Three other players will join John Scott as captains for the new-look 2016 NHL All-Star Game at the end of January in Nashville.
Kidding aside, the NHL will announce Wednesday which 40 players will join Scott, Alex Ovechkin, Jaromir Jagr and Patrick Kane at all-star weekend. There’s a new format, with an 11-player team representing each division in a 3-on-3 tournament. Each team will have six forwards, three defensemen and two goalies.
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Each team must also have a representative, so for the Atlantic and Metropolitan squads there are only three extra spots for clubs to land more than one all-star. It’s probably fitting in this season of decreased scoring that an increase in available all-star slots (44, up from 42) will lead to two extra goaltenders being honored.
So, who deserves to be an all-star this season? Before diving into another edition of power rankings, here is how the announcement should go down on Wednesday:
ATLANTIC DIVISION
Forwards
Jaromir Jagr, Panthers
Leads the first-place team in points and turns 44 years old two weeks after the all-star game.
Patrice Bergeron, Bruins
Always known as an even-strength monster, but he’s been fantastic on Boston’s league-best power play (18 power-play points).
Ryan O’Reilly, Sabres
Leads the Sabres in goals and points and looks like a No. 1 center for years to come
James van Riemsdyk, Maple Leafs
Leads the team in points and is second in goals and shots; James Reimer is also a possibility for the Maple Leafs, but only has 15 starts.
Mike Hoffman, Senators
No sophomore slump for Hoffman, who leads the division with 18 goals in his second full NHL season
Steven Stamkos, Lightning
Not a great start for Stamkos or his team, but he’s got five goals in seven games and the Lightning are within three points of a playoff spot.
Defensemen
Erik Karlsson, Senators
Favorite for the Norris Trophy and a top-five MVP candidate if he drags the Senators into the playoffs.
P.K. Subban, Canadiens
Canadiens have stumbled without Carey Price and Brendan Gallagher, but Subban has been productive and will thrive in this format.
Victor Hedman, Lightning
Can any of the other divisions match these three guys on defense?
Goaltenders
Roberto Luongo, Panthers
Will be in the mix for the Vezina Trophy if he continues to play this well and the Panthers keep winning.
Petr Mrazek, Red Wings
Third in the division (20-plus games) in save percentage behind Luongo and the Lightning’s Ben Bishop, and the Red Wings’ forwards haven’t been particularly productive.
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METROPOLITAN DIVISION
Forwards
Alex Ovechkin, Capitals
Another 50-goal season might be unlikely, but he could collect his eighth 45-goal campaign and he’d be the fifth player to have that many (Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy, Mario Lemieux and Marcel Dionne).
Evgeni Malkin, Penguins
Leads the division in points and will probably see a few shifts next to Ovechkin in Nashville.
Brandon Saad, Blue Jackets
Blue Jackets have been a mess, but Saad has been as advertised with 16 goals.
John Tavares, Islanders
Sidney Crosby’s struggles have been much documented, but he’s got as many points as Tavares (29).
Claude Giroux, Flyers
Michal Neuvirth could sneak in as the Flyers’ pick, but Giroux still leads the team in scoring and would have more if Jakub Voracek wasn’t shooting 4-for-109 from the field.
Mats Zuccarello, Rangers
Here’s one of the tough decisions: Unless Ryan McDonagh or Henrik Lundqvist get the nod, the Rangers need someone and that means no Crosby, Nicklas Backstrom, Michael Cammalleri or Evgeny Kuznetsov.
Defensemen
Justin Faulk, Hurricanes
Another monster season for an underappreciated star, he’s got eight more goals than any other defenseman in the division.
Kris Letang, Penguins
Penguins are potentially a dark hose in the East with him in the lineup and a non-playoff team without him.
John Carlson, Capitals
A deserving candidate, but a lower-body injury and mysterious timeline for a return could make room for someone else.
Goaltenders
Braden Holtby, Capitals
Already have two Capitals, but the Vezina Trophy favorite deserves to be there, and the team running away with the division has at least five all-star candidates.
Cory Schneider, Devils
Devils need a representative, but Schneider is here on merit; he’s been better than Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury with less talent in front of him.
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CENTRAL DIVISION
Forwards
Patrick Kane, Blackhawks
Leads the NHL in scoring and will almost certainly receive the most boos from the crowd for players on the “home team.” This might be the toughest division to predict. The Central houses a team full of stars (Blackhawks), the best team in the conference (Stars) and the host team (Predators).
Jamie Benn, Stars
Other five forwards on this team were drafted in the first 16 picks of their NHL draft, while Benn went a … little later (No. 129 in 2007).
Tyler Seguin, Stars
Only center among the top eight scorers in the NHL this season, but still doesn’t seem to be considered among the very best. One playoff run could change that.
