Boston Bruins
Brandon Carlo (Defenceman-25)
Although Carlo hasn’t scored a goal since March 2017, he finished that rookie season with 16 points. He has posted a Corsi% over 50% in each of his seasons in the NHL. He is on pace for seven points (0G, 7A) in 73 games with a 51.51 ESCorsi%.
Zdeno Chara (Defenceman-33)
Even though Chara hasn’t had 30 points in a season since he rebounded to 37 in 2016, Chara remains productive, having scored in the mid-to-high 20s in points, average well over 20 minutes per night, and has remained a very solid Corsi player. He is on pace this season for 16 points (12G, 4A) in 70 games with a 52.22 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Ottawa-2003; Boston-2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012
Patrice Bergeron (Centre-37)
Prior to going down with an upper-body injury, the four-time Selke Trophy winner had scored nine goals and 26 points in only 19 games. That has him on pace for 98 points (34G, 64A) in 71 games with a 55.76 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Boston-2015, 2016
Tuukka Rask (Goaltender-40)
After posting a 0.917 Save% in 54 games last season, Rask has seen his playing time diminish even though he’s posted a comparable Save% so far. Rask is having a bit of a down year, but is still considered one of the league’s top goalies. He is on pace for a 0.916 Save%, 21-16-5 record, and zero shutouts in 42 games.
All-Star Games: Boston-2017
Jaroslav Halak (Goaltender-41)
After a unceremonius final two years with the Isles that saw him spend time in the AHL and then finish with a 0.908 Save%, Halak has seemingly saved his career with Boston, with whom he’s had the bulk of the starts. It’s not necessarily likely to last, but Boston’s riding the hot hand. He is on pace for a 0.930 Save%, 24-11-5 record, and five shutouts in 45 games.
All-Star Games: NY Islanders-2015
David Backes (Right Wing-42)
Backes remains on the All-Star ballot based on his time in St. Louis, even though he hasn’t reached 60 points since 2011, 50 points since 2015, 40 points since 2016, and is on pace for fewer than 30 this season. Even though age has badly caught up with him, he was consistently in the mid-50-point range during his time with the Blues. He is on pace for 18 points (9G, 9A) in 77 games with a 51.12 ESCorsi%.
All-Star Games: St. Louis-2011
David Krejci (Centre-46)
Injuries and less TOI compared to three years ago have dulled Krejci’s impact somewhat, but Krejci, once the official no.1 centre in Boston, scored 44 points in 64 games last season, a 57-point pace, and is actually doing better this season, on pace for 69 points (11G, 58A) in 82 games with a 54.44 ESCorsi%.
Torey Krug (Defenceman-47)
Despite averaging less TOI than in the two seasons prior, Krug finished last season with career highs of 14 goals and 59 points, 35 of those points coming at evens or on the PK. He is on pace for 60 points (7G, 53A) in 71 games wih a 50.88 ESCorsi%.
Brad Marchand (Left Wing-63)
Marchand may be forever be associated with his on-ice antics, Marchand has become a premier scorer in the NHL. He matched his 85-point career-high last season, but did so in 12 games fewer than the year before, also scoring a career high of 51 assists after a career high of 39 goals the year before. He is having a slightly down year this season however, on pace for 84 points (26G, 58A) in 82 games with a 52.13 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Boston-2017, 2018
Charlie McAvoy (Defenceman-73)
McAvoy’s solid rookie season went a bit unnoticed, perhaps due to injuries bringing down his numbers, but 32 points in 63 games is still good. McAvoy has also missed eight games with an upper-body injury and another 12 with a concussion, but is still on pace for 34 oints (6G, 28A) in 62 games with a 47.92 ESCorsi%.
Jake DeBrusk (Left Wing-74)
DeBrusk finished his rookie season with 43 points, so if we look at his overall point production, it could be seen as a sophomore slump. In terms of goals, he is on pace for 34 points (28G, 6A) in 79 games with a 55.14 ESCorsi%.
David Pastrnak (Right Wing-88)
After establishing new career highs of 35 goals and 80 points last season, Pastrnak is shooting for the 60-goal and 100-point plateaus, currently on pace for 101 points (56G, 45A) in 82 games with a 53.79 ESCorsi%.
