With the 2019-20 NHL season on the horizon, we figured it would be a useful exercise to rank all of the teams based on the entertainment value they figure to provide viewers this year. The "Watchability Tiers" count all the way down from 31 to 1, and they take into account any number of relevant factors that go into creating a fun product.

Talent is obviously king, but it's ultimately just one piece of the bigger puzzle. Style, system, and the propensity for playing a fast-paced brand of hockey are just as important -- as is the likelihood of being involved in engaging back-and-forth games that are relevant and of consequence. All of the accoutrements -- such as the quality of the broadcast, uniform aesthetics, and atmosphere of the home crowds -- are all baked into the equation as well.

It's also key to remember that sometimes a team's objective ability to win hockey games and their subjective position on these rankings isn't necessarily correlated. You can be a good team that isn't particularly fun to watch, and you can be a mediocre team that puts on a show.

Hopefully the list will help guide you through the following scenario: You're sitting down on a random Tuesday night and there's a full slate of games on at once; all other things being equal and putting rooting allegiances aside, which teams should you prioritize tuning in to watch?

Only if there's nothing else on tonight

31. Los Angeles Kings

There's few things more depressing in professional sports than watching stars playing out the twilight of their careers in completely inconsequential anonymity, resembling shells of their formerly great selves. No team is a better representation of that at the moment than the Kings, who have nearly $54 million of the $81.5 million salary cap for the coming season tied up in the following players:

36 year old Ilya Kovalchuk
35 year old Dustin Brown
35 year old Jeff Carter
34 year old Jonathan Quick
33 year old Trevor Lewis
32 year old Anze Kopitar
32 year old Alec Martinez
30 year old Drew Doughty
The buyout of Dion Phaneuf
The recapture penalty on Mike Richards

That's a bleak list. As a team last season, they were 30th in goals scored and 30th in points, and there's no real reason to expect an improvement as all of their key roster players only get older and less productive. The good news is that they've drafted exceptionally well lately, and once they eventually dig out of this financial mess, there should be an interesting crop of young players to take over. The bad news is that it's going to take a while to get there, and until they do, they'll remain a tough reminder of what once was.

30. Ottawa Senators

Welcome to the first list you'll read all preseason that doesn't have the Ottawa Senators in 31st place! I'll even cop to the admission that I strongly considered moving them a couple spots higher, because in a way I actually found myself watching and not hating their games last season. I ultimately couldn't put them any higher for two reasons:

1. Most of that morbid entertainment was similar to how you can't look away from a train wreck as it's unfolding before your very eyes. It certainly wasn't good hockey by any means, but there was no real regard for defense and there's something to be said for the sheer volume with which goals were being put on the board. The likelihood of a highlight-reel goal being scored at any given moment was high enough that their games were worth watching, even if you didn't exactly feel good about the way you were choosing to spend your time in the moment:

2. It's becoming increasingly difficult to justify supporting or endorsing in any capacity the way this current ownership group is running the franchise. The Senators are essentially the league's version of a shell company at this point, because it's clear that they have no real interest in spending anything beyond the absolute bare minimum it takes to field a hockey team. They're more interested in cutting costs and finding unique ways to get around picking up the tab on players than they are building and fielding a competitive lineup.

Thomas Chabot's mega-extension kicks in next year, but before that happens, Bobby Ryan's albatross $7.25 million salary represents the only active player making over $5 million who they have on the books. Even two of their biggest cap hits -- Nikita Zaitsev and Artem Anisimov -- are actually being paid significantly less in real dollars because their previous employers already paid out their signing bonuses before trading them. As in other aspects of life, you get what you pay for in this league, and until there's a fundamental change in how the franchise is run, the soul-crushing misery will continue in Ottawa.

29. Detroit Red Wings

I typically find that teams that don't have electrifying defensemen capable of kickstarting the transition game and getting the puck up the ice quickly are a tough watch. There are ways around it, but unless you're blessed with generational offensive talents up front that can do it all themselves -- like the Penguins, for example -- you're immediately fighting an uphill battle.

Hockey is in its most entertaining form when it's smooth and free flowing, with players maneuvering through the neutral zone and creating on the fly. It's awfully difficult to establish that kind of rhythm if you're constantly stopping and starting and sloppily changing possession because of failed zone exits.

That's ultimately why the Red Wings get docked on this list, with a strong argument to be made that no team has a less inspiring collection of defenders than they do entering the season. Filip Hronek and Dennis Cholowski have showed promise, but unless they can take a gargantuan leap in Year 2, Detroit will continue to sputter offensively. It's a shame, because the likes of Dylan Larkin and Andreas Athanasiou are incredibly exciting to watch and would thrive in a track meet setting, but they won't be able to fully utilize their speed if they're constantly having to go back and get the puck themselves.

28. Anaheim Ducks

I would describe my interest level in the Ducks this season as "cautiously curious." Unlike their Southern California counterpart, they're at least able to immediately sell a hopeful glimpse into their future, given how fully they've embraced the youth movement. There's only a few trace remains left of the aging core that made them a perennial contender for a large chunk of the mid-2010s. The roster has been turned over, and the lineup is littered with promising young forwards who should be empowered to play through their anticipated early career growing pains.

Between Troy Terry, Sam Steel, Max Comtois and Max Jones, there's a good nucleus in place of players who thrived together in the AHL under Dallas Eakins' tutelage and are looking to take the next step together this season with him behind the NHL bench. Even what's considered the "old guard" by default just based on tenure, such as Jakob Silfverberg (28), Josh Manson (28), Cam Fowler (28), Rickard Rakell (26), Hampus Lindholm (25) and Ondrej Kase (24), is a fun group to watch that's firmly in its prime and can get up and down the ice in a hurry.

The X factor here is Eakins. In past years, the on-ice product in Anaheim has suffered largely from self-inflicted wounds caused by its coaching staff. It was so bad that they ostensibly didn't even have a real coach behind the bench for a healthy portion of last season (GM Bob Murray served as a placeholder), and you could still argue that it represented an upgrade over the previous regime. Eakins, who never really got a fair shake during his season and a half in Edmonton, fits perfectly with the vision of the future of this franchise. At the very least, he was presumably hired with the intention of seeing this thing through properly. They'll still likely be bad this season, and John Gibson faces yet another uphill battle of high shot volume, but at least you could argue it's finally a necessary step as part of a larger process.

Let's check in and see what they're doing

27. Arizona Coyotes

The Coyotes were undoubtedly one of the league's most surprising stories last season, overcoming a rash of injuries all over the depth chart to make a spirited push towards the playoffs that ultimately fell just short. It was actually a somewhat miraculous run, all things considered, especially since they didn't have a single player reach either 20 goals or 50 points. To put that feat into some perspective, the Leafs had seven players top 20 goals, and the Sharks had eight players eclipse 50 points.

They're clearly hoping that Phil Kessel is going to come in and address a lot of those concerns by providing them with a shot in the arm offensively. Considering how low the bar to clear is, he almost certainly will; the only question is just how much. Over the past three seasons, over 44% of his total scoring came with the man advantage, with only Nikita Kucherov doing a higher percentage of damage there than him in that period of time. While he'll have a hard time replicating that kind of success without the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang around, his ability as a shooter and passer should still dramatically help Arizona's 26th-ranked power play get up off the ground.

26. Minnesota Wild

Getting Matt Dumba back after he missed a significant portion of last season with an injury is huge for the Wild and their watchability, because his offensive instincts from the blue line and willingness to get involved in the play provide the team with an entirely different dynamic. He won't keep converting 13% of his shots into goals, but his goal-scoring upside is right up there with anyone at the position given the level at which he was playing before he got hurt.

While the majority of former GM Paul Fenton's brief tenure running the team can only be described as a comedy of errors, the deadline acquisitions of Kevin Fiala and Ryan Donato provide a beacon of hope for elevating the team's offensive ceiling. The former in particular is an incredibly intriguing talent, because his unique combination of speed and skill is hard to come by. Even though all he's ever really done thus far is tease us with his potential, he's still only 23 years old and could be special if he can harness those gifts.

That's the good news. The bad news is that this roster hasn't really been put together with much care or thought about the future, which makes it difficult to get fully invested in them until that changes. It's an eclectic mix of players that doesn't make a ton of sense together. As a result, they appear to be stuck right in the middle between not being bad enough to warrant bottoming out and playing for the future, but also not being good enough to seriously compete and make any real noise in the present.

25. Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus saw a ton of talent leave town this summer via free agency, but the situation with which it has been left isn't nearly as bleak as it's been made out to be. The team already has most of the heavy lifting done, with two cornerstone defensemen in Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, and a top-line center in Pierre-Luc Dubois, and all three are under the age of 25 and under team control.

The loss of Artemi Panarin's ability to soak up the attention of opposing defenses and make plays for both himself and others at a high level will be sorely felt, and the Blue Jackets understandably don't have a natural replacement of his caliber ready to step in and fill his shoes. What they do have is impressive scoring depth and balance throughout the lineup, plus some interesting young players with plenty of room to grow into bigger roles.

That list doesn't include youngsters Emil Bemstrom and Alex Texier. The former led the Swedish Hockey League in goal scoring as a teenager, while the latter had 41 points in 55 games as a 19-year-old in the Finnish pro league before a cameo in the playoffs last spring. And it also doesn't include a goalie named Elvis Merzlikins, who by all accounts is a character who dances after wins. The Blue Jackets will take a step back this season, but there's still plenty on the team about which to be excited.

The iso-cam

24. Islanders, 23. Sabres
22. Canucks, 21. Oilers

Hockey remains the ultimate team game, but there's still something to be said for having that one jaw-dropping talent in your back pocket that can create something out of nothing with the puck on their stick when nothing else seems to be working. I'm lumping all of these teams together even though they're all built differently, purely because of that one electrifying talent they each have.

Whether it's Mathew Barzal, Jack Eichel, Elias Pettersson or Connor McDavid, each player can single-handedly make their teams worth watching every time they step onto the ice because that could be the shift where they casually do something we didn't even know was possible prior to seeing it. Instead of lamenting their respective situations and wondering aloud about what it'll take to get them some more help, let's just enjoy how much fun they each are in their own ways.

Great teams, but...

This group of teams conveniently goes together because they're all deep, they're all going to win a lot of hockey games, and they all either play a brand of hockey -- or at a particular pace -- that doesn't exactly lend itself to the most thrilling viewing experience. The other thing that unites them is that despite all of the big-name players they have at the top of the marquee, I'm far more interested in seeing how some of the side plots involving each of them play out.

20. St. Louis Blues

I want to see how the likes of Robert Thomas and Vince Dunn continue to develop, and whether they can continue to garner larger roles on a team that is historically balanced and not one to usually let young players run wild. I want to see how Jordan Binnington does with a full regular season workload as the starter, and whether he can keep up his level of play. I also want to see Colton Parayko play hockey, because he's remarkably good at it.

19. Dallas Stars

I want to see how the secondary scoring holds up with the switch from Mats Zuccarello to Joe Pavelski. I imagine it'll be just fine, because Roope Hintz looks like the real deal, and is understandably generating a bunch of hype for his postseason performance. The Stars were an entirely different team once they got Tyler Seguin's line some scoring depth behind it, so you could argue their fortunes this season rest on that as much as anything this side of Ben Bishop's lower extremities.

18. Nashville Predators

I want to see how Matt Duchene and new assistant coach Dan Lambert affect their power play. Considering that it was historically bad last regular season and only got worse in the playoffs -- reaching its nadir in the Stars series with an oh-fer showing where they failed to create a goal in 30:46 of time with the man advantage -- it can only go up from here. But considering how dramatic the switch from P.K. Subban to Duchene was this summer for a roster that's still pretty good, they've got a lot riding on this being the solution to what plagued them last season.

17. Boston Bruins

OK, fine. I lied about the Bruins. It's still all about Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. Watching them do their thing and surgically pick apart the opposition will never get old. He doesn't often get brought up in the discussion of most lethal shot makers with players like Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos and Patrik Laine, but Pastrnak is right there at this point. His one-timer from the left circle on the power play is astounding, both in terms of the size of the window in which he can receive a pass, and how quickly he turns it around on net. I'm curious to see whether he can continue to get incrementally more productive every season, and what his true ceiling is; right now it appears to be as high as any we've seen.

It's not about the destination, but the journey

I'm lumping these teams together because I'm both unsure of how good they'll actually be, but also quite confident that it won't matter when it comes to how fun they are to watch. They also all spent significant money -- or in the Canadiens' case, tried to -- during the offseason, and present a level of intrigue because of the new faces that are sliding into the mix.

16. Florida Panthers

No team threw more money around than the Panthers did this summer, which isn't to say that they'll be any better for it. New No. 1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is certainly a big addition on paper, but he's also coming off a down season and plays a position that is notoriously unpredictable. The other complicating factor is that Florida was an absolute mess defensively last season, and if they don't patch that up, it won't really matter who's playing in net behind them.

Beyond star Aleksander Barkov, the best thing they have going for them is their power play, which finished behind just the Lightning in efficiency last season. With Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Evgenii Dadonov, Mike Hoffman and Keith Yandle, they're able to get five shooters out on the ice at the same time, and watching them fling the puck around the ice is a joy to watch.

15. Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers are grandfathered in to the top half of this list just because of how predictably unpredictable they always are. There's seemingly always something bizarre going on with Philadelphia, and they're the one franchise that's proved capable of both winning and losing 10 consecutive games in a single season.

The money they gave Kevin Hayes was far too rich, but in the present, there's no denying that he felt like an obvious need for them. As a proven second scoring option down the middle, he takes some pressure off Nolan Patrick and Scott Laughton, and gives the Flyers a formidably balanced attack. It doesn't hurt that Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek are personal favorites because of how well rounded they are as players, regardless of where the action is on the ice.

14. Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens were stunningly fun to watch last season. They're super undersized as a group up front, but they more than make up for it by skating fast, playing hard, and being incredibly annoying to play against. You could win a lot of bar bets by knowing that they were the fifth-most prolific offensive team at 5-on-5 last year.

The only thing that held them back from really unloading on teams was their horrendous power play, which finished 30th last season, ahead of just the Predators. They're far too reliant on Shea Weber shots from the point, and if they really are hellbent on making his cannon a featured part of the plan, I'd like to at least see them put him in Ovechkin's office on the left circle to get him in a more dangerous shooting position.

13. Chicago Blackhawks

No team found itself in the middle of fun, high-scoring games last season more frequently than the Blackhawks did. The 8-7 game against the Senators and the 7-6 game against the Leafs were two of the most memorable regular-season games. They finished with the eighth-most goals scored, which would've been great if they hadn't also finished with the second-most goals allowed. Part of that had to do with their less-than-ideal goaltending situation, which included sending Cam Ward out there 30 times.

But the bigger issue was the defending structure, which could only be described as "nonexistent." There can be a lack of defensive talent, and then there's running around the defensive zone aimlessly without a coherent plan. Their defense was reminiscent of two great circus acts from the recent past: the Avalanche with Patrick Roy behind the bench and the Islanders with Doug Weight as coach. The glass-half-full view is that coach Jeremy Colliton will benefit from a full offseason to implement his system, and that the additions of Olli Maatta and Calvin de Haan will do wonders for their ability to break plays up in their own zone.

But even if that's the case, the roster is still flawed and the defense leaves plenty to be desired. Even with better coaching, goaltending, and improved personnel, this is still likely a team that's going to have to score its way out of trouble more often than not -- which makes for entertaining viewing.

12. New Jersey Devils, 11. New York Rangers

These might be the two most interesting teams heading into the season because of how many new shiny toys they have. Having them here is a bit of a hedge against them being more offseason buzz than anything of real substance, but it's also a testament to how good a shape the league is with its talent pool right now. The teams ahead of them are either wildly entertaining, or have been stone cold locks for entertainment value for years, and the fact that the Devils and Rangers are in that conversation speaks to how decidedly each of them crushed their summer moves.

Let's start with the Devils. They're adding a defenseman in P.K. Subban, who was a Norris Trophy finalist two years ago and doubles as the most charismatic personality in the game, a forward in Nikita Gusev, who tore through the KHL and looked every bit the part of the best player outside the NHL in international competition, the first overall pick in Jack Hughes, who profiles as the next great generational talent, and an all-time tough net-front guy in Wayne Simmonds, who needs to prove he can stay healthy and still produce if he wants another meaningful contract.

They're also getting back Taylor Hall, who won the MVP two years ago and enters a highly pivotal contract year of his own. The insertion of Hughes down the middle not only takes pressure off of Nico Hischier not to have to do everything himself, but bumps Travis Zajac and Pavel Zacha down into roles for which they're better suited. Even their supporting players like Jesper Bratt, Miles Wood and Blake Coleman can all skate, which should make this team one to watch. We don't typically think of the New Jersey Devils as a high-octane, fast-paced group, but they want to be one under John Hynes, and they finally have the horses to pull it off.

As for the Rangers, they used every possible avenue for improving the team by signing Artemi Panarin, drafting Kaapo Kakko, trading for Jacob Trouba and Adam Fox, and bringing Vitali Kravtsov over from Russia. Their defense and depth down the middle beyond Mika Zibanejad is still highly suspect, so it's fair to wonder just how much of those trendy moves will translate to immediate results, but there's no question that they'll be incredibly exciting to watch. The league is better when Madison Square Garden is buzzing, which it will be for this new group of players.

The RedZone channel

10. Washington Capitals

I've been petitioning for this for years now, but it's high time the NHL got itself an equivalent to the NFL's highly popular RedZone channel. Even though hockey doesn't necessarily lend itself as well to flipping between games in the anticipation of scoring plays as well as football does, there's still a lot of creative stuff to be done to shine a light on the best parts of the product and enhance the viewing experience.

Especially considering how condensed the schedule is with jammed slates on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, it would be handy to filter through the filler and provide fans with a look at the sequences that really move the needle -- like power plays, empty-net situations at the end of a game, three-on-three overtime, and when a superstar is at the top of their game and putting on a show.

If something like this were to exist, the Capitals would be make quite a compelling case to be featured situationally. Their power play is something that I don't ever want to miss, and I'd like to be notified every time they're about to begin one. The geometry of the pieces involved and how they fit together is hockey nirvana. If Ovechkin already has a couple of goals under his belt and is hunting for more by firing missiles every time he streaks down the left wing and enters the offensive zone, I want to be able to immediately put down everything else I'm doing and join that chase in progress. Especially given the historical importance of the goals he's scoring in his age-34 season as he vaults up the all-time leader board and passes names like Luc Robitaille, Teemu Selanne, Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman and Mark Messier this season.

9. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins are pretty self-explanatory here. Sidney Crosby had a vintage throwback campaign in 2018-19 and was more than deserving of being a Hart Trophy finalist because of the impact he had on the Penguins splits with and without him. It's a relief knowing that even as he ages and eventually loses a bit of his fastball physically, he'll still be able to control a game because of his unparalleled ability to shield the puck from defenders and survey the playing field like a quarterback.

Meanwhile, Evgeni Malkin is coming off of a disappointing season by his lofty standards, but is still a prime candidate for the utility of our theoretical RedZone channel. When he has it cooking on a given night, he's as dominant a player as I've seen in my lifetime, and I'd put his A+ game right up against anyone else's.

8. Calgary Flames

Considering how meekly they bowed out of the postseason -- which was followed up by a summer where they misdiagnosed their shortcomings and aimed to get tougher by trading for Milan Lucic -- it's fair to be down on the Flames. But assuming they're able to work things out with restricted free agent Matthew Tkachuk in a timely manner, they're going to bring back all of the core pieces of a group that made up the best team in the Western Conference and tied the Sharks for the second-most goals scored.

7. Winnipeg Jets

The Jets have had the summer from hell. I've admittedly taken the optimistic route here in projecting Winnipeg to have Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor and Dustin Byfuglien in their lineup sooner rather than later. Obviously if those situations don't get resolved cleanly, and they're forced to trek on without them, it would be a big blow not only to their chances of remaining competitive but also how entertaining they could be.

The developments on the blue line have been particularly alarming. In one fell swoop, they've subtracted Dustin Byfuglien (for the time being), Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot from their defense corps, and they haven't really done anything substantial to fill those minutes. Sami Niku needs to quickly develop and show he's capable of eating up a chunk of them, but in the meantime, expect Josh Morrissey to be relied upon to do everything for them until further notice.

With the dynamic duo of Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele leading the way, there's still plenty of talent on this roster despite all of those lingering question marks, but it's fair to be disappointed with how quickly things have spiraled out of control in Winnipeg. For a franchise that looked like a safe pick as the league's next powerhouse, the window on those hopes appears to be closing faster than any of us could've imagined.

6. San Jose Sharks

The Sharks lost some players this summer, which should only be an issue should they experience injuries like they did during the postseason. The depth isn't what it once was, but the top end of the roster is still otherworldly. Having Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns on the same team is almost a cheat code, and their ability to turn it up when they need to by shrinking the ice and having at least one of them out there at nearly all times is a fun wrinkle. We were deprived of that experience in its entirety last season because of how clearly limited Karlsson was physically, so hopefully he's able to play to his full capability coming into 2019-20.

Pavelski is a big loss from an intangibles and leadership perspective, but the combination of more minutes for Kevin Labanc, and Timo Meier taking another step towards becoming a full-blown superstar should be able to cover up for it on the ice.

From a watchability perspective, they have the added benefit of highly suspect goaltending, which leads to them indulging in more high-scoring shootouts than a team this good should be in -- and surely more than Peter DeBoer would like.

The hipster teams

5. Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes are the embodiment of everything that's great about the NHL. They play exceedingly fast at all times, and they have fun doing it. They only further built upon what already made them special this summer by adding Jake Gardiner to the league's best top-to-bottom blue line, and inserting speedsters like Erik Haula and Ryan Dzingel up front to help produce more offense. Sebastian Aho was worth every penny of his new contract and then some because at the age of 22, he's already proven that he's firmly in that rare tier of star player who will make any single player he shares the ice with better.

There are two players who can really take this team to the next level immediately if they develop as expected. The first is Martin Necas, who had 52 points in 64 AHL games last season as a teenager. If he can stick and give them a second scoring option down the middle, it allows Rod Brind'amour to use Jordan Staal in his preferred defensive role, and everything else to fall into its natural place. The other one is Andrei Svechnikov, who should be a total beast in his sophomore season. He scored 20 goals and generated a healthy dose of shots as a rookie, and he looked every bit the part of the heralded prospect who went second overall in the draft. Once he grows into his body and learns how to consistently use that freakish combination of size and skill, he's going to be a problem for the rest of the league.

4. Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche won our hearts last postseason, when they used their speed and youth to skate laps around the top-seeded Flames before pushing the Sharks to the very brink. Nathan MacKinnon is already worth the price of admission all by himself, which means it's scary to think that he could realistically take his game to an even higher level as his hockey brain continues to develop into his mid-20s. The shot and raw power in his skating stride have always been there, but it's no surprise that he's gotten more effective as he's learned to channel those physical tools by turning them on and off as necessary. It sounds counterintuitive, but similar to how James Harden uses the art of deceleration to keep defenders off balance, MacKinnon's ability to change speeds and stop on a dime in transition has opened so many more passing lanes for him, compared to when he used to simply bull rush the net every single time.

The special thing about Colorado's current situation is how well it has managed its assets over the past couple of years, enabling the team to keep adding talent and surrounding MacKinnon with the right kind of complementary talent. The Avs went out and added Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, Joonas Donskoi and Valeri Nichushkin to the mix this summer, which should do wonders for their secondary scoring and help take some of the pressure off the top line of MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen (pending a new deal) and Gabriel Landeskog.

It's wild to think that Cale Makar doesn't have a single regular-season game to his name yet given how good he looked in the postseason after his NCAA campaign finished in the spring. I can't wait to watch him and Sam Girard continue to probe around in the offensive zone and help redefine how teams use their defensemen in set formations when they have possession of the puck.

3. Vegas Golden Knights

It feels like forever ago now after a historically terrible call and collapse that followed, but it's worth remembering that the Golden Knights were one of the league's very best teams from the moment they acquired Mark Stone at the deadline. They were especially dominant at even strength, where they were tops by nearly every metric:

It's a shame that they couldn't find a way to jam Nikita Gusev into the lineup, but even without him, they have two absolutely lethal top lines and a lineup full of players that can keep up with their preferred frenetic style of play. Throw in the rambunctious home crowd and all the theatrics that still somehow haven't grown old, and it's going to be really fun to watch this team play for a full Stone-enhanced season.

The cream of the crop

2. Toronto Maple Leafs

We spend so much time arguing about all of the other things when it comes to the Leafs, whether it's Mike Babcock's deployment of players or Mitch Marner's dad or whether their defensemen are good enough, that it's almost easy to forget how much raw talent they boast up front. With the emergence of Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen last season, they have two top scoring units, either of which any team would be so lucky to call its top line.

The combination of Marner passing to John Tavares quickly and unsurprisingly turned into the league's most effective one-two scoring punch last season, but it's conceivable that they may not even be the team's most dangerous duo this season if everything falls into place. Despite all the consternation about William Nylander's play after his holdout ended, he was perfectly fine and should feast offensively once the percentages inevitably regress back into his favor. Auston Matthews has been the league's best goal scorer on a per-minute basis since entering the league, and if he can stay healthy and be used to his full potential, he could realistically be the best candidate to wrestle the goal-scoring crown away from Alex Ovechkin one day.

It'll be interesting to see how the defensive minutes shake out and whether the Leafs could hit an ever higher gear offensively if their transition game improves. For as deadly as they've been, they've been prone to low-percentage, long-bomb passes when breaking out of their zone, without the right personnel to execute that game plan. With the additions of Jake Muzzin and Tyson Barrie, and the potential development of young defenders like Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren, they should be much better at getting the puck effectively to their best forwards. Look out, if that's the case. Even if it's not, as a viewer I'd gladly settle for the fireworks we saw last season.

