16 players who will headline the Stanley Cup race

As the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, we highlight 16 players - one for every championship hopeful - with the power to take over matchups and propel their team to NHL supremacy.

Matthew Knies: The Maple Leafs have never had a player like Knies in the Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner-William Nylander era. Yes, Knies has been around for the past two playoff runs, but not this version of him. The hulking power forward exploded for 29 goals in his sophomore campaign, nearly doubling his 15 from a year ago. If he can effectively utilize his 6-foot-3, 227-pound frame for postseason hockey, it could open up more space for linemates Matthews and Marner, who need to deliver for Toronto to go deep.

Brady Tkachuk: The Senators captain hasn't played in many big games in his pro career, mainly because he hasn't gotten a taste of playoff hockey. But if his performance at the 4 Nations Face-Off was any indication - he scored three goals in four games and was a maniac on the forecheck - his game is tailor-made for the postseason. If the Senators pull off the upset in this series, you can bet it will be because Tkachuk drags them into the fight.

Andrei Vasilevskiy: The Lightning goaltender was a massive part of their three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances from 2020-22. His Conn Smythe Trophy-winning 2021 playoffs, in which he recorded four series-clinching shutouts, was the stuff of legend. But Vasilevskiy has been a weakness with an .885 save percentage over the past two postseasons where Tampa Bay has been eliminated in Round 1. If the playoff Vasi of old shows up - a real possibility after a strong, healthy regular season - look out.

Brad Marchand: The marriage between Marchand and the Panthers hasn't been as perfect as we might've thought - so far. The trade deadline acquisition tallied four points in 10 games with an ugly 43% expected goals share since returning from injury - a far cry from his typical 60-plus point pace. But Marchand was brought to Florida for the playoffs. Does he have enough left in the tank to deliver when it matters most? Can he be his usual agitating self?

Alex Ovechkin: The NHL's record goal scorer just buried 44 in 65 games despite enduring a broken leg. That translates to the fifth-best per-game scoring rate of Ovechkin's transcendent 20-year career. With a lofty 12.5% team shooting percentage, the Capitals sniped at will throughout the season but went cold during a recent funk. They can win rounds for the first time since their 2018 Cup run if Ovechkin continues to find open ice and overwhelm goalies.

Lane Hutson: The Canadiens' defensive shortcomings seem insignificant when the shifty, intelligent Hutson sets up Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, or Patrik Laine for tap-ins. His preternatural poise let him control games as a historically productive rookie blue-liner. In Hutson's first brush with a playoff opponent, he'll log intense minutes as Washington seeks to close his stickhandling and passing windows and force mistakes.

Seth Jarvis: Modeling consistency, the Hurricanes have advanced past the opening round of every postseason since 2019. Inevitably, they begin struggling to finish and bow out of the dance. Part of the problem is they've dropped five consecutive overtime games dating to the 2023 Eastern Conference Final. Carolina's luck will turn if Jarvis, an all-situations force whose 32 goals paced the club, jolts the offense in a huge moment.

Jesper Bratt: The Devils' 9-10-1 record since March 2 shows they teetered without Jack Hughes but refused to be crushed by his season-ending injury. It helped that Bratt, a phenomenal creator, continued the scoring tear that spurred him to fifth in the NHL in assists (67), sixth in primary assists (36), and tied for 15th in points (88). New Jersey's top line - Nico Hischier between Bratt and Ondrej Palat - needs to expose the Canes' shaky goaltending.

Connor Hellebuyck: It's time for Hellebuyck to take over a postseason and cement his status as an all-time great goaltender. He already has the regular-season hardware with two Vezina Trophies and a third likely coming his way in June. But he's struggled mightily with an .875 save percentage and a 4.28 goals-against average in 10 games over the past two postseasons. With the Jets winning the Presidents' Trophy and Hellebuyck firmly in his prime at 31, there's no better time than now to go on a deep run.

Jordan Binnington: If any goalie won't be intimidated by going head-to-head with Hellebuyck, it's Binnington, who got the better of his American counterpart in the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off. Binnington's confidence skyrocketed from his strong showing for Canada. He owned an .897 save percentage for the Blues before the tournament but posted a .910 mark afterward. A proven big-game goalie riding high is bad news for opposing shooters.

Mikko Rantanen: The potential of Rantanen haunting his former team is arguably the opening round's most intriguing storyline. He started to find his footing with the Stars - something he couldn't do in his brief stint with the Hurricanes - by recording 14 points in his final 13 games. The Stars are one of the deepest teams in the league, but a true game-breaker up front like Rantanen could put them over the top in the playoffs.

Brock Nelson: The Avalanche front office overhauled nearly half the team throughout the season, but Nelson was probably their biggest addition. Colorado hasn't had a center of Nelson's caliber behind Nathan MacKinnon since 2022, when the Avs won the Cup with Nazem Kadri producing valuable secondary offense. The 6-foot-4 Nelson, who boasts an impressive playoff resume with 27 goals in 78 games, could provide a similar impact.

Tomas Hertl: Acquired at the 2024 trade deadline, Hertl's unproductive first series with the Golden Knights contributed to their defeat in seven games. They'll be miserable to face this spring if he meets expectations. The big center's 11 goals in his past 17 outings helped Vegas accrue a .731 points percentage since the 4 Nations break. The Pacific Division's top seed is a buzzsaw with scoring depth, brawn, and championship experience.

Kirill Kaprizov: Only four NHL megastars (Nikita Kucherov, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and MacKinnon) produced more points per game than Kaprizov, the heartbeat of the Wild. However, he was injured for half the year, and Minnesota suffered accordingly, playing at an 88-point standings pace without him in the lineup. The Wild can spook Vegas if they receive superior goaltending and Kaprizov is dominant for close to 25 minutes each night.

Vladislav Gavrikov: The Kings are a shutdown team that allowed the second-fewest goals and shots on net in the NHL. They tap Gavrikov to shadow stars, block rubber, and create calm in front of Darcy Kuemper, the potential Vezina Trophy finalist who'll be the seventh Los Angeles goalie in four postseasons to face Edmonton. Gavrikov and L.A.'s other defensive linchpins, Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty, are battle-tested and itching to slay the beast.

Connor McDavid: Who else? The Oilers were about to be swept in the last Stanley Cup Final when McDavid's back-to-back four-point explosions turned a rout into an unforgettable slugfest. When he faces the Kings in the playoffs, he transforms into Wayne Gretzky with blinding speed. The hardest player to stop, no one's better equipped than McDavid to elevate linemates, lacerate a strong defense, and drag a banged-up team to victory.