Buffalo Sabres
Zach Bogosian (Defenceman-4)
Though Bogosian can be seen as a bust, never scoring like he was expected to and missing a lot of time with injuries, the veteran has quietly been fairly solid when healthy. He posted a ESRelCorsi% of 2.34 and 2.63 in his last two seasons, respectively, and is on pace for 21 points (6G, 15A) in 77 games with a 47.34 ESCorsi% after finishing 2016-17 at a 16-point pace.
Jack Eichel (Centre-9)
Totals of 57 and 64 points may seem fairly pedestrian for a star forward, but Eichel did that in 61 and 67 games the last two seasons, respectively. Eichel is breaking out even more this season, his first as a captain, on pace for 100 points (26G, 74A) in 82 games with a 50 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Buffalo-2018
Vladimir Sobotka (Centre-17)
Sobotka returned last season to the NHL as a solid two-way forward. He topped 30 points for the second time, his first being 2014, before he left for the KHL. His production is down this year however, on pace for 14 points (8G, 6A) in 79 games with a 41.79 ESCorsi%, due in part to a drop in TOI.
Jake McCabe (Defenceman-19)
Entering this season, McCabe’s career-high in points was 20. Despite seeing a drop in TOI for the second straight season, McCabe is actually on pace for 30 points (6G, 24A) in 76 games with a 48.39 ESCorsi%.
Kyle Okposo (Right Wing-21)
Okposo has scored less and less since he’s joined the Sabres, and is on pace for fewer points than he had last year, but he’s still a consistent 40-point player who topped 60 points in two of his last three seasons with the Islanders. He is on pace for 39 points (13G, 26A) in 82 games with a 48.06 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Buffalo-2017
Sam Reinhart (Right Wing-23)
After his first 50-point season, Reinhart is now showing why he was considered for the first overall pick back in 2014. He is on pace for 66 points (21G, 45A) in 82 games with a 48.17 ESCorsi%.
Zemgus Girgensons (Right Wing-28)
Girgensons is still on this expanded ballot based on having appeared in the 2015 All-Star Game, memorably because of a mass-voting campaign by Latvian compatriots and Sabres fans. His offensive production hasn’t gotten back to that year’s 30 points, but he has had an ESCorsi% over 50%. He is on pace for 19 points (8G, 11A) in 79 games with a 50.39 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Buffalo-2015
Jason Pominville (Right Wing-29)
Though he’s missed some time with injury this season, Pominville is enjoying a modest resurgence. He is on pace for 50 points (25G, 25A) in 80 games, the most points he’s had since he scored 60 with Minnesota in 2014, with a 50.7 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Buffalo-2012
Carter Hutton (Goaltender-40)
After stealing the Blues’ crease for stretches during the last two seasons, Hutton has been given a shot at being the undisputed starter for Buffalo. He has posted a 0.917 Save% so far, and is already just over halfway to his career-high in games played, so it looks to be a great move so far. He is on pace for a 0.917 Save%, 32-21-3 record, and zero shutouts in 56 games.
Conor Sheary (Left Wing-43)
Sheary was traded to Buffalo after falling from 53 points to 30 last season. The 53 points came in only 61 games that season, and while he has also missed time with injury this season and is still very short of that production, that strong season gets Sheary on the expanded ballot. He is on pace for 34 points (17G, 17A) in 78 games with a 49.08 ESCorsi%.
Jeff Skinner (Left Wing-53)
Last season saw Skinner establish a new career high of 37 goals and tie his career high of 63 points. This season, Skinner is on pace for 85 points (56G, 29A) in 82 games with a 52.26 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Carolina-2011
Rasmus Ristolainen (Defenceman-55)
While Ristolainen continues to struggle in terms of his Corsi%, he also continues to post strong scoring numbers in spite of it. He is coming off his third straight season of at least 40 points, and is on pace 53 points (8G, 45A) in 82 games with a 45.41 ESCorsi%.
