Ranking the top 50 NHL players in 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs - ESPN

The NHL has been whittled down from 32 teams to 16 that remain in the hunt for the Stanley Cup. With the playoffs set to begin Saturday, it's time for our annual ranking of the top 50 players who will participate in the postseason.

The playoff edition of ESPN NHL Rank seeks to identify the top forwards, defensemen and goaltenders in the upcoming tournament. Dozens of voters participated, choosing one winner in a series of head-to-head voting matchups of the players on the 16 postseason qualifiers.

With many awards finalists and proven playoff performers in the mix this spring, who comes out on top? We start with a player who scored more goals this season than anyone in the past 30 years.

Note: Preseason rank refers to the top 100 published on Oct. 17, 2023. Write-ups are courtesy of ESPN reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski.

Emily Kaplan sets up the chase for the Stanley Cup as the NHL's second season gets underway.

2023-24 stats: 69 G | 38 A | 107 PTS
Preseason rank: 5

Matthews impresses every season, but this one was arguably his best all-around performance, and that should bode well for Toronto's playoff prospects.

The Leafs' star center racing towards the 70-goal mark kept everyone enthralled, but also showed how he can dominate offensively without sacrificing his two-way game. Those goals weren't meaningless, either. Matthews has shone brightest in most of Toronto's critical moments, foreshadowing the sort of detail and energy the Leafs need from him throughout a postseason run. — Shilton

2023-24 stats: 21 G | 69 A | 89 PTS
Preseason rank: 2

Makar is often mentioned as one of the best — if not the best -- defensemen in hockey. When the Avs won the Stanley Cup in 2022, it was Makar who won the