Way Too Early 2022-23 NHL All-Star Picks
Even though the NHL All-Star game is still a little more than two months away, we are closing in on the first quarter mark of the 2022-23 season. So let's take a look at some way too early All-Star projections for the 2023 game in South Florida.
We are keeping our roster projections within the rules of the 3-on-3 tournament.
That means we are taking 11 players per division, including six forwards, three defenders, and two goalies.
We are also making sure each team gets their one representative. That means some worthy players might get the dreaded All-Star snub.
But those are the rules.
Let's take a look at who we like so far from each division.
Atlantic Division Forwards
1 of 16
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
The Bruins are the NHL's best team to start the season and Pastrnak has been one of the driving forces behind that start. With 11 goals and 28 points in his first 18 games (entering Sunday) he is on a pace for another 40-goal season and what could be his first 100-point performance. He has become one of the league's best players and as a pending unrestricted free agent after this season is scoring his way to a massive contract over the next few months.
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
As long as Kucherov is healthy (which has been a struggle the past couple of years) you know you can pencil him to be one of the league's top offensive players. This year is no different. He is driving the Lightning offense and is on track for another monster season. Since the start of the 2016-17 season Kucherov has averaged a 109-point pace per 82 games, and he is actually far ahead of that pace through the first quarter of the season, currently on track for more than 120 points.
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers
Florida made one of the league's biggest splashes this offseason when it landed Matthew Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames in a major blockbuster trade. While the Panthers' record is not quite on track for where it was a year ago, Tkachuk has been everything they could have hoped for. He is scoring at well above a point-per-game pace and is one of the Panthers' best possession drivers (via Natural Stat Trick). He is well worth the price Florida paid in terms of assets and contract.
Atlantic Division Forwards
2 of 16
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
This season has been a bitter disappointment for the Senators after a very eventful and promising offseason. The team results on the ice are more of the same. A lot of losses. The one positive for the Senators has been the play of Tkachuk, who continues to show he is a great cornerstone to build around and is just now entering the prime of his career. With his brother (Matthew) in the division, it gives them a chance to be teammates at the All-Star game this year and in the future.
Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens made a bold long-term investment in Suzuki (eight years, $63 million), banking on his potential and that he would eventually reach it. So far, that bet is looking like a strong one. Suzuki has helped drive Montreal's top line with Cole Caufield and Kirby Dach and is averaging just under a point per game entering the weekend.
John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leafs
Tavares has arguably been Toronto's most consistent forward this season, and it was he that helped carry them through some early struggles while some of their other top offensive stars went through some sluggish starts. Is he a big-money luxury on Toronto's roster? Probably. But he is also still a darn good player and having an all-star worthy season for the Maple Leafs.
Atlantic Division Defense
3 of 16
Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres' run of non-playoff seasons might continue on for another year, but there are still a lot of promising developments emerging here. Dahlin's breakout season is high on that list. The early part of his career has been marred by coaching changes, systems that limited his potential, and the environment of being stuck on an otherwise dreadful defensive hockey team. But everything is clicking for him this season and he is looking like the potential Norris candidate the Sabres hoped he would be when they picked him No. 1 overall. If he continues that, combined with some big years from Tage Thompson (a tough All-Star snub on this early look) and some development from Owen Power, this can still be a big year for the Sabres' rebuild.
Hampus Lindholm, Boston Bruins
Charlie McAvoy's injury to start the year gave Lindholm a chance to really shine as the top player on Boston's defense, and he has not disappointed. He was a huge trade deadline addition a year ago and the Bruins paid big to keep him in Boston and so far that is looking like a huge win. He is on track for a career year offensively and already had 18 points in his first 18 games. Just for perspective, he only had 27 points in 71 games a year ago.
Mikhail Sergachev, Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning did not make many offseason additions to their roster, but they did re-sign some core players to monster long-term deals. Sergachev was one of those players, signing a max-term eight-year deal. He sometimes gets lost playing in the shadow of Victor Hedman, but he is an outstanding player on his own merits and has been a steal of a trade for the Lightning (previously acquiring him for Jonathan Drouin). Right now he is on track for what should be his first All-Star game appearance.