Nathan Beaulieu (Defenceman-82)
After a disastrous first season in Buffalo, Beaulieu is on pace for a minor rebound, already three points shy of last season’s nine-point total. He scored 28 points in 74 games, a 31-point pace, back in 2017. He is on pace this season for 20 points (10G, 10A) in 72 games with a 47.2 ESCorsi%.
Detroit Red Wings
Justin Abdelkader (Left Wing-8)
While this season, and to a lesser extent last season, have seen Abdelkader return to the lower point production of his earlier career, he did top 40 points in each of the 2015 and 2016 seasons and has remained a constant part of Detroit’s top-six. He is on pce for 28 points (13G, 15A) in 82 games with a 41.75 ESCorsi%.
Gustav Nyquist (Right Wing-14)
After a career low of 40 points last season, Nyquist is finally realizing the potential he displayed when he finally became an every-night player for Detroit. He’s not back to being a lights-out sniper, but is on pace for 75 points (21G, 54A) in 82 games with a 50.23 ESCorsi%.
Mike Green (Defenceman-25)
Green is the most recent defenceman to have reached 30 goals in a season, having done so with Washington in 2009, and while he isn’t anywhere near that level of goal scoring this season, he is on an unexpected pace to challenge for his fourth 50+point season, on pace for 51 points (10G, 41A) in 73 games with a 46.56 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Washington-2011, Detroit-2018
Thomas Vanek (Left Wing-26)
Beginning his second stint in a Red Wings jersey, Vanek is, just like in 2016/17, on the official All-Star ballot representing Detroit. Though the points have come more slowly this season, he scored 24 goals and 56 points between Vancouver and Columbus last season. He is on pace for 34 points (9G, 25A) in 74 games with a 41.47 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Buffalo-2009
Jimmy Howard (Goaltender-35)
Last season saw Howard rebound in a major way, posting a 0.910 Save% in 60 games. Howard has kept the performance up this season and has played the majority of games. He is on pace for a 0.923 Save%, 26-15-10 record, and zero shutouts in 56 games.
Past All-Star Games: Detroit-2012
Anthony Mantha (Right Wing-39)
Mantha is coming off a career high of 48 points last season as a sophomore, and while his point production is a bit slower this year, he is on pace for 40 points (26G, 14A) in 77 games with a 54.74 ESCorsi%.
Jonathan Bernier (Goaltender-45)
Bernier has had enough solid seasons as a starter or tandem goalie to be on this expanded ballot. He had a couple decent years with Toronto in the early-mid 2010s, and is coming off seasons with a 0.913 and 0.915 Save% and just a few short of 40 games with Anaheim and Colorado, respectively. He is on pace for a 10-20-0 record, 0.884 Save%, zero shutouts in 33 games.
Frans Nielsen (Centre-51)
After falling from 41 points to 33 last season, Nielsen is back on pace for 53 points (14G, 39A) in 78 games with a 43.43 ESCorsi%. It would be his third 50-point season, closer to his 58-point career-high than in any other season.
Past All-Star Games: Detroit-2017
Niklas Kronwall (Defenceman-55)
Krownall can be seen as a sentimental pick. Popular with fans for his devastating body checks, Kronwall spent a handful of seasons in the late 2000s and early 2010s as a productive offensive player as well. The veteran hasn’t scored at a pace for 30 or more points since he had 44 to close out the 2015 season, and has also missed games with injuries, especially last season. However, he is a pending UFA who will be 38 before the All-Star Game and will most likely retire after the season. He is on pace for 17 points (3G, 14A) in 79 games with a 47.12 ESCorsi%.
Tyler Bertuzzi (Right Wing-59)
Bertuzzi has so far shown himself to be of a higher quality than his projected bottom-six role. He is on pace for 43 points (24G, 19A) in 80 games with a 43.8 ESCorsi%.
Danny DeKeyser (Defenceman-65)
DeKeyser is enjoying a bounceback season. He is on pace for 25 points (4G, 21A) in 70 games with a 47.49 ESCorsi%. It would be the closest he’s been to 30 points since he scored 31 back in 2015. He is also second among Red Wings defencemen in TOI.
Dylan Larkin (Centre-71)
After bouncing back from a sophomore slump to a career high of 63 points, Larkin is on pace for 77 points (33G, 44A) in 82 games with a 52.75 ESCorsi%. He’d be a good pick simply so he can try and regain the fastest skater record.
