9 NHL Players Primed to Be 1st-Time All-Stars in 2023-24
The NHL announced a few weeks ago that, among other fun changes, the player draft will return to NHL All-Star Weekend this year.
The league will select 32 players for its Feb. 3 All-Star Game, one from each team. The All-Star fan vote will begin in January, in which the fans can vote in 12 players to complete the rosters.
The league will then select captains from the pool of 44 players and pair them with celebrities for the draft, and the captains will pick the four teams for the three-on-three tournament from the remaining pool of players.
In anticipation of the extra full Thursday of All-Star Weekend in Toronto, the stakes feel a little less passive when it comes to this year's event. Maybe we should all decide to care a little more this year for the heck of it.
Shall we start thinking about it in early December, with a list of potential 2023-24 first-time All-Stars?
Jeremy Swayman, G, Boston Bruins
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Look, a team with David Pastrnak on its roster is more likely than not serving up a hot plate of linguini at All-Star Weekend most years. This year could be no exception, with Pastrnak starting the season out leading the Boston Bruins in both goals (14) and points (36 in 25 games).
But what if the young father could use some rest and/or family time during the break for once? Or what if the Atlantic Division specifically needs a goalie? How about Jeremy Swayman, who might be running away with the No. 1 gig in the best tandem in the league?
It's possible both make it, given the fan and league selections.
Swayman and reigning Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark have split the workload with 13 games apiece, but Swayman's got the edge (if slight) in numbers and the eye test, with a 9-1-2 record, a .932 save percentage and a 2.08 goals-against average.
He's No. 5 in the league—and No. 1 among all goalies in the Eastern Conference—with precisely 10 goals saved above expected. Considering how the All-Star event needs goalies, and Swayman is among the best in the division and the league, we might see his first All-Star appearance at 25 years old.
Connor Bedard, F, Chicago Blackhawks
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Connor Bedard is somehow exceeding the gigantic expectations many had for him the second the Chicago Blackhawks selected him No. 1 overall in 2023. Well, those expectations had been brewing for years as Bedard tore it up at every level, but that's beside the point.
The 18-year-old is leading all rookies in goals (11) and points (20 in 24 games), as he adjusts to NHL life and to being rightfully tossed into the league immediately as the Blackhawks' No. 1 center.
For someone like Bedard, a first-year All-Star nod isn't just about the honor itself. It's about the opportunity for him to interact with stars all around the league in a more relaxed setting, and for us to see a little more of his personality. If he keeps doing what he's doing and we get to see him on the All-Star stage in Toronto, it'll be great for the league ushering in a new era.
J.T. Miller, F, Vancouver Canucks
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OK, the 30-year-old J.T. Miller isn't exactly a rising NHL player, and it's relatively unlikely that he will represent the Canucks in the All-Star Game considering the star power of Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson—who are all also enjoying much success early on this season. Thatcher Demko is also looking pretty solid in net as a goaltender option.
But every truly great All-Star Weekend features an elder who has embarked on some sort of redemption tour and/or villain arc, and you could say after years of scrutiny that Miller has found redemption this season.
He currently leads the Canucks and sits at No. 2 in the entire NHL in points with 39 in 26 games played. Hughes and Co. have either had their opportunities or will likely get plenty more. Why not give Miller his roses and send him to his first-ever All-Star Game this season?
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Connor Ingram, G, Arizona Coyotes
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It's been a delight watching Ingram in net as the Arizona Coyotes hover around a playoff spot and exceed our expectations this year.
They are 11-3-0 with the 26-year-old in net. He's tied for third in the league with his .930 save percentage, and he's fourth in the league with his 2.23 goals-against average. He's No. 3 overall with 10.5 goals saved above expected, behind only Golden Knights phenom Adin Hill and the Kings' Cam Talbot.
He's also pretty funny online, which is a lost art among NHL players and could provide a much-needed lighthearted angle to the weekend.
Sam Reinhart, F, Florida Panthers
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It was basically a fairytale having Matthew Tkachuk at the center of last season's All-Star event, hosted by the Panthers in South Florida. But he—and his entire, beloved family—had their moment. Now that he's having a relatively unremarkable start to the season, who should the Panthers send to Toronto?
Sneaky good Sam Reinhart is an option. He's leading the team in goals (17) and points (32 in 25 games). Aleksander Barkov, who is having something of a resurgence, might be the more popular option—and a good one too.
But Reinhart had a crucial role in Florida's playoff run last year and is following up on an impressive early-season tear. It would be nice to see him get a little tip of the respect cap with a trip to his first-ever All-Star Weekend.
William Nylander, F, Toronto Maple Leafs
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It's hard to believe William Nylander hasn't yet made an All-Star appearance, but it is true. With the Maple Leafs hosting this season's event, there's more than enough room for Willy Styles to shine the way he has been all season.
There will no doubt be at least two Leafs in the rotation, and although Auston Matthews is having another amazing season, Nylander is right up there and deserves just as much praise. His whole trip to Sweden showed a stardom and clutch factor built for an All-Star appearance. Matthews is leading the Leafs in goals with 16, but Nylander has the edge in total points (30) and assists (17).
Nylander has arguably deserved the All-Star nod a few times throughout his career. Now the perfect opportunity to finally do it is right here.
Tim Stutzle, F, Ottawa Senators
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Welp, the Ottawa Senators have to send someone to Toronto. Maybe they switch it up from Brady Tkachuk and opt for the promising, young talent with Tim Stutzle?
While Tkachuk has the edge in goals, 21-year-old Stutzle is leading the Senators in overall points (25 in 21 games). Perhaps an All-Star nod would give Stutzle a little taste of better days to come, which you want someone with his potential to have.
A completely Tkachuk-less All-Star Weekend just might be too sad to stomach, though.
Evan Bouchard, D, Edmonton Oilers
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This could be the first and last year anyone other than Connor McDavid and/or Leon Draisaitl is nominated for the All-Star Game for as long as they're playing together in Edmonton, and Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard is seizing the opportunity.
McDavid and Draisaitl are heating up and back to their old selves after a coaching change and some patience following a tumultuous start to the season, so it's kind of a stretch to imagine this actually coming to fruition. But Bouchard has been a bright spot through all of the mess—especially on defense—with five goals and 24 points in 23 games. He's averaging 22:10 minutes per night.
If there was ever a season to give a different Oiler the nod, it would be Bouchard's first All-Star trip in 2023-24.
Adin Hill, G, Vegas Golden Knights
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Vegas goaltender Hill has proved at this point (probably far before this point) that his performance in net during the playoffs wasn't a fluke—he's really this good!
He's leading the league with a super impressive 1.87 goals-against average, his .935 save percentage is also No. 1 and he's leading the league with 12.6 goals saved above expected.
There are so many weapons on this Vegas team that it's tricky. You want to commend Jack Eichel for what he brought and continues to bring to the Cup champions, and it's totally understandable if Eichel gets another All-Star honor. But there's no one better to represent the vibe of this Vegas team right now than Hill, and it'd be cool if that's acknowledged with his first trip to the All-Star Game.
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