Top 100 NHL players: 40-21

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

40. Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens

There's uncertainty surrounding Price's status after he voluntarily took part in the player assistance program just before the start of the campaign, but the 34-year-old will always be a force to be reckoned with. Price carried the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup Final last year following a lackluster regular season that saw him author a .901 save percentage in the North Division.

39. Alex Pietrangelo, Vegas Golden Knights

Pietrangelo's production fell last campaign, but he did miss 14 games due to injury. Despite that, the Golden Knights' veteran defenseman ranked 13th in the NHL in average ice time while posting favorable underlying numbers, proving he remains among the league's most reliable rearguards.

38. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings

Kopitar continues to quietly truck along as one of the NHL's best players, hitting the 1,000 point mark last season. The Kings star has shown no signs of slowing down at the age of 34, and with ultra-defensive Philip Danault's arrival in L.A., Kopitar could find himself with even more offensive opportunities this year.

37. Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers

Zibanejad can be a streaky producer, but when he's on, he's nearly unstoppable. The Rangers' top pivot ranks fifth among all centers with 95 goals since the 2018-19 campaign - trailing four players universally considered the best at the position and that you'll see later on this list.

36. Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars

Heiskanen is one of the most naturally gifted skaters in the entire league - his stride is truly effortless. The Stars blue-liner has already mastered the defensive side of the puck, but don't be surprised if he reaches new offensive heights this season.

35. Marc-Andre Fleury, Chicago Blackhawks

Fleury unexpectedly finds himself on a new team in 2021-22 after Vegas shipped him out. But no matter where he is, the 36-year-old is still the reigning Vezina Trophy winner and will certainly help the Blackhawks take the next step.

34. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

Malkin used to be much higher on this list, but injuries have limited him significantly of late, and his offensive output for the Penguins has declined even when he's been healthy. The 35-year-old will miss at least the first two months of this campaign following knee surgery, but he's still worthy of the top 40 for now.

33. Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins

With Zdeno Chara's and Torey Krug's departures last offseason, all the pressure was on McAvoy to step into their shoes and become the Bruins' top defenseman. The 23-year-old absolutely lived up to the hype, turning in the best campaign of his career and proving he has what it takes to be the team's No. 1 for years to come.

32. Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers

Year in and year out, Couturier is one of the league's most dominant two-way centers. The Flyers were wise to ink him to an eight-year extension this past offseason.

31. Dougie Hamilton, New Jersey Devils

Hamilton was worth the dough. Over the last two campaigns, he ranks fifth among NHL defensemen in points per game - all while posting exceptionally advanced metrics at both ends of the ice.

30. Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks

Now that Pettersson has re-signed with the Canucks, he's going to come back with a vengeance after being limited to just 26 contests last season. The 22-year-old is the face of the franchise and is an absolute menace when healthy.

29. Shea Theodore, Golden Knights

Theodore doesn't play as much as Pietrangelo, but he's better than his fellow Golden Knights defenseman. Theodore tied for seventh among rearguards in points last campaign while authoring excellent underlying numbers and averaging a career-high 22:33 of ice time.

28. Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets

Centering the Jets' top line alongside a pair of fantastic wingers, Scheifele has firmly established himself as one of the best pivots in the league. Scheifele ranks 12th in the NHL with 423 points since 2015 as he consistently plays over a point-per-game pace.

27. Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild

What does Kaprizov have in store for his encore season? The Wild's offensive catalyst dazzled in his rookie campaign, greatly exceeding long-awaited expectations and rapidly establishing himself as one of the league's most dynamic talents.

26. Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders

Barzal's career-high 85 points came during his rookie season with the Islanders - before head coach Barry Trotz arrived in Long Island. While Trotz's system is fantastic for team success, it's clearly shackled Barzal's offensive ceiling. On a squad with better linemates that encourages offense, the slick center could be a 100-point player.

25. Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres

Eichel's future with the Sabres is a question mark, as is his physical condition for this campaign. What's not a mystery is what the 24-year-old can accomplish when he is healthy. Before 2021, Eichel was a top offensive talent and led Buffalo in scoring for four straight seasons.

24. Patrice Bergeron, Bruins

Most NHL players start declining when they turn 30, but Bergeron remarkably remains one of the league's absolute best two-way players at the age of 36. Boston's ever-dependable pivot still more than capably centers one of the best lines in hockey while effectively patrolling both ends of the ice.

23. Connor Hellebuyck, Jets

It's no secret that Hellebuyck is one of the NHL's best goalies, but what's most impressive is that he's done so well while playing behind a disastrous blue line in Winnipeg the past few years. The Jets brought in Brenden Dillon and Nate Schmidt to bolster their defense this year, which is scary for anybody trying to score on Hellebuyck.

22. Ryan O'Reilly, St. Louis Blues

O'Reilly is a prototypical franchise cornerstone that somehow seems to elevate his play with each passing year. The 30-year-old set a new career best with 0.96 points per game last campaign while maintaining dominant even-strength possession numbers. There's nothing the Blues captain doesn't bring to the table.

21. Mark Stone, Golden Knights

Stone is, without a doubt, the best defensive winger in the game. He's finished in the top five in Selke Trophy voting each of the last three seasons, with only centers ranking ahead of him. What Stone lacks in speed, he makes up for with intelligence, will, and outstanding stick handling. He also produced at a career-best 90-point pace (over 82 games) this past campaign.