These aren’t entirely pure projections. Instead, each roster is partly-comprised of players who we expect to show up in the All-Star Game, along with players we think should be there, all while making sure to represent each team, as the NHL attempts to do when picking the non-starters.I managed to get two projections in addition my own.
Cole:
Western Conference
Forwards:Taylor Hall(L-4-EDM)-Tyler Seguin(C-91-DAL)-Vladimir Tarasenko(R-91-STL)
Zach Parise(L-11-MIN)-Jonathan Toews(C-19-CHI)-Ryan Getzlaf(C-15-CHI)
Jamie Benn(L-14-DAL)-Matt Duchene(C-9-COL)-Radim Vrbata(R-17-VAN)
Andrew Ladd(L-16-WPG)-Anze Kopitar(C-11-LAK)-Patrick Kane(R-88-CHI)Blueliners:
Drew Doughty(D-8-LAK)-Ryan Suter(D-20-MIN)
Shea Weber(D-6-NSH)-Brent Burns(D-88-SJS)
Mark Giordano(D-5-CGY)-Oliver Ekman-Larsson(D-23-ARI)Goaltenders:
Jonathan Quick(G-32-LAK)
Semyon Varlamov(G-1-COL)
Ryan Miller(G-30-VAN)Replacements:
Jeff Carter(C-77-LAK)-Joe Thornton(C-19-SJS)-Corey Perry(R-10-ANA)
Toby Enstrom(D-39-WPG)-Marc-Edouard Vlasic(D-44-SJS)
Darcy Kuemper(G-35-MIN)
Eastern Conference
Forwards:
Rick Nash(L-61-NYR)-Sidney Crosby(C-87-PIT)-Phil Kessel(R-81-TOR)
Alex Ovechkin(L-8-WSH)-Claude Giroux(C-28-PHI)-Steven Stamkos(C-91-TBL)
Jeff Skinner(L-53-CAR)-John Tavares(C-91-NYI)-Nick Bjugstad(C-27-FLA)
Nick Foligno(L-71-CBJ)-Zemgus Girgensons(C-28-BUF)-Jaromir Jagr(R-68-NJD)Blueliners:
Erik Karlsson(D-65-OTT)-Victor Hedman(D-77-TBL)
PK Subban(D-76-MTL)-Niklas Kronwall(D-55-DET)
Dougie Hamilton(D-27-BOS)-Kris Letang(D-58-PIT)Goaltenders:
Carey Price(G-31-MTL)
Tuukka Rask(G-40-BOS)
Henrik Lundqvist(G-30-NYR)Replacements:
Max Pacioretty(L-67-MTL)-Pavel Datysuk(C-13-DET)-Gustav Nyquist(R-14-DET)
Ryan McDonagh(D-27-NYR)-Zdeno Chara(D-33-BOS)
Sergei Bobrovsky(G-72-CBJ)
Rookies:
Johnny Gaudreau(L-13-CGY)
Tanner Pearson(L-70-LAK)
Andre Burakovsky(L-65-WSH)
Bo Horvat(C-53-VAN)
Jiri Sekac(R-26-MTL)
Filip Forsberg(F-9-NSH)
Linden Vey(C-7-VAN)
Josh Jooris(C-86-CGY)
Aaron Ekblad(D-5-FLA)
Damon Severson(D-28-NJD)
John Klingberg(D-3-DAL)
Mirco Mueller(D-41-SJS)
I’m pretty happy with my picks for the Western Conference. It could be a realistic lineup in an actual All-Star Game. The East was a little harder. I have Datsyuk as an injury replacement, but that’s only because there are centres that have been doing better this season, and Datsyuk could realistically be snubbed in favour of younger stars. Whether Girgensons deserves a spot in the All-Star Game is debatable, as well as whether or not Buffalo even deserves representation in the All-Star Game. That being said, he’s led the league in votes for all but the first week, so unless he all of a sudden stops getting votes or the NHL rigs the system, he’ll get in. Bjugstad is my sleeper pick for the East. It was hardest finding someone to represent New Jersey, so I picked Jagr as one of those “soon-to-be-retired-so-why-not?” picks. The quartet of Ekblad, Severson, Klingberg, and Mueller was the easiest part for me, and while several rookies were easy picks, I tried to pick rookie scoring leaders for forwards. Jiri Sekac is the only rookie forward on that list who hasn’t done a lot of good scoring, but without him, RW-C hyrbrid Filip Forsberg is the only other right winger on the list. Based on injuries, subpar offensive performance, and Dougie Hamilton stepping it up big-time, Hamilton is on my projection.
Peter:
EAST Player Pos WEST Player Pos Ott Karlsson D Stl Tarasenko F Tor Kessel F Chi Kane F Mtl Price G Edm Hall F Bos Bergeron F Cgy Giordano D Det Datsyuk F Sjs Pavelski F Nyr Nash F Nsh Weber D Pit Crosby F Dal Seguin F Wsh Ovechkin F Col Barrie D Florida Ekblad D Wpg Trouba D Tbl Stamkos F Ana Getzlaf F Nyi Tavares F Van Miller G Njd Cammalleri F Min Parise F Phi Voracek F Phx Yandle D Clb Bobrovsky G Lak Quick G Car Faulk D Buf Girgensons F
Daniel:
Honestly, it’s not so much a “projection” as much as a mix-and-match of who I think will be there and who I think should be there. So for example, I think Buffalo will have Girgensons, but I just can’t bring myself to put him in the lineup because he flat out doesn’t deserve to be there. Same goes for the Bruins and one or two other teams. For those ones I’ve tried to represent them with the rookies.
East
- Steven Stamkos
- Tyler Johnson
- Pavel Datsyuk
- Phil Kessel
- Sidney Crosby
- Evgeni Malkin
- John Tavares
- Nicklas Backstrom
- Rick Nash
- Jakub Voracek
- Claude Giroux
- Ryan Johansen
- PK Subban
- Cody Franson
- Aaron Ekblad
- Erik Karlsson
- Kristopher Letang* (asterisked because of injury)
- John Carlson
- Marek Zidlicky* (Letang’s fill-in. He could potentially be there anyway though)
- Marc-Andre Fleury
- Roberto Luongo
- Ben Bishop
I’m missing guys from NJ (assuming Letang is in), Buffalo, Boston, and Carolina. So…the rookies: Damon Severson (NJ), Victor Rask (CAR), Seth Griffith (BOS), Andre Burakvosky, Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Drouin. Still missing Buffalo, and the NHL will probably send Girgensons, but you know what? They stink and I don’t think they deserve it.West
- Vladimir Tarasenko
- Patrick Kane
- Filip Forsberg
- Andrew Ladd
- Zach Parise
- Tyler Seguin
- Jamie Benn
- Ryan Getzlaf
- Henrik Sedin
- Daniel Sedin
- Jiri Hudler
- Taylor Hall (token Oilers pick)
- Kevin Shattenkirk
- Shea Weber
- Tyson Barrie (token Avalanche pick)
- Mark Giordano (Brodie totally deserves it too, and he’s only missing because I put Barrie and Yandle in an attempt to represent all teams)
- Brent Burns
- Keith Yandle
- Pekka Rinne
- Jonathan Quick
- Corey Crawford
Managed to represent everyone, so no constraints on the rookies: Johnny Gaudreau, Tanner Pearson, Linden Vey, Josh Jooris, Markus Granlund, John Klingberg.
Check back periodically, as I've given the remaining writers a short buffer period to add in their projections. Drop a comment and leave your own ideal All-Star teams as well! Thanks for reading!
