Every year, the All-Star rosters are revealed. Eleven players from each division, usually distributed as six forwards, three defencemen, and two goaltenders, are selected to participate in the event, leading to much debate. Debate abounds not just about who should or should not be in the All-Star Game, but whether all teams should have a representative or if there should even be an All-Star Game to begin with, ironically from the same bunches of people.
For the record, I think there should be an All-Star Game, and that every team should be included. But with as many teams as there are, the traditional All-Star roster size, more or less that of a standard NHL roster, simply can’t reasonably accommodate both fitting in each team and not featuring any flagrant snubs. With that in mind, I always think at this time of year who would be on each roster if the rosters were doubled in size. With each division getting its own All-Star team rather than each conference, the conditions are perfect for it.
For each division, I have listed every player who actually is on the All-Star roster, listed in bold, alongside my hypothetical additions. I included an thirteenth forward and seventh defenceman to make sure even the weakest teams would get beefed up representation, but not against the goal of reducing the number of actual snubs. Of course, I always have some kind of explanation for why I pick a specific player.
Atlantic Division
Frederik Andersen (Goaltender, no.31, Toronto Maple Leafs)
35 GP, 21-8-5, 0.914 Save%, 1 SO
Aleksander Barkov (Centre, no.16, Florida Panthers)
44 GP, 46 PTS (13G, 33A)
While last year, Barkov got the attention in Florida, slightly edging out linemate Jonathan Huberdeau in the boxcars, this year Huberdeau’s the attention-grabber, with Huberdeau on pace to obliterate his performance from last season while Barkov is on pace to fall just a little short. Just a little being the operative part of that statement. A 30-goal, more-than-a-point-pace is still standard All-Star production.
Tyler Bertuzzi (Left winger, no.59, Detroit Red Wings)
45 GP, 34 PTS (16G, 18A)
Zdeno Chara (Defenceman, no.33, Boston Bruins)
44 GP, 13 PTS (5G, 8A)
With the extra defenceman pick I’d make for this piece, I’d pick Zdeno Chara. For a brief period in the mid-1990s, the Commissioner would make an extra All-Star pick for some veteran in the dwindling years of their career. In that kind of spirit, I’d pick Chara, who is a pending UFA at age 42 and still captaining a considerable Cup favourite.
Rasmus Dahlin (Defenceman, no.26, Buffalo Sabres)
37 GP, 25 PTS (2G, 23A)
Though Dahlin naturally lost the Calder in his rookie season to Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson, he had himself a solid rookie season, one that he is building on, at least offensively. Finishing last season with 44 points, he is scoring at an 82-game pace of 56 points at present. Despite averaging less ice time than last season, he is still second among Sabres defencemen.
Anthony Duclair (Right winger, no.10, Ottawa Senators)
43 GP, 32 PTS (21G, 11A)
Jack Eichel (Centre, no.9, Buffalo Sabres)
44 GP, 58 PTS (27G, 31A)
Filip Hronek (Defenceman, no.17, Detroit Red Wings)
43 GP, 25 PTS (8G, 17A)
It became a whole thing when Red Wings centre Dylan Larkin put out a message on social media urging people not to vote for him to be in the All-Star Game so he could have a vacation, though I personally wouldn’t have him in this year’s edition, even with my expansion of the rosters. Even though I think every team should have a representative, I do also believe worse-performing teams should get fewer representives. And of course, a pace for just under 50 points for a defenceman is much more impressive than a pace of just over 50 points from a team’s no.1 centre. With that in mind Hronek gets the nod.
Torey Krug (Defenceman, no.47, Boston Bruins)
38 GP, 31 PTS (5G, 26A)
The short blueliner has continued to put up major offence from the backend for the Bruins. After three straight seasons eclipsing the 50-point mark, Krug is on pace for his first 60-point finish.
Nikita Kucherov (Right winger, no.86, Tampa Bay Lightning)
43 GP, 49 PTS (17G, 32A)
He may not be on quite the torrid offensive pace he was on last season, but the 30-40 goal range and the 90-100 point range are fitting for any top-line sniping winger in today’s NHL. And considering he won the Art Ross last season, he really should be in the All-Star conversation.
