Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

NHL experts: 2020 NHL All-Star Game roster snubs

Written by 
Published in Hockey
Monday, 30 December 2019 15:32

Roster selections for the 2019-20 NHL season All-Star Game were released Monday. Not surprisingly, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, David Pastrnak, John Carlson and Jordan Binnington all made the list.

But not everyone you'd expect to see on the ice in St. Louis on Jan. 25 was named (and we aren't talking about Alex Ovechkin, who opted to skip the weekend of festivities). Our NHL experts crew each picked out a big snub -- and then listed who they'd select as the "Last Man In" for each division. So who was wrongly left off the All-Star rosters? Let's dive in.


Who is the biggest snub among the NHL All-Star Game selections?

Andrei Svechnikov, RW, Carolina Hurricanes

What a bizarre decision by the NHL to have neither Sebastian Aho nor Svechnikov on either the Metropolitan Division All-Star Game roster or on the "Last Man In" option. (No disrespect to potential "last man" Teuvo Teravainen intended.) Aho got his All-Star moment last season, so it should have been Svechnikov's turn after 17 goals (two of them lacrosse style!) and 21 assists in 39 games. Having him replace Ovechkin would have been both appropriate and poetic. -- Greg Wyshynski, senior NHL writer

Brad Marchand, LW, Boston Bruins

Have we ever had an eventual Hart Trophy finalist purposefully snubbed for that same season's All-Star Game? Only McDavid and Draisaitl have more points than Marchand, and yet the Bruins' game-changer isn't even included on the "Last Man In" ballot. It's absurd. What's worse, next month's gathering in St. Louis will be altogether a lesser event without the league's most notorious villain involved. -- Victoria Matiash, fantasy hockey analyst

David Perron, LW, St. Louis Blues

Marchand -- a legitimate MVP candidate -- is the biggest snub, no doubt about it. But I'm also peeved to not have Perron in the mix. The Blues have a league-high three players representing, and rightfully so, as they are hosting the event and are the defending Stanley Cup champs. But it feels weird that the team's leading scorer isn't among them. Perron is on pace for a career year at age 31. I'd love to see him get rewarded for it. -- Emily Kaplan, national NHL reporter

Jacob Markstrom, G, Vancouver Canucks

Since there's enough consideration already here over a certain Boston forward, I'll go in another direction and maybe a little off the board. Markstrom has had a quietly strong season, and he is a big reason the Canucks have been better than most of us projected. His win-loss record isn't great, but he's fifth in the league in save percentage among starters at .919 and is seventh overall in goals-saved above average, per Natural Stat Trick.

Vegas needed an entry, and Marc-Andre Fleury is a lot of fun, but I would have liked to see Markstrom, especially amid personal hardship in losing his father in November. He deserved a nod. -- Chris Peters, hockey prospects analyst

Max Pacioretty, LW, Vegas Golden Knights

It certainly doesn't hurt that he gets to play with Mark Stone, but dynamic duos are all the rage in the league these days, and there are plenty of players on the list who aren't exactly doing all of the heavy lifting themselves anyway. Pacioretty is quietly trekking toward a career season, on an 82-game pace of 31 goals, 78 points and 330 shots. To put those figures into perspective, he's 15th in raw points, tied for 13th in primary points with Ovechkin and Jake Guentzel, and third in shots behind just Ovechkin and Nathan MacKinnon. That's decent company. -- Dimitri Filipovic, hockey analytics writer

Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche

As a defenseman, he's the second-leading scorer on an Avalanche team that currently has the second-most points in the Western Conference -- not to mention the fact that he's a rookie playing just over 20 minutes per game at almost a point per game pace. His 29 points in 31 games puts him eighth in defensemen scoring. The All-Star Game is meant to showcase the very best the NHL has to offer, and that should include the league's best rookie. -- Rick DiPietro, radio host and former NHL goalie

Semyon Varlamov, G, New York Islanders

Braden Holtby is one of the top goalies in the NHL, but his numbers aren't even the best on his own team this season (see: Ilya Samsonov) -- and Holtby's .908 even-strength save percentage is tied for 42nd in the league among goalies with 10-plus appearances. Columbus' Joonas Korpisalo has admirably stepped into the starter's net, keeping the Blue Jackets in games this season ... and I know there's that whole "someone from every team" thing.

