This list includes, in addition to every non-rookie on the official ballot, high-scoring players not on the ballot, lower-scoring players with nonetheless strong numbers, contributing fan favourites, “legacy” picks who have had great seasons in the recent past, and team captains. Each player is listed with a brief explanation of why they’re on the list. I will also list their prior All-Star appearances where applicable. All information is accurate to December 7.
The Ballot
Chicago Blackhawks
Duncan Keith (Defenceman-2)
0G, 14A, 14 PTS, 52.9 ESCF% in 28 GP
Keith has so far been held goalless and is having a down year in terms of points (a 34-year-old whose age is catching up to him?), but he scored 53 points last season, has reached 60 as recently as 2014 (61), and is a two-time Norris Trophy winner. He is on pace for 41 points (0G, 41A) in 82 games.
Keith represented Chicago in the 2008, 2011, 2015, and 2017 All-Star Games.
Brent Seabrook (Defenceman-7)
1G, 8A, 9 PTS, 50.6 ESCF% in 28 GP
I am well aware that Seabrook’s performance in recent seasons hasn’t been great in terms of advanced stats. The big guy did score 39 points last season and 49 the year before though. He is on pace for 26 points (3G, 23A) in 82 games.
Seabrook represented Chicago in the 2015 All-Star Game.
Patrick Sharp (Left Wing-10)
3G, 4A, 7 PTS, 50.5 ESCF% in 28 GP
Sharp’s in fast decline as a player, but the three-time Stanley Cup winner does have some recent good seasons. He scored 34 goals and a career-high 78 points in 2014 and reached 55 points in 2016 with Dallas. He is on pace for 21 points (9G, 12A) in 82 games.
Sharp represented Chicago in the 2011 All-Star Game.
Cody Franson (Defenceman-11)
1G, 6A, 7 PTS, 58.9 ESCF% in 18 GP
Franson scored a career-high of 36 points in 78 games between Toronto and Nashville back in 2014/15. While he hasn’t gotten anywhere near that since. He is on pace for the most points he’s had since then, 28 points (4G, 24A) in 72 games, despite a cold streak, and is posting impressive Corsi numbers.
Franson has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Richard Panik (Left Wing-14)
5G, 9A, 14 PTS, 56.5 ESCF% in 28 GP
The two-way winger is coming off a breakout year of 22 goals, 22 assists, and 44 points. He is excelling in a top-six role with the Blackhawks and is on pace for 41 points (15G, 26A) in 82 games.
Panik has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Artem Anisimov (Centre-15)
12G, 3A, 15 PTS, 48.6 ESCF% in 28 GP
Anisimov may not have put up the gaudy numbers his linemates the last two seasons have put up, but that hardly hurt them. Anisimov scored 22 goals and 45 points last season in 64 games, a 28-goal and 57-point pace. He is on pace this season for 44 points (35G, 9A) in 82 games.
Anisimov has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Jonathan Toews (Centre-19)
8G, 11A, 18 PTS, 55.8 ESCF% in 28 GP
While Toews hasn’t finished a season with at least 60 points since 2015, he at least scored at a pace for at least 60 in both of his last two seasons. This year, he’s on pace for 55 points (23G, 32A) in 82 games.
Toews represented Chicago in the 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2017 All-Star Games.
Brandon Saad (Left Wing-20)
10G, 4A, 14 PTS, 56.8 ESCF% in 28 GP
Saad is back with the Blackhawks after two seasons with the Blue Jackets. In each of his seasons with Columbus, he posted a career-high 53 points. In 2016, he scored a career-high of 31 goals. He is on pace for 41 points (29G, 12A) in 82 games.
Saad represented Columbus in the 2016 All-Star Game.
Gustav Forsling (Defenceman-42)
2G, 6A, 8 PTS, 46.8 ESCF% in 25 GP
In what is looking to be his first full NHL season, Forsling is having a decent offensive performance. He’s already beaten the five points he had in 38 games last season, and is on pace for 25 points (6G, 19A) in 79 games.
Forsling has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Jan Rutta (Defenceman-44)
3G, 9A, 12 PTS, 48.5 ESCF% in 28 GP
An undrafted free agent signing and overaged for a rookie, Rutta is a close second among Blackhawks defencemen in scoring. He is on pace for 35 points (9G, 26A) in 82 games.
Rutta has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Corey Crawford (Goaltender-50)
11-7-2, 0.930 Save%, 2 SO in 21 GP
While he hasn’t gotten the recognition his elite contemporaries have gotten, Crawford is just as much an elite goalie. He has two Stanley Cups and finished his last two seasons with a 0.924 and 0.918 Save%, respectively. He is on pace for a 32-20-6 record in 62 games.
