Matt Martin of the New York Islanders celebrates his goal during a game at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
With no Canadian teams in the NHL playoffs, commissioner Gary Bettman has said he hoped viewers in this country would still tune in to the post-season to watch talented Canadian players on American teams.
With that in mind, here's one Canadian to watch from each playoff team:
Pittsburgh - Kris Letang
Superstar Sidney Crosby will draw a lot of attention, but Letang deserves consideration. The Montreal native missed the 2015 post-season with an injury, but he's back and healthy for the Penguins this spring. He's also coming off the best season of his career, a definite Norris Trophy contender with career-highs in goals (16), assists (51) and points (67). Drawing close to 27 minutes per night and perhaps more in the post-season, Letang will be hard to miss.
Washington - Justin Williams
Williams always makes himself noticed in the playoffs, only this time he'll do so as a member of the Capitals. Now 34, the Cobourg, Ont. native remains a productive part for the Eastern Conference favourites. Williams finished the regular season with 22 goals and 52 points.
Detroit - Mike Green
It's still odd to see Green in a Red Wings sweater after a career spent in the U.S. capital, but the Calgary native is indeed an important part for Detroit. He isn't the same star who scored 31 goals in 2008-09, but Green can still skate like few others on the back-end and remains a helpful power-play piece for the Red Wings.
Los Angeles - Jake Muzzin
Muzzin will never attract the same spotlight as teammate Drew Doughty, but he plays a huge role for the Kings. Only Doughty played more minutes for Los Angeles this season than the Woodstock, Ont. defenceman, who quietly posted 40 points and terrific puck possession numbers in another effective regular season.
Nashville - Ryan Ellis
Sometimes forgotten in Nashville, the former Windsor Spitfires star has carved out a huge role for the Predators. Ellis posted a career-high 10 goals and 32 points this season while averaging a career-high 21 minutes alongside Mattias Ekholm on Nashville's second pair. A swift skater and feisty personality, the Hamilton native plays in every situation for the Predators.
St. Louis - Jaden Schwartz
Schwartz comes from the tiny Saskatchewan town of Wilcox, but the 23-year-old can be a real, big difference-maker for the Blues this post-season. Schwartz missed most of the year with an ankle injury, but returned to score eight goals in only 26 games. He's got good speed and could add a helpful boost in yet another post-season with high expectations for St. Louis.
New York Islanders - Matt Martin
Martin will make sure you notice him this spring. The Windsor, Ont., winger has led the league in hits for five years running, an always-bruising presence on the Islanders fourth line. Martin can add the odd goal, too. He had 10 this season for New York.
Minnesota - Jared Spurgeon
The NHL's smallest regular defenceman (five-foot-nine, 176 pounds), Spurgeon is nonetheless a huge piece for the Wild. From Edmonton, Spurgeon plays huge minutes on the Wild top pair (nearly 23 per game), chips in offensively (11 goals), blocks a ton of shots (Minnesota's team leader), and garners ice-time in every situation. He's not big in terms of physical stature, but he'll make an impression this spring.
Chicago - Andrew Ladd
The long-time Jets captain ended up back in Chicago after a mid-season trade from Winnipeg. He won a Cup with the Blackhawks in 2010 and could be an influential presence in them doing so again this spring. You'll see Ladd alongside Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa on the Blackhawks top line.
Philadelphia - Wayne Simmonds
Scoring a career-high 32 goals for the Flyers this season, Simmonds powerful presence is key to the Philadelphia attack. He's especially potent around the net on the power-play, scoring 13 goals there this season, a mark bested by only five players.
Dallas - Cody Eakin
If Tyler Seguin isn't ready to start the post-season because of an Achilles injury, it could be Eakin dishing pucks to Dallas captain Jamie Benn. A Washington Capitals third-round pick and Winnipeg native, Eakin is a feisty competitor who's scored at least 16 goals in each of the past three seasons. His energetic game and bright red hair will make him hard to miss this spring.
Florida - Reilly Smith
Coming over to the Panthers in a summer trade from Boston, Smith scored 25 goals in Florida this season. The Panthers top line of Aleksander Barkov, Jaromir Jagr and Jonathan Huberdeau will be the main draw this spring, but after that the player to watch might just be Smith, a Toronto native who was among those dealt from Dallas to Boston in the famed Tyler Seguin trade of 2013.
New York Rangers - Kevin Klein
Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh likely won't be available to start the club's first round series against Pittsburgh meaning more will be expected from the 31-year-old Klein. Formerly of the Nashville Predators and hailing from Kitchener, Ont., Klein chews up big minutes on the New York defence, even more so if McDonagh remains out versus the Penguins.
San Jose - Logan Couture
Joe Thornton should draw Hart Trophy consideration for his 82-point season as a 36-year-old, but if the Sharks are to somehow overcome the Kings in the first round a huge contribution from Couture will likely be necessary. Hurt for much of the regular season, the Sharks second line centre from Birr, Ont., has 14 goals and 32 points in his last 41 playoff games.
Tampa - Jonathan Drouin
The Lightning won't have injured captain Steven Stamkos this spring. They're hoping Drouin, a skillful winger from Saint-Agathes-des-Monts, Que., can offer some kind of offensive boost in his place. Drouin had a turbulent second season in Tampa, with a trade demand, demotion and team-imposed suspension all making noise. But he can make folks in Florida forget all that with an impactful playoff performance.
Anaheim - Jamie McGinn
Hailing from the small Ontario town of Fergus, McGinn was a trade deadline pickup for the Ducks who could provide some pop this spring. An imposing 205-pound presence, McGinn scored eight goals in 21 games after the trade from Buffalo. He currently owns a spot alongside Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry on Anaheim's top line.