We're almost there, hockey heads, the NHL postseason and push for the Stanley Cup are both agonizingly close. The best time on the hockey calendar at the end of April always features five or six amazing games of intense action every single night, with teams laying it all on the line for a shot at the best trophy in professional sports.

Before that, there are a number of tantalizing storylines to take in as teams across the league play their final five or six games of the 2023-24 NHL campaign. Here's what you need to be keeping an eye on as the NHL and fantasy hockey seasons wind down.

10. Demko's Availability for Canucks

There's a lot of chatter out there among Canucks fans that taking on the Vegas Golden Knights is the matchup they want in the first round. Beat the best if you want to be the best-type mentality, but that might be a tad bold for a Vancouver team that is loaded with talent but comes up short on playoff experience. Sprinkle in the fact the club hasn't beat a playoff-level team since losing number-one netminder Thatcher Demko back on March 9, and it doesn't really matter who the Canucks end up facing. Without Demko (34-13-2, five shutouts, .917 save percentage before getting hurt) holding down the blue paint, Vancouver lacks the defensive teeth to give rough-and-tumble-type clubs like the Golden Knights a hard time and we know defensive and physical intensity goes up 20 notches in the spring.

Demko's availability will be a hot topic over the next 10 days and if the Canucks have to start the first round with Casey DeSmith in the cage, things in Vancouver could get slippery in a matter of weeks.

9. Dallas Flexing Muscle

Jake Oettinger feeling it once again with a 11-2-0 record, .910 SV.%, and two shutouts in last 13, a balanced blue-line core, and three forward lines that score with the best of them once again have the Stars ready to pounce on another postseason push. Dallas has all the making of a Cup winner, but can Oettinger maintain and will some of those veteran bodies in the likes of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Joe Pavelski be able to withstand an extra six-to-seven weeks of intense postseason hockey? Time will surely tell.

8. Future Stars Getting a Look

No, not those stars. We're talking about young guns like Minnesota Wild netminder Jesper Wallstedt, Seattle Kraken forward Shane Wright, and other inexperienced NHL prospects that with their team's seasons now cooked, NHL front-office executives will utilize the last handful of games as the perfect opportunity to get a good feel for where these kids' games are at. As a fantasy hockey head, this is also an excellent time to get a little showcase of the next wave of talent that could be filling out fantasy hockey rosters in the very near future. Never miss out on an opportunity to pounce on a young player before other GMs do. If you can, stash one or two of these players and watch them blossom next fall.

7. Rantanen's Injury Status in Colorado

An injury that carries the severity that a concussion does immediately also brings with it the level of concern that can derail the kind of positive energy needed heading into the playoffs – especially when that injury is suffered by a superstar piece like Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche. Not to mention, Rantanen's triple-digit point production over the past three consecutive seasons is the kind of offensive output that can't be replaced – even if you also employ the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

The Avs hang their hat on their ability to dominate their opposition in the attacking zone, if Rantanen is forced to miss even a game or two of playoff action this Colorado group could be in serious trouble. That's just how important and good Rantanen is. If you're wagering on the Avs, make sure you know exactly what's going on with Rantanen before locking in anything too large in terms of a bet.

6. Matthews Chasing 70

How can we not put this on the list? Papi is the best goalscorer in the NHL and right now, it's not really close. Everyone and their mother has weighed in on this chase so we don't feel the need to rehash it or explain how amazingly special scoring multiple 60-plus-goal seasons is. All that needs to be said is that Auston Matthews needs to keep it rolling should Toronto want to be spending time on the ice instead of the greens in a few weeks. If 34 continues this pace and scores in the clutch in the postseason like he's scoring right now, the Maple Leafs will be a tough out for any opponent come the first round.

5. McDavid's Historic Assist Total

Much like the above point on Matthews' chase for a special record, Connor McDavid's race to 100 assists has been well documented. He will crack 100 apples to become only the fourth player in NHL history along with Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Parry Sound, Ontario's finest, Bobby Orr, but how many more can he tally? Can he hit 110 and establish the 10th-highest single-season assist output ever? Given how well both he and the Oilers are playing right now, he might go even higher and he only has six games remaining. If any player on the planet can get 11 assists in six tilts, it's most definitely McJesus.

4. Panic Button Time For Panthers?

For the most part, the 2023-24 has been a dominant showing for the Florida Panthers. Paul Maurice is surely a Jack Adams Award finalist once again and he deserves it. When on their game, Maurice's men are one of the most complete groups in the league with an excellent power-play unit and stingy penalty-killing group. Special teams are increasingly important with each passing playoff round and if the Panthers can return to the form that just recently saw them rocking a top-five power play and penalty kill, then this recent stretch of extended losing will all be forgotten. However, a 3-5-2 record during the most critical part of the season is just not going to be good enough. Last year, Florida entered the postseason on a heater that carried all the way to the Cup final, this year it's the complete opposite. We'll soon find out whether that's a flash in the pan or a prolonged problem.

3. Presidents' Trophy Hunt

A lot of NHL heads like to point out that winning the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's top team rarely means a translation of success into taking home Lord Stanley, but being the best team in the league is still huge. Not only for team morale and confidence, but also for securing home-ice advantage throughout the postseason. Presidents' Trophy jinx? Tell that to the 1999-00 Dallas Stars, 2000-01 Colorado Avalanche, and 2001-02 Detroit Red Wings. Three consecutive teams winning both trophies in the same season. The Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, and even Carolina Hurricanes all have a shot at the trophy. Buckle up for the final push.

2. Will The Real Art Ross Winner Please Stand Up?

This just in: Nikita Kucherov, 136 points. Nathan MacKinnon, 133 points. Connor McDavid, 130 points. Looking like Kuch is primed to take this bad boy home, but do not sleep on Nate Dogg or Connor, they both can go off at any moment, meaning this race comes all the way down to the wire and final game of the season. Wager accordingly.

1. Eastern Conference Metro Division & Wild-Card Race

Unlike out west where things are a lot more solidified, the Eastern Conference playoff race is a juicy one. Aside from the final wild-card spot being very much up for grabs between the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, and even Washington Capitals (somehow), the final spot in the Metro is also still available. This is sure to create some intense hockey action over the coming days while these four or five teams battle for positioning. The reason for the Metro spot opening up? Well, nobody say anything to John Tortorella, but the Philadelphia Flyers have a 2-5-3 record in their last 10 and have come back to earth in a big way after overachieving for most of the year.

This race is for sure to be the biggest storyline to follow as we head into the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.