Victor Hedman (Defenceman, no.77, Tampa Bay Lightning)
42 GP, 40 PTS (9G, 31A)
Jonathan Huberdeau (Left winger, no.11, Florida Panthers)
44 GP, 59 PTS (17G, 42A)
Brad Marchand (Left winger, no.63, Boston Bruins)
46 GP, 62 PTS (20G, 42A)
This is a snub that really riled folks up. It’s easy to see why, as he is only three points behind his linemate, and All-Star captain, David Pastrnak, getting snubbed while Tyler Bertuzzi, a decent, but not top-tier, NHLer represents a team as bad as this season’s Red Wings. More high-octane than Patrice Bergeron, Marchand gets the hypothetical nod here.
Mitchell Marner (Right winger, no.16, Toronto Maple Leafs) – Last Man In
34 GP, 42 PTS (11G, 34A)
Auston Matthews (Centre, no.34, Toronto Maple Leafs)
45 GP, 54 PTS (31G, 23A)
Jean-Gabriel Pageau (Centre, no.44, Ottawa Senators)
45 GP, 30 PTS (19G, 11A)
Pageau is the main reason I decided on that “extra skaters” concept I mention in the preamble. I’d doubled the number of skaters and realized I hadn’t beefed up Ottawa’s representation. And if I can do it for Detroit, I can do it for Ottawa. It’s not like Pageau doesn’t deserve it. Pageau has been a beloved member of the team even it’s success in the mid-2010s has receded. Still a chippy centre heavily relied on as a defensive forward, he is also on pace to crack the 30-goal mark.
David Pastrnak (Right winger, no.88, Boston Bruins) – Captain
46 GP, 65 PTS (35G, 30A)
Tuukka Rask (Goaltender, no.40, Boston Bruins)
27 GP, 17-4-6, 0.925 Save%, 2 SO
Steven Stamkos (Centre, no.91, Tampa Bay Lightning)
41 GP, 44 PTS (17G, 27A)
Given that Tampa Bay is Tampa Bay, I felt I needed to put one more Lightning player here. It wasn’t all that difficult. Stamkos isn’t leading in either goals or points, but is second on the team (or tied for second) in both. He also had 45 goals and 98 points last season, which would lead most teams most years.
Tomas Tatar (Left winger, no.90, Montreal Canadiens)
46 GP, 39 PTS (16G, 23A)
Finishing last season with 58 points, Tatar greatly exceeded expectations he would falter after the weak finish to 2017/18 with Vegas. That was a career-high Tatar posted, beating his previous one by two points. This season, Tatar is on pace for closer to 70 points than 50 points.
Shea Weber (Defenceman, no.6, Montreal Canadiens)
46 GP, 32 PTS (12G, 20A)
Keith Yandle (Defenceman, no.3, Florida Panthers)
44 GP, 34 PTS (4G, 30A)
In his third season with the Panthers, Yandle posted a career-high of 62 points. While his numbers aren’t great outside of his main stat line, he is on pace to eclipse that career-high. A potential 60-point scoring blueliner is always an All-Star consideration in my book.
Metropolitan Division
Mathew Barzal (Centre, no.13, New York Islanders)
43 GP, 37 PTS (17G, 20A)
John Carlson (Defenceman, no.74, Washington Capitals)
46 PTS, 55 PTS (13G, 42A)
Sean Couturier (Centre, no.14, Philadelphia Flyers)
45 GP, 36 PTS (12G, 24A)
Couturier, touted as a formidable defensive centre since he entered the NHL, has found an offensive gear in recent seasons. He exceeded 30 goals, 40 assists, and 70 points in each of the last two seasons, and while he’s taken a step back offensively this year, on pace to reach none of those marks, the guy who made the Flyers put Claude Giroux on the wing is second on the Flyers in scoring.
Tony DeAngelo (Defenceman, no.77, New York Rangers)
44 GP, 36 PTS (11G, 25A)
Defencemen on pace for 60 points or more are right at home at the All-Star Game. DeAngelo took until last season to finally be trusted enough to play the majority of games in an NHL season, and just reached the 30-point mark. DeAngelo has exploded offensively this season, has already beaten last season’s totals, and is one of those potential 60-point blueliners as this season continues.
Pierre-Luc Dubois (Centre, no.18, Columbus Blue Jackets)
46 GP, 34 PTS (15G, 19A)
Dubois broke out last season with 61 points. This season, the Blue Jackets’ no.1 centre is on pace to match this total. What’s more impressive about it this time around is that he no longer has anyone the calibre of Artemi Panarin to line up with.