1. Tampa Bay Lightning

The case here speaks for itself. Last season the Lightning led the league in scoring at both 5-on-5 and on the power play. The offensive arsenal they can throw at opponents is relentless and devastating. Their best player just put up 128 points -- a remarkable feat in this era -- and they had two other players exceed 40 goals. Even their defensemen have trademark offensive moves that are out of this world. Victor Hedman is second to none when it comes to joining the rush in transition as a late trailer, and Mikhail Sergachev has a crossover move that can break ankles.

They have explosive young players like Anthony Cirelli and Mathieu Joseph that would be big names on nearly any other team but are buried on this depth chart. Even their goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is remarkably entertaining to watch, seemingly going out of his way to make outlandish highlight-reel saves on occasion simply because he's bored and he can.

The only potential concern heading into the regular season would be that they'll make a concerted effort to dial it back in an attempt to save themselves for the playoffs, thanks to getting swept out of the first round this past spring. But actually dialing it back too far seems unlikely, given how competitive the Atlantic Division is and how important it is to avoid playing either the Bruins or the Leafs in the first round. But even if they don't fully press the pedal to the metal, they've afforded themselves enough wiggle room to come back down to earth and still be deserving of the top spot on this list.

We asked a panel of ESPN NHL experts to grade players based on how expected performance for the 2019-20 season, in comparison to their peers. Emphasis was entirely on predicting potential greatness for the upcoming season, rather than past performance. From those ratings, we were able to rank the best of the best and compile a list of the top 50 players for this season.

The loaded Tampa Bay Lightning led the way with five names on the list. And 26 teams had at least one player; only the Arizona Coyotes, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators do not boast a top-50 player.

For each player on the list, Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan weighed in on this 2019-20 outlook, ESPN Stats & Information provided a signature stat, and Rotowire projected a stat line for this season. Here's the full list:

Jump to a notable outside the top five:
Karlsson | Stamkos | Tavares
Pastrnak | Subban | Price
Doughty | Giroux | Holtby

1. Connor McDavid

C | Oilers
Age: 22

Isn't it great when generational talents live up to the hype? McDavid's 324 points are the most in the NHL over the past three seasons. His ability to create offense at full speed, as one of the NHL's fastest skaters, is unparalleled. And he's only getting better. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: McDavid is averaging 1.30 points per game since entering league in 2015-16, first in the NHL during that span.

2019-20 projection: 42 goals, 76 assists

2. Nikita Kucherov

RW | Lightning
Age: 26

The reigning MVP just set a record for points (128) in the salary cap era. Nothing should slow down the NHL's top right winger on the league's most talented roster. "He's always, always motivated," says teammate Andrei Vasilevskiy. "And always getting better." Did we mention Kucherov is only 26? -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Kucherov has scored at least 30 goals each of his past four seasons, and his 150 goals in that span is the third-most behind Alex Ovechkin (183) and Patrick Kane (151).

2019-20 projection: 40 goals, 78 assists

3. Nathan MacKinnon

C | Avalanche
Age: 24

Has any player leveled up like MacKinnon has in the past two seasons? From 2013-17, MacKinnon was tied for 65th in the NHL at 0.69 points per game. But in the past two seasons, he's fourth at 1.26 points per game. "There were games when it almost felt like you were back in minor hockey, watching him take on two defenders," said former teammate Tyson Barrie. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: He has 18 game-winning goals over the past two seasons. Only Brayden Point (19) has more.

2019-20 projection: 43 goals, 60 assists

4. Sidney Crosby

C | Penguins
Age: 32

Ask any player in the league who they're most in awe of, and a good chunk will respond Crosby. Many still consider him the best player in the league, too. At age 32, Crosby is coming off perhaps the best defensive season of his career -- and he still put up 100 points. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Last season marked Crosby's sixth 100-point campaign, the most in the NHL since Crosby debuted in 2005-06. Only Mario Lemieux (10) has more in Penguins history.

2019-20 projection: 33 goals, 64 assists

5. Andrei Vasilevskiy

G | Lightning
Age: 25

Vasilevskiy won the Vezina for the first time last season after being a finalist in the previous season. The difference? Consistency, as Vasilevskiy didn't have a bum month in finishing with a .925 save percentage and a 2.40 goals-against average. He's arguably the league's best goalie, although he does have a pretty good team in front of him. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: The Russian leads the NHL in wins (83) and is tied for the lead in shutouts (14) over the past two seasons.

2019-20 projection: .923 save percentage, 2.49 goals-against average

6. Alex Ovechkin

LW | Capitals
Age: 34

Two years ago, there was some chatter that the fast, modern NHL may have passed by the Russian sniper. Then Ovechkin went on to win his first Stanley Cup and followed it up with a 51-goal season. Yeah, dominant Ovi isn't going anywhere -- at least for the next two years of his contract. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Ovechkin has averaged 47.8 goals per season over the past six campaigns. If he hits that mark this year, he'd join the 700-goal club (currently at 658) and vault to eighth on the all-time goal list (currently 13th).

2019-20 projection: 48 goals, 37 assists

7. Victor Hedman

D | Lightning
Age: 28

Hedman has one Norris win and three straight trips to Vegas as a finalist. He's an offensive force, second only to Brent Burns in points (189) over the past three seasons. And he's one of the best shutdown defensemen in the NHL, with 95 goals allowed at 5-on-5 in 2,552 minutes. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Over the past six seasons, only Brent Burns (409) and Erik Karlsson (400) have more points among defensemen than Hedman (329).

2019-20 projection: 14 goals, 45 assists

8. Erik Karlsson

D | Sharks
Age: 29

More than ever, the league is favoring quicker, smaller, offensively-gifted defensemen. And Karlsson is still the gold standard for that. He is coming off an injury-plagued season, but the Sharks aren't worried the 29-year-old is slowing down. They backed that up by shelling out an eight-year, $92-million contract this summer. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Karlsson leads all defensemen in points-per-game (0.89) since start of the 2013-14 season.

2019-20 projection: 10 goals, 49 assists

9. Auston Matthews

C | Maple Leafs
Age: 22

Matthews is a center of considerable size who can put the puck in the net (111 goals in 212 career games) as well as set up goals (94 assists). That skill set led Islanders coach Barry Trotz to once compare him to a young Mario Lemieux, which is high praise indeed. Says Trotz: "He's (big), he can skate, he's ultra-skilled, he's very, very competitive, he makes plays." -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Over his first three seasons, Matthews has an even higher points-per-game average on the road (1.02) than at home (0.92).

2019-20 projection: 41 goals, 39 assists

10. Steven Stamkos

C | Lightning
Age: 29

There are so many superstars and budding superstars on the stacked Lightning roster that somehow it feels like Stamkos gets overlooked. The 29-year-old is coming off a career-high 98-point season, in which he scored 45 goals (fourth-most in the league). You probably shouldn't overlook that. He'll reach the 400-goal milestone this season, despite withstanding injuries in his prime. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Since making his debut in 2008-09, Stamkos is second in the NHL in goals (373) and points-per-game (145), trailing only Alex Ovechkin in both categories.

2019-20 projection: 41 goals, 53 assists

11. Patrick Kane

RW | Blackhawks
Age: 30

Kane's 356 goals since debuting in 2007 are the fifth most in the NHL. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of his game is his ability to produce with a variety of teammates. He won a Hart Trophy skating with Artemi Panarin, yet he also hit a new high in points (110) skating with several different linemates last season. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Kane enters 2019 needing 62 points to become the ninth U.S.-born player to reach 1,000 in his career. If he reaches the mark this season, he'll be only the third on that list to score at least a point per game for his career, joining Joe Mullen and Pat LaFontaine in that regard.

2019-20 projection: 37 goals, 61 assists

12. Taylor Hall

LW | Devils
Age: 27

Hall is just one season removed from winning league MVP and single-handedly willing a young Devils team to the playoffs. A knee injury sidelined him for most of 2018-19, but now in a contract year, a healthy Hall should produce big numbers yet again. And now he has more talent surrounding him. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: The former No. 1 overall pick is averaging 1.01 points per game in his three seasons with the Devils, after scoring 0.87 per game in his final three seasons with the Oilers.

2019-20 projection: 31 goals, 45 assists

13. Brent Burns

D | Sharks
Age: 34

Is Burns the best all-around defenseman in the NHL? No. But his incredible offensive output (226 points in his past 246 games) combined with an unmatched ability to generate shots -- with over 200 more than any other defenseman in the past three seasons -- make him a singular talent on the blueline. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Burns has scored 20-plus even-strength goals twice in his career. The only other defenseman with multiple seasons with 20-plus even-strength goals are in the Hall of Fame (Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey and Phil Housley).

