I used to really enjoy the NHL All-Star game when I was younger. It was a time when we could watch all of our favourite players at one time in one place. My love for the game actually sprouted from the 1990 All-Star game in Pittsburgh where as a 10-year-old I made my decision on who my idol would be… Mario Lemieux. It helped that he was rival to my dad’s favourite player, Wayne Gretzky, and that he scored four goals that day but that wasn’t the point. He was as they say… Magnificent. Every time he touched the puck magic happened and I’d argue until Connor McDavid came around, we haven’t seen a player like him since he retired. Check out the highlights of that game at the end of the post to see what stoked the burning fire in my belly for this wonderful game.
Anyways, let’s get these roster predictions started!
Team Atlantic
FORWARDS
(C) Jaromir Jagr – FLA
Dylan Larkin – DET
Patrice Bergeron – BOS
James Van Riemsdyk – TOR
Ryan O’Reilly – BUF
Steven Stamkos – TB
DEFENSE
Erik Karlsson – OTT
PK Subban – MTL
Aaron Ekblad – FLA
GOALIES
Roberto Luongo – FLA
Craig Anderson – OTT
Thoughts: I reckon Dylan Larkin is going to make a mockery of this 3v3 format. He’s so bloody fast and good with his hands and I’m stoked to see if Jagr can do some damage. But Team Atlantic’s firepower is in its defence. Subban and Karlsson are damned near forwards as it is and Ekblad is one of the best skaters in the whole league. Luongo and Anderson will probably have a hard time hitting 5 in the fawks given meter but Bobby Lu will most likely give us reason to chuckle.
TEAM METROPOLITAN
FORWARDS
(C) Alex Ovechkin – WAS
Evgeni Malkin – PIT
Claude Giroux – PHI
John Tavares – NYI
Mike Cammalleri – NJD
Scott Hartnell – CLB
DEFENSE
Justin Faulk – CAR
Kris Letang – PIT
John Carlson – WAS
GOALIES
Henrik Lundqvist – NYR
Braden Holtby – WAS
Thoughts: All-round this is the best line-up and it’s without Sidney Crosby who I don’t believe deserves a spot this year. I was torn between Saad and Hartnell but it’s hard to argue with the man who introduced the world to #suckitPhaneuf.
TEAM CENTRAL
FORWARDS
Jamie Benn – DAL
Tyler Seguin – DAL
(C) Patrick Kane – CHI
Vladimir Tarasenko – STL
Nathan MacKinnon – COL
Blake Wheeler – WPG
DEFENSE
Ryan Suter – MIN
Roman Josi – NSH
John Klingberg – DAL
GOALIES
Corey Crawford – CHI
Jake Allen – STL
Thoughts: I like this team but not enough to win the whole thing. I reckon the goaltending could be its downfall. Crawford and Allen are fine netminders but they play on stellar teams and have done so for their entire careers. If I were the other teams I’d make sure there were some fine-looking puck bunnies parked along the glass behind the nets Kane and Seguin were shooting at with the hope they lose all concentration.
TEAM PACIFIC
FORWARDS
(C) John Scott – ARI
Taylor Hall – EDM
Johnny Gaudreau – CGY
Joe Pavelski – SJ
Daniel Sedin – VAN
Henrik Sedin – VAN
DEFENSE
Drew Doughty – LA
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – ARI
Brent Burns – SJ
GOALIES
John Gibson – ANH
Jonathan Quick – LA
Thoughts: I want this team to win because it’s my division and the defense is stellar, the goaltending is smoking hot at the moment but John Scott… How many shifts does this guy get? Can they shorten the bench? I mean we’re not talking Chris Nilan here, he could actually take a meaningful shift. I like that fans have made a mockery of the NHL’s voting process but I want to see the best players in the league at this game. Scott is taking a potential spot away from Max Domi, Joe Thornton, Leon Draisaitl, Anze Kopitar, etc. I hope that Gibson and Quick play as well here as they’ve been playing in the regular season.
Predictions
I am going to say that Team Metropolitan wins it all. I think their offense would be too deep and their goaltending too strong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNkdKjKkf0g
What do you think? Did I leave anybody important off the rosters? Let me know in the comments below!
Head on over to the BLH Merch Shop and grab a 16-bit Superstars design! Much like the All-Star game, we’ve got every team represented! There’s a few more Oilers designs than the others but we’re an Oilers blog, so what can you do? Click the pic below and it’ll redirect you to the shop! Thanks!!