Crawford represented Chicago in the 2015 and 2017 All-Star Games.
Patrick Kane (Right Wing-88)
10G, 17A, 27 PTS, 52.1 ESCF% in 28 GP
Kane won the Art Ross Trophy and the Hart in 2016 with 46 goals and 106 points in 82 games. The following year, he fell short with 34 goals and 89 points. He is on pace this season for 79 points (29G, 50A) in 82 games.
Kane represented Chicago in the 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2017 All-Star Games.
Colorado Avalanche
Semyon Varlamov (Goaltender-1)
8-6-1, 0.905 Save%, 1 SO in 16 GP
Though he missed most of last season and posted weak numbers, the year before, Varlamov posted a 0.914 Save%. This season, he’s on pace for a 25-19-3 record in 50 games.
Varlamov has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Tyson Barrie (Defenceman-4)
2G, 8A, 10 PTS, 47.9 ESCF% in 25 GP
Prior to this season, Barrie has trended downward offensively. He scored 53 points in 2015 and it seemed to be about his peak. He then had seasons of 49 and 38 points, but is on pace for 64 points (6G, 58A) in 81 games this season.
Barrie has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Erik Johnson (Defenceman-6)
2G, 7A, 9 PTS, 49.5 ESCF% in 26 GP
The first overall pick from 2006 scored a career-high of 39 points in 2014. After scoring at a 30-point pace last season, he is on pace for 28 points (6G, 22A) in 82 games and is also averaging over 26 minutes per night.
Johnson has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Sven Andrighetto (Left Wing-10)
5G, 7A, 12 PTS, 48.8 ESCF% in 25 GP
After his trade from Montreal to Colorado, Andrighetto scored 16 points in 19 games. In his first full season with the Avs, he’s carried over some of his offensive production, and is on pace for 39 points (16G, 23A) in 81 games.
Andrighetto has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Patrik Nemeth (Defenceman-12)
1G, 5A, 6 PTS, 42.5 ESCF% in 12 GP
Despite the unflattering status of having been acquired via waivers, Nemeth’s move to Colorado has been great for him. He went from a physical depth defenceman who couldn’t get into the lineup for Dallas to tied for second in scoring among Avalanche defencemen and a pace for 34 points (6G, 28A) in 68 games.
Nemeth has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Nathan MacKinnon (Centre-29)
10G, 21A, 31 PTS, 51.4 ESCF% in 26 GP
While MacKinnon hasn’t quite lived up to the promise of his 64-point Calder-winning season, he hasn’t completely disappeared offensively. The 2013 first-overall pick is currently on pace for career-highs, specifically 98 points (32G, 66A) in 82 games.
MacKinnon represented Colorado in the 2017 All-Star Game.
Nail Yakupov (Right Wing-64)
7G, 3A, 10 PTS, 47.6 ESCF% in 26 GP
Evidently, sometimes a player needs to be a reclamation project more than once before it actually takes. Yakupov’s career-high is a disappointing 33 points in 81 games, only two more than he got in 33 fewer games in 2013. Last season saw him score only nine points in 40 games for St. Louis, and this season has seen him bounce back and he was on pace early this season for a new career-high. He’s slowed down some, and is on pace for 31 points (22G, 9A) in 82 games.
Yakupov has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Gabriel Landeskog (Left Wing-92)
9G, 8A, 17 PTS, 48.4 ESCF% in 22 GP
Last season was a career-low (not counting the lockout year) of 33 points for the captain and 2012 Calder-winner. While he’s still not quite back to his 2014 65 points, he is rebounding offensively, on pace for 60 points (32G, 28A) in 78 games.
Landeskog has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Mikko Rantanen (Right Wing-96)
8G, 14A, 22 PTS, 52.5 ESCF% in 26 GP
The 2015 draftee scored 20 goals and 38 points last season as a rookie. This season he is on pace 69 points (25G, 44A) in 82 games.
Rantanen has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Dallas Stars
Dan Hamhuis (Defenceman-2)
1G, 6A, 7 PTS, 51.2 ESCF% in 26 GP
Hamhuis’ offensive production has dipped the past few years. After scoring at a 32-point pace in 2014/15, Hamhuis finished the last two seasons with 13 points in 58 games, an 18-point pace and 16 points in 79 games. This season, he’s on pace for 21 points (3G, 18A) in 80 games, and has posted strong Corsi numbers every season.
Hamhuis has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
John Klingberg (Defenceman-3)
4G, 20A, 24 PTS, 52.4 ESCF% in 28 GP
After a small dip from 58 points to 49 last season, Klingberg is back on track offensively. He is currently leading all NHL defencemen in points and is on pace for 71 points (12G, 59A) in 82 games.