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Atlantic Division Goalies
4 of 16
Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins
The Bruins paid big money to draw Ullmark away from Buffalo in free agency a year ago, and it is proving to be a fantastic investment. He won 12 of his first 13 starts to open the season with a .937 save percentage in those games. The Bruins have been outstanding from top to bottom, and when you add goaltending like this to that roster you have the makings of a potential Stanley Cup team.
Ville Husso, Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings spent a ton of money this offseason to add veterans around their young core, and the results have been fairly promising. A lot of the new additions (Dominik Kubalik and David Perron specifically) have been good, and Dylan Larkin is off to a great start offensively. But the most significant addition was probably in goal with Husso. While he has slumped a bit over his past few starts, he has still helped lift the Red Wings up this season and solidified a position that was a real problem in recent years.
Metropolitan Division Forwards
5 of 16
Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
Panarin has been a franchise-changing player for the Rangers. He is the rare big-money, long-term free agent signing that has worked out exactly as hoped, and is one of the best offensive players (and playmakers) in the league. The Rangers are not yet where they want to be this season (or expected to be) as a team, but they still have the talent to be a force in the Eastern Conference. Panarin, who has 22 points in his first 19 games, is at the top of that list.
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins
Rumors of Malkin's demise have been greatly exaggerated. The Penguins re-signed him to a four-year deal this offseason and there was some initial concern that maybe he was no longer an elite player due to some declining 5-on-5 production. Turns out, all he needed was some linemates that can finish for him. He now has that with Jason Zucker and Rickard Rakell. Malkin has been the Penguins' best player so far this season and is more than deserving of an All-Star nod.
Jesper Bratt, New Jersey Devils
The Devils are the hottest team in the NHL right now and there are no shortage of All-Star options here, especially at forward with top picks Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier playing great hockey. But Bratt has really developed into something special the past two years and been one of the driving forces behind the Devils' offense. He only signed a one-year bridge deal this offseason as a restricted free agent and is playing his way to what should be a huge contract this summer.
Metropolitan Division Forwards
6 of 16
Johnny Gaudreau, Columbus Blue Jackets
Nobody expected Columbus to be the landing spot for Johnny Gaudreau this offseason, but the Blue Jackets emerged as the "mystery team" to sign him in free agency. While the season itself has been a bitter disappointment for the team, Gaudreau has been their best forward. He is not going to duplicate the numbers he put up a year ago for the Flames when he was a top-three scorer in the league, but he should still be an 80-90 point threat. Zach Werenski might have been Columbus' All-Star pick had he not been lost to an injury for the season.
Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes
Svechnikov has always had all of the tools and ability to be a 40-or 50-goal threat. He has a rocket of a shot, is extremely creative, and is great at generating shots. He just needs a little shooting percentage luck to help boost the goal numbers. This year the shooting percentage spike has happened, and is off to one of the best goal scoring starts of his career.
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Ovechkin might not be a lock to win the NHL's goal scoring crown every year, but he is still defying everything we know about aging curves in the NHL. He is 37 years old and still looking like a 40-goal (and maybe 50 goal) threat. Given how close he is to the 800-goal mark (he will probably top it before the All-Star game) and his continued pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal crown it would just seem wrong to not have him in the All-Star game.
Metropolitan Division Defense
7 of 16
Adam Fox, New York Rangers
Fox is a special talent and already has two top-five Norris Trophy finishes in his first three seasons. By the looks of his play so far this season, he is on his way to another top finish. Perhaps even a second Norris Trophy. There is no area in that Fox does not excel in, and he has the defensive play and offensive production to make him one of the elites in the NHL on the blue line. He is a slam dunk All-Star.
Dougie Hamilton, New Jersey Devils
Has there been a more underappreciated defense in the league than Hamilton throughout his career? He is an elite scorer from the blue line, a better defender than he gets credit for being, and has been worth every penny the Devils paid him in free agency a year ago. Him being fully healthy has been one of the big difference-makers for a Devils team that looks like it is on track to be a playoff team in the Eastern Conference.
Noah Dobson, New York Islanders
The Islanders still have some shortcomings offensively, but they are back on track thanks in part to their goaltending and defense. While Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock have been the stars of the defense in recent years, Dobson is starting to emerge as an impact player and is following up his breakout performance from a year ago with another big start this season. He is on his way to being the Islanders' top overall defender. If he is not already there.
Metropolitan Division Goalies
8 of 16
Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders
Islanders fans spent a few years waiting for Sorokin's arrival in the NHL, and he has been worth the wait. Sorokin deserved more Vezina Trophy consideration than he received a year ago (only a sixth place finish) and is looking like an early contender through the first mont-and-a-half of the 2022-23 season. He has consistently been a .925 save percentage goalie and is going to always give the Islanders a chance to win every night.
Carter Hart, Philadelphia Flyers
Hart's career looked like it was starting to go the way of so many promising Flyers goalies before him. He badly regressed the past two years, did not show any signs of progress or improvement, and even had his practice habits called into question. But he has been the Flyers' best player so far this season and is the only thing standing between them and an ugly start. There is nothing special about the way the Flyers have played so far this season, other than the fact Hart has consistently been a game-stealer. That is probably their only hope for sustained success this season.
Central Division Forwards
9 of 16
Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars
Forget just being an All-Star. Robertson might have an early argument for Hart Trophy consideration. He might not get as much attention as some of the other top players in the league, but he is on the short list of the league's most creative players and is on top of the must-see list. He is a perfect fit for a 3-on-3 tournament. He keeps getting better every year and is a potential 100-point player this year.
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
MacKinnon is not scoring goals (yet) but that is mostly due to a laughably low shooting percentage that is under the six percent mark. Do not let that fool you into thinking he is not playing at a high level. Because he is. And it is only a matter of time until that shooting percentage regresses to the mean and leads to him scoring goals in bunches. He is still creating offense and setting up goals at an elite level, and the shot generation is still there. The results will follow.
Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild
The Wild have taken a big step backwards due in large part to their buyout induced salary cap crunch. But their top duo of Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello has not taken a step back. Kaprizov is on track for another monster year offensively and scored 10 goals in his first 18 games. He is the obvious -- and quite frankly only -- All-Star choice for the Wild right now.
Central Division Forwards
10 of 16
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago is starting to regress back to where everybody expected them to be this season (the basement) and does not have anybody that is really standing out as a clear All-Star choice. Kane is probably the best choice right now given that he can still score and produce. The question, though, is if he will still be a Blackhawk by the time early February rolls around.
Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues
The Blues did everything in their power to give Tarasenko away prior to the 2021-22 season, leaving him unprotected in the Seattle expansion draft and desperately trying to honor his trade request and move him. There were no takers and no deals to be made. It turned out to be a huge positive for the Blues because he has still been a top-line scorer. The Blues are off to a slow start, and Tarasenko is not quite at the same level he was a year ago, but he is still their top offensive player and best All-Star choice.
Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes
Keller is a great feel-good story right now for the Coyotes. He was having an outstanding year in 2021-22, but suffered a gruesome injury to end his season, and he has come back 100 percent healthy this season and is off to a tremendous start for a scrappy Coyotes team that has been a handful in the early going. Keller is scoring a point-per-game pace and is just entering his prime years in the league. He could still be a core building block in Arizona. At the very least he is an All-Star this season.
Central Division Defense
11 of 16
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
What else do we need to say here about Makar? He is not only the best all-around defenseman in the NHL, but he is also arguably a top-three player regardless of position. He does everything well and has already accumulated an impressive trophy collection in just three seasons. The Norris Trophy he won a year ago will not be the only one he wins in his career.
Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
Josi had a historically great offensive season a year ago, reaching 96 points and flirting with the century mark. He is unlikely to reach that level again but he is still one of the best all-around defenders in the league and one of Nashville's top players. Filip Forsberg might be a good All-Star option for the Predators, but the forwards filled up fast with sensible candidates. Josi is an outstanding Plan B for the Predators.
Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets
Morrissey is probably the closest thing the Jets have to a bonafide No. 1 defender, and while he is not a star, he is having a very solid season for Winnipeg. He is averaging a point-per-game and is a worthy All-Star pick in a division that does not have a ton of great options on defense beyond Makar and Josi right now.
Central Division Goalies
12 of 16
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Hellebuyck is one of the league's best goalies, and when he is at his best he is a game-changer for Winnipeg and can mask a lot of flaws defensively. He is doing that so far this season and is the biggest reason the Jets are off to the start they have had. He had a .935 save percentage and a league-best two shutouts through his first 13 starts entering the weekend.
Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
Oettinger has not only emerged as the Stars' goalie of the present and the future, he is looking like a potential top-tier starter. He almost single-handedly stole a First Round playoff series against Calgary in the playoffs, and is picking up where he left off so far this season. His impact in goal, as well as the strength of their top line and Miro Heiskanen at the top of the defense, can make the Stars a sleeper contender in the Western Conference.
Pacific Division Forwards
13 of 16
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
As long as Connor McDavid is healthy he is going to be two things. A runaway favorite to lead the league in scoring, and an All-Star. He has put up video game type numbers the past few years and is taking it to an entirely new level this season, averaging nearly a goal per game and two points per game. An absolute menace to opposing defenses offensively.
Trevor Zegras, Anaheim Ducks
Zegras is the perfect All-Star. He is productive, he is really good, and he is one of the most skilled and creative players in the league that does things most players will not even attempt. Honestly, just having him there for the skills competition is enough incentive to send him to the All-Star game.
Gabriel Vilardi, Los Angeles Kings
The Kings have a lot of young talent coming through their system that they are waiting on to make a big impact. Some of them are further along the others. Vilardi might not be the player anybody expected to take the big leap forward this season, but with 10 goals in his first 21 games, he has been a huge part of the Kings' offense as they compete for the top spot in the Pacific Division. It is still early, but he looks like an early All-Star choice.
Pacific Division Forwards
14 of 16
Bo Horvat, Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks season has been a disaster so far, but they have had some good seasons from some of their top players. Horvat is at the top of that list. After scoring 31 goals in only 70 games a year ago, he has found the back of the net 14 times in his first 18 games entering Saturday. Now if the Canucks defense and goaltending could just hold on to some of those leads and not waste that goal production.
Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights
After a stunning non-playoff season a year ago, the Golden Knights are back and Eichel's re-emergence as a superstar level player is a big reason why. The Golden Knights have been lacking an elite top-line center from the very beginning, and they paid a steep price (Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs) and took a big risk to acquire Eichel and his contract when his health (neck injury) was still a major concern. Eichel had a rocky start last year, but has been a monster through the first month-and-a-half this season.
Nazem Kadri, Calgary Flames
The Flames lost their top two players (Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk) from last year's team but still seemed to be positioned to come back strong due to the additions of Jonathan Huberdeau and Kadri. So far, the results have not been there. But Kadri has been off to a strong start offensively and looks like their best All-Star choice at this point. There is some real long-term risk with his contract and his age, but he should remain a top-line player in the short-term.
Pacific Division Defense
15 of 16
Erik Karlsson, San Jose Sharks
Karlsson has found the fountain of youth in San Jose this season and is not only playing like an All-Star, he is playing like prime era Erik Karlsson. He scored 11 goals with 28 points in his first 20 games and has shown that he still has some elite play left in his career. The question is do the Sharks still see themselves as a potential playoff team in the short-term, or does this make him potential trade bait?
Alex Pietrangelo, Vegas Golden Knights
There is an argument to be made that Pietrangelo has maybe not been the player Vegas expected when it signed him in free agency, but he is still a legit top-pairing defender and having a strong start. Especially offensively. It's also a thin group of defenders to pick from in the Pacific Division and with nearly a point-per-game on his offensive resume to start the season (and with Vegas' great start) he gets the nod.
Vince Dunn, Seattle Kraken
Seattle may have missed a big opportunity to add a star forward in Pietrangelo in the expansion draft, but they did still get a very good player in Dunn. He is never going to be a huge offensive star, but he does everything well and has been the Kraken's best overall defender. It gets him an All-Star nod this seasaon.
Pacific Division Goalies
16 of 16
Logan Thompson, Vegas Golden Knights
Thompson is a fascinating story. A little over a year ago he was an afterthought in Vegas with Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner on the roster. But with Fleury traded in a salary cap dump, and Lehner now injured for the season, the Vegas net now belongs to Thompson. He was one of their big question marks entering the season but he has silenced all doubts with a great showing to start the season. As long as he does not turn into a pumpkin at midnight and implode on himself Vegas should be back as a top Stanley Cup contender.
Martin Jones, Seattle Kraken
This one might be the most unexpected All-Star option. Jones' career had really derailed in recent years, but Seattle took a chance on him to bolster a goalie position that helped sink their expansion season. Now he finds himself as a potential All-Star. If nothing else, he has been the second most productive goalie in the division so far behind Thompson thanks to his .913 save percentage entering play on Saturday.
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