Oilers could have four players at the NHL All-Star Game
Fan voting for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game is here and the Edmonton Oilers could wind up with four players at the event.
Last week, the league announced the first 32 players representing each of the 32 teams at the All-Star festivities in Toronto next month. Oilers captain Connor McDavid, of course, was chosen as Edmonton’s representative and was a big part of changing up the NHL Skills Competition format this season.
However, there are still 16 spots that need to be filled. As with previous All-Star selections, this will be determined through an online fan vote with players from every team on the ballot.
The Oilers may be one of the few teams in the league that can make a serious case for three additional players who deserve to make the trip to Eastern Canada when things get rolling in early February.
Let’s take a closer look at who those three players are.
Leon Draisaitl
An NHL All-Star Game would feel incomplete without Leon Draisaitl skating alongside McDavid.
Draisaitl has been named to the All-Star team in four straight seasons dating back to 2019 and could easily make his case for going a fifth time this year. The German power forward has once again been fantastic for the Oilers this season.
Through 36 games, Draisaitl is second on the team with 18 goals and 42 points. If it weren’t for McDavid catching fire over the last two months, he would be the team’s de-facto point-getter. Though he may not be on his usual 50-goal pace, he still finds ways to dazzle on a nightly basis with his elite vision and ability to set up teammates.
As it stands, Draisaitl is tied with Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel for 20th in league scoring. It may lack compared to his previous dominance, but an All-Star Game without McDavid’s running mate doesn’t feel complete.
He should be among the most popular players during the fan vote.
Zach Hyman
One of the more surprising developments across the entire NHL is the break-out season that Zach Hyman is currently experiencing.
Despite smashing career highs in points, goals, and assists last season, it seems like Hyman is set to do it all over again. The 31-year-old leads the Oilers with 25 goals and is third in points with 40. Hyman is tied with New York Rangers superstar Artemi Panarin for fourth in goals across the entire NHL.
To think that Hyman would be within striking distance of Auston Matthews in goals this late into the season is wholly unexpected and should warrant some serious All-Star consideration for the hard-working Toronto native.
There was never any doubt that Hyman was a good top-six NHL player but the fact that he’s producing at 57 goal pace was not on anybody’s radar. At this point, he is tracking to score more goals than both McDavid and Draisaitl.
He might not have been an expected member of the NHL All-Star Game, but he certainly is a deserving one.
Evan Bouchard
When the NHL announced the first 32 players headed to the All-Star Game, the only defencemen selected were Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes and Buffalo Sabres rearguard Rasmus Dahlin.
This means there is ample room for Evan Bouchard to fill in the holes for either team.
This is a suggestion that probably would have gotten laughed out of the room about three months ago, but even the harshest of Bouchard’s critics have to admit that the 24-year-old has turned a corner.
The budding offensive defenceman has exploded in production from the Oilers blueline, putting up nine goals and 39 points in 36 games. That is good enough for third place among NHL defencemen in points, behind Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar and Hughes.
Bouchard’s defensive game has also rebounded from his early season struggles. According to Natural Stat Trick, Bouchard’s expected goal percentage (xGF%) of 64.35 is first among all NHL defencemen who have played 500 minutes or more this season. His defensive partner, Mattias Ekholm, is second with an xGF% of 62.59.
It’s not often you see a 24-year-old defenceman scoring over a point per game in the NHL. For Bouchard, this should be more than enough to warrant being recognized as an All-Star.
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