Past All-Star Games: Detroit-2016
Andreas Athanasiou (Left Wing-72)
Athanasiou is primed to shatter his 33-point career-high. He is on pace for 53 points (31G, 22A) in 78 games with a 47.73 ESCorsi%.
Trevor Daley (Defenceman-83)
Daley is here based on his 38-point season in 2015 and his strong 2015/16 season, when he scored 28 points. He is on pace for 16 points (3G, 13A) in 73 games with a 40.44 ESCorsi%.
Florida Panthers
Roberto Luongo (Goaltender-1)
With only 72 games across the last two seasons, the 39-year-old Luongo is no longer handling a starter’s workload, but is still posting decent numbers and has enough name-brand recognition to remain on this expanded ballot. He is on pace for a 0.908 Save%, 14-11-3 record, and three shutouts in 37 games.
Past All-Star Games: Florida-2004, 2015, 2016; Vancouver-2007, 2009
Keith Yandle (Defenceman-3)
Last season, Yandle scored 56 points, his fourth 50-point season and the closest he’s been to his career high of 59. This season sees him on pace for 79 points (14G, 65A) in 82 games with a 51.11 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Phoenix-2011, 2012
Aaron Ekblad (Defenceman-5)
Last season’s 38 points was one short of his career high and rookie season total of 39 points. He is on pace for 37 points (20G, 17A) in 82 games with a 53.5 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Florida-2015, 2016
Jonathan Huberdeau (Left Wing-11)
Last season saw Huberdeau reach 60 points for the first time in his career, finishing with 69. This year, the playmaking winger is on pace for 102 points (23G, 79A) in 82 games with a 54.03 ESCorsi%.
Aleksander Barkov (Centre-16)
Playing the whole season last year allowed Barkov to finally get some much deserved recognition as an elite centre. He scored 78 points in 79 games, and is on pace for 79 points (31G, 48A) in 82 games with a 49.55 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Florida-2018
Mike Matheson (Defeneman-19)
Aside from his appalling body slam move on Elias Pettersson, Matheson has had a good year. In his third season, Matheson is on pace for 39 points (6G, 33A) in 80 games with a 49.88 ESCorsi% after having finished last season with 27 points.
Vincent Trocheck (Centre-21)
Trocheck finished last season with 31 goals, 44 assists, and 75 points, all career highs. Another solid season has been derailed by a nasty leg injury. With that in mind, Trocheck is on pace for 56 points (12G, 44A) in 72 games with a 53.72 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Florida-2017
Nick Bjugstad (Right Wing-27)
I started putting Bjugstad on the expanded ballot based on him leading the Panthers in scoring with 38 points in 2014 and being among the scoring leaders on the team in 2015. The rise of several young forward stars has lessened Bjugstad’s contribution, but he did rebound, scoring a career-high 49 points on the top scoring line. While currently out with an upper-body injury, he is on pace for 30 points (12G, 18A) in 80 games with a 51.23 ESCorsi%.
James Reimer (Goaltender-34)
Reimer has been taking over the starting job in Florida since his arrival, playing in 87 games. He’s performed poorly so far this season, but is coming off a 0.920 Save% in a career high of 44 games. He is on pace for a 0.893 Save%, 14-17-8 record, and zero shutouts in 48 games.
Evgenii Dadonov (Left Wing-63)
When he left the NHL in 2012, Dadonov’s career high in games played was 36 and his career high in points was 17. In his first year back in the NHL, with his original team, he scored 28 goals and 65 points. He is scoring on pace for 82 points (40G, 42A) in 82 games with a 50.07 ESCorsi%.
Mike Hoffman (Right Wing-68)
Hoffman, Ottawa’s best goal scorer during the last few years, left amidst much tumult. So far, the gamble in taking on Hoffman has been paying off. His previous career-highs are 29 goals and 61 points in separate seasons. He is on pace for 82 points (42G, 40A) in 82 games with a 50.77 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Ottawa-2015
Frank Vatrano (Left Wing-72)
After barely getting past 40 games in each of the last two seasons, Vatrano is finally an every-night player. Though he hasn’t had many assists, he is on pace for 29 points (23G, 6A) in 81 games with a 53.54 ESCorsi%.
Jamie McGinn (Left Wing-88)
McGinn, who has yet to play this season due to a shoulder injury, is another player on this list thanks to decent seasons in the past. He scored 38 points for Colorado in 2014, and 22 goals and 39 points for Buffalo and Anaheim in 2016.
Jared McCann (Centre-90)
McCann is coming off a season of 28 points in 68 games. This year he is on pace for 31 points (14G, 17A) in 81 games with a 51.89 ESCorsi% and has been promoted to second-line centre due to Derek MacKenzie’s injury.
Montreal Canadiens
Shea Weber (Defenceman-6)
In his first season with Montreal, Weber fell from 51 points to 42. In his second, he was limited to 26 games due to injury. The current Canadiens captain has been solid since his return and is on pace for 42 points (25G, 17A) in 58 games with a 59.28 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Nashville-2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016; Montreal-2017
Brendan Gallagher (Right Wing-11)
After scoring 31 and 54, Gallagher has so far stayed at a similar scoring pace. The chippy winger is on pace for 50 points (34G, 16A) in 82 games with a 59.77 ESCorsi%.
Max Domi (Centre-13)
Last season’s 45 points in 82 games was the worst season of Domi’s career, so naturally people were unhappy with losing Alex Galchenyuk for him. On pace for 82 points (37G, 45A) in 82 games with a 48.71 ESCorsi%, Domi has far exceeded expectations.
Philip Danault (Centre-24)
The young two-way forward was effectively the Habs no.1 centre at times last season due to Jonathan Drouin’s struggles and Alex Galchenyuk being stuck on the wing. He is on pace this season for 39 points (5G, 34A) in 82 games with a 59.32 ESCorsi%.
Jeff Petry (Defenceman-26)
After breaking out offensively with 42 points, Petry made himself indispensable with his performance during Shea Weber’s injury. He is currently on pace for 58 points (13G, 45A) in 82 games with a 55.24 ESCorsi%.
Carey Price (Goaltender-31)
Price won the Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy in 2015, and followed that up with a 0.923 Save% in 62 games. Last season, he fell down to 0.900 and hasn’t significantly improved from there so far. He is on pace for a 0.904 Save%, 29-21-11 record, and three shutouts in 63 games.
Past All-Star Games: Montreal-2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018
Antti Niemi (Goaltender-37)
While his two years in Dallas weren’t really good and he’s been bad this season, Niemi has still had good seasons in the past. He was a solid performer through his time in San Jose, and a bad stint in Pittsburgh, not quite as bad stint in Florida, and strong season finish in Montreal rounded out to a 0.911 Save%. He is on pace this season for a 0.876 Save%, 11-8-3 record, and zero shutouts in 21 games.
Paul Byron (Left Wing-41)
Plucked off waivers in 2015 from Calgary, Byron is probably the best player in the NHL that was acquired through waivers. Byron finished the 2017 season with 22 goals and 43 points, and also reached 20 goals in 2018. This season, he is on pace for 44 points (24G, 20A) in 68 games with a 52.46 ESCorsi%.
Andrew Shaw (Right Wing-65)
Two seasons removed from his last 30-point season and having never scored more than 39 points, Shaw is finding another offensive level. He is on pace for 52 points (23G, 29A) in 49.84 ESCorsi%.
Tomas Tatar (Left Wing-90)
Tatar’s best season of 29 goals and 56 points came back in 2015. After a weak season in Detroit that ended in an even weaker finish with Vegas, Tatar was traded to Montreal with no expectation he’d ever regain that form. He has so far bounced back and is on pace for 64 points (32G, 32A) in 82 games with a 61.15 ESCorsi%.
Jonathan Drouin (Left Wing-92)
Drouin, a left winger, was moved to centre after he was traded from Tampa Bay, where he finished the 2017 season with 53 points, and finished the 2018 season with 46 points. This season, he is on pace for 68 points (26G, 42A) in 82 games with a 47.75 ESCorsi%.
