Top 100 NHL players: 80-61

Leading up to the start of the 2021-22 season, theScore is counting down the top 100 players in the game today, as voted on by our NHL editors. Injuries affecting players entering the season have been taken into consideration. We'll reveal 20 players every day until the top 20 is unveiled Oct. 11.

100-81 | 80-61 | 60-41 | 40-21 | 20-1

80. Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers Joel Auerbach / Getty Images Sport / Getty

There hasn't been a lot to be excited about in Buffalo in recent years, but Reinhart always showed promise. The 25-year-old led the Sabres in scoring last season with 40 points and, in 2021-22, is primed to thrive with the Panthers.

79. Semyon Varlamov, New York Islanders

Varlamov's numbers are buoyed by his team's defensive prowess, but the underlying figures show he remains one of the NHL's best goaltenders. The Islanders netminder ranked second in goals saved above average and 10th in goals saved above expected at five-on-five last season.

78. Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets

Wheeler's underlying numbers last season weren't great, but he still managed an impressive 46 points in 50 games. As long as the 35-year-old is firmly entrenched in the Jets' lethal top-six group, he should continue to contribute a ton on offense.

77. Ryan Pulock, Islanders

Pulock is far from prolific offensively, but all 32 NHL general managers would love him on their team. He's the rock of the Islanders' stingy defensive corps and routinely shuts down opponents' top lines.

76. Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers

Giroux is aging like fine wine, and the move to the wing in recent years has allowed him to focus on his greatest strength - producing offense. His knack for winning faceoffs (career 55.5%) hasn't gone to waste, either, as he still takes draws regularly.

75. Philipp Grubauer, Seattle Kraken Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

Grubauer is looking to take his new team to incredible heights the way Marc-Andre Fleury did for Vegas. The 29-year-old was a Vezina Trophy finalist last season after posting a .922 save percentage with the defensively sound Avalanche, but his underlying numbers weren't as strong as his fellow nominees.

74. John Klingberg, Dallas Stars

Klingberg is often overlooked in the discussion about the game's best defensemen, and he's occasionally even an afterthought on his own team because of Miro Heiskanen's emergence. But he's still a force, notching what would've been 56 points over an 82-game pace last season.

73. MacKenzie Weegar, Panthers

Weegar had his true coming out party with the Panthers last year, showing he has what it takes to be one of the NHL's top-tier defensemen. He ranked 12th among blue-liners with 36 points, 14th in hits (118), and 41st in blocks (83).

72. Robin Lehner, Vegas Golden Knights

Lehner has posted solid numbers for three consecutive seasons but the upcoming campaign will be key in determining his status among the league's elite goaltenders. He's taking the reins as the Golden Knights' No. 1 netminder. The pressure is on after the club traded away Fleury, the Vezina Trophy winner.

71. Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs

Rielly isn't the most sound defender, but he uses his elite skating to drive offense at a high rate. He's just two years removed from a top-five Norris Trophy finish.

70. Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Slavin has led the Hurricanes' defense corps in ice time in each of the past five seasons. Despite his heavy workload, the 27-year-old is one of the most disciplined players in the league. He won the 2021 Lady Byng Trophy after taking just one penalty all season.

69. Aaron Ekblad, Panthers

Ekblad was having a career year before a serious injury ended his 2021 season. He was leading all NHL defensemen in goals at the time and is capable of replicating that level of play now that he's fully healthy.

68. Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks

Boeser continues to be one of the league's more underrated players. He's now strung together four consecutive great seasons with the Canucks to kick off his NHL career with 210 points in 253 games. Playing alongside Elias Pettersson certainly helps, but Boeser's shot remains one of the best in the league.

67. Devon Toews, Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche couldn't have been a better fit for Toews. The 27-year-old forms a dynamic top pair with Cale Makar and is fresh off setting career highs in goals, points, and average time on ice.

66. Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins

Letang is one of the most perennially underrated defensemen of his era. He's an absolute workhorse, logging at least 24 minutes per game for the last decade while earning seven top-10 Norris Trophy finishes in that time. He's getting older, but he remains a true No. 1 blue-liner.

65. Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals Patrick McDermott / National Hockey League / Getty

Backstrom is just as ageless as Alex Ovechkin is. The 33-year-old is essentially a lock to hit at least 70 points in an 82-game season and is set to surpass the 1,000-point mark in his 15th season with the Capitals.

64. Joe Pavelski, Stars

Speaking of ageless, Pavelski belongs in that category as well. The veteran forward racked up 25 goals and 26 assists while playing all 56 games for the Stars in 2021 before turning 37 in July.

63. Seth Jones, Chicago Blackhawks

Jones had a pretty terrible season last year but has otherwise been a legitimate Norris Trophy contender. The 27-year-old ditched Columbus and landed with the Blackhawks over the summer, so the change of scenery should help him find the spark in his game.

62. Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators

It'll be strange to watch the Predators without Pekka Rinne in the fold, but Nashville's in good hands between the pipes thanks to Saros. The Finnish netminder essentially dragged his club to the postseason this past summer with a sterling .927 save percentage across 36 appearances.

61. Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames

Gaudreau takes a lot of heat in the Calgary market, but all he does is put up points - including 49 in 56 games last season. The 2011 fourth-round pick is as skilled of a playmaker as they come.

(Analytics source: Evolving Hockey)

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