2019-20 projection: 17 goals, 62 assists

14. John Tavares

C | Maple Leafs
Age: 29

Tavares faced tremendous scrutiny in 2018-19. After a high-profile free agency, he opted to play for his hometown Leafs. Tavares somehow over-delivered, racking up 88 points. The 28-year-old seems immune to pressure, which is good considering Toronto is under the spotlight yet again. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Toronto has not had a 50-goal scorer since Dave Andreychuk scored 53 in 1993-94, but Tavares came as close as anyone last season with 47.

2019-20 projection: 42 goals, 44 assists

15. Brad Marchand

LW | Bruins
Age: 31

Marchand is one of the toughest players in the NHL to compete against. Granted, at times that's because he's delivering questionable hits and even more questionable licks. But he also hit 100 points last season. As Sidney Crosby said of his World Cup teammate: "Having him on your team is going to be so much more enjoyable than having to play against him." -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Marchand is one of only four players in the NHL to score 30-plus goals in each of the past four seasons (Nikita Kucherov, Alex Ovechkin and Vladimir Tarasenko).

2019-20 projection: 35 goals, 58 assists

16. Mikko Rantanen

RW | Avalanche
Age: 22

A breakout star of the 2018-19 season, the 22-year-old Rantanen is on one of the most productive (and talented) lines in hockey. The big-framed Finn is an excellent complement to Nathan MacKinnon. And with 87 points in 74 games last season, Rantanen's new contract should reflect his budding household name status. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Rantanen and teammate Nathan MacKinnon have reached at least 50 assists in each of the past two seasons. They are the first Avalanche players with 50-plus in back-to-back seasons since Joe Sakic did it in 2005-06 and 2006-07.

2019-20 projection: 34 goals, 59 assists

17. Artemi Panarin

LW | Rangers
Age: 27

Panarin is an elite point-producing winger, with 243 in his past 242 games. Last season, he was seventh in expected goals for (58.61) and tied for eighth with 2.8 points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5. Panarin is an offensive dynamo, and now quite a wealthy one thanks to the Rangers' $81.5 million free-agent contract. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Since entering the NHL in 2015, Panarin is one of six players with at least 100 goals and 200 assists, joining Sidney Crosby, Johnny Gaudreau, Patrick Kane, Nikita Kucherov and Connor McDavid.

2019-20 projection: 29 goals, 57 assists

18. Johnny Gaudreau

LW | Flames
Age: 26

The legend of Johnny Hockey is still growing after the 26-year-old put up a career-high 99 points last season, thanks to a huge increase in shot volume. Gaudreau earning a reputation as a big-moment player. "He really wants to be the guy in those situations, a lot like Patrick Kane," Mark Giordano told ESPN last season. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Since his rookie season of 2014-15, Gaudreau leads all players 5-foot-9 or shorter with 386 points. Next on the list is Brad Marchand at 373.

2019-20 projection: 32 goals, 64 assists

19. David Pastrnak

RW | Bruins
Age: 23

The man they call Pasta has been more manicotti than vermicelli during the last three seasons, ranking 12th among all skaters with a 1.04 points-per-game average. He's also one of the league's most lethal players on the power play, as his 40 such goals since 2016 rank him third behind Alex Ovechkin and Patrik Laine. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Pastrnak has recorded four hat tricks in the past two seasons, a mark only topped by Alex Ovechkin (6).

2019-20 projection: 44 goals, 53 assists

20. Leon Draisaitl

C/RW | Oilers
Age: 23

Yes, Draisaitl is the second-most talented player on the Oilers, but there's a big drop-off before No. 3. The German-born forward chased down Alex Ovechkin last season for the Maurice Rocket Trophy and finished with 50 goals. At 23, Draisaitl is just entering his hockey prime. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: After doubling his goal output from 25 in 2017-18 to 50 in 2018-19, Draisaitl joined Dany Heatley as the only players born in Germany to record a 100-point season.

2019-20 projection: 41 goals, 52 assists

21. Mitch Marner

RW | Maple Leafs
Age: 22

Now that his contract drama is over, Marner can focus on living up to that $10.893 million cap hit. His 94 points last season were a career high, not coincidentally one set after the arrival of John Tavares as his center. But Marner's speed and offensive flourish make him much more than a sidekick. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Marner had 68 assists last season, the fourth-highest total in team history and the highest since Doug Gilmour had 84 in 1993-94.

2019-20 projection: 25 goals, 64 assists

22. Aleksander Barkov

C | Panthers
Age: 24

For years, players lauded Barkov as the league's most underrated player. "He's like really, really good, but he plays in Florida, so he gets no credit," a rival defenseman told ESPN in 2017. Known for his two-way play, Barkov is starting to gain more recognition, especially after scoring 35 goals last season. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Barkov set a franchise record with 96 points last season and didn't miss a game for the first time since entering the NHL in 2013-14.

2019-20 projection: 38 goals, 63 assists

23. Roman Josi

D | Predators
Age: 29

Josi is a minutes-gobbling top-pairing defenseman whose offensive skills might actually be a little underrated. Consider that he's eighth in the NHL over the past three seasons in points (158). As new teammate Matt Duchene said, "There's not many D in the league who are better than him, if anybody." -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Josi ranks fourth among NHL defensemen with 314 points since the start of 2013-14. The only players with more are Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman.

2019-20 projection: 14 goals, 40 assists

24. Patrice Bergeron

C | Bruins
Age: 34

He's won five of the past eight Selke trophies and had a good shot to win in each of the past two years if those campaigns weren't cut short by injuries. When healthy, the 34-year-old is still one of the premiere two-way forwards in the game and a steadying figure on Boston's ultra-talented top line. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Bergeron had a career-high 79 points last season, as he posted a plus rating for the 12th consecutive year.

2019-20 projection: 33 goals, 42 assists

25. Ben Bishop

G | Stars
Age: 32

Known as much for his towering stature at 6-foot-7 as his prowess between the pipes, Bishop is a three-time Vezina Trophy finalist. He was second in the NHL last season in goals saved above average at 5-on-5 (18.21). -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Bishop had a 1.98 goals-against average and .934 save percentage last season. He's the first goalie to play at least 40 games and post a save percentage of .934 or better and a sub 2.00 GAA since Dominik Hasek in 1998-99.

2019-20 projection: .922 save percentage, 2.14 goals-against average

26. P.K. Subban

D | Devils
Age: 30

No, Subban isn't the same dominating force that won the Norris Trophy in 2013, but he is definitely not a shell of himself, either. Subban is an elite offensive defenseman who shoulders big minutes, puts up forward-level points and instantly gives credibility to New Jersey's blueline. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Subban has 45 power-play goals since the start of 2010-11, trailing only Shea Weber, Brent Burns and Oliver Ekman-Larsson among NHL defensemen.

2019-20 projection: 12 goals, 40 assists

27. Mark Scheifele

C | Jets
Age: 26

Scheifele is a dynamic center who scores goals and sets them up, but the operative word with him is consistency. He's been better than a point-per-game player (1.02) over his past three seasons (221 games), scoring as many even-strength goals as Tyler Seguin and Artemi Panarin (64) in fewer games. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Scheifele (122 goals, plus-61), Nikita Kucherov and Brad Marchand are the only players with at least 120 goals and a plus-60 rating over the past four seasons.

2019-20 projection: 34 goals, 47 assists

28. Sebastian Aho

C | Hurricanes
Age: 22

There's a reason the 22-year-old Finn was the subject of the NHL's first offer sheet since Ryan O'Reilly in 2013. Aho has improved his goal and point totals in each of his first three seasons, and his 83 points in 82 games last season feel like just the surface of his potential. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: His 83 career goals are the third-most in his 2015 draft class, trailing only Connor McDavid (128) and Jack Eichel (101). While McDavid and Eichel were the first two picks, Aho went 35th overall.

2019-20 projection: 32 goals, 56 assists

29. Blake Wheeler

RW | Jets
Age: 33

Wheeler went from being a dependable forward to a 90-point winger in the past two seasons, but his greatest attribute is his ability to lead by example. When Mark Scheifele missed time two seasons ago, Wheeler stepped up to play center and posted his best offensive season. He's physical and durable, missing one game in the past four seasons. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Only Nikita Kucherov (87) and Connor McDavid (75) had more assists last season, as Wheeler set a franchise record with 71.

