Which NHLers should take up remaining 12 All-Star spots?

2 years ago

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The NHL unveiled its initial 32 All-Stars on Thursday. Twelve more players (eight skaters, four goalies) will be added from a fan vote ending Jan. 11.

With one player from each team being named an All-Star, there will inevitably be omissions that allow the NHL to ridiculously appease all 32 fan bases. Some choices are easier than others when it comes to the remaining spots, but we can't predict which players might opt for a sunny vacation over an All-Star nomination, or how fans will influence the vote.

Regardless, theScore did its best to decipher which 12 players are most worthy of the final spots.

Skaters

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Artemi Panarin, Rangers

Panarin's case is simple: he has the most points among any player not already named an All-Star. He's tied for third in the league with 55 points through 38 games. Igor Shesterkin received the initial nod as the Rangers' representative, but there's no way Panarin won't be joining his fellow Russian.

William Nylander, Maple Leafs

Auston Matthews was Toronto's chosen representative, and for good reason. But the hosts should have another lock in Nylander. The impending unrestricted free agent has reached a new level this season, ranking fifth in the NHL with 54 points while producing 17- and 13-game point streaks. His skating and playmaking skills are also ideal for the wide-open three-on-three format.

J.T. Miller, Canucks

Miller's leading the charge for the first-place Canucks, pacing the club with 53 points. He may not have the household name value of some other players on this list, but it's difficult to omit a top-10 scorer. While Vancouver should be well represented at this year's festivities (more on that below), the league's insistence on bringing at least one player from every team makes this a bigger deal than it should be.

Mikko Rantanen, Avalanche

Rantanen is a little bit of a third wheel in Colorado behind Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, but he's a bona fide superstar who deserves to play a part in the league's top-talent showcase. The Finnish dynamo is tied for eighth in the league in points (50) and has only been outproduced by seven players over the past seven seasons combined.

Elias Pettersson, Canucks

Pettersson trails both Miller and Quinn Hughes on the Canucks' scoring list but has 48 points of his own this season and is the most marketable of Vancouver's stars. His vast toolkit makes him a prime candidate to compete in the league's new skills competition format.

Cale Makar, Avalanche

Makar would've been among the initial All-Stars if he was on almost any other team. But with Nathan MacKinnon having a Hart Trophy-caliber season, he'll have to wait. Makar is still a lock, though. He's one of the game's brightest stars and in the midst of another Norris Trophy-worthy campaign.

Leon Draisaitl, Oilers

Draisaitl is having a down year by his lofty standards, but he's still posted a respectable 42 points in 36 games. The former Hart Trophy winner is more than worthy of an appearance given his star power. Draisaitl is among the most talented players in the league, making him a logical choice to partake in the revamped skills competition.

Noah Dobson, Islanders

There's a strong case to be made that Dobson should've been the Islanders' initial All-Star selection considering the defenseman's 38 points are just two shy of forward Mathew Barzal's 40 for the team lead. The smooth-skating, 6-foot-4 Dobson has garnered Norris Trophy consideration for his efforts this season and trails only Drew Doughty in average ice time (25:53). At 23 years old, he's one of the game's budding stars.

Goalies

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Thatcher Demko, Canucks

Netminders don't get a lot of love during All-Star Weekend, and they face the unenviable task of stopping the world's best players in a glorified game of shinny. However, Demko has been one of the league's best goalies this season with 19 wins and a .916 save percentage, and he deserves the recognition.

Sergei Bobrovsky, Panthers

Bobrovsky has followed a spectacular playoff run with a strong start to the 2023-24 season. He ranks third among NHL goalies with 30 starts, is second with 20 wins, and 15th with 8.89 goals saved above expected, per Evolving-Hockey. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner has been red-hot as of late, winning his last five starts with a .926 save percentage.

Ilya Sorokin, Islanders

Sorokin's numbers don't particularly jump off the page this season, but he's undisputedly one of the most talented netminders in the world. Last year's Vezina runner-up would be tough to beat in the shootout challenge, and he could make a notable difference for whichever team selects him for the three-on-three tournament.

Juuse Saros, Predators

If Adin Hill were healthy, he'd be here over Saros, whose numbers are down from previous years when he received Vezina Trophy consideration. His save percentage is just .901 on the season, which is rather pedestrian, but he's been an absolute workhorse for a mediocre Predators team, ranking second in the league with 31 starts.