Crosby, Klingberg headline 11 All-Star snubs
The NHL announced its rosters Wednesday for the 2016 All-Star Game in Nashville. The event, which is undoubtedly filled with many deserving players - John Scott aside - will definitely be missing a few marquee stars due to its revamped four-team 3-on-3 format.
From Winnipeg Jets forward Blake Wheeler to Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg, there are many deserving players who will surprisingly not be heading to Nashville for the festivities at the end of the month.
Here is a fifth team that's comprised of the most notable All-Star Game omissions:
| Forwards | Defensemen | Goalies |
|---|---|---|
| Sidney Crosby (PIT) | John Klingberg (DAL) | Jake Allen (STL) |
| Blake Wheeler (WPG) | Kevin Shattenkirk (STL) | Henrik Lundqvist (NYR) |
| Evgeny Kuznetsov (WAS) | John Carlson (WAS) | |
| Mike Hoffman (OTT) | ||
| Artemi Panarin (CHI) | ||
| Mike Cammalleri (NJD) |
Sidney Crosby
Although Crosby has struggled this season, it's difficult to imagine arguably the best player in the world not being on the roster. In fact, it's even harder to believe Crosby has only skated in one All-Star Game in his 11-year career.
Sidney Crosby left out of the NHL's all-star game. Wow. He's only actually skated in one, in 2007, missing every other to injury/Olympics.
ā Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 6, 2016
With five goals and seven points in his last four games, the Penguins star appears to be breaking out of his early slump, and we'll likely be left reminiscing about his omission at season's end.
Blake Wheeler
There's arguably no player in the league who's more unappreciated than the Jets' Wheeler. With 40 points in 40 games, the 29-year-old is seventh in league scoring, yet time and time again, he's a forgotten man on the game's biggest stage.
Weird to see an All-Star Game without Sidney Crosby, but I'm surprised Blake Wheeler is not there.
ā Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 6, 2016
Since 2012-13, Wheeler is 12th in league scoring, just 64 points behind the aforementioned Crosby. Leaving him off the roster simply provides further evidence that he may be the most underrated player in the game today.
Evgeny Kuznetsov
While fellow Russian teammate Alex Ovechkin is off to yet another All-Star Game, Kuznetsov will be staying in Washington despite a fantastic breakout campaign. The 23-year-old leads his team with 37 points in 39 games, and he's doing it without help from a linemate of Nicklas Backstrom's caliber.
Mike Hoffman
It's not often that a player on pace to surpass the 40-goal mark gets snubbed, yet that's the case with Hoffman. He's seventh in the league with 19 goals, and is a point-per-game player for the Senators this season. However, the biggest question surrounding his omission might be how the NHL could pass on an opportunity to get the 26-year-old's wicked release into the hardest shot and accuracy contests:
Artemi Panarin
Something tells us Panarin will get a crack at the All-Star Game down the road, but he should definitely be there right now. While fellow rookies Dylan Larkin and John Gibson are off to the event for the first time, the NHL's rookie points leader - Panarin has nine more than Larkin, with 36 - will somehow not be taking part.
Mike Cammalleri
Cory Schneider is very well deserving of his selection, leading New Jersey with stellar goaltending on a regular basis. However, Cammalleri has fueled their offensive production, and deserves to be there as well. Cammalleri leads his low-scoring team, which ranks 25th in the league right now, with 35 points. They wouldn't be surprising everyone by sitting in a wild-card spot without him.
John Klingberg
How is a Norris Trophy candidate on one of the best teams in the league with 38 points in 42 games not going to the All-Star Game?
To all of you who voted John Scott and not John Klingberg:
šš¤š¤š
ā Carl Klingberg (@CarlKlingberg) January 6, 2016
Klingberg's omission is quite possibly the most shocking of the entire event. The 23-year-old ranks in the league's top-10 in points, sits third in assists, and is just four points back of All-Star Erik Karlsson for points by a defenseman. His snub should serve as evidence that the selection process needs revamping in the future.
Kevin Shattenkirk
After missing the beginning of the season due to injury, Shattenkirk has been as good as any defenseman in the league since the middle of November. With 24 points in his last 26 games, Shattenkirk is quarterbacking St. Louis to yet another playoff appearance, making his snub even more surprising. Besides, in a high scoring 3-on-3 game, the NHL might want some of this:
John Carlson
Allow this to sink in for a moment: The best defenseman on the best team in the NHL right now is not going to the All-Star Game. With 82 points in 116 games over the past two seasons, Carlson is very deserving of a selection, yet the new format has failed arguably the most underrated player on the back end in the entire game.
Jake Allen
Allen has a 2.11 GAA and a .926 save percentage, both of which are better than those of the two goalies representing the Central Division. The 25-year-old is also fourth in the league in wins (18), and second in shutouts (5). He's as deserving as any goalie - Braden Holtby aside - of manning the crease in Nashville at the end of the month. However, he'll very likely get his All-Star Game chance in the future.
Henrik Lundqvist
Lundqvist has certainly struggled of late, but it's hard to imagine an All-Star Game without its King. His incredible start to the season, which vaulted the Rangers to a 14-2-2 record early on despite a lack of offensive production, can't be overlooked. Quite simply, his team might not even be in a playoff position today without him.