The Best Players in the First Round: Eastern Conference

Overtime Heroics Editorial

1923 days ago

With the NHL playoffs coming around, there are more players than those in the usual NHL playoffs. With 24 teams, it’s going to be crazy because you think of how many they’ll be. But you may also need to think about which players will stand out in these playoffs. For each team, they have a player that will help lead them to the Stanley Cup. But for now, let’s think about which players I think will stand out for each Eastern Conference team in these first-round matchups. The only one I won’t do is Islanders vs. Panthers, which I already covered in another article which here: https://www.overtimeheroics.net/2020/05/30/islanders-panthers-2020-nhl-playoffs-preview/.

New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Rangers- Artemi Panarin: The Rangers struck platinum this offseason getting Artemi Panarin. Despite the Rangers record, he’s putting on his best season ever. With 32 goals and 63 assists combining for a total of 95 points, he could be the key for getting the Rangers to their 5th cup. Panarin has many weapons around him like Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, who have made many Ranger playoff moments before. The real question will be how long the Rangers will last in the playoffs with him at the helm?

Hurricanes- Andrei Svechnikov: It may be his second season in the NHL, but Andrei Svechnikov is becoming a legendary Hurricanes player. While many will remember this season for the lacrosse style goal, people might also not forget these are his stats at 19 years old. With 37 assists this season, along with 24 goals for a total of 61 points, Hurricane fans are feeling delighted with Svechnikov’s season. If Svechnikov can continue having seasons like this or even better, we can see Carolina winning a cup pretty soon. But how will they get over the Rangers? We’ll have to watch and find out.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

Maple Leafs- Auston Matthews: Yes, I know my pick is obvious, but this makes sense. Auston Matthews’ 4th season with the Toronto Maple Leafs has been fantastic. What’s crazy is that Matthews was three goals away from having a 50 goal season. He would’ve joined players like Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Leon Draisaitl. Despite that, Matthews still put up a solid 80 point season with 47 goals and 33 assists. If he works with Mitch Marner, who has 51 assists in these playoffs, they could be the dynamic duo for a fantastic run. Let’s hope the Leafs can get past the first round this time. They aren’t playing the Bruins.

Blue Jackets- Pierre-Luc Dubois: Surprising after losing Artemi Panarin, the Blue Jackets still made into playoff contention. What’s even more surprising is how they were 4th place in the division this year. But to win this first-round, a new leader has to step up for the Blue Jackets. The player that I believe should become that leader is Pierre-Luc Dubois. While only having 49 points, he is performing pretty well. If the playoffs go well for him, he can prove to become the next face for the Jackets moving on for the franchise. Maybe he’ll play well in these playoffs just like former players Matt Calvert, and Artemi Panarin did. Perhaps, like last year the Blue Jackets can make another upset in the first round like last season. Well, maybe not an upset as big as against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Montreal Canadiens

Penguins: Evgeni Malkin: Like Auston Matthews, this pick is not much of a surprise. Considering how long both Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby have been on the Penguins, it’s so amazing. How both Malkin and Crosby have been consistent is quite incredible. But I’m focusing on Malkin. While he was the best player on the team, his stats aren’t nearly as good as his 2008-09 stats. This season he had 49 assists as well as 25 goals. Still pretty good for a guy who’s 33 years old. But when it comes to the playoffs, Malkin has helped his time many times, though his last two playoff seasons weren’t that great. These playoffs would be a chance for Malkin to help steer the Penguins back into the 3rd cup over the previous five years.

Montreal Canadiens- Tomas Tatar: For the Habs, they were the luckiest team to get into this playoff format. With a record of 31-31, the Habs may not be able to stay for long in these playoffs, but maybe they’ll surprise us. To win this first round, they need help, and I believe Tomas Tatar will be the player to do it. With an impressive 61 point season, Tatar will have to carry a lot of the load. Having 39 assists could mean he could be the setup man to teammates Phillip Danault, Max Domi, and Brendan Gallagher. Thankfully as Tatar was part of 3 seasons of the 25 year Red Wings playoff streak, he knows about the experience of the NHL playoffs. I will be impressed if the Canadiens somehow win the cup in these playoffs after having this record.