NHL All-Star Game 2011 Mock Draft: Allies or Enemies
As the 2011 NHL All-Star Game in Raleigh, North Carolina, approaches, we are excited to see what comes of the team selection process.
It is an interesting wrinkle to the old system and the team selection process will be interesting.
This is how I laid out the All-Star mock draft:
I made Eric Staal the home team coach and Sidney Crosby the away team coach.
Each team made one selection per round, with the team that made the last pick in the previous round making the first pick in current round.
I did NOT use the exact method the NHL employs but instead a more Internet-friendly version. It’s damn close though. The only difference is the selection of goaltenders and defensemen have to be done by certain rounds in the NHL draft.
I did the best I could so I expect everyone to destroy my mock draft.
Enjoy and if you don’t agree, tell me where I went wrong!
Thanks.
Captains
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Away: Sidney Crosby, C, Pittsburgh Penguins
Home: Eric Staal, C, Carolina Hurricanes
These selections were easy. Crosby leads the league in points and the game is in Staal's house.
Enough said.
Round 1
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First Alternate Captain
Home: Alex Ovechkin, LW, Washington Capitals
I feel like Staal will want to surround himself with a big name with a ton of scoring talent. Hence Ovechkin.
Away: Evgeni Malkin, C, Pittsburgh Penguins
Crosby will be a biased towards Malkin, I can almost guarantee it.
Round 2
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Second Alternate Captain
Away: Nicklas Lidstrom, D, Detroit Red Wings
Lidstrom is a no-brainer for Crosby’s team and I know most will say he will be picked as the first alternate. I think if Sid has two picks in a row, he will pick a Penguin first.
Home: Jonathan Toews, C, Chicago Blackhawks
Toews is an easy pick for Staal as well.
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Round 3
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Home: Steven Stamkos, RW (by choice), Tampa Bay Lightning
Staal will ask Stamkos to slide to the right side and make up one of the strongest offensive lines EVER. Ovechkin-Staal-Stamkos, WOW!
Away: Henrik Sedin, C, Vancouver Canucks
It may seem odd or unlikely that Crosby will select his third center before one winger but its easy philosophy; Henrik Sedin is the defending Hart Trophy winner and if he doesn’t take him, Staal would.
Round 4
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Away: Duncan Keith, D, Chicago Blackhawks
Crosby’s selection of Duncan Keith will give him an amazing defensive pairing with Nicklas Lidstrom. They’ll need it to stop Staal’s offense.
Home: Zdeno Chara, D, Boston Bruins
Staal starts building his defense with a monster on the blue line. Chara is a good selection to start your blue line group.
Round 5
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Home: Rick Nash, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets
I know people will say Nash won’t go this high but I could only imagine what Nash could do with little defensive pressure and a ton of talent around him.
Away: Patrick Kane, RW, Chicago Blackhawks
Crosby’s first winger will help alleviate pressure on him. Kane will add another body that can score and put pressure on the other team.
Round 6
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Away: Marc-Andre Fleury, G, Pittsburgh Penguins
The selection of Fleury is another case of Sid being a “homer.”
Home: Martin St. Louis, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning
St. Louis is one of the best wingers in the game and adds more depth to a stacked Staal team.
Round 7
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Home: Dan Boyle, D, San Jose Sharks
Boyle brings his solid defensive play as well as his amazing powerplay abilities to Staal’s team.
Away: Jarome Iginla, RW, Calgary Flames
Iginla is another solid winger that could be amazing surrounded by All-Star caliber talent.
Round 8
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Away: Brad Richards, LW (by choice), Dallas Stars
Sid will ask Brad Richards to play on his left side and Richards' passing abilities could open up the ice for Crosby.
Home: Mike Green, D, Washington Capitals
The third defender for Staal’s team will be a big offensive threat as well as a shut down defender.
Round 9
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Home: Tim Thomas, G, Boston Bruins
Staal’s starting goalie will be the best in the league so far this year. Thomas leads in almost every statistical category.
Away: Daniel Sedin, LW, Vancouver Canucks
You almost have to keep the twins together if you have the chance.
Round 10
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Away: Kris Letang, D, Pittsburgh Penguins
Sid the Homer.
Home: Dustin Byfuglien, D, Atlanta Thrashers
Big Buff, alongside Mike Green, is one of the wildest defensive duos you could think of. Watch out.
Round 11
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Home: Anze Kopitar, C, Los Angeles Kings
Kopitar is one of the best young players in the league and is a steal this late in the draft. He could easily steal the show.
Away: Henrik Lundqvist, G, New York Rangers
Crosby’s team is tough in net. You can have all the offensive talent in the world but if they can’t get the puck past the goalies, it’s all for naught.
Round 12
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Away: Corey Perry, RW, Anaheim Ducks
One of the best wingers in the league, Perry could be another player who shows himself to the world in a big way during the game.
Home: Claude Giroux, RW, Philadelphia Flyers
The lone Flyer represented will be on the wing of Kopitar’s line. That’s exciting!