Dougie Hamilton (Defenceman, no.19, Carolina Hurricanes)
45 GP, 40 PTS (14G, 26A)
Braden Holtby (Goaltender, no.70, Washington Capitals)
32 GP, 18-9-4, 0.899 Save%, 0 SO
Tristan Jarry (Goaltender, no.35, Pittsburgh Penguins) – replacing Joonas Korpisalo
21 GP, 14-6-1, 0.934 Save%, 3 SO
Seth Jones (Defenceman, no.3, Columbus Blue Jackets)
46 GP, 25 PTS (4G, 21A)
Travis Konecny (Right winger, no.11, Philadelphia Flyers)
42 GP, 38 PTS (14G, 24A)
Evgeny Kuznetsov (Centre, no.92, Washington Capitals)
43 GP, 42 PTS (16G, 26A)
Normally, on an All-Star team lacking Alex Ovechkin, I’d pick Alex Ovechkin to add to the team in any opportunity to do so. Alas, the only reason why Ovechkin isn’t already on here is that he was named to play in the All-Star Game, as a captain no less, but opted to sit out and take advantage of a rare in-person opportunity for some R&R. So Kuznetsov is the next one up. Kuznetsov is on pace for 77 points. Though he isn’t on pace for 30 goals, he is on pace for 29, and this could be the year Kuznetsov cracks that mark for the first time.
Kris Letang (Defenceman, no.58, Pittsburgh Penguins) – replacing Jake Guentzel
36 GP, 28 PTS (10G, 18A)
Evgeni Malkin (Centre, no.71, Pittsburgh Penguins)
31 GP, 42 PTS (13G, 29A)
Malkin is the pick over Sidney Crosby because Crosby is injured and would likely just skip the All-Star Game anyway. Malkin’s performance has shades of his 2011/12 season, when Crosby missed most of the season and Malkin went on to win the Art Ross in his absence. Just like that, Crosby is out, and Malkin is in overdrive offensively. What makes his current total as impressive at it is is that he’s missed a large chunk of the season himself and is still scoring at would nearly be a point-per-game pace in a full season.
Brock Nelson (Centre, no.29, New York Islanders)
43 GP, 31 PTS (15G, 16A)
For this division’s “extra” player, I had to pick a Devils player and an Islanders player, and it was a choice between one team’s second-highest-scoring forward and the other’s highest-scoring defenceman. In this case, Nelson was more justified a pick than Nico Hischier. Nelson is coming off a career-high 53-point season and is on pace to crack 60 for the first time.
TJ Oshie (Right winger, no.77, Washington Capitals) – Last Man In
Kyle Palmieri (Right winger, no.21, New Jersey Devils)
44 PTS, 31 PTS (16G, 15A)
Artemi Panarin (Left winger, no.10, New York Rangers)
44 GP, 62 PTS (24G, 38A)
Andrei Svechnikov (Left winger, no.37, Carolina Hurricanes)
45 GP, 42 PTS (18G, 24A)
Svechnikov was another snub many took issue with. Breaking out after a disappointing rookie campaign, Svechnikov is at nearly a point-per-game pace. Not only that, but Svechnikov is exactly the All-Star Game type. He has not once, but twice, scored a lacrosse goal this season, taking the hockey world by storm.
Teuvo Teravainen (Right winger, no.86, Carolina Hurricanes)
45 GP, 43 PTS (9G, 34A)
Between Teravainen and linemate Sebastian Aho, I ultimately decided my hypothetical All-Star roster expansion would feature Teravainen. He has been in a seeming two-horse race with Svechnikov for the team lead in points and was Carolina’s representative in the Last Man In vote.
Sami Vatanen (Defenceman, no.45, New Jersey Devils)
40 GP, 22 PTS (5G, 17A)
For this division’s “extra” player, I had to pick a Devils player and an Islanders player, and it was a choice between one team’s second-highest-scoring forward and the other’s highest-scoring defenceman. In this case, Vatanen was more justifiable than the Islanders’ Ryan Pulock. Vatanen scored at an 82-game pace of 31 points from his acquisition from Anaheim during the 2017/18 season through the end of last season. This year, amidst disappointing underperformance from Will Butcher, Damon Severson, and PK Subban, all whom but especially the latter were expected to guide the team into the playoffs, Vatanen has rebounded and is on pace to reach 40 points for the first time in his career.
Zach Werenski (Defenceman, no.8, Columbus Blue Jackets)
39 GP, 28 PTS (15G, 13A)
While Seth Jones was named to the All-Star Game, Werenski would be the Columbus defenceman I’d send to this year’s All-Star Game. Big production gets put on display at All-Star time and one would think the defenceman on pace for 30 goals, an achievement accomplished twice in the last 30 years, would be a part of that.
