NHL All-Star Game Fantasy Draft: Grading Chara and Alfredsson's Picks

The NHL hosted the 2012 All-Star Fantasy Draft tonight.

Captains Daniel Alfredsson and Zdeno Chara, along with assistants Henrik Lundqvist (Team Alfredsson) and Joffrey Lupul (Team Chara), went back and forth and selected various players for their squads.

Throughout the night was their entertaining favoritism, gamesmanship and humor during the selection process.

How did the captains do? Read on to find out how the captains did with their picks. Note that these predictions contain opinion based on when the player was selected and what players were left on the board at the time. 

NHL Rookies

The following players were assigned but not selected because they are rookies.

Team Chara Rookies

• Colin Greening—Ottawa Senators
• Gabriel Landeskog—Colorado Avalanche
• Ryan Johansen—Columbus Blue Jackets
• Cody Hodgson—Vancouver Canucks
• Luke Adam—Buffalo Sabres
• Raphael Diaz—Montreal Canadiens

Team Alfredsson Rookies

• Sean Couturier—Philadelphia Flyers
• Carl Hagelin—New York Rangers
• Nick Johnson—Minnesota Wild
• Matt Read—Philadelphia Flyers
• Craig Smith—Nashville Predators
• Justin Faulk—Carolina Hurricanes

Round 1

Team Chara: Pavel Datsyuk

Grade: A

Team Chara won the puck flip and selected Datysuk first overall. This was a great pick for Chara.

Datsyuk is an all-world caliber player. He will be a great first- or second-line center for Team Chara. Datsyuk also should fare well in the skills competition portion of All-Star weekend.

Team Alfredsson: Erik Karlsson

Grade: C

Karlsson is a great player and is one of the best defenseman in the league, but this was a pure homer pick by Alfredsson.

Karlsson seemed to set the tone for most of Alfredsson's picks throughout the night. A game like the All-Star game is exciting and geared for high scoring and not defense. At this stage of the night, Alfredsson could have went for some more firepower.

Round 2

Team Chara: Tim Thomas

Grade: A

Each team had to select three goaltenders by the end of Round 10, so Chara made his first choice his teammate Tim Thomas. Thomas is one of the best goaltenders in the game today, so it was a very obvious choice for the Bruin captain to pick his Bruin netminder.

Team Alfredsson: Jason Spezza

Grade: B

I was tempted to assign a lower grade, but Spezza was once again a homer pick. However, he has had a solid season up to date.

Alfredsson picked up his Senator counterparts one-by-one in the draft. Spezza will add some skill to Team Alfie, so, all in all, it's an okay pick.

Round 3

Team Chara: Evgeni Malkin

Grade: A+

I was very surprised that the current Art Ross favorite was still on the board at this point. Malkin is one of the most dynamic players in the game today and was a steal pickup in Round 3. The fact that he will be paired up with Pavel Datsyuk makes this pick a great one.

Team Alfredsson: Jonathan Quick

Grade: C+

What?

That was the general response from Twitter when Quick was selected by Henrik Lundqvist.

The rules may stipulate that all the goaltenders need to be off the board by Round 10, but when your opponent picks Malkin and you pick Quick, you need to re-evaluate your selection process. Yes Tim Thomas was picked the round before but who didn't think that would happen? Team Alfredsson also had a goalie at that point so there was no need to take Quick so soon.

Round 4

Team Chara: Marian Hossa

Grade: B

This pick was another homer pick by Chara. He selected his fellow countryman Marian Hossa with the eighth pick overall.

Hossa is a talented player, but at this point in the draft, there were a couple of better options than Hossa. 

Team Alfredsson: Claude Giroux

Grade: A

Speaking of better options, enter Claude Giroux.

Giroux has taken the league by storm and has battled through injuries. The world was introduced to the emerging superstar on HBO's "24/7," and now it seems that everyone knows who Giroux is.

Giroux should be a big part of Team Alfie's offense and will likely compete in the breakaway challenge  of the skills competition.

Round 5

Team Chara: Kimmo Timonen

Grade: C-

Timonen is not a bad pick, but he shouldn't have went before Shea Weber or Ryan Suter.

This round was a bit of a wash, as Team Alfredsson went with an interesting pick of their own.