2019-20 projection: 24 goals, 65 assists

30. Jack Eichel

C | Sabres
Age: 22

Things haven't gone the Sabres' way the past few seasons, but they have a legitimate No. 1 center build around, and that's Eichel. He has yet to play a full season (besides his 81 games as a rookie), but still put up 82 points in 77 games last year on a pretty bad team. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Eichel took 303 shots last season, a total bettered only by Nathan MacKinnon, Patrick Kane, Alex Ovechkin and Tyler Seguin.

2019-20 projection: 30 goals, 58 assists

31. Seth Jones

D | Blue Jackets
Age: 25

Jones averaged 25:49 per game for the Blue Jackets last season. He's an offensive force whose reputation on the other end of the ice continues to grow, despite a dip statistically in 2018-19. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Jones has seven overtime goals over the past three seasons, the most among NHL defensemen.

2019-20 projection: 12 goals, 40 assists

32. Vladimir Tarasenko

RW | Blues
Age: 27

Tarasenko has long been one of the league's most underappreciated superstars. But since he debuted in 2012-2013, he's top 10 in goals scored with 211. Even when he endures slumps, he finishes the season with consistently strong goal totals, and he's improved as a two-way player, which rounds out his game. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: He is one of just four Blues players to record five consecutive 30-goal seasons, all-time (Brett Hull, Garry Unger and Brian Sutter).

2019-20 projection: 35 goals, 36 assists

33. John Carlson

D | Capitals
Age: 29

Quietly, Carlson has been one of the NHL's premier offensive defensemen over the past three seasons with a 0.75 points-per-game average, ranking him fifth in the league. He's less accomplished on the defensive end, but his puck-moving game has been a vital part of the Capitals' success, especially on the power play, where he was second in points (33) last season. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: He posted a career-high 30 power-play assists last season, the second-most in the NHL (Keith Yandle) and most in a season by a Capitals defenseman since Scott Stevens in 1988-89.

2019-20 projection: 14 goals, 55 assists

34. John Gibson

G | Ducks
Age: 26

The Ducks' defense left Gibson high and dry often last season, and he was clearly overworked. And yet on many nights, he still looked unbeatable. At age 26, he has plenty of good years ahead of him and could see another season of big workloads on a noncompetitive team. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Gibson is tied for first among active goalies with a career .921 save percentage (min. 100 games played). And among goalies to debut since 1955-56, only Ken Dryden (.922) and Dominik Hasek (.922) have a higher career mark.

2019-20 projection: .922 save percentage, 2.52 goals-against average

35. Carey Price

G | Canadiens
Age: 32

Who are we to argue with Price's peers? The Canadiens' goalie was named best in the league by nearly 30% of respondents to last season's NHLPA poll. The former Vezina and Hart winner is one of the NHL's last workhorse goalies, with 66 starts last season. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: His 44 career shutouts (all with the Canadiens) are three away from passing Ken Dryden for the third-most in franchise history. Only two Canadiens goalies have reached 50 career shutouts with the team: George Hainsworth (75) and Jacques Plante (58).

2019-20 projection: .921 save percentage, 2.43 goals-against average

36. Tyler Seguin

C | Stars
Age: 27

The Stars didn't have the splashiest offense last season, but Seguin is a true offensive talent (and brings out the best in winger Alexander Radulov). Seguin shook off a tough start, and from January 1 on, he had 22 goals in 42 games and was at more than a point-per-game pace. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Seguin's six game-winning goals after January 1 last season tied with Phil Kessel for the most in the NHL over that span.

2019-20 projection: 35 goals, 48 assists

37. Evgeni Malkin

C | Penguins
Age: 33

Malkin admitted this offseason that he battled both teammates and his coach during last season, when he posted the worst goals-per-game total (0.31) of his career. But look no further than his 42-goal, 98-point campaign in 2017-18 as a reminder of how dominate Malkin can be. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Malkin's 1.18 points per game is the highest mark of any Russian-born player in NHL history.

2019-20 projection: 29 goals, 53 assists

38. Sergei Bobrovsky

G | Panthers
Age: 31

The two-time Vezina winner shook off his reputation as a guy who can't get it done in the playoffs by dazzling with a first-round sweep of the Lightning last year. Bobrovsky has $70 million in expectations with his new Panthers contract and should be extra motivated in his first post-Blue Jackets campaign. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Bobrovsky saved 37 more goals than expected against over the past three seasons, according to Natural Stat Trick, the second-most in the NHL over that span behind John Gibson.

2019-20 projection: .918 save percentage, 2.46 goals-against average

39. Brayden Point

C | Lightning
Age: 23

Point belongs in the conversation with Patrice Bergeron, Ryan O'Reilly, Anze Kopitar and Aleksander Barkov for the best two-way centers in the NHL after his 92-point breakout last season. "He doesn't cheat the game. He'll take the extra step to get on top of you instead of trying to lift your stick," said coach Jon Cooper. "Whoever raised him, raised him well." -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Point's 3.69 points per 60 minutes last season was seventh in the NHL, and it improved from 2.46 points per 60 in 2017-18.

2019-20 projection: 38 goals, 55 assists

40. Mark Giordano

D | Flames
Age: 36

Giordano won his first Norris Trophy at age 35. Does it make up for past oversight? Perhaps. But Giordano was worthy for spectacular all-around play. When accepting the award, the Flames captain said he still feels "young" and "fresh," which earned some ribbing from his young teammates but should put the rest of the league on notice. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: His 74 points last season were the second-most in a season by a defenseman after turning 35 years old (Nicklas Lidstrom with 80 in 2005-06).

2019-20 projection: 14 goals, 38 assists

41. Elias Pettersson

C | Canucks
Age: 20

Pettersson made everyone a believer in his rookie season, as he registered 66 points in 71 games, including the greatest of them all. "His hockey sense and his playmaking ability is as good as anybody right now," said Wayne Gretzky to Sportsnet 650, acknowledging the comparisons being made between the two slightly built forwards. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: He averaged 0.93 points per game last season as a 20-year-old rookie. Over the last 20 seasons, only four rookies age 20 or younger have had higher point-per-game averages (min. 50 games): Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Matthew Barzal.

2019-20 projection: 34 goals, 46 assists

42. Drew Doughty

D | Kings
Age: 29

The Kings have some aging, bloated contracts on the books they'd like to get rid of. But Doughty's is not one of them. The 29-year-old is still one of the elite top-pairing defensemen in the league who can eat up monster minutes and shut down an opponent's top scoring threat. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Doughty thrives on the man advantage. Since he entered the NHL for the 2008-09 season, only two defensemen have more power-play points than his 205 (Keith Yandle and Erik Karlsson).

2019-20 projection: 11 goals, 40 assists

43. Filip Forsberg

C | Predators
Age: 25

Forsberg remains an under-the-radar talent despite five strong seasons with the Predators. He's a possession driver (4.26% relative Corsi in the past three seasons) and a strong even-strength player. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Forsberg is one of just 10 NHL players who have scored at least 25 goals in each of the past five seasons.

2019-20 projection: 30 goals, 35 assists

44. Claude Giroux

LW | Flyers
Age: 31

Since Giroux entered the league in 2008-09, all he's done is produce, despite being on teams of varied talent and enduring a position switch. With the Flyers expected to bounce back in 2019-20, look for a big season from him. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Over the past 10 seasons, Giroux has accumulated 735 points. The only players with more over that span are Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane and Alex Ovechkin.

2019-20 projection: 23 goals, 65 assists

45. Mark Stone

RW | Golden Knights
Age: 27

Stone's offensive consistency is to be admired, with five straight seasons of 20-plus goals. But it's the defensive part of Stone's game that is awe-inspiring, as he is one of the NHL's best puck thieves. He finished second for the Selke as a winger, which just doesn't happen. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Stone put up 12 points in Vegas' seven-game series loss to the Sharks in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. That was the most by any player in a single series last postseason.

2019-20 projection: 35 goals, 42 assists

46. Evgeny Kuznetsov

C | Capitals
Age: 27

Kuznetsov endured a bit of a slump last season after the Capitals won their first Stanley Cup (a playoff run in which the Russian center unequivocally took a star turn). There should be a decent amount of noise this season considering his four-year IIHF ban for testing positive for cocaine, although he will only face a three-game suspension in the NHL. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Over the past three postseasons, Kuznetsov has 48 points, the second-most in the NHL. Only Sidney Crosby has more (49).

2019-20 projection: 25 goals, 53 assists

47. Sean Monahan

C | Flames
Age: 24

Monahan has become a human meme for his "boring" comportment. But there's nothing tedious about the 24-year-old center's offensive output, with 172 goals in his first 471 games in the league. Last season's 82 points were a career high. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Monahan scored a career-high 34 goals last season and could be in for an even bigger season in 2019-20. According to Natural Stat Trick, Monahan's expected goals per 60 minutes (1.18) last season was fourth-best among NHL centers, trailing only John Tavares, Auston Matthews and Patrice Bergeron.

2019-20 projection: 32 goals, 44 assists

48. John Klingberg

D | Stars
Age: 27

Sure, Miro Heiskanen stole a bit of his luster last season, but make no mistake: The Stars still consider Klingberg their No. 1 defenseman. The swift-skating Swede mans the right defense spot on the Stars' top pairing and adds an offensive dynamic, too. He's averaged 0.71 points per game over his five-year career. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Over the past four seasons, Klingberg has racked up 219 points, tied for fourth among NHL defensemen. The only defensemen with more over that span are Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman -- all Norris Trophy winners.

2019-20 projection: 11 goals, 49 assists

49. Braden Holtby

G | Capitals
Age: 30

Holtby won the Vezina in 2016, followed that with another year as a finalist and then backstopped the Capitals to the Stanley Cup. He has a .924 even-strength save percentage over the past three seasons, ranking him sixth among all goalies. And he has a .928 save percentage overall in the postseason for his career. -- Wyshynski

Signature stat: Goalie wins aren't a great way to evaluate the quality of a goaltender, but winning still counts. And over the past five seasons, Holtby has 197 wins, 19 more than any other goalie in the NHL.

2019-20 projection: .913 save percentage, 2.72 goals-against average

50. Miro Heiskanen

D | Stars
Age: 20

Heiskanen was snubbed in the Calder Trophy conversation last season. Anyone who watched the then-19-year-old defenseman could see his precociousness. Heiskanen makes up for years of poor drafting and development for the Stars, and he'll assume an even larger role in 2019-20. -- Kaplan

Signature stat: Heiskanen played in all 82 games as a rookie, totaling 33 points, the most points in a season by a teenage defenseman in Stars franchise history.

2019-20 projection: 15 goals, 31 assists

Just missed the list: Mathew Barzal, Patrik Laine, Morgan Rielly, Tuukka Rask and Logan Couture

The European Tour is competing this week in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which includes a trio of courses highlighted by the Old Course at St. Andrews. The PGA Tour Champions is playing the Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach. And so we asked our writers:

You've got one round to play, on the Old Course or at Pebble Beach Golf Links, which are you choosing?

REX HOGGARD: They say you appreciate the Old Course more each time you play it, but for most (including your scribe) it only took one lap around the ancient links to bring it to the front of any list, including a head-to-head with Pebble Beach.

Pebble Beach is an idyllic stroll, but nothing compares to the simplistic brilliance of the Old Course. “Just hit it left,” your caddie will tell you; but there’s so much more. From the wicked grandeur of the Principal's Nose bunker to the unique challenges of the Road Hole, the Old Course is memorable for all the right reasons.

And then there’s the history. Every step on the bouncy turf is a step into the game’s past, and the aura of the Auld Grey Toon, which has been beckoning golfers since the 1400s, is impossible to ignore.

It’s always going to be a round on the Old Course before Pebble Beach or anywhere else.

RYAN LAVNER: It’s 65 degrees, cloudless, no humidity, with a gentle surf crashing onto the rocks at Stillwater Cove.

Seriously: Find me a better spot on the planet than Pebble Beach.

If you could only play one – and what an unfortunate proposition that’d be – then give me the most famous course in America. Though it might not be the Home of Golf, Pebble offers the opportunity for everyday hacks to hit those iconic shots into Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9, 17 and 18 – all while strolling the most picturesque holes in golf, the perfect course for this Instagram era.

And if you only get one crack at it, why not do it right? Take a caddie. Grab a beer and a burger and relive your heroics around a firepit at The Bench. And then crash for the night at the luxurious Lodge.

Oh, it’ll cost you, all right – but for this bucket-list experience, it’s worth every penny.

WILL GRAY: In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve had the privilege of playing the Old Course while my next shot from the pristine grass at Pebble Beach will be my first. But I still stand by my vote for Scottish links over California coast, as the natural beauty of the Monterey Peninsula is no match for the mysticism of St. Andrews. While the highs at Pebble are unrivaled – there might not be a more scenic stroll than Nos. 4-10 along the cliffs – the spirit of the game isn’t felt with each footstep like it is on the Old Course, where every great player with the exception of Ben Hogan has teed it up.

From the double greens to the Road Hole to the tight-knit town that envelops the sacred grounds, St. Andrews has the edge. Throw in the fact that Pebble might not be the best course in a 5-mile radius and the Old Course wins this match, 3 and 2.

NICK MENTA: I’m going with St. Andrews strictly in terms of the level of enjoyment I’d have playing each course.

As a left-hander who hits a hard draw on a good day and a rope hook on most days, I wouldn’t be taking in views of the Pacific, because I’d be physically in the Pacific. I’ll sign right now for a 7* on Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. (“Yeah, yeah, got off to a rough start on the front but really cleaned it up on the back.”)

Whereas, I can aim 40 yards left on Nos. 1 and 18 at the Old Course and still be in the fairway. Let’s also not overlook the size of the putting surfaces and the variety of shots you can play on each layout.

I’d rather scrape it around to a respectable score at St. Andrews and enjoy a scotch at the Jigger Inn than get my ass kicked at Pebble and go problem drink inside the Tap Room. One experience would remind why I enjoy the game and the other would get me to quit the game.

We're still more than two months from the Presidents Cup, but today — Wednesday, Sept. 25 — marks one year until the 43rd Ryder Cup.

Since it's never too early, here's a quick look ahead to next year's matches.

• Dates: Sept. 25-27, 2020
• Venue: Whistling Straits (Straits Course)
• Location: Kohler, Wisconsin
• Overall record since 1979: Europe leads 11-8-1

United States

Captain: Steve Stricker

Assistants: TBA

Qualifying: The qualifying window for the U.S. team extends through the PGA Tour's 2020 BMW Championship. Events that count toward qualifying include 2019 major championships, 2019 World Golf Championships, the 2019 Players Championship and 2020 PGA Tour events (excluding opposite fields), beginning with the Sentry Tournament of Champions. The top eight players on the U.S. points list at the end of the BMW Championship will make the team. Click here for the current U.S. Ryder Cup points list.

Captain's picks: Four additional selections will be announced on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, following the Tour Championship.

Europe

Captain: Padraig Harrington

Assistants: Robert Karlsson, TBA

Qualifying: The qualifying window for the European team extends through the European Tour's 2020 BMW PGA Championship. Nine players will automatically qualify for the team, four from the Race to Dubai points list and five from the world points list. World points cannot be earned in any tournaments played during the week of a Rolex Series event. Click here for the current European Ryder Cup points lists.

Captain's picks: Three additional picks will be announced the week after the BMW PGA. 

Facts and figures

• Europe is currently in possession of the cup, having routed the American side, 17 1/2 to 10 1/2, in 2018 at Le Golf National in France.
• Europe has won four of the last five editions, seven of the last nine dating back to 2002, and nine of the last 12 dating back to 1995.
• The last three U.S. victories — in 1999 at Brookline, in 2008 at Valhalla, and in 2016 at Hazeltine — have all come on American soil.
• The U.S. has not won on European soil since 1993, but Europeans have won the cup in the U.S. three times since — in 1995 at Oak Hill, in 2004 at Oakland Hills, and in 2012 at Medinah.

Rory McIlroy is playing this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship alongside his father, Gerry.

The event is a pro-am on the European Tour, contested on the Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns in Scotland.

Team McIlroy has been prepping with a little internal competition that, apparently, has been going the way of Dad.

In this clip from the European Tour, Gerry gives his son the needle.

No one gives Gerry McIlroy four a side and comes out on top. Not even the current PGA Tour Player of the Year and FedExCup champion.

Manchester United's owners, the Glazer family, have sanctioned a three-year plan to restore the club's on-field fortunes, with sources having told ESPN FC there is now an acceptance the team is unlikely to challenge for the Premier League until the 2021-22 season at the earliest.

With traditional rivals Manchester City and Liverpool setting the standard in domestic and European football, the United hierarchy have noted how at Anfield, in particular, they have arrived at their status after rebuilding behind the scenes and backing manager Jurgen Klopp during the German's difficult first 18 months in charge.

- ESPN Premier League fantasy: Sign up now!
- VAR in the Premier League: Ultimate guide
- When does the transfer window reopen?
- Premier League winter break: All you need to know

United, the most successful club in English football with 20 league titles, have not won the Premier League since 2012-13 -- the final season of Sir Alex Ferguson's 27-year reign as manager.

And in the six seasons since, under the management of David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and now Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United have finished an average of 21.5 points behind the eventual champions.

Under Solskjaer, United have made an unconvincing start to the campaign, with the team sitting in eighth position, 10 points behind leaders Liverpool after six games.

Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said on Tuesday, during a conference call with the club's investors, that Solskjaer needed to be afforded "patience" in his attempts to overhaul the squad and make United competitive again at the top level of the Premier League.

And sources with knowledge of the club's plans have told ESPN FC that the "patience" of the United hierarchy extends to the belief that the so-called "cultural reset" cited by Woodward last season will require three full seasons, and accompanying transfer windows, before the mistakes of the post-Ferguson years can be properly rectified.

As well as investing in the playing squad, United are also determined to improve their structure off the pitch, with the search for a technical director still ongoing.

But while United view this summer's transfer dealings as being a positive signpost of the way ahead, it is only regarded as a starting point, with the gap between Solskjaer's squad and those at Liverpool and City still vast in terms of depth and quality.

And although the three-year plan is not a guarantee of Solskjaer being at the helm for the entire period of the rebuild, the Norwegian is aware of the club's decision to build for the long-term rather attempt a quick fix.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said it would be a mistake for the Football Association to punish Bernardo Silva over a deleted tweet in which the midfielder compared team mate Benjamin Mendy to a cartoon character.

Silva posted a tweet on Sunday likening Mendy to a character in the logo for Conguitos, a brand of confectionary popular in Spain and Portugal, but deleted it an hour later.

- ESPN Premier League fantasy: Sign up now!
- VAR in the Premier League: Ultimate guide

The 25-year-old posted a second tweet that said "can't even joke with a friend these days... you guys" but anti-racism body Kick It Out condemned his actions saying racist stereotypes are never acceptable.

The FA have written to City for their observations on incident and Kick It Out have demanded the governing body take action.

"If they want to do that and ask for Bernardo, he'll be open to talk," Guardiola told reporters after City beat second-tier Preston North End 3-0 in the League Cup on Tuesday.

"But first, you have to know exactly which person you are talking about. If something happens it will be a mistake because Bernardo is an exceptional person.

"It's nothing to do with colour of skin or nationality."

Guardiola looked to further play down the incident, saying that Mendy had not taken offence to the tweet.

"There are many situations with white people where a cartoon will look similar. The response from Mendy was clear. They are joking all the time," Guardiola added.

"Bernardo is one of the loveliest people I've met in my life. He speaks four or five languages -- that's the best way to understand how open-minded he is.

"One of his best friends is Mendy. He's like a brother. He took a picture of Benjamin when he was young and related it with this cartoon, quite similar for the image."

Uli Hoeness has threatened that Bayern Munich will no longer release players for the Germany national team if Marc-Andre ter Stegen replaces Manuel Neuer as the country's No. 1.

According to Sport Bild, Hoeness warned the German FA that the fight for the first-choice goalkeeping spot could have dramatic consequences for them.

- Euro 2020 qualifying: All you need to know

He reportedly said Bayern "will never accept a change of guard" in the national team's goal following the 3-0 Champions League win against Red Star last Wednesday.

When asked about Ter Stegen potentially replacing Neuer as Germany's No. 1, Hoeness was quoted as saying: "If that happens, we will no longer release players for the national team."

However, Hoeness' words ring hollow because FIFA regulations stipulate that "clubs are obliged to release their registered players [...] if they are called up."

Following the last international break, Barcelona goalkeeper Ter Stegen said that not playing in the Euro 2020 qualifying games against Netherlands and Northern Ireland was a "massive blow" and Neuer responded by describing the comments as not helpful.

Bayern president Hoeness then attacked Ter Stegen and the German FA, instructing them to "put Ter Stegen in a corner and make him apologise to Neuer."

At the weekend, Germany coach Joachim Low, attending a Bundesliga match in Freiburg, told reporters that "something like that won't have any influence on me."

Sussex have signed Australia's Travis Head as their overseas player for the 2020 season, with Jason Gillespie again using his role as Adelaide Strikers coach to aid recruitment.

Gillespie is both teams' head coach, and Head will join Alex Carey, Rashid Khan, and Chris Jordan in playing for both clubs in recent years.

Head, who scored 191 in four Ashes Tests this summer before being left out at The Oval, will be available to play in all formats. He had been scheduled to sign for the county this season, but the deal fell through after he was named in the Ashes squad, and Sussex recruited Carey instead.

"To have a high-quality international batsman like Travis on our staff in 2020 is very, very exciting," said Gillespie.

"We wanted a top four batsman to improve our team and Travis will do that. He's shown his class in his international career so far, he brings some useful offspin and he will offer good leadership support to our captains from his time leading South Australia and the Strikers.

"We also felt it was important to sign an overseas batsman that would be able to join us for most of the season and give us some continuity.

"I've known Trav for a number of years. We have a really good relationship and after we decided here at Sussex that an overseas batsman would complement our squad next year I just knew that Travis would be ideal."

"I was disappointed not to have been able to take up my contract this summer so was thrilled that Jason and Keith [Greenfield, the club director of cricket] were keen to lock me away for the 2020 season," said Head. "I can't wait."

Head is unlikely to be the last Australian to sign a county deal for next season. The Future Tours Programme has thrown up a large gap between Australia's Test matches - from February to November - and their white-ball commitments are equally sparse.

Peter Siddle (Essex) and Cameron Bancroft (Durham) already hold contracts for 2020, while it is understood that multiple counties, including Hampshire and Yorkshire, have enquired about the availability of Nathan Lyon.

Zak Crawley is under no illusions about the task ahead if he is to secure himself a place in England's Test side.

But for a man who is not yet 22, Kent opening batsman Crawley, who this week earned his first international call-up for the two-Test tour of New Zealand in November, is not short of a plan.

"I know how selection works, you've got to prove yourself," Crawley told ESPNcricinfo. "And there's some people who have had great years this year who I'm going up against, so I'm going to have to have good practice and try and impress them that way, because obviously there's only one innings left before that tour.

"I'm not going in there assuming I'm not going to play or I'm going to play, I'm just going to try and put in the hard work and hopefully win them over like that.

Crawley will be vying with Dom Sibley and Ollie Pope for key batting positions at the top of England's far-from-settled top-order.

Sibley, who also earned his first Test call-up for the New Zealand tour, is the leading scorer in county cricket and the only batsman in Division One to pass the 1,000-run mark with 1,324 runs at 69.68. He scored 215 not out and 109 in Warwickshire's penultimate match of the season, an eight-wicket win over Nottinghamshire last week.

And Pope, who has played two Tests for England batting at No. 4 against India last year, is also enjoying a fruitful end to the 2019 Championship, having missed much of the season through injury. In only his fifth match of Surrey's current campaign, his unbeaten 79 against Nottinghamshire gave him 533 runs at an average of 88.83 in eight innings.

"I'm not bothered where I bat, to be honest," said Crawley. "Most likely it would be top of the order but if they said to me, 'bat anywhere', I'd bat anywhere, so I won't pigeon hole myself to one spot just yet."

With Kent's final match of the season heavily interrupted by the weather, Crawley looks set to finish his campaign with 820 runs at 59.46, including two hundreds and five half-centuries. However, his past four innings have yielded scores of just 3, 4, 15 and 0, and so a phone call from England's chief selector, Ed Smith, shortly after his duck against Hampshire at Canterbury brightened Crawley's mood immeasurably. .

"It's something I've been working for my whole life so hopefully now I can just seize the opportunity and go well, that's the plan," Crawley said. "There was an idea at the end of the tunnel where I wanted to be at, and England is definitely right up there. If and when I get the go, hopefully I can just put in a good performance and hopefully play for a long while."

Crawley credits a stint with Sydney Cricket Club in the last NSW Premier Cricket season, particularly in the T20 arena, for his impressive development over the English summer. While at Sydney, he scored the fastest century in the competition, reaching an unbeaten 100 off just 42 balls.

"I had a good winter away last year," Crawley said. "It seems to be a common theme when people have good winters, they come back and have good summers. I reckon that had probably the biggest influence on me.

"That was one of my goals in the winter, to do well in white-ball this year natually, and improve that game. This is a Test call-up so I'm more than happy with that but that was one of my main goals for the winter so that was very pleasing. I was just trying to know my game better and move forward, and I think I did that pretty well in the winter. I definitely came back to England with a clear picture of what I wanted to achieve and what I needed to do to do that."

Kent captain Sam Billings, who earned a recall to England's T20I squad for five matches in New Zealand in November, was hugely impressed with Crawley's T20 progress, which included a top score of 89 off 55 balls against Essex last month, and tipped big things for the youngster across all formats.

"With my own call-up, I was actually happier with Zak getting called up," Billings said. "His temperament is probably the most impressive thing with him, his work ethic as well. He will be a very successful cricketer around the world, not only in the four-day, five-day game but also in T20. How he just naturally picked up the game and he has all the skills to go with it, for me it's great to see him kick on and get the recognition he deserves."