Klingberg has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Martin Hanzal (Centre-10)
1G, 2A, 3 PTS, 45.8 ESCF% in 19 GP
One of Dallas’ main additions in free agency this past summer hasn’t had a good season so far. The year before, I had him on the 2017 edition of this list and he would go on to score at a 53-point pace after his trade to Minnesota. The year before, he scored a career-high 41 points. He has been out for the past four games with a hamstring injury, but is on pace for 12 points (4G, 8A), in 73 games.
Hanzal has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Mattias Janmark (Left Wing-13)
6G, 7A, 13 PTS, 50.3 ESCF% in 28 GP
Janmark cooled after a strong start to the 2015/16 season, and missed the entirety of 2016/16 with injury. This season, he’s on pace for 39 points (18G, 21A) in 82 games.
Janmark has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Jamie Benn (Left Wing-14)
11G, 13A, 24 PTS, 52.9 ESCF% in 28 GP
Last season was a down year for Benn, but let’s be serious here, 26 goals, 43 assists, and 69 points is a good season. It’s just the prior two seasons saw him score 35 goals and an Art Ross-winning 87 points and 41 goals and 89 points, respectively. He is on pace this season for 70 points (32G, 38A) in 82 games.
Benn represented Dallas in the 2012 and 2016 All-Star Games.
Esa Lindell (Defenceman-23)
4G, 6A, 10 PTS, 53.6 ESCF% in 28 GP
After a, frankly, bad rookie season, Lindell is much improved. He is already over halfway to his total of 18 points last season, posting greatly improved Corsi numbers, and averaging roughly as much time on ice as he did last season. He is on pace for 30 points (12G, 18A) in 82 games.
Lindell has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Stephen Johns (Defenceman-28)
3G, 3A, 6 PTS, 52.9 ESCF% in 25 GP
Johns is coming off a mixed bag of a rookie season, in which he posted decent Corsi numbers but only scored 10 points. This season, his Corsi% is improved, and he’s on pace for 18 points (9G, 9A) in 79 games.
Johns has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Ben Bishop (Goaltender-30)
13-8-0, 0.910 Save%, 2 SO in 23 GP
Bishop has had a bit of a weak run lately. The 6’6” behemoth only posted a 0.910 Save% last season and finished the year as a backup. Look to prior seasons and you can see why he’d be on an All-Star ballot. He posted a 0.926 Save% in 2015/16, and backstopped Tampa Bay much of the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015. He is on pace for a 38-23-0 record in 67 games.
Bishop represented Tampa Bay in the 2016 All-Star Game.
Kari Lehtonen (Goaltender-32)
3-3-1, 0.900 Save%, 0 SO in 9 GP
Lehtonen hasn’t had a save percentage above 0.910 since 2013/14, when he posted 0.919, and he’s very much a backup this season. However, he did have that somewhat recent good season, was a starting netminder as recently as last season, and remains a recognizable name. He was on last year’s edition of this list. He is on pace for a 9-9-3 record in 26 games.
Lehtonen has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Alexander Radulov (Right Wing-47)
9G, 16A, 25 PTS, 53.0 ESCF% in 28 GP
When Radulov re-entered the NHL in 2016 after four seasons in the KHL, many wrote him off as the typical flaky Russian. Radulov unsurprisingly proved them wrong with a solid 54-point season. This season, playing on the first line with Benn and Seguin, Radulov is on pace for a major improvement over last season, 73 points (26G, 47A) in 82 games.
Radulov has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Jason Spezza (Centre-90)
4G, 6A, 10 PTS, 55.5 ESCF% in 28 GP
Last season saw Spezza, now 34, fall to 15 goals and 50 points, and he is trending even further down this season, on pace for 30 points (12G, 18A) in 82 games. However, in the prior two seasons, his first two with Dallas, he scored 62 points and 63 points, respectively. The latter of the two had him score 33 goals.
Spezza represented Ottawa in the 2008 and 2012 All-Star Games.
Tyler Seguin (Centre-91)
14G, 13A, 27 PTS, 50.4 ESCF% in 28 GP
Similar to Benn last season, Seguin had a down year, but he still managed a still-excellent 26 goals and 72 points. The prior three seasons, his first three with Dallas, saw him score 37 goals and 84 points, 37 goals and 77 points, and 33 goals and 73 points, respectively. This season, he’s on pace for 79 points (41G, 38A) in 82 games.
Seguin represented Boston in the 2012 All-Star Game and Dallas in the 2015, 2016, and 2017 All-Star Games.
Minnesota Wild
Charlie Coyle (Centre-3)
2G, 6A, 8 PTS, 45.3 ESCF% in 11 GP
Coyle sadly only got into two games before going down with fractured right fibula. He came back on November 20. Each of his seasons in the NHL, however, have seen more and more offensive production from Coyle. He’s gone from 14 points to 30, to 35, to 42, to a career-high 56 last season. He is on pace for 48 points (12G, 36A) in 66 games.
