The final 12 players, three per division, selected through the 2023 NHL All-Star Game Fan Vote presented by Guaranteed Rate, were presented on Thursdaycompleting the roster of 11 men from each division.
There will be some serious star power at FLA LIVE Arena in Sunrise, Florida on February 4 (3 pm ET; ABC, ESPN+, CBC, SN, TVAS). All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook will take place on February 3 (7 pm ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS).
[RELATED: 2023 NHL All-Star Game Fan Vote winners unveiled]
The players like the striker alex ovechkin (Washington Capitals, Metropolitan Division), forward david pastrnak (Boston Bruins, Atlantic), center Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche, Central) and center Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers, Pacific) will face each other in a 3-on-3 format.
But which division has the best roster and will it win everything? We asked four NHL.com writers to debate that very question:
Pete Jensen, Director, Senior Fantasy Editor:
The Atlantic Division has it all, led by the pedigree Tampa Bay Lightning, who has reached the Stanley Cup Final in each of the past three seasons (two championships) with a forward. Nikita Kucherov and porter Andrey Vasilevsky. And the crazy thing is, Vasilevskiy may not even be the starter on his own team with the way the Bruins goaltender linus ullmark He has been almost unbeatable this season. The Atlantic also has family ties (and a mix of scoring and physicality) with the Tkachuk brothers (forward Brady of the Ottawa Senators, forward Matthew of the hosts Florida Panthers). The center duo of the Toronto Maple Leafs auston matthews and forward mitchell marner they’ve played on separate lines with equal strength for most of this season, but they’ve shown chemistry on the power play and since skating together last season, with Matthews winning the Rocket Richard Trophy for leading the NHL with 60 goals) . And the icing on the cake is having two of the top five Hart Trophy contenders for most valuable player in Pastrnak and center. Tag Thompson (Buffalo Sabers).
William Douglas, staff writer:
Pete is right about the Atlantic’s pedigree, but I like the Central Division with its balance of up-and-coming stars and veterans. They have exciting young firepower with forwards Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota Wild) jason robertson (Dallas Stars) and Clayton Keller (Arizona Coyotes) to congratulate forward Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis Blues) and defense joseph morrissey (Winnipeg Aircraft). The Central also have their share of Stanley Cup winners in Avalanche’s MacKinnon, forward Mikko Rantanen Y Cale Makar, who last season won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Norris Trophy, was voted the best defenseman in the NHL. And the goal is hard to beat with juuse saros (Nashville Predators) and Connor Hellebuyck (Jets).
David Satriano, staff writer:
Pete and Bill made good cases, but to me, it’s the Met. In the six seasons since the All-Star Game was in a 3-on-3 format, Metro has been crowned champion three times, including last season. I look forward to their streak continuing in 2023. Led by two of the greatest players in NHL history at center sidney crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Ovechkin, the Metro also has rising young stars downtown jack hughes (New Jersey Devils) and striker andrei svechnikov (Carolina Hurricanes). There’s also a Norris Trophy-winning defenseman in adam fox and winner of last season’s Vezina Trophy, voted the best goalkeeper in the League, in Igor Shesterkin, each of the New York Rangers. Shesterkin’s tandem and Ilya Sorokin (New York Islanders) is better than any other division, and we know how important goalkeeping will be with all the expected goals during the tournament.
Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief:
Imagine having the fourth pick in the draft and you get McDavid, center Leon Draisaitl and defense erik karlsson. That’s what it feels like. Honestly, if I had the first choice, it would have been my choice. We’ve all seen what McDavid and Draisaitl can do in a 5-on-5 game for the Edmonton Oilers; Now imagine the two of them with all the ice open in a 3-on-3. Throw in Karlsson, who is having a Norris Trophy-caliber season for the San Jose Sharks, and there might not be a better group of three in the entire game. Stars game. On top of that, you have an electric young player at center. Matty Beniers (Seattle Kraken), center bo horvatwho is having a career season for the Vancouver Canucks, and the center nazem kadri (Calgary Flames). I would like to thank Pete, Bill and David for broadcasting the Pacific. It will be your loss.
Jensen:
It’s great to see Karlsson fully healthy and back in his elite form this season; Honestly, he deserves more MVP love for what he’s doing at the position level of his historically. And speaking of defenders, not having one on the roster is the only thing that could derail the Atlantic; the Central Division has three defenders and the Metropolitan and Pacific each have one, which could make a big difference with so much back-and-forth action in the game. I think the best goalkeeping tandems in the tournament are a draw between Metropolitan and Atlantic, but it’s worth noting that Metro will have Fox playing big minutes against Shesterkin and Sorokin. But rest assured, look at the strong centers on the Atlantic roster: Matthews, the 6-foot-6 Thompson and two other high-scoring workhorses, dylan larkin (Detroit Red Wings) and nick suzuki (Montreal Canadiens), could help dominate the battle for possession.
Douglas:
Pete makes a good point about the shortage of defenders on the Atlantic roster, which bolsters my case for the Central. They have the best of the NHL now in Makar, who brings a lethal combination of speed and accuracy. he and seth jones (Chicago Blackhawks) give Central the best offensive and defensive blue line duo in the All-Star Game. And, with all due respect to my esteemed colleague Mr. Jensen, I think Central’s Saros-Hellebuyck goalkeeping tandem deserves to be considered in the top two.
Satrian:
Do McDavid, Draisaitl and Karlsson scare me? Absolutely, but what Bill P. didn’t mention is who will be in the Pacific goal: rookies. Stuart Skinner (oilers) and logan thompson (Golden Knights of Las Vegas). Sure, each is having a good season, but there’s no comparison to Shesterkin and Sorokin. As for Atlético, Matthews, Pastrnak and Thompson are three of the best scorers in the League, but they can’t be on the ice all the time. And the Center? With a team that has Kaprizov, MacKinnon and Robertson, I see them playing too fancy and trying to get goals and highlights for the fans, which could cost them. In short, the Metropolitan has the most balanced squad, which also includes forwards artemi panarin (Rangers) and Johnny Gaudreau (Columbus Blue Jackets), and once again they will be crowned champions.
Price:
I was waiting for someone to come up to the Pacific goal, and I’m glad David did. Yes, Thompson and Skinner are the two least tested goalies in the All-Star Game, but that’s what I like about them. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them, and they’re not only going to savor every moment, but they’re going to do everything they can to show they belong. But as long as they don’t get bombed, it won’t matter. The Pacific has great firepower and, as Pete mentioned earlier, only one defenseman in Karlsson, who is just as dynamic offensively as most forwards in the All-Star Game. And I know Pete was watching the All-Star Game last year (he was sitting next to me), so I’m surprised he mentioned the “D” word, since there’s not much defense played in these games. It’s about who can score the most goals, and I’ll take McDavid and Draisaitl on my team any day. It will be fun.
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