B/R NHL Roundtable: 3-on-3 2023 All-Star Mock Draft
The best of the best will be heading to Florida for the 2023 NHL All-Star Game.
From Connor McDavid to Cale Makar to Sidney Crosby, this year's edition features no shortage of star power as each division battles for bragging rights over their peers... and a little extra cash.
Unfortunately, since the rosters are restricted by division, we won't see a potential McDavid-Crosby forward duo with an elite defenseman behind them. With that in mind, we thought it'd be fun to revive our B/R NHL Staff All-Star Draft.
For those who didn't see last year's effort, here are the ground rules.
- The writers could select from the pool of players that were selected for the 2023 NHL All-Star Game, including players that are injured and won't be going to the game. Injury replacements were also eligible to be chosen.
- Each would have three skaters and a goalie.
- The draft was conducted in "snake-draft" order with the person with the last pick in the first round getting the first pick in the second round.
Taking on the GM roles for this edition are Adam Herman, Lyle Fitzsimmons, Lyle Richardson, Joe Yerdon and Sara Civian.
Draft order
Richardson
Yerdon
Civian
Fitzsimmons
Herman
So, who has the best team? Sound off in the comments section of the app and tell us!
B/R NHL Staff Draft Results
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Round 1
Lyle Richardson - Connor McDavid, F
Joe Yerdon - David Pastrňák, F
Sara Civian - Tage Thompson, F
Lyle Fitzsimmons - Cale Makar, D
Adam Herman - Auston Matthews, F
Round 2
Herman - Jack Hughes, F
Fitzsimmons - Leon Draisaitl, F
Civian - Mitch Marner, F
Yerdon - Jason Robertson, F
Richardson - Nathan MacKinnon, F
Round 3
Richardson - Adam Fox, D
Yerdon - Erik Karlsson, D
Civian - Alex Ovechkin, F
Fitzsimmons - Nikita Kucherov, F
Herman - Sidney Crosby, F
Round 4
Herman - Igor Shesterkin, G
Fitzsimmons - Jake Oettinger, G
Civian - Linus Ullmark, G
Yerdon - Connor Hellebuyck, G
Richardson - Ilya Sorokin, G
Team Richardson: McDavid, MacKinnon, Fox and Sorokin
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The ability to create quality scoring chances at high speed is a must in today's NHL. Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon possess the necessary skills that should see them dominate their opponents in a 3-on-3 format.
McDavid, 26, is the top offensive player in the NHL today. A four-time winner of the Art Ross Trophy, he leads all players this season with 40 goals and 48 assists for 88 points in just 48 games.
MacKinnon, 27, is among the few forwards with the speed to keep pace with McDavid. A dazzling offensive superstar in his own right, he has 51 points in 34 games this season. He's exceeded 90 points three times in his career and had an 88-point performance in 65 games in 2021-22.
For this format, I wanted a defenseman who plays a strong game at both ends of the rink. Adam Fox of the New York Rangers fit the bill.
Winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2020-21, the 34-year-old Fox sits fourth in scoring among NHL blueliners with 45 points in 46 games. He's also third in takeaways among defensemen (43) and among the top 10 skaters with 25:08 of time on ice per game.
All-Star games tend to be high-scoring affairs, so I wanted a goaltender used to facing a lot of shots with strong goals-against and save-percentage stats. The New York Islanders' Ilya Sorokin checked those boxes. He's among the league leaders with a 2.32 GAA and a .926 save percentage while facing the fifth-highest shots (1,037) among NHL netminders.
- Lyle Richardson
Team Yerdon: Pastrňák, Robertson, Karlsson, Hellebuyck
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My thought process for this cutthroat draft was simple and operated with one idea in mind: All gas; no brakes.
Picking David Pastrňák with the No. 2 pick could be seen as a surprise among all the stars to choose from. After all, the only player I had no shot at was Connor McDavid because, duh. But Pastrňák has been incredible at filling the net, and he's in a contract year. I realize that has no bearing on anything that happens in an All-Star Game, and I'm mad you're bringing logic into this, but there was also the side effect that may or may not have been intended.
Pastrňák is one of Sara's favorite players and a fashion icon all wrapped in one black-and-gold uniform or wild pregame suit. Since there are zero bad picks you can make in an All-Star Game draft, there's no way I can be wrong. Win-win.
When it was time for my next pick, I'm all about the offense and about highlighting the superstar you might not be paying close attention to in Jason Robertson. All the goals, I demand them. But to get goals you could stand to use a distributor, right? That's why Erik Karlsson gets the call for me. He's back to the old EK65 form, which means he's setting up and scoring goals.
All gas; no brakes…except when I've got a brick wall in net with Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck. Sure, I missed out on my old pal Linus Ullmark, but if there's a threat to him for the Vezina, it's Hellebuyck. While my team is busy trying to thrive and fill up the net, I can feel confident when play goes the other way because Hellebuyck is going to stop them.
- Joe Yerdon
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Team Civian: Thompson, Marner, Ovechkin and Ullmark
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What my team lacks in defense (Norris contender Mitch Marner aside) it makes up for in skill and fun—and isn't that what the All-Star Game is all about?