Coyle has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Mikko Koivu (Centre-9)
4G, 11A, 15 PTS, 49.9 ESCF% in 27 GP
Injuries kept Koivu’s production down during his supposedly peak years, and age has kept it down as he’s managed to stay healthy more consistently. He has, however, had good seasons as a two-way centre. Last season he scored 58 points in 80 games, a 60-point pace. It was the most he’s scored, and would have been his first 60-point season, since 2010/11, when he scored 62. The captain’s been cold so far this season, but he’s still managed a half a point a game. He’s on pace for 45 points (12G, 33A) in 82 games.
Koivu has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Chris Stewart (Right Wing-10)
7G, 3A, 10 PTS, 38.7 ESCF% in 26 GP
Stewart’s peak years, spent in the early 2010s with Colorado and St. Louis, are behind him, but he’s on pace for 31 points (22G, 9A) in 81 games, his best season since he scored 36 points between Buffalo and Minnesota in 2014/15. He is ninth in team scoring and fourth in goals.
Stewart has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Zach Parise (Left Wing-11)
Yet to play this season
Parise’s trended downward these last couple seasons. He scored 19 goals and 42 points last season after having scored 25 goals and 53 points in 2015/16. However, Parise has been one of Minnesota’s better forwards since he joined the team and scored 33 goals and 62 points in 2014/15. Parise has yet to make his season debut due to back surgery.
Parise represented New Jersey in the 2009 All-Star Game.
Eric Staal (Centre-12)
10G, 13A, 23 PTS, 52.2 ESCF% in 27 GP
Staal has worked out better than anyone could have hoped a reclamation project could. After scoring 39 points in 83 games in 2015/16, Staal bounced back with 65 points in 2016/17. The veteran is leading the Wild in scoring this season and is on pace for 69 points (30G, 39A) in 82 games, his best season goals-wise since 2010/11 and his best points-wise since 2011/12.
Staal represented Carolina in the 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011 All-Star Games.
Jason Zucker (Left Wing-16)
13G, 9A, 22 PTS, 50.5 ESCF% in 27 GP
Zucker rebounded from 23 points in 2015/16 to 47 in 2016/17. This season, he’s emerged as Minnesota’s top scoring winger. He’s leading the team in goals and is on pace for 66 points (39G, 27A) in 82 games.
Zucker has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Ryan Suter (Defenceman-20)
4G, 11A, 15 PTS, 50.8 ESCF% in 27 GP
Suter scored 38 points, his fewest since the lockout, in 2015. Then he scored a carer-high 51, his first 50-point season, in 2016. He fell to 40 points last season, and he is on pace this season for 45 points (12G, 33A) in 82 games. Suter’s Corsi numbers have been strong the past few seasons. Even when he’s been below 50, like he is this season, his Corsi%Rel has been very good.
Suter represented Nashville in the 2012 All-Star Game and Minnesota in the 2015 and 2017 All-Star Games.
Nino Niederreiter (Right Wing-22)
9G 3A, 12 PTS, 56.5 ESCF% in 76 GP
Niederreiter is having a bit of a down year, but is coming off a strong season for Minnesota. Last season saw him score 25 goals and 57 points. He is on pace for 44 points (33G, 11A) in 76 games.
Niederreiter has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Matt Dumba (Defenceman-24)
2G, 11A, 13 PTS, 45.6 ESCF% in 27 GP
Dumba broke out offensively last season, scoring 34 points. He is having an even better year offensively this season, on pace for 39 points (6G, 33A) in 82 games, and is third on the team in TOI.
Dumba has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Jonas Brodin (Defenceman-25)
2G, 2A, 4 PTS, 43.6 ESCF% in 27 GP
Brodin is generally a weak player in terms of his Corsi numbers. Last season, he seemed to emerge offensively, scoring 25 points in 68 games, a 30-point pace. This season, he’s on pace for 12 points (6G, 6A) in 82 games.
Brodin has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Devan Dubnyk (Goaltender-40)
11-8-2, 0.914 Save%, 3 SO in 21 GP
Dubnyk has been a star goaltender since he joined the Wild. He’s finished his last three seasons with a 0.929, 0.918, and 0.923 Save%, respectively. This season, he’s on pace for a 33-24-6 record in 64 games.
Dubnyk represented Minnesota in the 2016 and 2017 All-Star Games.
Jared Spurgeon (Defenceman-46)
3G, 12A, 15 PTS, 51.9 ESCF% in 23 GP
Injuries have prevented Spurgeon from posting the offensive numbers he’s capable of, at least until last season, when he scored 38 points, by far a career-high. He’s on pace for 51 points (10G, 41A) in 78 games this season.
