Nearly half of the NHL's coaches were hired in the past two years, so there may be fewer on the hot seat than usual. However, there's three in particular who could be without a job in due time.

Todd McLellan, Oilers

Hired: May 19, 2015

Another bad start for the Edmonton Oilers could cost Todd McLellan his job. After a successful 2016-17 season, the Oilers began last year with a 7-12-2 mark and never climbed out of that hole.

By season's end, the Oilers had the league's worst power play (14.8 percent) and the seventh-worst penalty kill (76.7). Special-teams woes are usually blamed on the coach - fairly or not.

General manager Peter Chiarelli may be feeling some pressure himself. Back-to-back seasons of missing the playoffs with Connor McDavid on the roster is unacceptable in a hockey-crazed market like Edmonton, and Chiarelli will promptly make a coaching change if the team starts slow once again.

Joel Quenneville, Blackhawks

Hired: Oct. 16, 2008

Joel Quenneville is the longest-tenured coach in the league, but his time in the Windy City may be drawing to a close.

Quenneville's job was rumored to be jeopardy during a disastrous 2017-18 campaign as the Blackhawks missed the playoffs (by a lot) for the first time since he took over.

And general manager Stan Bowman hasn't done Quenneville any favors; a series of one-sided trades have stripped the roster of most of its talent.

Meanwhile, Corey Crawford's health is worrisome, the blue line is full of question marks, and Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane will be asked to carry the offensive load despite all their mileage. In a tough Central Division, the Hawks seem more poised to be in the Jack Hughes sweepstakes than to contend for the postseason. If early indicators point toward another season without playoff hockey, Bowman may turn the page and bring in a new coach.

Randy Carlyle, Ducks

Hired: June 14, 2016 (second stint)

The Anaheim Ducks were hampered by injuries for much of the first half last season, and already have a slew of players shelved to begin 2018-19. They still rallied to make the playoffs after a 11-11-6 start a year ago, but were swept in the first round by the rival San Jose Sharks.

Carlyle's first stint as Anaheim's bench boss ended after an early playoff exit and then a slow start to the following season. And with the team's Stanley Cup window closing, his archaic coaching style could cost him his job this time around. General manager Bob Murray wants the Ducks to play faster, and he may need a fresh voice to make it happen.

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A pair of Montreal Canadiens veterans will begin the 2018-19 season in the press box, as defenseman Karl Alzner and center Tomas Plekanec have been designated as healthy scratches for Wednesday's opener versus the Toronto Maple Leafs, head coach Claude Julien announced.

Here's a look at Montreal's projected lines from the morning skate:

Alzner is in the second season of a five-year, $23.125-million contract he signed with the Canadiens last July. The 30-year-old played over 20 minutes per night on Montreal's blue line in 2017-18 and hasn't missed a single game since the 2009-10 season.

Plekanec, meanwhile, rejoined the Canadiens on a one-year contract after a trade-deadline move to the Maple Leafs last season. He recorded 26 points in 77 games split between the two teams.

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Jack Eichel has been named captain of the Buffalo Sabres.

Eichel becomes the 28th captain in franchise history. Brian Gionta last wore the "C" from 2014 to 2017, but the team went without a captain last season.

Eichel led the Sabres in points in each of the past two seasons. He signed an eight-year, $80-million contract extension one year ago.

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Brady Tkachuk's NHL debut will have to wait.

The Ottawa Senators rookie forward will miss the club's season opener on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks with a mild groin strain, general manager Pierre Dorion said, according to TSN's Ian Mendes.

Tkachuk earned a spot on the Senators' roster after tallying one goal, one assist, eight shots, eight hits, and three penalties drawn in four preseason games.

The 19-year-old was the fourth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft after a 31-point season at Boston University.

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Leading up to the start of the 2018-19 season, theScore is counting down the top 100 players in the game today, as voted on by four of our NHL editors.

100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

10. Taylor Hall, Devils

Hall paced the New Jersey Devils in epic fashion last season, recording a whopping 41 more points than Nico Hischier, who finished second on the team. He's always been a strong skater and playmaker, but Hall found his scoring touch during his MVP campaign. His 39 goals were a career high and he should be in line for another big year at the front of New Jersey's attack. -- O'Leary

9. Anze Kopitar, Kings

Kopitar silenced his critics in a major way last season, exploding for a career-high 92 points on a Los Angeles Kings club that wasn't among the league's top offenses. His disappointing 2016-17 output was clearly an aberration and his strong two-way play remains nearly unparalleled. The Hart Trophy finalist deserves to be mentioned among the NHL's absolute best. -- Gold-Smith

8. Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs

Since he entered the league in 2016-17, Matthews leads all players with 55 five-on-five goals despite missing 20 games to injury last season. Now he's poised for an offensive explosion as he prepares to share a power-play unit with John Tavares this year. We've only reached the tip of the iceberg when it comes it the 21-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs phenom. -- O'Leary

7. Erik Karlsson, Sharks

Can any player in the league single-handedly take over a game quite like Karlsson? His ability to carry a team was on full display during the 2017 postseason when he tallied 18 points in 19 games and nearly took a ragtag Ottawa Senators squad to the Stanley Cup Final. The smooth-skating Swede has two Norris trophies to his name, and has arguably been robbed of two more. -- Wegman

6. Nikita Kucherov, Lightning

Kucherov paced the league in scoring for the majority of the year before Connor McDavid went on a tear following the All-Star break. The Russian winger finished with an even 100 points and has emerged as one of the most talented players in the league, and a magician with the puck - just ask Braden Holtby and Robin Lehner. -- Hagerman

5. Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche

MacKinnon was very close to winning the Hart last season, and rightfully so. He carried the Colorado Avalanche back to the playoffs and finished 0.01 points per game behind McDavid for tops in the NHL. He's a lethal scorer and playmaker, and the sky's the limit at just 23 years old. -- Gold-Smith

4. Alex Ovechkin, Capitals

Ovechkin is the greatest goal-scorer of this decade, earning the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy seven times. He just finished guiding the Washington Capitals to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history and shows no signs of slowing down. Ovechkin's shot remains one of the most feared in the NHL. Don't be surprised if he breaks the 50-goal threshold this season for the eighth time in his career. -- Hagerman

3. Evgeni Malkin, Penguins

Malkin is obviously one of the today's elite players, but he makes his case to be recognized as one of the greatest to ever lace up a pair of skates with his ability to elevate his play when Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Sidney Crosby is absent. When Malkin is at his very best, the argument could be made that he's more dangerous than Sid, though the Pens captain is far more consistent with his level of dominance. -- Wegman

2. Sidney Crosby, Penguins

Crosby has relinquished the title as the NHL's best player, but that doesn't mean the superstar is on the decline. He continues to produce at an elite rate and is well-rounded in every facet of the game. Crosby still regularly dazzles, and it would foolish to think he's finished adding to his trophy case. -- O'Leary

1. Connor McDavid

This one's a no-brainer, and that's a testament to just how otherworldly McDavid is. Even amidst a disastrous Edmonton Oilers season, the superstar center rose to new heights with 41 goals and claimed his second straight Art Ross Trophy with a career-high 108 points. It's almost scary when you remember he's only 21 years old. -- Gold-Smith

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Anaheim Ducks forward Ondrej Kase will be sidelined indefinitely with a concussion, reports Mike Coppinger of the Los Angeles Times.

Kase suffered the injury in Saturday's preseason tilt against the Los Angeles Kings.

The injury is the latest blow to a Ducks squad that's already lost veteran winger Corey Perry for five months due to a knee injury. Also, center Ryan Kesler's return remains unclear as he's still rehabbing from hip surgery.

In 66 appearances with the Ducks last season, Kase notched 20 goals and 18 assists. His 20-goal output finished second to only Rickard Rakell for the team lead.

Kase is under contract for the next three seasons at a $2.6-million cap hit.

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Sam Gagner will be playing closer to home.

The veteran forward and Ontario native, who cleared waivers Tuesday after being released by the Vancouver Canucks, has been loaned to the AHL's Toronto Marlies, the team announced Tuesday.

The Canucks' alternative was to assign Gagner to their minor-league affiliate in Utica, N.Y.

However, while Gagner will suit up for the Toronto Maple Leafs' farm club, he remains property of the Canucks and can't be recalled by the Maple Leafs, unless they were to acquire his rights.

The 29-year-old is under contract for the next two seasons at a $3.15-million cap hit.

While it's a rare occurrence, it's not the only such arrangement in the NHL. Matt Moulson, who's under contract with the Buffalo Sabres, spent last season with the AHL's Ontario Reign, the Los Angeles Kings' minor-league affiliate. Moulson has again been loaned to Ontario for 2018-19.

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For the first time since 1974, the Vancouver Canucks will begin the season without a captain.

In place of the retired Henrik Sedin, who captained the Canucks since 2010, the team has named a four-player leadership group of Bo Horvat, Brandon Sutter, Chris Tanev, and Alex Edler.

"Our team culture will be built from leadership by committee," Canucks head coach Travis Green said in a statement. "It will be a big part of our process and our identity each and every game."

Of the four, Edler is the longest-serving Canuck, having been with the franchise since 2006.

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