The best 75 players to target for NHL playoff pools.

In playoff pools, volume is king. 

A top player on a team that will get bounced in the first round is worth far less than a second-line player on a team that will go all the way. 

That's why the rankings below don't necessarily reflect a player's individual ability; how far their team is expected to progress in the upcoming Stanley Cup playoffs is the far bigger factor. 

To determine which teams are expected to go the furthest, we used the Stanley Cup odds courtesy BetMGM. 

Odds, ticket and handle accurate as of April 10, 2024. 

Hurricanes: +650
Avalanche, Panthers: +700
Stars, Oilers: +800
Rangers: +900
Bruins: +1100
Golden Knights: +1200
Canucks: +1400
Jets: +1500
Maple Leafs: +1600
Lightning: +2200
Kings: +2500
Predators: +4000
Islanders: +6600
Penguins: +8000
Red Wings: +10000
Flyers: +15000
Capitals: +15000

Highest Ticket %: Avalanche, 12.3%

This means 12.3 percent of all bets were placed on the Avalanche to win the Cup.

Highest Handle %: Rangers, 13.0%

This means 13.0 percent of the total dollar amount of all bets were placed on the Rangers to win the Cup. 

In case you missed it, check out the playoff strategy article for a more in-depth explanation.

(For use in fantasy playoff pools and/or traditional leagues. Players ranked by point production and expected number of games played based on BetMGM Cup odds.)

1. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Avalanche
2. Sebastian Aho, C, Hurricanes
3. Jake Guentzel, LW, Hurricanes
4. Connor McDavid, C, Oilers
5. Mikko Rantanen, RW, Avalanche
6. Leon Draisaitl, C, Oilers
7. Cale Makar, D, Avalanche
8. Artemi Panarin, LW, Rangers
9. Aleksander Barkov, C, Panthers
10. Jason Robertson, LW, Stars
11. Sam Reinhart, RW, Panthers
12. Matthew Tkachuk, RW, Panthers
13. Seth Jarvis, RW, Hurricanes
14. Andrei Svechnikov, RW, Hurricanes
15. Carter Verhaeghe, LW, Panthers
16. Evan Bouchard, D, Oilers
17. Roope Hintz, C, Stars
18. David Pastrnak, RW, Bruins
19. Zach Hyman, RW, Oilers
20. Joe Pavelski, RW, Stars
21. Valeri Nichushkin, RW, Avalanche
22. Matt Duchene, C, Stars
23. Wyatt Johnston, C, Stars
24. Martin Necas, RW, Hurricanes
25. Mika Zibanejad, C, Rangers
26. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, LW, Oilers
27. Teuvo Teravainen, LW, Hurricanes
28. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, Panthers
29. Vincent Trocheck, C, Rangers
30. Chris Kreider, LW, Rangers
31. Auston Matthews, C, Maple Leafs
32. Jonathan Drouin, LW, Avalanche
33. Jamie Benn, LW, Stars
34. Artturi Lehkonen, LW, Avalanche
35. Adam Fox, D, Rangers
36. Miro Heiskanen, D, Stars
37. Mason Marchment, LW, Stars
38. Logan Stankoven, RW, Stars
39. Jack Eichel, C, Golden Knights
40. Mitch Marner, RW, Maple Leafs
41. William Nylander, RW, Maple Leafs
42. Jonathan Marchessault, RW, Golden Knights
43. Tyler Seguin, C, Stars
44. Mark Stone, RW, Golden Knights
45. Devon Toews, D, Avalanche
46. Brandon Montour, D, Panthers
47. Casey Mittelstadt, C, Avalanche
48. Sam Bennett, C, Panthers
49. Thomas Harley, D, Stars
50. J.T. Miller, C, Canucks
51. Elias Pettersson, C, Canucks
52. Brad Marchand, LW, Bruins
53. Alexis Lafreniere, RW, Rangers
54. Brent Burns, D, Hurricanes
55. Gustav Forsling, D, Panthers
56. Quinn Hughes, D, Canucks
57. Shea Theodore, D, Golden Knights
58. Tomas Hertl, C, Golden Knights
59. Mark Scheifele, C, Jets
60. Evander Kane, LW, Oilers
61. Brady Skjei, D, Hurricanes
62. William Karlsson, C, Golden Knights
63. Evgeny Kuznetsov, C, Hurricanes
64. Brock Boeser, RW, Canucks
65. John Tavares, C, Maple Leafs
66. Chandler Stephenson, C, Golden Knights
67. Charlie Coyle, C, Bruins
68. Pavel Zacha, C, Bruins
69. Nikita Kucherov, RW, Lightning
70. Kyle Connor, LW, Jets
71. Sean Monahan, C, Jets
72. Tyler Toffoli, RW, Jets
73. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Jets
74. Gabriel Vilardi, RW, Jets
75. Morgan Rielly, D, Maple Leafs