Spurgeon has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Tyler Ennis (Left Wing-63)
5G, 3A, 8 PTS, 43.8 ESCF% in 27 GP
While he hasn’t produced much the past two seasons, Ennis is a holdover for this list from the Sabres’ pre-Eichel days. He finished the 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons with 43 and 46 points, respectively. This season, he’s on pace for 24 points (15G, 9A) in 82 games.
Ennis has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Mikael Granlund (Centre-64)
6G, 10A, 16 PTS, 53.6 ESCF% in 22 GP
In the three seasons preceding 2016/17, strong seasons in which Granlund scored at over 0 assists were marred by poor scoring totals. Things changed last season when he scored 26 goals and 43 assists for a total of 69 points. He’s been cold to open the season, but I suspect this cold streak is temporary. He is on pace for 56 points (21G, 35A) in 77 games.
Granlund has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Nashville Predators
Ryan Ellis (Defenceman-4)
Yet to play this season
Unfortunately, Ellis is expected to be out until January with a knee injury. That shouldn’t stop Ellis from getting consideration for the All-Star Game. Ellis scored 38 points in 71 games, a 44-point pace, last season. He should also be back before the All-Star Game if I’m interpreting things correctly.
Ellis has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Kyle Turris (Centre-8)
6G, 15A, 21 PTS, 48.2 ESCF% in 24 GP
Turris was recently acquired in a trade from Ottawa in the midst of what would be a career year if he keeps his current scoring up. He is on pace for 69 points (20G, 49A) in 78 games. He scored a career-high 27 goals last season and finished the 2014/15 season with a career-high 64 points.
Turris has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Filip Forsberg (Left Wing-9)
14G, 14A, 28 PTS, 51.8 ESCF% in 28 GP
Forsberg is Nashville’s current top goal scorer. He scored 31 goals and 58 points last season and 33 goals and 64 points the year before. This season he is on pace for 82 points (41G, 41A) in 82 games.
Forsberg represented Nashville in the 2015 All-Star Game.
Nick Bonino (Centre-13)
5G, 1A, 6 PTS, 40.6 ESCF% in 17 GP
Bonino scored 22 goals and 49 points for Anaheim in 2013/14. He followed that up with a 39-point season for Vancouver. He had two straight seasons at a 38-point pace as the centre of the short-lived HBK Line on back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning Pittsburgh teams. This year, he is on pace for 25 points (21G, 4A) in 71 games.
Bonino has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Mattias Ekholm (Defenceman-14)
6G, 12A, 18 PTS, 50.0 ESCF% in 28 GP
Ekholm saw a dip in his offensive production last season, but finished the 2015/16 season with 35 points. He is on pace for 53 points (18G, 35A) in 82 games.
Ekholm has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Craig Smith (Right Wing-15)
11G, 6A, 17 PTS, 53.4 ESCF% in 28 GP
Smith’s TOI has gone down in each of the last few seasons as the Predators have metamorphosed from a “built from the net out” defensive team with bits of offence coming from everyone under Barry Trotz to a high-octane offensive team under Peter Laviolette. With the old Predators, Smith was the offensive star, peaking with 24 goals and 52 points in 2013/14. With the new Preds, Smith has been increasingly marginalized, bottoming out last season with 12 goals and 29 points. Though it’s still early, Smith is bouncing back in a big way offensively, on pace for 50 points (32G, 18A) in 82 games.
Smith has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Scott Hartnell (Left Wing-17)
4G, 3A, 7 PTS, 54.0 ESCF% in 16 GP
Hartnell is a shadow of his former self, there for leadership and physicality and secondary scoring. Hartnell remains on this list thanks to his 60-point effort in 2014/15. This season, he is on pace for 31 points (18 G, 13A) in 70 games.
Hartnell represented Philadelphia in the 2012 All-Star Game.
Calle Jarnkrok (Centre-19)
5G, 7A, 12 PTS, 42.2 ESCF% in 28 GP
Jarnkrok has been a solid defensive forward for the Preds the past few seasons. So much so that the Preds let go of one of their top scorers in order to protect Jarnkrok in the expansion draft. His ESCorsi has exceeded 50% by a notable margin in each of his last three seasons. He is coming off two straight 30-point seasons and a career-high 31, and is on pace for 36 points (15G, 21A) in 82 games.
Jarnkrok has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Viktor Arvidsson (Left Wing-33)
9G, 10A, 19 PTS, 49.3 ESCF% in 28 GP
After scoring 16 points as a rookie, Arvidsson broke out with 31 goals and 61 points last season. This season, he’s on pace for 55 points (26G, 29A) in 82 games.
