NHL All-Star Game: How Being Snubbed Can Benefit Players
By Ryan Hoff
A lot of fans are scratching their heads looking at the NHL All-Star Game lineups, wondering why certain players didn’t make it. Here’s why it’s a good thing for these players.
It happens every year. The NHL will decide which players go to the NHL All-Star Game and the fans on Twitter will outrage. I’m proud to say I partake in this annual tradition. A good example would be the Metropolitan Division roster, mainly the defensemen. For defense, Noah Hanifin, Seth Jones, and Kris Letang were selected. Why is Letang even on the roster when Shayne Gostisbehere and John Carlson are both having better seasons?
Both are having stellar seasons, and have more points than Letang. I’m not saying Gostisbehere an elite defenseman like Letang, but he is having a great bounce-back year. Carlson, meanwhile, is on track to have a career year. The highest number of points Carlson has had was 55, he can easily break that his year.
What Other All-Star Players Were Snubbed From All-Star Game?
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Here is a short list of names that should have been on the rosters.
- Jakub Voracek
- Sean Couturier
- Vladimir Tarasenko
- Jonathan Marchessault
- Sergei Bobrovsky
- Tuukka Rask
Rask might be a bit of a stretch, but he has been doing so much better then All-Star goalie Carey Price. Rask has not lost in regulation in nearly two months, with a record of 19-8-4. Meanwhile, Price has a record of 14-17-4. Of course, the Montreal Canadiens needed an All-Star. But it doesn’t make sense on how the NHL picks what players go.
Voracek is having a good year, tallying 56 points in 49 games. Couturier is having the greatest season of his career tallying 49 points in 49 games. He competing with Patrice Bergeron for the Selke Trophy, and looks like he might take it home this year.
The thing with Tarasenko is, who goes from the St. Louis Blues? All their forwards are doing great this year, but Brayden Schenn is also setting new career highs this year. It was probably a tough choice for the league. Marchessault should’ve gone over James Neal, that one is plain and simple.
Bobrovsky is an All-Star goalie, specially after last season. I, along with everybody else, was shocked that he didn’t make the cut.
How can Being Snubbed Benefit the Players?
During the All-Star break, these players will get the time to rest and train. Most have plans with their families and friends, but the rest will benefit their performances. A good example would be Couturier.
Couturier is having a career year, setting career highs every game. He is having a point-per-game performance. I feel like when some players go to the All-Star game, they lose their momentum in the second half of the season.
I’m not saying this is the case with every player because some pick up their game right where they left off. For some, on the other hand, it is different. Some will come back from the All-Star game and completely fall downhill.
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Players like Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos though will continue to dominate. Those two are a dynamic duo and are going to continue to dominate the league. But perhaps it’s a good thing players get to rest. They might even get motivated to prove that they should have been selected to the NHL All-Star Game.