The Rangers were a disaster last year, which led to Igor getting worked to the ground as he faced the most shots against last season. For the majority of Igor's career in the NHL, he has helped compensate for many of the Rangers' deficiencies, especially at 5-on-5. But last year was a reality check, and for the Rangers to work back into the playoff conversation, Igor will have to be super-human again. However, I'd put his skill level above that of any goalie in the league, so he is capable of being that guy again. 

All the Breadman has done since he entered the league in 2015 is produce, almost better than anybody. Since his rookie season, he ranks 5th in points, 4th in assists and 14th in goals. While pretty much everyone on the Rangers had a down season, Panarin chugged right along with another elite season. Few players are more skilled, and the most impressive thing about him is that he has actually improved in the goal-scoring department over the last two years, with the two best goal-scoring seasons of his career to date.

After this offseason, two things have been cemented: the Toronto Maple Leafs got worse, and the Vegas Golden Knights got better. No player has been blasted by the media and fans more than Marner. He has seemingly become the scapegoat for the Leafs' playoff failures, even though Matthews, Nylander and Tavares, his main co-stars, all failed to deliver as well and have played just as badly in the big moments. I'm excited to see how Marner fits into an already loaded Golden Knights team. I'd love for him to make the Leafs pay for letting him be the one who walks.

Zach Werenski has been one of the better offensive talents from the back end over the past several years. But last year, he put everything together. He was second among defenders with 23 goals, marking the second time he has reached 20 in his career, but his playmaking abilities took giant strides. This resulted in him being second in points among defenders, scoring a point a game, and leading his team in scoring. It will be challenging to top this performance, but as long as he stays healthy, he will likely remain among the best again.

When it's all said and done, Crosby will be regarded as a top-3 player of all time, and the only players he's rivalled by are Gretzky and Lemieux. Like his career counterpart, Alex Ovechkin, he continues to defy his age and remain among the NHL's best. In his 35- to 37-year-old seasons, he has rattled off three straight 90+ point seasons, despite being on one of the league's worst teams. The Penguins as a competitive team may be a thing of the past, but the legend of Sidney Crosby continues to grow.  

There isn't a player who had a more tumultuous year than Rantanen. Going between three different teams in the span of a month is rare for players of his calibre. Since 2020, he has been tied for 4th in points, and he has not been below a point per game in that time span. Last year was technically a down year by his standards, primarily due to the repeated changes of scenery. However, he returned to form in the playoffs, scoring 9 goals and 22 points in 18 games and proving to be an absolute force. Look for him to get back to 95+ points. 

This was the first fully healthy season for Eichel in a long time, and the first while being in his prime. Boy, did he deliver. Eichel's back issues hindered him longer than most expected. Though his first few seasons in Vegas were good by most players' standards, it did feel like he had the training wheels on for the majority of it. Last year, however, Eichel reached his full potential, attacking with reckless abandon and taking his chances head-on rather than being more cautious. This version of Eichel, coupled with the addition of Marner, may be an unstoppable force. 

There were many years when Vasilevskiy would have won the Vezina, given the year he had last season; however, Hellebuyck was just a touch better. Vasilevskiy has set an unreasonably high bar for himself, and last season, he once again reached that bar. There are very few holes, if any, in his game. He has excellent positioning, rebound control, and is arguably the most athletic goalie in the league. Standing at 6 feet 4 inches, makes him one of the hardest goalies in the league to beat.  

Hughes is one of the best players to watch in the NHL. His skating ability is among the best; his passing and puck skills are top-notch, and his shot is one of the most accurate in the league, complemented by a slick release. His biggest flaw is that he has sustained a significant number of unfortunate injuries, yet he still has a 1.19 P/PG since 2021. A whole year of Hughes this year would likely result in an MVP candidate, so let's hope he can stay healthy.

Kaprizov is the best left-winger in the NHL. The Russian has taken the league by storm since entering it 5 years ago. He is tied for 6th in P/PG since 2021 with 1.27. After an injury derailed his regular season last year, he played exceptionally well for the Wild in the first round of the playoffs. Kaprizov is a superstar-level game changer that can take control of a game at any given moment...and he's in a contract year. Darkhorse MVP Candidate.