Arvidsson has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Pekka Rinne (Goaltender-35)
16-4-2, 0.926 Save%, 2 SO in 22 GP
After a weak 2015/16 season, Rinne bounced back with a 0.918 Save% and Stanley Cup Final appearance last season. Rather than his play from 2016 returning, Rinne’s play from last season has stuck around, even improved. He is on pace for a 47-12-6 record in 64 games. Good news for the 35-year-old.
Rinne represented Nashville in the 2016 All-Star Game.
Kevin Fiala (Left Wing-56)
5G, 3A, 18 PTS, 50.6 ESCF% in 27 GP
Fiala got off to a decent start to his career last season. He scored 11 goals and 16 points in 54 games, sadly missing most of the playoffs with a leg injury. He’s back this season and is on pace for 54 points (15G, 39A) in 81 games.
Roman Josi (Defenceman-59)
6G, 13A, 19 PTS, 50.4 ESCF% in 25 GP
Josi had a bit of a down year last season with “only” 49 points. The prior seasons saw him go from 40 to 55 to 61 points. Josi was named captain of the Predators this past September. This season, he’s on pace for 60 points (19G, 41A) in 79 games.
Josi represented Nashville in the 2016 All-Star Game.
PK Subban (Defenceman-76)
4G, 14A, 18 PTS, 48.3 ESCF% in 28 GP
Back in 2014/15, when he was still a star with the Canadiens, Subban scored 60 points. The following year, before his trade, he scored 51 points in 68 games, a 62-point pace. Even in last season, a down year as he adjusted to his new surroundings, he still scored 40 points in 66 games, a 50-point pace. This season, he’s on pace for 53 points (12G, 41A) in 82 games.
Subban represented Montreal in the 2016 All-Star Game and Nashville in the 2017 All-Star Game.
Ryan Johansen (Centre-92)
3G, 14A, 17 PTS, 53.6 ESCF% in 26 GP
Johansen scored at a 66-point pace in 2015/16 after his trade to Nashville, finishing the season with 60 points altogether. He finished his last full season with Columbus with 71 points and finished last season with 61. This season, he’s on pace for 52 points (9G, 43A) in 80 games.
Johansen represented Columbus in the 2015 All-Star Game.
St. Louis Blues
Joel Edmundson (Defenceman-6)
6G, 3A, 9 PTS, 53.2 ESCF% in 28 GP
Last season, Edmundson, in his second NHL season, scored 15 points in 69 games, an 18-point pace. This season, he’s on pace for 27 points (18G, 9A) in 82 games and is having a much improved season in terms of Corsi.
Edmundson has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Brayden Schenn (Centre-10)
13G, 20A, 33 PTS, 57.7 ESCF% in 28 GP
In 2015/16, Schenn went on a tear during the second half of the season, resulting in career-highs of 26 goals, 33 assists, and 59 points. While his 55-point follow-up last season wasn’t bad, he was expected to carry over that second-half scoring and have an overall better season. Since he was traded from Philadelphia last summer, Schenn’s been on the first line centering Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. He’s been keeping up too, setting a pace for 97 points (38G, 59A) in 82 games.
Schenn has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Jaden Schwartz (Left Wing-17)
13G, 21A, 34 PTS, 57.4 ESCF% in 82 GP
Schwartz rebounded from missing most of the 2015/16 season to injury by finishing last season with 55 points. This season, he’s had a huge jump in scoring, setting a pace for 100 points (38G, 62A) in 82 games.
Schwartz has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Jay Bouwmeester (Defenceman-19)
0G, 0A, 0 PTS, 54.3 ESCF% in 7 GP
The past couple of seasons have seen Bouwmeester’s Corsi dip further and further below the 50% mark while he’s been producing even less than he’d produce in a season during his stint with Calgary. He made his season debut on November 21 and is on pace for 0 points (0G, 0A) in 61 games (duh). He’s on the list based on 2013/14, his first season with the Blues, when he scored 37 points and posted a 53.9 ESCorsi%, and the fact that he was on the official All-Star ballot last season.
Bouwmeester represented Florida in the 2007 and 2009 All-Star Games.
Alexander Steen (Left Wing-20)
3G, 9A, 12 PTS, 54.9 ESCF% in 22 GP
If Steen keeps his pace offensively, this would be the first season largely unencumbered by injury or a lockout, where Steen finished with fewer than 50 points since 2009/10. In his last four seasons, Steen has scored 62 points (and 33 goals), 64 points, 52 points, and 51 points. This season, he’s on pace for 41 points (10G, 31A) in 76 games.