Ottawa Senators
Dylan DeMelo (Defenceman-2)
DeMelo has seen his role with the Senators expand from being a depth blueliner for San Jose. The defenceman had a hot start to the year offensively, and although he has cooled off, he is on pace for 21 points (8G, 13A) in 81 games with a 45.93 ESCorsi%.
Bobby Ryan (Right Wing-9)
Ryan is currently in the midst of a modest rebound. After scoring only 33 points in 62 games last season, he is on pace for 50 points (17G, 33A) in 80 games with a 39.77 ESCorsi%, though his Anaheim-era production still isn’t there.
Past All-Star Games: Ottawa-2015
Zack Smith (Centre-15)
Smith has always been more of a bottom-six grinder-type, but recent seasons have seen surprising offensive production. He finished with more than 30 points in each of the two seasons prior to last, and although he was on waivers to start the year, he is on pace for 41 points (16G, 25A) in 73 games with a 42.52 ESCorsi%.
Ryan Dzingel (Left Wing-18)
The fast-improving winger has gone from 32 points to 40, and is now on pace for 59 points (32G, 27A) in 80 games with a 43.45 ESCorsi%. He currently sits fourth in team scoring.
Craig Anderson (Goaltender-41)
Anderson is having another weak season after finishing last season with a 0.898 Save%. He finished the 2017 season with a 0.926 Save% and remains the Sens’ starter. He is on pace for a 0.907 Save%, 31-31-8 record, and three shutouts in 72 games.
Mark Stone (Right Wing-61)
Stone’s 62 points are solid, but they look even better when you remember he only played 58 games. An underrated two-way performer because he’s a winger, he is also on pace for 89 points (38G, 51A) in 82 games with a 53.09 ESCorsi%.
Chris Tierney (Centre-71)
As a member of the Sharks, Tierney was an unspectacular bottom-six forward, his current career high sitting at 40 points. He has already reached the halfway point to that total and is on pace for 52 points (8G, 44A) in 82 games with a 40.61 ESCorsi%.
Thomas Chabot (Defenceman-72)
In only his second season, Chabot has been a lights-out offensive performer for Ottawa. He is tied for first among league defencemen in scoring and is on pace for 85 points (21G, 64A) in 82 games with a 46.84 ESCorsi%.
Mikkel Boedker (Left Wing-89)
The speedy winger is coming off a couple of disappointing years with San Jose, but is rebounding. The two-time 50-point scorer is just a little off a pace for his third, on pace for 44 points (8G, 36A) in 82 games with a 40.33 ESCorsi%.
Matt Duchene (Centre-95)
After initially disappointing after his trade to Ottawa, Duchene recovered and finished with a respectable 59 points. He has rediscovered his high-end scoring touch this year so far and is on pace for 94 points (33G, 61A) in 80 games with a 43.1 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Ottawa-2011, 2016
Tampa Bay Lightning
Anton Stralman (Defenceman-6)
Stralman is bouncing back offensively after two straight seasons of declining point totals. He is on pace for 33 points (4G, 29A) in 66 games, after having not gotten 30 since 2016, and has a 49.45 ESCorsi%.
Tyler Johnson (Left Wing-9)
Sure, Martin St. Louis he ain’t. Though he’s not still not back to his 70-point range of production from 2015, Johnson, now playing on the wings, is on pace for 57 points (31G, 26A) in 81 games with a 51.3 ESCorsi%.
JT Miller (Left Wing-10)
Miller saw an uptick in production after he was traded to Tampa Bay, and finished with 58 points. He is on pace for 59 points (15G, 44A) in 82 games with a 55.39 ESCorsi%.
Alex Killorn (Left Wing-17)
Last season saw Killorn finish with a career high of 47 points. He is on pace this season to reach 43 points (15G, 28A) in 82 games with a 58.41 ESCorsi%.
Ondrej Palat (Left Wing-18)
The two-way winger had a bit of a down year with 35 points in 56 games and is only on pace for 41 points (8G, 33A) in 66 games with a 51.79 ESCorsi%. However, Palat is a season removed from scoring 52 points and three removed from scoring 63.
