Introduction
With the NHL Skills Competition tonight and the NHL All-Star tournament being played tomorrow, it’s a good time to talk about a few players that got snubbed from the All-Star game. Whether it be because of the silly “one player from every team” rule or another player, for whatever reason, got the nod. There were a good amount of snubs.
Jesper Bratt
Team: New Jersey Devils
All-Star Appearances: zero
Statistics: 14 goals, 27 assists, and 41 points in 42 games played
Overview
Since the are Devils Army Network, it’s only fair to include one of the best Devils’ this season. If Alex Ovechkin did not go on into COVID-19 protocols Bratt would have not been included. More specifically, why he was is because Tom Wilson was elected in Ovechkin’s place.
Bratt does have one more game played than Wilson, but 10 more points. Along with better counting statistics, Bratt has the better analytics. At five-on-five, Bratt has a Corsi-for percentage (CF%) of 55.39 and an expected goals-for percentage (xGF%) of 58.51. Wilson on the other hand at five-on-five owns a 50.28 CF% and a 49.49 xG%. Those aren’t bad numbers, but they’re just okay and okay isn’t all-star.
Igor Shesterkin
Team: New York Rangers
All-Star Appearances: zero
Statistics: .937 save percentage in 29 games played
Overview
This is a pretty obvious one. Shesterkin has not only been far and away the best goaltender in the league, but he’s been possibly the best player overall. His .937 save percentage (SV%) ranks first in the NHL of all goalies with 20 or more games played. Along with that, his 18.1 goals saved above expected (GSAE) ranks second in the NHL only behind Jack Campbell. Combine that with the fact that the Rangers own a league worst 44.3 CF% and fourth worst 45.1 xG%, but still have a record good enough for fourth in the NHL and you have a league MVP who wasn’t elected to the All-Star game.
Mikko Rantanen
Team: Colorado Avalanche
All Star Appearances: One
Statistics: 24 goals, 30 assists, and 54 points in 41 games played
Overview
This is a prime example of where the player would have made it if there wasn’t the “one player from every team” rule. Avalanche forward Nathan Mackinnon said after the rosters were first announced that there were a few Colorado players who got snubbed because of these rules. This is most definitely true, with there being a few players that could have been included on this list.
Ultimately, the most-deserving is Mikko Rantanen, due to the fact that he has the most points. Rantanen’s 54 points rank sixth in the NHL. Along with great counting numbers, he ranks 16th in the NHL in CF% and 8th in xG% among forwards. Why he didn’t make the cut makes sense, but this is just one of the yearly examples of how the “one player from every team” rule makes the All-Star game less star-studded.
Brad Marchand
Team: Boston Bruins
All-Star Appearances: Two
Statistics: 21 goals, 28 assists, and 49 points in 38 games played
Overview
Whether you love him or hate him, you should admit that Brad Marchand is a darn good player. This again is another unfortunate incident of a player being cut due to there having to be a player from every team. Marchand is having a fantastic season thus far though, with 49 points in 38 games played. Those numbers are good enough for 12th in the league.
While Marchand may be considered a dirty player by some, and popularity could have something to do with his exclusion this season in lieu of Patrice Bergeron. It appears unlikely that the now 33-year old superstar would have gotten in over someone such as Nick Suzuki this season if the rule above was not currently in place. Above is a player card showing just how effective Brad Marchand has been this season.
All-Star Schedule
Tonight, February 4th at 7:30 PM ET in Las Vegas, the NHL Skill Competition will take place. In this competition, New Jersey Devils’ very own Jack Hughes will be participating in the Breakaway Challenge. The following day, Saturday, at 3:00 PM ET the NHL All-Star game will take place. The Skill Competition will be on ESPN, while the All-Star game will be on ABC.