Steen has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Paul Stastny (Centre-26)
6G, 14A, 20 PTS, 55.1 ESCF% in 28 GP
In 2013/14, his last season as a member of the Avalanche, Stastny rebounded with 60 points. In his three seasons with St. Louis, all shortened by injury, Stastny has scored 46 points in 71 games (a 51-point pace), 49 points in 64 games (a 63-point pace), and 40 points in 66 games (a 50-point pace). This season, he’s been healthy and is on pace for 59 points (18G, 41A) in 82 games.
Stastny represented Colorado in the 2011 All-Star Game.
Alex Pietrangelo (Defenceman-27)
7G, 14A, 21 PTS, 52.3 ESCF% in 28 GP
Last season saw Pietrangelo rebound from 37 points to 48. Prior to that, Pietrangelo finished the 2012 and 2014 seasons with 51 points. This season, the captain is on pace for 62 points (21G, 41A) in 82 games.
Pietrangelo has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Jake Allen (Goaltender-34)
14-6-2, 0.906 Save%, 0 SO in 23 GP
The two-time All-Rookie goaltender emerged as a full-time starting goaltender after Brian Elliott’s move to Calgary. He posted a 0.915 Save% in 61 games before posting a 0.935 Save% in 11 playoff games. He is on pace for a 41-18-6 record in 67 games.
Allen has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Colton Parayko (Defenceman-55)
2G, 13A, 15 PTS, 55.5 ESCF% in 28 GP
Parayko scored 35 points last season as a sophomore. He’s also had an ESCorsi% well over 50 in each season of his career. This season, he’s on pace for 44 points (6G, 38A) in 82 games.
Parayko has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Vladimir Sobotka (Left Wing-71)
5G, 10A, 15 PTS, 52.7 ESCF% in 28 GP
Sobotka showed some offensive capability in 2013/14, his last season in St. Louis before an extended stay in Europe, with 33 points in 61 games. He made his NHL season debut in the Blues’ last game of the season and scored a point before scoring six points in 11 playoff games. This season he’s on pace for 44 points (15G, 29A) in 82 games.
Sobotka has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Vladimir Tarasenko (Right Wing-91)
12G, 15A, 27 PTS, 53.9 ESCF% in 28 GP
Tarasenko is coming off three excellent seasons. In 2014/15, he scored 37 goals and 73 points. In 2015/16, he scored 40 goals and 74 points. Last season, he scored 39 goals and 75 points. This season he is on pace for 85 points (35G, 50A) in 82 games.
Tarasenko represented St. Louis in the 2015, 2016, and 2017 All-Star Games.
Winnipeg Jets
Dmitry Kulikov (Defenceman-5)
1G, 6A, 7 PTS, 48.3 ESCF% in 26 GP
I’m aware that Kulikov has been pretty bad lately. In my article on what makes a real fan, I expressed this too. Still, Kulikov’s on pace for 21 points (3G, 18A) in 80 games this season so far and has been on my previous editions of this list, so he’s here. Heck, maybe he’d even make a positive impact like a Keith Yandle-very lite if he was sheltered more.
Kulikov has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Jacob Trouba (Defenceman-8)
2G, 7A, 9 PTS, 48.4 ESCF% in 28 GP
Despite missing the first month of last season due to a contract holdout, Trouba finished the year with a career-high of 33 points in 60 games, a 45-point pace. This season, he’s on pace for 27 points (6G, 21A) in 82 games, likely due to a drastic, and inexplicable, drop in his playing time.
Trouba has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Bryan Little (Centre-18)
5G, 11A, 17 PTS, 47.6 ESCF% in 28 GP
Back in 2013/14, Little showed what he could do in a full season, scoring 64 points, a career-high. Since then, injuries have prevented him from getting back there. In 2014/15, he scored 52 points in 70 games, and in 2015/16 he scored 42 points in 57 games, both a 61-point pace. Last season, he scored 21 goals and 47 points in 59 games, a 30-goal and 66-point pace. For whatever reason, Little is having a down year this season, on pace for under 40 points. He is on pace this season for 47 points (15G, 32A) in 82 games.
Little has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Blake Wheeler (Right Wing-26)
21G, 85A, 106 PTS, 46.3 ESCF% in 28 GP
The Jets’ captain has been a star for the Jets since they arrived. He scored 64 points with them in 2011/12, and in the full seasons following the lockout, has finished with 69, 61, a career-high 78, and 74 points, respectively. He’s having a down year in the goals department, but is fourth in league scoring, on pace for 106 points (21G, 85A) in 82 games.
Wheeler has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Nikolaj Ehlers (Left Wing-27)
11G, 10A, 21 PTS, 49.3 ESCF% in 82 GP
Ehlers broke out as a sophomore last season, jumping from 38 points to 64. His point production overall is down this year, due (again) to decreased playing time, but he’s been showing off his goal scoring more this year and is on pace for 61 points (32G, 29A) in 82 games.
Ehlers has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Patrik Laine (Right Wing-29)
14G, 8A, 22 PTS, 47.8 ESCF% in 28 GP
It’s a little frustrating to think about whether more first-unit power play time would have helped Laine get the extra points needed to lead all rookies in scoring last season and take home the Calder. Even so, he scored 36 goals and 64 points last season, good for second among rookies. His production early on this season had some worried about a sophomore slump, but he’s recovered. He’s on pace for 64 points (41G, 23A) in 82 games this season.
Laine represented Winnipeg in the 2017 All-Star Game.
Dustin Byfuglien (Defenceman-33)
0G, 14A, 48.8 ESCF% in 26 GP
Byfuglien spent the entirety of the last two seasons as a defenceman, where he belongs. And he rewarded the move back to his preferred position with seasons of 53 and 52 points. Unfortunately, he’s having a down year, and is only on pace for 43 points (0G, 43A) in 80 games, yet to score a goal.
Byfuglien represented Atlanta/Winnipeg in the 2011, 2015, and 2016 All-Star Games.
Steve Mason (Goaltender-35)
2-4-1, 0.904 Save%, 0 SO in 8 GP
Mason didn’t have a great year last season, and he’s having an even worse year this year. While Mason wound up not being the starter he was signed to be, he’s on this list because he was on it last year, having been the starter for Philadelphia. It’s also worth noting that he’s had some good games more recently. He is on pace for a 6-12-3 record in 23 games.
Mason has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Connor Hellebuyck (Goaltender-37)
15-3-3, 0.921 Save%, 1 SO in 23 GP
Hellebuyck had his first season as a starting netminder last year, and he disappointed. The Jets signed Mason to take on the bulk of the starts this season while Hellebuyck returned to being a backup for one more year. It was speculated last season that Hellebuyck’s poor play was the result of Winnipeg’s goalie coach, with whom other goalies, who had played well elsewhere, declined. Turns out it was true. Hellebuyck looked to a goalie coach outside the team to help him train over the summer. It worked, and Hellebuyck has basically been the only reason, besides very opportunistic scoring, that the Jets have had as much success as they’ve had this year. He is on pace for a 44-9-9 record in 67 games. At the end of the day, what better for a goalie’s All-Star credentials than routinely stealing wins?
Hellebuyck has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Toby Enstrom (Defenceman-39)
0G, 2A, 2 PTS, 47.7 ESCF% in 19 GP
Enstrom’s scoring has declined to nearly nothing, he’s a bit injury-prone and doesn’t throw around the body like a classical shut-down defenceman, and gives away the puck, just like any player who handles the puck a lot, no matter how good defensively they are. Enstrom is very good defensively, even though he doesn’t produce a lot of points anymore. He scored at a 19-point pace last season. He is on pace for eight points (0G, 8A) in 73 games this season.
Enstrom has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Josh Morrissey (Defenceman-44)
3G, 6A, 9 PTS, 47.4 ESCF% in 28 GP
Morrissey got off to a pretty good start in his NHL career with 20 points in his rookie season. He’s on pace for 27 points (9G, 18A) in 82 games this season.
Morrissey has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Mark Scheifele (Centre-55)
14G, 20A, 34 PTS, 47.6 ESCF% in 28 GP
Scheifele broke out offensively in 2015/16 with 29 goals and 61 points in 71 games, a 34-point and 71-point pace. He followed that up last season with 32 goals and 82 points in 79 games, a 34-goal and 85-point pace. This season, he’s on pace for 100 points (41G, 59A) in 82 games.
Scheifele has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Tyler Myers (Defenceman-57)
5G, 9A, 14 PTS, 48.4 ESCF% in 28 GP
I am aware that Myers hasn’t been great for the Jets, but he’s having a decent season this year, at least offensively. He finished the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons with 51.95 and 51.57 ESCorsi%, respectively. While his Corsi is worse this season, he’s on pace for 41 points (15G, 26A) in 82 games. It would be his best season since he scored 11 goals and 48 points in 2009/10, winning the Calder Trophy.
Myers has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Mathieu Perreault (Left Wing-85)
7G, 7A, 14 PTS, 56.3 ESCF% in 16 GP
Perreault missed some time early on this season with injuries, but he’s been low-key great for the Jets since he arrived. He finished the 2014/15 season with 41 points in 62 games, a 54-point pace. In 2015/16, he scored 41 points in 71 games, a 48-point pace. Last season, he scored 45 points in 65 games, a 57-point pace. This season, he’s on pace for 62 points (31G, 31A) in 70 games, which blow his existing career-highs out of the water, despite having played some of this season on the fourth line.
Perreault has never appeared in an All-Star Game.
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