Vladimir Tarasenko, Blues
Most exciting goal scorer in the sport could be the reason the Blues have a chance to break through this season.
Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche
Either MacKinnon or Matt Duchene are worthy representatives, and either could dazzle with all of the open ice.
Blake Wheeler, Jets
One of the best power forwards in the league, but has been more of a setup man this season (he’s fourth in the NHL in assists).
Defensemen
John Klingberg, Stars
Selecting these three defensemen is going to be tricky. None are more deserving than Klingberg, who might be a Norris Trophy finalist if the season was over.
Roman Josi, Predators
Josi is his team’s No. 1 defenseman, and would be a worthy choice if this game was in any other city.
Shea Weber, Predators
Weber is the biggest star for the team hosting the all-star game. He’s also having a pretty good year, better than his last couple. Ryan Suter could be a pick here, but the guy who left Nashville isn’t making it over the favorite son (so to speak). No room for any of the great defensemen in Chicago or St. Louis, either.
Goaltenders
Devan Dubnyk, Wild
No Suter, so Dubnyk is the pick to represent the Wild and he’s settled in as a solidly above-average goaltender this season after his meteoric rise in the second half of 2014-15.
Jake Allen, Blues
It’s either Allen or Corey Crawford from the Blackhawks here, and either would be a fine selection. Crawford being a bigger “star” might end up giving him the nod.
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PACIFIC DIVISION
Forwards
John Scott, Coyotes
Hey, at least he’s played some defense in his career and could offer some versatility, right?
Anze Kopitar, Kings
Might lack the goals and points of some of these other selections, but few players have dominated their opposition like Kopitar has.
Taylor Hall, Oilers
Leads the Pacific in points, even without new pal Connor McDavid for much of the season.
Johnny Gaudreau, Flames
Second to Hall in points and he’s already provided plenty of magic in 3-on-3 play this season.
Corey Perry, Ducks
Got off to an incredibly slow start, but he’s up to 14 goals and the Ducks have wormed their way back into the playoff hunt.
Joe Pavelski, Sharks
Remains the second-most prolific goal scorer in the NHL since the most recent locket, with 114 goals (20 this season), one more than Seguin and Stamkos. Ovechkin has 157.
Defensemen
Drew Doughty, Kings
Deserves to win a Norris Trophy at some point, and probably should have one already but he’s a distant second or third behind Karlsson at this point in 2015-16.
Brent Burns, Sharks
Leads all defensemen in goals and facial hair, and should cause plenty of havoc in this format.
Mark Giordano, Flames
Fourth in points among Pacific defensemen and helps keep the Flames from being truly abominable in the possession stats.
Goaltenders
Jonathan Quick, Kings
Easily the class of the Pacific goaltenders, though John Gibson might challenge him as he earns more playing time.
Ryan Miller, Canucks
Picking a second goalie from this division isn’t easy, but Miller still fulfills the “star” portion and gives the Canucks a representative.
Welcome to the Sporting News’ NHL power rankings. No, this is not going to mirror the league standings. Yes, there will be some advanced stats considered when analyzing the teams. No, it will not mirror the “Corsi standings.”
Long-term injuries to key players will be a factor. A team enjoying an unsustainable run of luck will be a factor. Common sense, in the form of “hey, this team is probably better/worse than its record indicates” might even come into play. What has happened in the past three or four games is probably not going to be more important than the past 30 or 40.
1. Los Angeles Kings (25-11-2)
2. Washington Capitals (28-7-3)
3. Dallas Stars (28-9-4)
4. Chicago Blackhawks (23-13-4)
5. Nashville Predators (19-13-7)
6. St. Louis Blues (23-14-4)
7. Tampa Bay Lightning (19-16-4)
8. Florida Panthers (23-12-4)
9. New York Islanders (22-13-5)
10. Montreal Canadiens (22-15-3)
11. Anaheim Ducks (16-15-7)
12. Minnesota Wild (20-11-7)
13. Pittsburgh Penguins (19-15-4)
14. Detroit Red Wings (19-13-7)
15. Boston Bruins (20-13-4)
16. New York Rangers (21-14-4)
17. San Jose Sharks (18-17-2)
18. Winnipeg Jets (18-19-2)
19. New Jersey Devils (20-14-5)
20. Carolina Hurricanes (16-17-6)
21. Ottawa Senators (18-15-6)
22. Philadelphia Flyers (15-15-7)
23. Edmonton Oilers (16-21-3)
24. Arizona Coyotes (18-16-4)
25. Vancouver Canucks (15-15-9)
26. Calgary Flames (18-18-2)
27. Colorado Avalanche (18-18-3)
28. Toronto Maple Leafs (15-15-7)
29. Buffalo Sabres (15-20-4)
30. Columbus Blue Jackets (15-22-3)