#NHLTopPlayers: Nos. 20-11

NHL Network is getting ready for this season by ranking the top 50 players in the League. Researchers, producers and on-air personalities compiled the list, and players 20-11 were revealed Sunday in the premiere of the fourth program in a five-part offseason series. Here is the list:

RELATED: [#NHLTopPlayers: Nos. 50-41 | #NHLTopPlayers: Nos. 40-31 | #NHLTopPlayers: Nos. 30-21]
20. Mark Stone, RW, Vegas Golden Knights
Stone led the Golden Knights in points last season (61; 21 goals, 40 assists) in 55 games. His eight game-winning goals were tied for third in the NHL and his plus-26 rating was tied for tenth. Vegas' captain led the NHL in takeaways (58) for the fifth time in his seven full NHL seasons and finished third in voting for the Selke Trophy, awarded annually to the forward voted best to excel in the defensive aspects of the game. He's scored at least 60 points in six of his seven seasons.
"He's a perennial Selke finalist in my opinion and should be for years to come," NHL Network analyst Mike Rupp said. "But he can put up offense. He had one of his greatest offensive productive seasons this past season and what I find really unique about this is for the Vegas Golden Knights, he's driving offense from the wing. There's not many guys in the League that do that. … I love his ability, what he brings to the table."

19. Patrice Bergeron, C, Boston Bruins
Bergeron scored 48 points (23 goals, 25 assists) in 54 games last season and ranked first in face-off percentage (62.3, minimum, 650 attempts). He was first in face-offs won (714) and fifth in face-offs taken (1,147) and first among Bruins forwards in blocked shots (36) and second in takeaways (35) behind Brad Marchand (42). He was a finalist for the Selke Trophy for an NHL record 10th consecutive season and has won it four times. Bergeron was plus-27 last season and has not had a negative rating since 2006-07 (minus-28).
"You know what you're going to get," Rupp said. "This guy can have 10 games with no points but he's still helping his team win, why? Key face-offs, penalty killer, he's just able to neutralize the other team's best players. This is what Patrice Bergeron brings to the table. He, in my opinion, will be on this list until the day he hangs up his skates. He's that good."

18. Mitchell Marner, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
He led the Maple Leafs in points (67; 20 goals, 47 assists) in 55 games last season and was tied with defenseman Jake Muzzin for second on Toronto in plus-minus (plus-27). Marner led NHL forwards in ice time per game (22:26) and ranked fourth in the NHL among all players in assists and fifth in takeaways (53). Marner has scored more than a point per game (1.01) in his five NHL seasons (358 in 355 games).
"His offensive IQ, it's through the roof," Rupp said. "The way he see offense and creates offense, generates offense, there's not many that can do it like him. … When you look at him, whether it's on the power play, 5-on-5, he just generates offense no matter where he goes and what he does on the ice."

17. Alex Ovechkin, LW, Washington Capitals
Ovechkin led the Capitals with 24 goals in 45 games last season despite missing 11 games because of NHL COVID-19 protocol (four) and a leg injury (seven). It was the first time in his 16 NHL seasons that he failed to score at least 30 goals. Ovechkin, who has led the NHL in goals a record nine times, ranks sixth in history with 730, one behind Marcel Dionne, and 164 behind Wayne Gretzky for first. He is Washington's leader in goals, points (1,320), games played (1,197) and power-play points (499) and rankks
"I think Ovi goes for that, he gets that (goals) record … Even today, this guy is the best pure goal scorer our game has ever seen," Rupp said. "This guy, he's different. … He's so good at just getting the puck on net, getting it on net quickly and it usually turns into a goal."

16. Mikko Rantanen, RW, Colorado Avalanche
The forward led the Avalanche in points (66; 30 goals, 36 assists) in 52 games last season and the NHL with a plus-30 rating. He was first on Colorado in even-strength goals (21), even-strength points (42) and tied for first in power-play goals (nine; Gabriel Landeskog) and takeaways (32; Devon Toews). Rantanen was second in power-play points (24; Nathan MacKinnon, 25) and game-winning goals (seven; Landeskog, eight). He scored 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games last season, which included scoring in 17 straight playoff games over the past two seasons (27 points; 10 goals, 17 assists).
"This guy has got the size (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) and has got the ability to play in traffic and still generate offense in the playoffs," Rupp said. "The big thing for me with this guy is every single year that he has been in the League, his goals per game average has gone up. … I don't think we've seen the ceiling on him."

15. Aleksander Barkov, C, Florida Panthers
Barkov was second on the Panthers with 58 points (26 goals, 32 assists) in 50 games last season but also showed his value on defense. He won the Selke Trophy, ranking first among Florida forwards in takeaways (39) and time on ice per game (20:56) and second in blocked shots (37; Noel Acciari, 63). He was 15th in the NHL in face-off percentage (54.9 percent, minimum 650 attempts). Barkov has scored at least 58 points in each of his past four seasons and is second in Panthers history in points (465) behind Jonathan Huberdeau (498).
"Selke winner and his best season in this League, had 96 points," Rupp said. "When you put those two things together, that's unbelievable. You've got a guy that can completely drive offense for an entire team, but he's also shutting the other team's top player down. … If he can continue to grow, along with Jonathan Huberdeau -- who I think is a world-class player -- this team could be the best team in Florida this year. I really do believe that."

14. Brayden Point, C, Tampa Bay Lightning
Point scored 48 points (23 goals, 25 assists) in 56 games last season, and 23 (14 goals, nine assists) in 23 playoff games. He has led the past two postseasons in goals, helping the Lightning win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. Point was first on Tampa Bay in even-strength goals (17), even-strength points (33) and takeaways (27), tied for first in game-winning goals (six; Ondrej Palat) and third in power-play goals (six). He set NHL career highs in goals (41), assists (51) and points (92) in 2018-19.
"He's not that big (5-10, 183), he's got a great skating ability and sees the game really well, has got a great hockey IQ," Rupp said. "This guy does not get his due. … What we've seen in his career in the playoffs and the regular season … he's up there with the top offensive contributors in the National Hockey League right now."

13. Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche
In his second NHL season, Makar scored 44 points (eight goals, 36 assists) in 44 games last season and led defenseman with an average of 1.00 points per game (minimum 10 games). He tied for the lead at the position in game-winning goals (three) and was fourth in power-play points (22). Makar finished second on the Avalanche in ice time per game (24:19) behind Toews (24:46) and tied for first in takeaways (32) with Toews and Rantanen. He won the Calder Trophy voted NHL rookie of the year in 2019-20 after scoring 50 points (12 goals, 38 assists) in 57 games.
"I think Connor McDavid changed the way we view forwards in the modern game when he came into the League (2015), I think Makar is doing that on the backend," Rupp said. "Cale Makar is starting to be referred to as the bar for the new age defenseman. … You can't find players like this, that how special Cale is."

12. David Pastrnak, RW, Boston Bruins
One season after tying with Ovechkin for the NHL lead in goals (48), Pastrnak scored 20 in 48 games despite missing the start of the season with a hip injury. He ranks fifth in the NHL with 175 goals over the past five seasons. Pastrnak scored 14 power-play points and his six power-play goals were second on the Bruins behind Bergeron (seven). He tied Palat for second in the NHL scoring the first goal of the game eight times last season (Auston Matthews, nine). Pastrnak is tied with Marchand for third in playoff points (64; 25 goals, 39 assists) over the past four seasons.
"[The Bruins] took their time with him in Providence (of the American Hockey League) and it's paying dividends now because he keeps getting better and better," Rupp said. "… He's a gamer, he sits there, he's passionate, he's fun … He's one of the best goal scorers our League has right now."

11. Patrick Kane, RW, Chicago Blackhawks
Kane scored 66 points (15 goals, 51 assists) to lead the Blackhawks in scoring for the sixth straight season. He ranked first on Chicago in even-strength points (44), power-play points (22), shots on goal (191) and second in the NHL in average ice time per game among forwards (22:14) behind Marner. Kane has scored at least 55 points in each of his 14 NHL seasons and at least 21 goals in 13 straight seasons prior to last season. He's fourth in Blackhawks history with 1,088 points in 1,029 games.
"He's our American Sidney Crosby," Rupp said. "…I'm so excited about this Hawks team this year, because you have the additions of (defenseman) Seth Jones, (goalie) Marc-Andre Fleury. I think we're going to see Patty Kane back in the playoffs and that's where he should be, because he's had three cups under his belt at this point (2010, 2013, 2015) and he's still getting it done. The best all-time American-born player in my opinion."