Round 13
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Home: Phil Kessel, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
The other winger on the Kopitar-Giroux line, this could be one of the biggest sleeper lines in the game.
Away: Tobias Enstrom, D, Atlanta Thrashers
Enstrom is a good defensive-defenseman with a knack for jumping into the play in the offensive zone. Crosby’s defense is looking good.
Round 14
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Away: Marc Staal, D, New York Rangers
Sid’s defense is really good but it is well known that defense isn’t played as hard in the All-Star game.
Home: Cam Ward, G, Carolina Hurricanes
Staal being a “homer” like Sid. They have to work together, you know?
Round 15
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Home: Shea Weber, D, Nashville Predators
Weber has one of the best shots from the point and is a big presence on the blue line.
Away: Patrick Sharp, RW (by choice), Chicago Blackhawks
Crosby will ask Sharp to slide to the right side and concentrate more on scoring than anything else.
Roung 16
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Away: Carey Price, G, Montreal Canadiens
Crosby clearly has the better stable of goaltenders.
Home: Ryan Kesler, C, Vancouver Canucks
Kesler’s offensive and defensive prowess are a blessing for a fourth line. Imagine the depth when Kesler is your fourth line center.
Round 17
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Home: Brent Burns, D, Minnesota Wild
The final piece to the defensive puzzle for Eric Staal’s team will be Brent Burns. He brings solid defensive play as well as a sprinkle of offensive ability.
Away: Patrik Elias, LW, New Jersey Devils
Elias is having a solid year and will make anyone around him better. He is a very unselfish player.
Round 18
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Away: David Backes, LW (by choice), St. Louis Blues
Sliding Backes to the left side will create a potent fourth line that could score at any time.
Home: Ales Hemsky, RW, Edmonton Oilers
Not only will Hemsky bring leadership to the team but his offensive and defensive prowess will be greatly underreported.
Round 19
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Home: Loui Eriksson, LW (by choice), Dallas Stars
Eriksson is a winger by trade and he will just have to shift to the other side to complete a potent last line.
Away: Matt Duchene, C, Colorado Avalanche
For the last forward picked, Duchene is no slouch.
Round 20
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Away: Erik Karlsson, D, Ottawa Senators
A solid defender who fills out Crosby's defense.
Home: Jonas Hiller, G, Anaheim Ducks
A solid goalie who fills out Staal's goalie threesome.
Away Team Lineup
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| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing | |
| Line 1 | Brad Richards | Sidney Crosby | Patrick Kane |
| Line 2 | Daniel Sedin | Henrik Sedin | Jarome Iginla |
Line 3 | Patrik Elias | Evgeni Malkin | Corey Perry |
| Line 4 | Matt Duchene | David Backes | Patrick Sharp |
| Left Defense | Right Defense | |
| Def. Paring 1 | Nicklas Lidstrom | Duncan Keith |
| Def. Pairing 2 | Marc Staal | Tobias Enstrom |
| Def. Pairing 3 | Kris Letang | Erik Karlsson |
| Starter | Backup 1 | Backup 2 | |
| Goalie | Marc-Andre Fleury | Henrik Lundqvist | Carey Price |
Home Team Lineup
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| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing | |
| Line 1 | Alex Ovechkin | Eric Staal | Martin St. Louis |
| Line 2 | Rick Nash | Jonathan Toews | Steven Stamkos |
| Line 3 | Phil Kessel | Anze Kopitar | Claude Grioux |
| Line 4 | Loui Eriksson | Ryan Kesler | Ales Hemsky |
| Left Defense | Right Defense | |
| Def. Pairing 1 | Zdeno Chara | Dan Boyle |
| Def. Pairing 2 | Mike Green | Dustin Byfuglien |
| Def. Pairing 3 | She Weber | Brent Burns |
| Starter | Backup | Backup | |
| Goalies | Tim Thomas | Cam Ward | Jonas Hiller |
Team Analysis
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Offense
Home Team: Staal's team to me has the best offense. There will be very little tough defense played so the pure scorers on this team could pick apart even the best goaltenders. Grade: A+
Away Team: Sidney Crosby's team isn’t terrible at all. They are deeper at center but the wingers aren’t as good as Staal's team. Neither team’s defense will be in shutdown mode so there will be room for all of these players to make plays. Grade: B+
Defense
Home Team: Crosby’s team is better defensively but I feel like Staal’s defense is better offensively. They have six guys with amazingly hard shots. Grade: B
Away Team: The better defensive group, Crosby’s defenders will be more about defense first but all would be willing to jump up into the offensive zone if the call is sent. Grade: A
Goaltending
Home Team: Tim Thomas has been the best in the league so he mainstays the group that consist of the streaky duo of Cam Ward and Jonas Hiller. Grade: B-
Away Team: All three goaltenders for Sid have been damn good this year. I have to give the nod to Sid’s team on this one. Grade: A
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