Brayden Point (Centre-21)
Point’s emergence last season gave Tampa Bay yet another offensive weapon. He finished his sophomore season with 32 goals and 66 points, already a strong total, especially for someone who profiles as more of a two-way forward. He is tied for second in goals in the league and on pace for 105 points (54G, 51A) in 82 games with a 51.59 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Tampa Bay-2018
Ryan Callahan (Right Wing-24)
The veteran winger’s days as a decent two-way player are behind him, but he did score 54 points as recently as 2015. He is on pace for 19 points (8G, 11A) in 78 games with 51.36 ESCorsi%.
Ryan McDonagh (Defenceman-27)
McDonagh fell to 29 points last season as he was traded to the Lightning. The season before, the then-Rangers captain scored 42 points. This season, McDonagh has been able to rediscover his scoring touch and is on pace for 54 points (8G, 46A) in 82 games with a 50.2 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: NY Rangers-2016, 2017
Yanni Gourde (Left Wing-37)
After narrowly avoiding the cutoff for Calder eligibility, Gourde placed third in voting for the award last season as he scored 64 points. This year, Gourde is on pace for 62 points (26G, 36A) in 82 games with a 53.64 ESCorsi%.
Braydon Coburn (Defenceman-55)
This season, Coburn is already a few points short of where he finished last season. He is on pace for 29 points (8G, 21A) in 82 games with a 57.62 ESCorsi%. It would be the most he’s had since 2009.
Victor Hedman (Defenceman-77)
The defending Norris Trophy winner is coming off seasons of 72 and 63 points. While he is only on pace for 51 points (12G, 39A) in 75 games, with a 55.45 ESCorsi%, he remains an elite blueliner.
Past All-Star Game: Tampa Bay-2017
Nikita Kucherov (Right Wing-86)
Kucherov is a sniper on top of his game. After finishing the 2017 season with 40 goals, he finished the 2018 season with 100 points. He’s scoring goals at a slightly slower clip, but is on pace overall for 116 points (31G, 85A) in 82 games with a 53.13 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Tampa Bay-2017, 2018
Andrei Vasilevskiy (Goaltender-88)
Vasilevskiy is coming off a strong season in which he posted a 0.927 Save% and backstopped the Lightning to the Eastern Conference Final. Vasilevskiy has continued that performance this season when healthy despite having missed much of the season with a fractured foot. He is on pace this season for a 0.927 Save%, 23-8-3 record, and three shutouts in 33 games.
Past All-Star Games: Tampa Bay-2018
Steven Stamkos (Centre-91)
Despite having made his mark in the NHL with elite goal-scoring performances such as his 60-goal finish in 2012, Stamkos seems to have embraced a transition into a playmaker’s role. Last season saw him finish with 27 goals, the first time he’s finished a full or nearly full season with fewer than 30 since he was a rookie in 2009. He is still on pace for 84 points (38G, 46A) in 82 games with a 55.07 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: Tampa Bay-2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018
Mikhail Sergachev (Defenceman-98)
When Montreal traded Sergachev for Jonathan Drouin, it seemed the Habs were giving up a needed building block in their asinine pursuit for a Francophone hero, and while this season has Drouin bust out and Sergachev slump offensively, on pace for 28 points (0G, 28A) in 82 games with a 57.19 ESCorsi%, it’s still worked out well overall. Sergachev finished his rookie campaign with 40 points.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Ron Hainsey (Defenceman-2)
While his underlying numbers haven’t been great, Hainsey is coming off a 23-point season, his most since 2010. He is on pace for 32 points (8G, 24A) in 82 games with a 47.57 ESCorsi%. It would be his first finish with at least 30 points since 2009.
Zach Hyman (Left Wing-11)
Hyman is part of that sextet of skilled forwards who became full-time players back in 2016/17. Since he scored 28 points that year, he has been a fixture on Auston Matthews’ line. Currently serving a suspension, he is on pace for 41 points (19G, 22A) in 81 games with a 50.88 ESCorsi%.
Patrick Marleau (Left Wing-12)
The veteran winger has remained quite consistent for a player in his late 30s. He is on pace to finish in the high 40s in points for the fourth straight year, specifically 47 points (21G, 26A) in 82 games with a 48.75 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: San Jose-2004, 2007, 2009
Mitchell Marner (Right Wing-16)
After he improved from 61 to 69 points as a sophomore, Marner is now on pace for over 100 points. The forward is leading the Leafs in scoring despite comparatively few goals for a top-line winger. He is on pace for 109 points (16G, 93A) in 82 games with a 50.21 ESCorsi%.
Nikita Zaitsev (Defeneman-22)
When Zaitsev finished last season with 13 points, it seemed perhaps like a sophomore slump. While his performance seems to be bottoming out this season, he is on this expanded ballot based on his 36-point performance as a rookie in 2017. He is on pace for five points (0G, 5A) in 82 games with a 47.4 ESCorsi%.
Travis Dermott (Defenceman-23)
After making his debut and playing through the final quarter of last season, Dermott is a full-time player on the Leafs and is performing well. He is on pace for 23 points (6G, 17A) in 79 games with a 55.32 ESCorsi%.
Kasperi Kapanen (Right Wing-24)
William Nylander’s ongoing contract dispute was the best thing to happen to Kapanen. After playing in a career high of 38 games last season, Kapanen got a role on the top line with Austom Matthews, and is on pace for 55 points (29G, 26A) in 52.66 ESCorsi%.
Connor Brown (Right Wing-28)
While Brown fell to 28 points last season and isn’t on track for an improvement, Brown scored 36 points as a rookie. He is on this list as one of the six forwards who played their rookie season for the Leafs in 2017. He is on pace this season for 24 points (8G, 16A) in 82 games with a 47.9 ESCorsi%.
William Nylander (Right Wing-29)
I would not have had Nylander on this list had he not signed by the December 5 deadline. As he has, his two consecutive 61-point seasons get him onto the ballot. He is on pace so far for 36 points (0G, 36A) in 54 games with a 56.86 ESCorsi%.
Frederik Andersen (Goaltender-31)
Andersen is coming off having led the Leafs to their first two playoff appearances since 2013. He posted a 0.918 Save% last season in a career-high 38 games. He is so far having the best season of his career, on pace for a 0.928 Save%, 45-21-0 record, and three shutouts in 66 games.
Auston Matthews (Centre-34)
Matthews is having an absurdly good season. He has missed 14 games this season due to injury and is still on pace for 108 points (64G, 44A) in 68 games with a 49.71 Save%.
Past All-Star Games: Toronto-2017, 2018
Nazem Kadri (Centre-43)
While Kadri is having a down year, on pace for 45 points (21G, 24A) in 82 games with a 51.55 ESCorsi%, Kadri is here based on his last two seasons. He was still the third-line centre those years and had seasons of 32 goals and 61 points and of 32 goals and 55 points.
Morgan Rielly (Defenceman-44)
Rielly sure broke out last season. He rose from a career low of 27 points to a career high of 52. This season, Rielly is on pace for 87 points (26G, 61A) in 82 games with 49.35 ESCorsi%, and is tied for the league lead in points among defencemen.
Jake Gardiner (Defenceman-51)
Like Rielly, Gardiner reached new heights last season. After finishing his 2017 season with 43 points, already a career high, he matched Rielly’s 52 points. His offence is slightly down this year, but he is on pace for 47 points (5G, 42A) in 82 games with a 48.87 ESCorsi%.
Tyler Ennis (Left Wing-63)
Ennis has had a number of bad seasons the past few years, and his resurgence this year is simply as a solid scoring forward for the fourth line. His being on this expanded ballot is based on his career in the early 2010s, when he was much more major presence in Buffalo and had his career highs of 21 goals and 46 points. He is on pace for 25 points (14G, 11A) in 79 games with a 45.77 ESCorsi%.
John Tavares (Centre-91)
Last season was the final year of Tavares’s stint with the Islanders, and he ended it with a bang. His 37 goals were one short of his career high, and his 84 points were a career high. Though he’s never done reached 40 goals or 90 points, Tavares is on pace for 87 points (50G, 37A) in 82 games with a 51.46 ESCorsi%.
Past All-Star Games: NY Islanders-2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