Mika Zibanejad (Centre, no.93, New York Rangers)
31 GP, 35 PTS (17G, 18A)
Zibanejad has come into his own as a no.1 centre since he joined the Rangers. He finished his second year with them with 30 goals and 74 points, and is on pace to eclipse both marks despite having missed 13 games with injury.
Central Division
Jordan Binnington (Goaltender, no.50, St. Louis Blues)
33 GP, 22-7-4, 0.917 Save%, 1 SO
Kyle Connor (Left winger, no.81, Winnipeg Jets)
Sure Connor’s not as good defensively as the TV commentating crew have decided, but he’s still showing goal scoring chops. Connor is on pace for 40 goals and 80 points.
Ryan Ellis (Defenceman, no.4, Nashville Predators)
39 GP, 28 PTS (6G, 22A)
Everything’s going right for Ellis this season. In the past, Ellis has had a very crowded blueline filled with elite talent to jocky for icetime with, while injuries would prevent his high offensive production from yielding major milestones. After finally staying healthy long enough to reach the 40-point plateau last season, this season could see Ellis reach the 10-goal and 50-point marks for the first time in his career.
Filip Forsberg (Left winger, no.9, Nashville Predators)
37 GP, 31 PTS (15G, 16A)
Forsberg has been a highly reliable scorer for the Predators. In three of his past five seasons, he has finished with at least 60 points. In one of the seasons he didn’t, he fell short by two points, and in the other it was because he missed 18 games because of injury. A two-time 30-goal scorer, Forsberg is on pace to return to that plateau.
Connor Hellebuyck (Goaltender, no.37, Winnipeg Jets)
37 GP, 20-12-4, 0.919 Save%, 3 SO
Roope Hintz (Centre, no.24, Dallas Stars)
38 GP, 23 PTS (15G, 8A)
Hintz has kept up his scoring pace from his coming out party in the 2019 playoffs into this season. While he’s not even on pace for 50 points, and is only third in team scoring, Hintz leads his team in goals and is on pace 30 goals and 16 assists for 46 points in a “Cy Young” style season.
Roman Josi (Defenceman, no.59, Nashville Predators)
43 GP, 46 PTS (14G, 32A)
Patrick Kane (Right winger, no.88, Chicago Blackhawks)
46 GP, 57 PTS (24G, 33A)
Duncan Keith (Defenceman, no.2, Chicago Blackhawks)
37 PTS, 12 PTS (1G, 11A)
When he rebounded from 32 points to 40 last season, it seemed Keith maybe wasn’t finished after all. This season, on the other hand, only seems to be proving Keith is. At least offensively that is. While Keith is on pace for 24 points, which would only beat his rookie season output of 21 points back in 2006, he is still leading the Blackhawks in average TOI.
Patrik Laine (Right winger, no.29, Winnipeg Jets)
Astute observers may notice five Jets players on the list here. Yes it’s blatant homerism. Laine’s one of my favourite players, so why not take advantage of the fact I add up to a 13th forward to ensure he gets in? Besides, with Laine on pace for 29 goals and 76 points after topping the 30-goal and 50-point marks last season in a down year, it’s not as if the first player to score five goals in a game since 2011 could be considered undeserving.
Nathan MacKinnon (Centre, no.29, Colorado Avalanche) – Captain
45 GP, 66 PTS (27G, 39A)
Cale Makar (Defenceman, no.8, Colorado Avalanche)
37 GP, 33 PTS (9G, 24A)
Makar’s snubbing from the All-Star Game is a shocking one. It may very well be the most egregious snub this year. In an historic season, Makar has run away with the Calder Trophy race for rookie of the year and is on pace 18 goals and 66 points. That’s extremely rare production for a rookie blueliner. He only trails leading rookie scorer Victor Olofsson by two points in five fewer games. His 82-game scoring pace is a full-on 73 points.
Ryan O’Reilly (Centre, no.90, St. Louis Blues)
46 GP, 40 PTS (8G, 32A)
David Perron (Right winger, no.57, St. Louis Blues) – Last Man In
46 GP, 46 PTS (20G, 26A)
Alex Pietrangelo (Defenceman, no.27, St. Louis Blues)
46 GP, 37 PTS (12G, 25A)
Neal Pionk (Defenceman, no.4, Winnipeg Jets)
When he was acquired, it was considered a failure of Jets management to get so little for Jacob Trouba. While his performance still hasn’t been at an elite level, he has exceeded expectations. In this hyopthetical alternate universe where I decide these extra All-Star roster spots based on point production, Pionk, who is on pace for seven goals and 53 points, gets in.
