[ad_1]
The Stanley Cup playoffs are when the spotlight shines the brightest on the NHL. Not coincidentally, they’re also when hockey’s star players shine the brightest, too.
Every preseason, we publish the ESPN NHL Rank, which rates the top 100 players based on how good they’re expected to be in the upcoming season — predicting potential greatness rather than relying on past performances or positional value. It’s time to do the same for the postseason.
Here’s the playoff edition of ESPN NHL Rank, which seeks to identify the top forwards, defensemen and goaltenders in the upcoming Stanley Cup playoffs. Dozens of voters participated, choosing one winner in a series of head-to-head voting matchups created from the players on the 16 postseason qualifiers.
The following list features NHL award winners, previous Stanley Cup champions and stars that are seeking postseason glory. As you’ll see, our voters made some interesting calls at the top regarding which players they believe are the best of the best in the 2022 NHL postseason.
2021-22 stats: 60 G | 46 A | 106 PTS
Preseason rank: 3
Matthews has ascended to a new level this season. His 60-goal season was the first in the NHL since Steven Stamkos’ in 2011-12, and the first ever for an American-born player. He set a new Maple Leafs record for single-season goals — no small feat for a franchise that entered the league in 1917. His growth as a defensive center has made him one of the most potent total packages the NHL has seen in recent memory.
Matthews has 17 points in his last 19 playoff games, atoning for an invisible performance in 2018 that still defines him. That’s because Matthews has yet to carry the Leafs to a playoff series victory. Based on what he accomplished in the regular season, this could be the year — for a dominant Matthews playoff performance, and potentially, a Toronto Stanley Cup win. — Greg Wyshynski
2021-22 stats: 22 G | 58 A | 86 PTS
Preseason rank: 5
Makar is the kind…
[ad_2]
Source : espn