We all know that Alex Ovechkin has been less-than-thrilled about All-Star weekend in the past, but his hunt for Wayne Gretzky's goal record has invigorated him and is breathing a new youngness into the twilight of his career. Maybe this could be the one All-Star game he really gives us 110 percent effort in, in the midst of making history.
If you ask me, Tage Thompson is the "it" boy of the NHL right now. He's third in goals, right behind Connor McDavid and David Pastrňák, who were previously selected, but it's more than that.
He tends to score (and pass) in exciting ways, he is blazing-hot when it matters most, and he's pacing what may be Buffalo's long-awaited return to the playoffs. Couldn't you just see him scoring, like, four fun goals during a three-on-three event? (Especially with Marner dishing it to him!)
I was surprised Ullmark was still available by the time I got to him, and that one was a no-brainer for me. Ullmark hasn't made loads of highlight-reel saves this season because he hasn't had to.
He's been so consistent and steady in net that it rarely gets to that point, and it's paid off. He's No. 1 in the league with a .937 save percentage and a 1.89 goals-against average. He only has two regulation losses and one overtime loss this season. I'm confident Ullmark can make up for the lack of defense on my team while all my skilled goalscorers do their thing.
- Sara Civian
Team Fitzsimmons: Makar, Draisaitl, Kucherov and Oettinger
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Upon assembling my roster and glancing at the others, I've got just one question for my peers: What's the dress code for the "B/R Executive of the Year" award dinner?
Because it looks like I'll need to get my tuxedo dry-cleaned.
Though learned colleague and namesake Lyle Richardson violated protocol by swiping McDavid away from the staff's resident Edmonton Oilers fanatic, the site's Southwest Florida-based brain trust was able to regather its senses and assemble a roster that's far-and-away the best of the bunch.
Grabbing Norris/Conn Smythe winner Cale Makar with the fourth pick gave us the most dynamic defenseman in the league, combining the skill to contribute in the offensive zone with the speed that'll let him outskate mistakes and get back to provide resistance on the other end.
Our Edmonton sentiment was indulged at pick No. 7 when the snake-order format allowed us to grab a premier sniper in Leon Draisaitl. He is an Art Ross/Hart winner who perches near the right-side dot and cashes in nightly feeds from McDavid but has the tools to finish no matter who's distributing.
We had to wait seven selections before getting another chance to add to the personnel riches, but pick No. 14 yielded the league's best non-McDavid playmaker in Nikita Kucherov—adding a pair of Stanley Cups along with another Art Ross/Hart parlay to an almost unfair collection of elite talent.
Last but not least, the goalie we'd have picked first was still there at No. 17, so our winning mix was topped off with Jake Oettinger—who isn't the reigning Vezina winner (yet) but is the only backstop in the league's top four in goals-against average (fourth), save percentage (fourth) and shutouts (second).
A decorated defenseman. A decorated finisher. A decorated playmaker. And a 24-year-old, third-year goaltender who, like the others, will be plenty decorated by the time his career is over.
This means all that's left on this end is preparing our acceptance speech.
Sorry, 97, I hope we can still be friends.
- Lyle Fitzsimmons
Team Herman: Hughes, Matthews, Crosby and Shesterkin
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Three-on-three hockey is a special brand. More space available on the ice creates different dynamics for what is and isn't effective. Forechecking is virtually eliminated, as is neutral zone suppression. The most effective players are ones possessing speed, skill on the puck, the ability to beat goaltenders one-on-one, and quick decision-making. Transition offense and puck possession are the most important factors.
I drafted my team with that in mind. Outside of Connor McDavid, Jack Hughes might have the most applicable skills for three-on-three. He's fast, both in terms of straight-line speed and agility. He keeps the puck on the string, and his shiftiness allows him to beat defenders.
Auston Matthews brings something different to the table. His elite shooting release is perfect. Defending is tight in overtime. There isn't much of a cycle happening, which means defenses rarely lose their coverages in rotations. And the lack of bodies means goaltenders don't get screened.
In order to score in controlled possessions, players need to be able to create their own shots, get the puck off their sticks quickly, be able to get pucks through in small windows of opportunity and beat goaltenders cleanly. There is a reason Matthews has an astounding nine goals in 112 career three-on-three minutes.
Finally, Sidney Crosby's ability speaks for itself. He is a well-rounded player who can play any role. He'll dominate controlled possession with the puck. He can lose his checker. He's about as good of a defensive player as there is in the NHL. His hockey IQ is the perfect complement to Hughes' speed and Matthews' shooting ability.
You might notice that I have selected zero defensemen. This shouldn't be a problem. Overtime defense is simplified. It's man-to-man coverage. There is no standing up at the blue line. There is no clogging the neutral zone. There is little net-front battling. Puck battles along the walls are a lesser skill. My team has three players who are quick and smart enough to stay with their checks.
Finally, I selected Igor Shesterkin as the first goaltender off the board. The available pool meant that everyone was going to end up with a great netminder. In particular, the difference between Shesterkin and Islanders' netminder Ilya Sorokin, perhaps the favorite for the Vezina, is a virtual coin flip.
I decided on Shesterkin because his ability to pass the puck lends well in overtime, with all of the open space and risky line changes. His talent for springing his team for transition chances could be the difference.
- Adam Herman
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