Mikko Rantanen (Right winger, no.96, Colorado Avalanche)
29 GP, 31 PTS (15G, 16A)
Despite missing as much time as he has, MacKinnon’s chief running mate Rantanen is still on pace for 34 goals and 70 points. That’s still production for a top-line scoring winger.
Mark Scheifele (Centre, no.55, Winnipeg Jets)
45 GP, 51 PTS (22G, 29A)
Brayden Schenn (Centre, no.10, St. Louis Blues)
Both Schenn and Jaden Schwartz have 38 points, and both have reached that total in 46 games. I added a Blues player because, even with my additions, the host team should be a little extra stacked for the home crowd, but I could only justify one. Schenn gets the nod here for three reasons: centres are considered betters players, Schenn has more goals (17 versus 15), and Schenn has averaged more ice time per game (18:20 versus 17:55) indicating he is more heavily relied on. Continuing his 30-goal 67-point pace would go a long way to proving his 70-point season from before Ryan O’Reilly was acquired wasn’t just a fluke.
Tyler Seguin (Centre, no.91, Dallas Stars)
45 GP, 35 PTS (11G, 24A)
Eric Staal (Centre, no.12, Minnesota Wild)
44 GP, 33 PTS (16G, 17A)
Ryan Suter (Defenceman, no.20, Minnesota Wild)
44 GP, 30 PTS (6G, 24A)
A player of Suter’s profile; defensively responsible, physical, and prone to playing in excess of 25 minutes per night; seems like the kind of player who’d be breaking down at this time. Yet where many who even play styles of hockey with less wear and tear are showing signs of decline (see Keith, Duncan), Suter just keeps going. He turns 35 less than a week before the All-Star Game is on pace for 11 goals, 45 assists, and 56 points, which would be his first double-digit goal total, a match of his career-best assist total, and a career-high in points.
Pacific Division
Brock Boeser (Right winger, no.6, Vancouver Canucks)
45 GP, 43 PTS (16G, 27A)
After missing the end of his rookie season with a back injury, Boeser stalled a bit as a sophomore, going from 55 points in 62 games to 56 points in 69 games. This season, Boeser is on pace for 78 points and only needs a particularly hot night to get himself on pace for overdue first 30-goal finish.
Brent Burns (Defenceman, no.88, San Jose Sharks)
47 GP, 32 PTS (9G, 23A)
This season hasn’t been the greatest for Burns. After not falling below the 60-point mark in a season since the 2013/14 season, Burns is on pace for 16 points and 56 points. His performance has reportedly been pretty weak outside his point scoring, but he’s still putting decent boxcars. And the All-Star Game is as much about personality as it is about production. Why not bring back the hockey community’s favourite sasquatch?
Drew Doughty (Defenceman, no.8, Los Angeles Kings)
47 GP, 26 PTS (6G, 20A)
While, with the decline of the Kings, the days of Doughty being considered the best defenceman in the NHL are over, but he has remained one of the few players to continue performing at a high level for the Kings in their modern state. He is, after all, only one season removed from having finished with 60 points.
Ryan Getzlaf (Centre, no.15, Anaheim Ducks)
43 GP, 30 PTS (11G, 19A)
The Ducks were originally represented by winger Jakob Silfverberg, a reliable playoff performer who’s found another gear offensively in the regular season in time for the Ducks’s fall from playoff contention. With Silfverberg dropping out of the All-Star Game for the expected birth of his child and his replacement coming from another team, the Ducks do not currently have a representative in the All-Star Game. Getzlaf, the captain and leading scorer, would get the nod.
Mark Giordano (Defenceman, no.5, Calgary Flames)
47 GP, 21 PTS (5G, 16A)
Leon Draisaitl (Centre, no.29, Edmonton Oilers)
47 GP, 70 PTS (25G, 45A)
Cam Fowler (Defenceman, no.4, Anaheim Ducks)
45 GP, 23 PTS (9G, 14A)
My goal with this piece each year is to envision a scenario where a team can withstand injuries and still likely be represented in the All-Star Game. With no Ducks on the list, I had to add two members of the team to meet this requirement. That being said, Fowler is good. He’s heavily relied on as the top defenceman for the Ducks and is on pace for 42 points. It would be a career-high and his first 40-point season since his rookie season in 2011.