But what am I missing with Varlamov? He's 13-3-3 with a .930 even-strength save percentage. His Islanders are second in the Metropolitan Division, once again soaring past expectations, in part because of his play. The only thing holding Varlamov back might be the fact that his netmate, Thomas Greiss, plays nearly half the time at nearly the same level. But Varly deserves All-Star status this season, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this wrong righted as an injury replacement for Korpisalo. -- Ben Arledge, NHL editor

Ben Bishop, G, Dallas Stars

Bishop trails Binnington and Connor Hellebuyck in wins but has been the more efficient goalie on the ice, holding edges in save percentage (.926) and goals-against average (2.34). Despite a recent slump by the Stars over the past month, Bishop's rates have still remained strong at .921 and 2.56 for December, has had a save percentage of .900 or better in seven of his nine starts this month and notched a 41-save win Saturday. The hometown goalie Binnington has to be there, but I would have picked Bishop for the second netminder spot in the Central. -- Sachin Chandan, fantasy hockey editor


Our picks for the "Last Man In" for each division

Wyshynski: Aleksander Barkov (Atlantic), Mika Zibanejad (Metropolitan), Cale Makar (Central), Quinn Hughes (Pacific)

Kaplan: Aleksander Barkov (Atlantic), Mika Zibenejad (Metropolitan), David Perron (Central), Quinn Hughes (Pacific)

Peters: Mitch Marner (Atlantic), Teuvo Teravainen (Metropolitan), Cale Makar (Central), Max Pacioretty (Pacific)

Filipovic: Aleksander Barkov (Atlantic), Teuvo Teravainen (Metropolitan), Cale Makar (Central), Max Pacioretty (Pacific)

DiPietro: Patrice Bergeron (Atlantic), Mika Zibanejad (Metropolitan), Cale Makar (Central), Max Pacioretty (Pacific)

Matiash: Aleksander Barkov (Atlantic), Mika Zibanejad (Metropolitan), David Perron (Central), Quinn Hughes (Pacific)

Arledge: Aleksander Barkov (Atlantic), Mika Zibanejad (Metropolitan), Cale Makar (Central), Max Pacioretty (Pacific)

Chandan: Mitch Marner (Atlantic), Teuvo Teravainen (Metropolitan), David Perron (Central), Quinn Hughes (Pacific)

Read 390 times

Soccer

Utd chief: Club aiming for the top under Amorim

Utd chief: Club aiming for the top under Amorim

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsManchester United are aiming to get back "to the top of domestic an...

Real Madrid president blasted in Ballon d'Or row

Real Madrid president blasted in Ballon d'Or row

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsA Namibian journalist criticised by Florentino Pérez for failing to...

Barça to close singing section due to unpaid fines

Barça to close singing section due to unpaid fines

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsBarcelona will close a section behind the goal at the Olympic Stadi...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Malone rips into Nuggets after Knicks put up 145

Malone rips into Nuggets after Knicks put up 145

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsAfter his Denver Nuggets "got embarrassed" in a 145-118 blowout los...

C's celebrate Porzingis' return with dominant win

C's celebrate Porzingis' return with dominant win

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsBOSTON -- In his first game since helping the Celtics win the NBA c...

Baseball

Starter or reliever? Stay with the Phillies or go elsewhere? All-Star Jeff Hoffman opens up on free agency

Starter or reliever? Stay with the Phillies or go elsewhere? All-Star Jeff Hoffman opens up on free agency

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsJeff Hoffman is one of the most sought-after relievers in this offs...

Rays asked to declare stadium decision by Sunday

Rays asked to declare stadium decision by Sunday

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe Tampa Bay Rays have until Sunday to declare whether they want t...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated