You should be cheering for these players in the NHL Playoffs

Whether or not your team missed the postseason this year, there are always going to be a few key players vying for the Stanley Cup that you know you're going to root for. Here are 16 guys we think are worthy of your attention this year.

Meier got picked up by the Devils just before the trade deadline in the hopes that he could bring a little extra scoring to New Jersey for the playoffs. The former San Jose Sharks captain hasn’t put a single point up yet but we’re hoping all that changes soon. 

There are a lot of other guys we could have chosen from Carolina, but there’s just something about a veteran player in search of his first Stanley Cup that makes us want to root for Burns. He got close once with the Sharks in 2016, maybe this will be his year.

Pavelski is another cupless veteran you should expect to play exceptionally well this year around. Sadly his Game 1 injury is probably going to keep him out for Games 3 and 4 with Minnesota. Let’s hope the Stars can hold on without him, we’d really like to see more from him this postseason. 

Fleary is a goaltending legend and this might actually be the last year we’ll get to see him in the postseason. But it would be silly to start Fleury over Filip Gustavsson…

Eichel was a top draft pick who's been stuck in the regular season ever since he joined the league. This is the first time the former Buffalo Sabre has had a chance to prove himself in the postseason and that’s more than enough to get us rooting for him. 

There’s really no explanation needed for Hellebuyck, the dude is a beast of a goaltender and he’s proven time and again that when he’s on the Jets are winning. Watching Hellebuyck consistently stop the Golden Knights has been the highlight of Round 1. 

Does McDavid really need an explanation? The guy is probably the biggest talent of his generation and you can’t help but root for him knowing you’re going to see some epic playmaking, especially considering the stellar season he’s had this year. 

Fiala could have been one of this year’s breakout postseason stars. Unfortunately, a lower-body injury has kept him off the ice since early April. We're still rooting for him though, Fiala’s return could completely change LA’s dynamic and help them advance to Round 2. 

Eberle had a terrible time playing with the Edmonton Oilers. But his move to the Kraken seems to have changed him. Eberle has been making some serious plays this postseason and that’s enough to get us in his corner, hopefully, he continues to deliver. 

Sorokin didn’t enter the playoffs at the top of his game but we think you should be rooting for him because he alone could really bring the Cup back to New York. If Sorokin continues to play as he has then we’re all in for an exciting 7 game series with the Hurricanes. 

MacKinnon is one of those top draft picks that never disappoints his fans. Watching him try to pick apart the Kraken with Mikko Rantanen is such an interesting watch that you find yourself rooting for the duo to succeed, even if you wanted Seattle to win…

With the Boston Bruins being dominant this year on the offensive, you can’t help but root for the plucky Panthers and their goaltender. Lyon has put on a stellar performance so far and we hope that extends long enough to knock Boston out in the first round. 

Ullmark has had an amazing season and he’s carried that energy into the playoffs. It’s hard not to root for him since everybody knows he’s going to make the rest of the postseason very exciting for hockey fans. 

Toronto is Giordano’s hometown and he’s getting to retirement age. We’re rooting for him because we’d love to see him finally win a Stanley Cup and do it where his hockey journey started.

There’s something about the way Patrick Kane plays in the postseason that makes him ridiculously enjoyable to watch, even if you’re not his biggest fan. We’re cheering for him this year purely out of the selfish desire to see some awesome playoff hockey. 

Perry already has a Stanley Cup ring under his belt but this could be one of the last chances the 37-year-old has at winning another title. That’s enough for us to back him.