Team Alfredsson: Kris Letang

Grade: C-

The same applies to Team Alfredsson when it comes to defensive picks. There is no way you take Letang over a bona-fide superstar in Shea Weber.

Letang is a solid defenseman and should be a good addition on Alfredsson's blue line.

Round 6

Team Chara: Corey Perry

Grade: C+

I give this draft selection a C+ because of the player who was directly selected after him.

Perry may be the reigning Hart Trophy winner, but he wouldn't have been here unless Teemu Selanne bowed out. He shouldn't have gone this early in the draft, considering that there was another superstar left on the board.

Team Alfredsson: Steven Stamkos

Grade: A

I don't fully understand why the league's top goalscorer was still on the board in Round 6. Stamkos leads the league with 32 goals and has come on fire as of late. He was a great pickup by Team Alfredsson at this point in the draft.

Round 7

Team Chara: Carey Price

Grade: C

At this point, both teams needed to select another goaltender; the rules stipulated that goaltenders needed to be chosen by Round 10. Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens have had a terrible season up to this point, so with Brian Elliot and Jimmy Howard still available, this was a bonehead move by Team Chara.

Team Alfredsson: Brian Elliot

Grade: A-

Brian Elliot has had a great season up to date. At this point in the draft, it was either Elliot or Jimmy Howard, but Lundqvist made a solid pick in Elliot. For most of the draft, Alfredsson deferred to Lundqvist on defensive-minded decisions. 

Round 8

Team Chara: Phil Kessel

Grade: A

Phil Kessel was selected dead last in last year's draft. Since then he has averaged a point per game in 81 games. Kessel has been superb for the Toronto Maple Leafs up to this point and was a good pick for Team Chara.

Team Alfredsson: Shea Weber

Grade: A

Shea Weber probably should have went a lot earlier in this draft, but nonetheless, it is a great acquisition to the Alfredsson blue line.

Weber will come in handy at the skills competition when he attempts to outshoot Zdeno Chara in the hardest shot contest. 

Round 9

Team Chara: Ryan Suter

Grade: A

Zdeno Chara is no dummy. There is no way he was going to allow Daniel Alfredsson to swoop up Suter to complete a Nashville power pairing. This move was tactical and pretty smooth for Team Chara.

Team Alfredsson: Daniel Sedin

Grade: A

This was a very predictable pick for Team Swede. Sedin joined Lundqvist, Karlsson and Alfredsson on a team that would be dominated with Swedes. Sedin was a good pickup for Alfie, and it is surprising that he and his brother were still available at this point. 

Round 10

Team Chara: Jimmy Howard

Grade: B

This was an obligatory pick for Team Chara, as the goaltenders needed to be off the board by Round 10. Howard, who has the most wins in the NHL, went last.

This makes no sense, but nonetheless, Chara made a good pick. 

Team Alfredsson: Dan Girardi

Grade: B

Girardi is one of the NHL's most underrated defenseman. He was never drafted by an NHL team and was picked up by the New York Rangers as a free-agent rookie.

Girardi is a very courageous defenseman who will enjoy the All-Star game. If there was anyone who would block a shot in the game, Girardi would be the guy.

Round 11

Team Chara: Brian Campbell

Grade: B

Brian Campbell has had a solid year for the Florida Panthers. He will bring both some offense and defense for Team Chara. He will bring some size and can help balance out the rest of the blue line.

With some other needs already addressed, this was a good pick for Chara.

Team Alfredsson: Keith Yandle

Grade: A

Both teams worked to finish up their defense requirements at this point in the draft. Yandle gets an A over Campbell's B because Yandle brings a little more size and offense.

Yandle has a booming shot and will come in handy if Team Alfredsson draws a power play in the All-Star game. 

Round 12

Team Chara: Patrick Kane

Grade: B

Patrick Kane was an assistant captain in last year's draft, so he did a lot of the picking. This year he had to sweat it out and was picked up in the 12th round. Kane is a solid pickup for Chara and will come in handy during the accuracy portion of the skills competition.

Team Alfredsson: Milan Michalek

Grade: B

I am surprised that Alfredsson waited this long to pick up Michalek. Maybe it was a bit of gamesmanship by Alfredsson because he wanted his teammate to sweat it out.

Nonetheless, this move completed the Senator takeover in the All-Star game. It may have been a homer pick, but Michalek is a solid scorer.

Round 13

Team Chara: Dion Phaneuf

Grade: C

This pick didn't make sense, considering that there were other players left on the board. It was bad planning by Team Chara to be forced to pick a defenseman at this point, considering who Team Alfredsson swooped up next.

Had Chara planned better, he could have set his roster differently. 

Team Alfredsson: Henrik Sedin

Grade: A+

How did Alfredsson pick both Sedin twins in different rounds? It makes no sense that Team Chara didn't attempt to break up the twins. It would have been a smart tactical move, but this will really impact the offense and chemistry of Team Alfredsson.

Round 14

Team Chara: Jarome Iginla

Grade: A

Chara said it best when he picked Iginla. There aren't many players who have scored 500 goals in the NHL. It was a no-brainer for Iginla to get picked up at this point.

Iginla will add leadership and scoring skill to Team Chara.

Team Alfredsson: James Neal

Grade: B+

Neal was added to the roster as a replacement for an injured Jonathan Toews.

Neal is a very deserving All-Star and has had a great bounce-back season for Pittsburgh. Neal is a top-notch scorer and will add some true offensive firepower to Team Alfredsson.

Round 15

Team Chara: Dennis Wideman

Grade: B

The 15th round was the last round for defenseman to be selected, so both captains had to lock in their defenseman.

Wideman has had a good season for the Capitals and has been one of their stars. He will bring a good two-way game for Chara's squad. 

Team Alfredsson: Alex Edler

Grade: B

Edler was selected by Team Alfredsson by default because he was the last defenseman on the board. Chara opted for Wideman because it appeared that the Bruins were determined to be separated from their rival Canucks.

Edler is an offensive-minded defenseman who has 34 points so far this year. He has really exceed expectations, considering he was drafted in the third round. 

Round 16

Team Chara: Marian Gaborik

Grade: B-

Gaborik was a solid pickup this late in the game for Team Chara. The only reason he was still available was because Lundqvist wanted to face the Slovak sniper in the All-Star festivities.

Gaborik will add some speed and scoring to a solid Chara lineup. 

Team Alfredsson: John Tavares

Grade: A+

Behind Claude Giroux, Tavares is considered to be the next big thing. If Tavares wasn't on a struggling Islanders team, he would be a bigger star in terms of notoriety.

He has the potential to be one of the top players in the league, and with 49 points already, Tavares will likely shatter all his previous career highs.

Round 17

Team Chara: Jordan Eberle

Grade: A

At this point, the draft drew thin, and there were some stellar young players left on the board. Eberle has had a great 45-point campaign up to this point of the season. He is a key piece to the re-emerging Edmonton Oilers. He was a great late-round pickup for Team Chara.

Team Alfredsson: Scott Hartnell

Grade: A

Out of all the players left at this point, Hartnell made sense for Team Alfredsson. Claude Giroux and Hartnell will likely be paired up during the contest, and that will make sense, as the duo has had success on the Philadelphia Flyers this season.

This was a solid depth and chemistry pickup for Team Alfredsson.

Round 18

Team Chara: Tyler Seguin

Grade: A

This pick was inevitable. The Bruins captain had to do his sophomore teammate a solid.

Seguin has shown some true talent and skill so far in his young career. He will add some energy to the third or fourth line for Team Chara.

Team Alfredsson: Jason Pominville

Grade: B

Pominville is a great teammate and has really reacted well to receiving the captain's C in Buffalo. The Sabres may have not had the best of starts, but Pominville has been a great two-way contributor.

You don't always select the best players in games like this because sometimes you need to select the right guy. Jason Pominville was the right choice for Team Alfredsson.

Round 19

Team Chara: Jamie Benn

Grade: B

Jamie Benn has had a great breakout season for Dallas and has filled some of the void that Brad Richards left.

He was selected by Chara for his hard work and commitment. Chara explained how Benn had just had surgery but was still willing to show up for the festivities, even though he could have used the time off.

Team Alfredsson: Logan Couture

Grade: C

You really can't grade this pick because he was assigned to Team Alfredsson by default. He walks away with a free car because of it, so it isn't that bad. Couture has had a solid season to date with 36 points, but he couldn't get a higher grade since he was the last pick overall.

Tom Urtz, Jr. is an NHL featured columnist. For NHL news, updates and alerts about players: