NHL Power Rankings: Each team's biggest All-Star snub
This is the eighth in-season edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2023-24 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every other Monday.
In this edition, we select the biggest All-Star snub from every team.
1. Edmonton Oilers (29-15-1)Previous rank: 5
Zach Hyman. A third Oilers forward getting into the All-Star Game will always be a tough challenge. If there was any season for it, a nod for Hyman this year would've been it. He's on pace for over 50 goals and is still loved by the All-Star hosts in Toronto.
2. Vancouver Canucks (33-11-5)Previous rank: 2
Filip Hronek. This one's tricky, since, like, every Canuck made it into the All-Star Game (OK, there are five plus head coach Rick Tocchet). So we're choosing Hronek, who ranks fifth in Vancouver with 36 points in 49 games during his first full season as a Canuck.
3. Boston Bruins (31-9-9)Previous rank: 4
Charlie Coyle. Let's hear a little commotion for the veteran center, who has stepped up following Patrice Bergeron's and David Krejci's retirements. He ranks third on the Bruins in both goals (18) and points (42) in 49 games and is on pace to set career highs in both categories. Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy would also fit the bill, but Coyle has been a quietly vital piece.
4. Florida Panthers (31-14-4)Previous rank: 3
Matthew Tkachuk. The NHL leader in primary points for January isn't Nikita Kucherov or Nathan MacKinnon or Connor McDavid. It's Tkachuk, who racked up 24 - five more than the second most.
5. Winnipeg Jets (30-12-5)
Darcy Finley / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 1
Mark Scheifele. Sure, the Jets forward will now be using the All-Star break to continue recovering from a lower-body injury, but Scheifele would still fit right in at the festivities, seeing as he leads Winnipeg with 41 points in 41 games.
6. Colorado Avalanche (32-14-3)Previous rank: 6
Mikko Rantanen. It's truly hilarious that Rantanen isn't at the All-Star Game. He's top 10 in goals and points, and his exclusion is an indictment of the selection process that mandates a rep from every team.
7. Dallas Stars (30-13-6)Previous rank: 8
Roope Hintz. Yes, we've chosen Hintz over linemate Jason Robertson, who leads the Stars in points but hasn't been as explosive offensively as he was last season. Hintz, meanwhile, is targeting his second straight point-per-game campaign.
8. New York Rangers (30-16-3)Previous rank: 7
Jonathan Quick. Before you express your outrage in the comments, Artemi Panarin can't go. The Rangers' other goalie, Igor Shesterkin, is attending the All-Star Game, but Quick has had the better season statistically, sporting a .915 save percentage and 10-4-2 record. The veteran hasn't been invited to an All-Star Game since 2018, so it would've been cool if he got the nod, OK?
9. Carolina Hurricanes (28-15-5)Previous rank: 9
Seth Jarvis. In his third NHL campaign, the 21-year-old is about to absolutely smash his point totals from his last two seasons. Jarvis has racked up 38 points - just two off his previous career high - in 48 games and is on pace to crack the 60-point mark.
10. Vegas Golden Knights (29-15-6)
Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 12
Jonathan Marchessault. The defending Stanley Cup champions having zero representatives at the All-Star Game after Jack Eichel's injury seems like a major oversight. Nobody would rep the champs better than Conn Smythe winner Marchessault, who's on pace for a career high in goals.
11. Toronto Maple Leafs (25-14-8)Previous rank: 13
John Tavares. The Maple Leafs' captain isn't having his best season, but it still would've been fun to see all five of Toronto's top stars at the All-Star Game in their home rink.
12. Tampa Bay Lightning (27-18-5)Previous rank: 19
Victor Hedman. Any concerns over Hedman's offensive production have subsided. The 33-year-old has already passed his point total from a down 2022-23 campaign through just 48 games to rank fourth among all defenders in scoring.
13. Philadelphia Flyers (25-19-6)Previous rank: 11
John Tortorella. If the All-Star Game coaches were chosen based on Jack Adams odds rather than whichever team is leading each division, Tortorella would be the Metropolitan rep. Send him to the All-Star Game, get him mic'd-up, and put an iso cam on him during the games.
14. Detroit Red Wings (26-18-5)Previous rank: 20
Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings captain paces his team with 22 goals and 46 points while appearing in six fewer contests than Detroit's sole representative, Alex DeBrincat. Though DeBrincat is certainly worthy of the honor, Larkin should be making his third straight All-Star appearance.
15. New Jersey Devils (24-20-3)
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 14
Jesper Bratt and Luke Hughes. Look, maybe we're cheating, but this one is a tie. Bratt has been a bona fide star, leading the Devils with 50 points in 47 games, but we're not immune to the lure of having all three Hughes brothers at All-Star Weekend. It would be fun!
16. Los Angeles Kings (22-15-10)Previous rank: 15
Trevor Moore. The underrated forward paces the Kings with 21 goals - surpassing his previous career high of 17 - and four game-winners. Moore has carved out quite the role for himself in Los Angeles, and it would've been nice to see him honored with his first All-Star selection.
