota Wild in the 24-team play-in round. If the Canucks lose, New Jersey will receive Vancouver's 2021 selection instead.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, meanwhile, sent a conditional first-round pick to the Wild in February in exchange for Jason Zucker. If Pittsburgh were to miss the playoffs this season, the club would have the option to keep the pick and instead send Minnesota a first-round selection in 2021. The Penguins will face that decision if the Montreal Canadiens upset them in the play-in.

Despite declaring the 2019-20 regular season officially concluded, the league has yet to rule on the conditions for several other trades, such as the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames' deal to swap forwards Milan Lucic and James Neal.

The Flames were to receive a 2020 third-round pick from the Oilers if Neal scored 21 goals and Lucic scored 10 or fewer goals than Neal this season. Neal had 19 goals when the league halted play, while Lucic had eight.

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MGM Resorts International has submitted a bid to the NHL showcasing Las Vegas' ability to serve as a hub city for the expanded postseason, sources told The Athletic's Jesse Granger.

Exact details of the proposal are currently unknown, but it reportedly highlights the surplus of MGM-owned hotels located near T-Mobile Arena - home of the Golden Knights - which could make Sin City a viable spot to host players, staff, and potentially family members for 12 NHL teams. MGM also has a 42.5% ownership stake in T-Mobile Arena, Granger notes.

Las Vegas has been connected to the league's plan to use hub cities since the idea was first reported, and it's one of 10 locations the NHL is considering. The league hopes to have a hub in one market in each conference, but local COVID-19 restrictions will ultimately be the deciding factor.

Though Last Vegas doesn't have as many rinks available as other locations under consideration, there are six sheets of ice that can currently be used for games and practices. Additional ice surfaces could be installed closer to the strip, as well, according to Granger.

The NHL is also considering Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Toronto, and Vancouver.

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Logan Couture is taking teammate Evander Kane's words to heart and speaking out against institutional racism in hockey and beyond.

"I don't know how to properly write this message," the San Jose Sharks captain wrote Saturday in a statement on Twitter. "First of all, I applaud Evander for speaking the truth. Racism exists in society, (and) it also exists in hockey. That's a fact. Growing up in this game is a privilege. At times I think most of us have been at fault for turning a blind eye when it comes to racism.

"It cannot continue," he continued. "I've had the opportunity to play with some incredible teammates. Black, white, all colors. Getting to listen to them talk about things they have gone through in hockey/life is eye-opening. As a society and as hockey players, we are only scraping the surface in fixing what desperately needs fixing."

Kane made his feelings known Friday, saying, "We've been outraged for hundreds of years and nothing's changed," and calling upon white athletes like Sidney Crosby and Tom Brady to denounce racial injustice in the wake of incidents like the death of George Floyd.

Akim Aliu has been the leading voice of late in the movement seeking to combat racism in hockey. The former player's November revelations of Bill Peters' past use of racial slurs toward him led to the former head coach resigning from the Calgary Flames, and Aliu later met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to discuss how the league could be more inclusive.

"Thanks to Akim and Evander for speaking so loudly about this issue," Couture added. "We all need to learn, we need to love each other regardless of skin color."

Floyd, a 46-year-old Minneapolis man, died Monday after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed. Floyd's death has led to protests across the United States.

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The New York Rangers placed defenseman Sean Day on unconditional waivers, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Day was granted "exceptional status" into the OHL as a 15-year-old. He's one of just seven players in CHL history to receive the honor.

Day was selected fourth overall by the Mississauga Steelheads in the 2013 OHL Priority Draft despite being a year younger than all of his counterparts. Tavares, McDavid, and Ekblad all went No. 1 in their respective drafts.

Despite putting together a solid junior career, Day did not dominate in the OHL like many expected and was picked by the Rangers in the third round of the 2016 NHL draft.

Day turned pro in 2018 and split the last two seasons between the ECHL's Maine Mariners and AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack. The 22-year-old has tallied 18 points in 62 career AHL games.

As a former highly touted prospect, Day could become an intriguing reclamation project for an organization willing to take a chance on him.

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