Predicting the Starters for the 2015 NHL All-Star Game

The 2015 NHL All-Star Game will be held Sunday, Jan. 25 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. Sportsnet reported that a draft system will be used, in which two captains select the players for both teams. That creates numerous possibilities for projecting which players get the nod to start the game.

Peter Laviolette of the Nashville Predators and Darryl Sutter of the Los Angeles Kings were selected as the head coaches for this year's All-Star Game. They'll decide which players start the game. Depending on their rosters, traits such as experience, leadership, statistics and star power could factor in their decisions.

The following slideshow predicts the starters for the 2015 NHL All-Star Game at each position for both teams, explaining why these players could make the cut. Feel free to weigh in with your picks in the comments section below.

Goaltenders: Pekka Rinne and Carey Price

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Depending on the outcome of the draft, Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators and Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens could be the starting goalies in the All-Star Game.

Rinne's 28 wins, 1.98 goal-against average and .930 save percentage leads all netminders with 20 starts or more this season. A Vezina Trophy finalist in 2011 and 2012, Rinne appears to be the favorite to win the Vezina this season.

Price's statistics aren't far behind Rinne's. Among goalies with at least 20 starts, his 34 games played, 22 wins and .928 save percentage ranks second, while his 2.19 goals-against average ranks fourth. Price could also be among this year's finalists for the Vezina.

Defensemen: Shea Weber, Drew Doughty, Duncan Keith and Mark Giordano

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Nashville's Shea Weber, Los Angeles' Drew Doughty (both pictured above) and Chicago's Duncan Keith are among the most recognizable of the NHL's elite defensemen, while Calgary's Mark Giordano has made his presence felt at both ends of the ice this season.

Keith is a two-time winner of the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman. Weber was a Norris finalist in 2011, 2012 and 2014. Both could be among this season's finalists.

Doughty was a Norris finalist in 2010 and a key factor in the Kings' Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014. He's currently in the top-15 scorers among defensemen. Giordano is second in scoring among NHL defensemen and third among blueliners in plus/minus.

Centers: Sidney Crosby and Tyler Seguin

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The NHL All-Star Game is a great stage on which to showcase two of the NHL's best centers. Few have been better than Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin.

Crosby is the reigning Hart Trophy winner and NHL scoring champion. Among active players, he's the game's most recognizable star. That factor alone should make him one of the starting centers in this year's All-Star Game. 

Seguin has emerged as an exciting young NHL superstar. His 48 points leads all NHL centers. For most of this season, he's been jockeying for top spot among NHL scorers.

Right Wings: Patrick Kane and Jakub Voracek

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Chicago's Patrick Kane is among the NHL's most recognizable stars, while Philadelphia's Jakub Voracek joined the league's elite with a breakout performance this season. It's only appropriate that two of the NHL's leading scorers are among the starters for the All-Star Game. 

Kane's 20 goals and 45 points put him among the top five in the NHL points lead, as well as second among right wings. The 2013 playoff MVP is on pace for a career-best 40 goals and 90 points.

Voracek is also on pace for a career year. His 50 points puts him atop the NHL scoring race. At his current rate of production, he could finish the season with 35 goals and 100 points.

Left Wings: Rick Nash and Alexander Ovechkin

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Rick Nash of the New York Rangers and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals have long been among the NHL's best left wingers. It wouldn't be surprising to see them on the ice for the opening faceoff in the All-Star Game.

Nash's 41 points currently leads all NHL left wingers, while his 26 goals has him jockeying for the league's goal-scoring lead with Dallas' Tyler Seguin. The 30-year-old is on pace for a career-high 55 goals and 88 points.

Ovechkin isn't the offensive dynamo he once was, but his 21 goals puts him among the league's top goal scorers. He remains among the NHL's most recognizable and popular stars, which could help him get the nod as a starter.

Players stats via NHL.com and are based on games completed as of Jan. 10, 2015.