Johnny Gaudreau (Left winger, no.13, Calgary Flames)
47 GP, 38 PTS (13G, 25A)
Gaudreau is having a somewhat disappointing season, only on pace for 23 goals and 67 points, but he is still second on the Flames in scoring. Last season, he had 36 goals and 99 points.
Taylor Hall (Left winger, no.91, Arizona Coyotes)
42 GP, 33 PTS (9G, 24A)
On pace for only 60 points this season, Hall’s recent injury history, the massive underachievement of the Devils, and his trade to Arizona aren’t doing hall any favours. Still, Hall leads the Coyotes in points per game and is second in points (counting his pre-trade production), scored over a point per game last season when he was healthy, and of course was 2018’s Hart Memorial Trophy winner. With Darcy Kuemper a good bet to miss the All-Star Game with injuries, Arizona is at risk of not having an All-Star representative, which this would rectify.
Tomas Hertl (Centre, no.48, San Jose Sharks) – replacing Logan Couture
43 GP, 35 PTS (15G, 20A)
Evander Kane (Left winger, no.9, San Jose Sharks)
44 GP, 33 PTS (18G, 15A)
It would appear as though Kane has found a permanent home in San Jose. Last season saw him score 30 goals and 56 points in 75 games, an 82-game pace of 33 goals and 62 points, which would have been career-highs. This season, he is on pace for 32 goals and 59 points. It would be a career-season whether he reaches those marks or the 34 goals and 62 points he’d be on pace for in an 82-game season.
Erik Karlsson (Defenceman, no.65, San Jose Sharks)
Karlsson actually did pretty well for himself last season. Despite taking some time to mesh with his new surroundings, where he was no longer the big fish in a small pond like he was i Ottawa, and experiencing the residual effects of injuries, Karlsson scored 45 points last season in 53 games, a 70-point pace in an 82-game season. It’s not quite his star-forward-esque production from his run with the Senators, and neither is 60-point pace this season, but it’s still solid. He’s still Erik Karlsson.
46 GP, 34 PTS (5G, 29A)
Oscar Klefbom (Defenceman, no.77, Edmonton Oilers)
47 GP, 27 PTS (5G, 22A)
Klefbom showed decent offensive chops when he finished the 2016/17 season with a career-high 38 points. Injuries prevented Klefbom from trying to beat that total in each of the past two seasons. Healthy this season, leads the Oilers in TOI per game by over three minutes and is on pace for 47 points, which would shatter his aforementioned career high.
Quinn Hughes (Defenceman, no.43, Vancouver Canucks) – Last Man In
44 GP, 31 GP (4G, 27A)
Anze Kopitar (Centre, no.11, Los Angeles Kings)
47 GP, 40 PTS (16G, 24A)
Darcy Kuemper (Goaltender, no.35, Arizona Coyotes)
25 GP, 15-8-2, 0.929 Save%, 2 SO
Jacob Markstrom (Goaltender, no.25, Vancouver Canucks) – replacing Marc-Andre Fleury
31 GP, 16-12-3, 0.914 Save%, 1 SO
Connor McDavid (Centre, no.97, Edmonton Oilers) – Captain
47 GP, 71 PTS (25G, 46A)
Elias Pettersson (Centre, no.40, Vancouver Canucks)
45 GP, 47 PTS (20G, 27A)
Max Pacioretty (Left winger, no.67, Vegas Golden Knights) – replacing Jakob Silfverberg
48 GP, 45 PTS (20G, 25A)
Mark Stone (Right winger, no.61, Vegas Golden Knights)
48 GP, 43 PTS (16G, 27A)
While Stone is constantly talked about for his defensive ability, to the point many believe he’d win a Selke one of these days if the people in charge didn’t collectively decide wingers were bad defensively, Stone has also made a major progression offensively. In the midst of a season that saw him traded from Ottawa, Stone scored career-highs of 33 goals and 73 points. This season, he is on pace for another 73-point season.
Matthew Tkachuk (Left winger, no.19, Calgary Flames)
46 GP, 39 PTS (15G, 24A)
There are changes I’d make to the All-Star Game to get more engagement out of the players and improve the overall experience. This however, expanding the roster so as to not sacrifice bringing together the NHL’s brightest for the sake of including every team, is the chief one.