17. St. Louis Blues (26-20-2)Previous rank: 24
Pavel Buchnevich. Roll the tapes. Since slamming his slow start to the season as "awful" in early November, Buchnevich has rattled off 16 tallies, 36 points, and a team-leading five game-winning goals in 37 games. Not bad. Not bad at all.
18. Seattle Kraken (21-18-10)Previous rank: 10
Joey Daccord. Since December, Daccord has been lights out for the Kraken with a 12-5-4 record and a .934 save percentage. Maybe Oliver Bjorkstrand can re-book his vacation, and Daccord can go to Toronto instead.
19. Pittsburgh Penguins (22-17-7)Previous rank: 17
Jake Guentzel. Who better to join Sidney Crosby at the All-Star Game than his most frequent linemate? Guentzel ranks second on the Penguins with 22 goals, 49 points, and 38 even-strength points in 46 games, trailing only - you guessed it - Crosby.
20. New York Islanders (20-17-12)
Cato Cataldo / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 16
Noah Dobson. One of the biggest snubs league-wide, it's baffling that Dobson wasn't chosen as the Islanders' rep. That's no disrespect to Mathew Barzal, but Dobson leads the team in points (52) and plus/minus (plus-21) while ranking third among all defenders in scoring. Not recognizing his Norris-level season is incredibly disappointing.
21. Nashville Predators (26-22-1)Previous rank: 18
Ryan O'Reilly. Quite frankly, the 32-year-old is killing it in his first season as a Predator. O'Reilly ranks second on the team with 17 goals and 42 points in 49 games. He might crack the 70-point mark for the second time in his career and is on pace for around 28 tallies, which would tie his previous high.
22. Buffalo Sabres (22-23-4)Previous rank: 25
Casey Mittelstadt. After looking like a bust relative to massive expectations coming out of college, Mittelstadt's found his groove the past season and a half. He paces the Sabres with 41 points and has been a consistent presence in the lineup while Buffalo has dealt with injuries to seemingly every other top-six forward.
23. Washington Capitals (22-18-7)Previous rank: 23
Alex Ovechkin. It's called the All-Star Game for a reason. Even amid a career-worst goal-scoring season, Ovechkin leads the Capitals in points, so it's not like he's out of the question for a spot on merit, either. Simply put, the All-Star Game is better when Ovechkin is there.
24. Arizona Coyotes (23-22-3)Previous rank: 21
Connor Ingram. The goaltender has been simply outstanding, and the Coyotes probably wouldn't be in the playoff hunt without him. He has a better save percentage (.916) than five of the netminders attending this year's All-Star Game.
25. Calgary Flames (22-22-5)
Jenn Pierce / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 22
Blake Coleman. The 32-year-old is putting together a stellar campaign with the Flames. He's already notched a career-high 39 points and leads Calgary in scoring. He would've been a worthy selection had he gotten the nod over Elias Lindholm.
26. Ottawa Senators (18-25-2)Previous rank: 30
Tim Stutzle. This one was a toss-up between the German forward and Claude Giroux, but we went with Stutzle because, well, he hasn't been before. He tops the struggling Senators with 45 points in 45 games and could be a point-per-game player for the second straight season.
27. Montreal Canadiens (20-21-8)Previous rank: 26
Cole Caufield. Sure, he isn't lighting the lamp as much during his first season back from shoulder surgery, but Caufield still leads the Canadiens with 17 goals in 49 games. He'd probably wreak havoc in an accuracy shooting competition.
28. Minnesota Wild (21-23-5)Previous rank: 27
Joel Eriksson Ek. The Wild's top two-way center is one of the more underrated forwards in the game, and that trend has continued this season. He leads Minnesota with 21 goals in 49 games and is already only six tallies away from setting a new career high. Maybe Eriksson Ek will finally be recognized next year.
29. Columbus Blue Jackets (15-24-10)Previous rank: 28
Adam Fantilli. Bring back the YoungStars Game! Or at least some kind of representation of the next wave of talent. A rookie versus sophomore showcase like back in 2009 would be an excellent way to introduce more fans to the up-and-coming players in the league who aren't quite ready to play their way into the full All-Star Game yet.
30. Anaheim Ducks (17-30-2)
Michael Reaves / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 29
Leo Carlsson. Carlsson featuring opposite fellow top-three pick Fantilli in a potential YoungStars Game would've been a fun addition to the weekend lineup.
31. San Jose Sharks (13-32-4)Previous rank: 32
William Eklund. Apologies to the Sharks, but this one was ... difficult. Eklund, at least, is an exciting young talent who ranks third on San Jose with 21 points in 48 contests. The Sharks haven't won many games, but Eklund has been directly responsible for four of them. No one else on the team has more than one game-winner.
32. Chicago Blackhawks (14-34-2)Previous rank: 31
Petr Mrazek. The Blackhawks recently rewarded the 31-year-old with a two-year contract extension and a $450,000 raise. He's posted above-average numbers on a bottom-ranked team and would certainly bring some fun to the All-Star Game with his aggressive style.
(Analytics sources: Evolving-Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)
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