2020 NHL All-Star Game: Top 5 most outrageous snubs

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 06: Brad Marchand #63 of the Boston Bruins looks on against the St. Louis Blues during the third period in Game Five of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden on June 06, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

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Keith Yandle

The Florida Panthers have three deserving All-Stars. As of right now, only one of them is going – forward Jonathan Huberdeau. Aleksander Barkov is the Panthers’ “Last Man In” candidate. However, defenseman Keith Yandle was snubbed from the Atlantic Division roster.

Currently, the Atlantic Division has Victor Hedman and Shea Weber as their two defensemen. The former has 37 points and the latter has 31. Yandle’s not far at all behind them at 30 points. Among Atlantic Division defensemen, Yandle is tied with Weber for second in points per game (0.79).

Now, those who know me know I hate plus-minus. It’s a stupid stat that doesn’t really tell you much. However, I’m going to use it to dispell a myth about Yandle. He has a reputation for being a choose your own adventure book in the defensive zone. However, this season, Yandle’s been very good in the defensive zone, as he has a +5 plus-minus rating. Considering how bad Sergei Bobrovsky has been in goal, that’s pretty impressive.

Yandle would thrive in the 3v3 tournament. He’s a great passer and he has terrific vision in the offensive zone. I’ll concede Yandle is still an adventure in the defensive zone, but two things. First, he’s not nearly as bad as everyone seems to think. Secondly, who the heck turns into the All-Star game for defense? We want goals, gosh darn it.

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