The Vancouver Canucks may very well be a wagon. Their win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night left the NHL in a state it hasn't seen in nearly 20 years. Vancouver is in first place in the entire NHL right now, making them the first Canadian club to sit at the summit of the league at Christmas since 2005.

And it's not like Vancouver hasn't earned its standing. The Canucks have performed extremely well to begin the year. They have talent up and down their lineup, and their star players are leading the way. Vancouver is also receiving major bounce-back performances from some key pieces, as well.

The 2024 NHL All-Star Game is now a little more than a month away. The league's brightest stars from the first half of the season will be showcased in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in February. And as the NHL's top team, Vancouver very well could send multiple representatives to the event.

Let's take stock of a few of the most worthy players of being an All-Star. Here are the top candidates to represent the Vancouver Canucks at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in February.

Thatcher Demko needs mentioning

The Canucks have received strong goaltending all year, and leading the way in that regard is Thatcher Demko. The San Diego native has 25 games under his belt so far. And after a rough time last season, Demko has returned to form this year.

The 28-year-old has posted a .917 save percentage for Vancouver in 2023-24. This is a massive return to form after posting a .901 save percentage in 2022-23. To be fair to Demko, though, he struggled with injuries last season. So far, the Canucks netminder has remained healthy, and he's holding down the fort as a result.

If he keeps it up, the Canucks could find themselves in the Presidents Trophy race as the season winds down Of course, Vancouver has their eyes on a much bigger prize this summer, and Demko's play will be key to achieving those goals. As of now, though, he may be hard to keep out of the NHL All-Star Game.

Canucks stars Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, and Brock Boeser.

Brock Boeser, J.T. Miller have bounced back

At this point last season, Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller were in trade discussions. In fact, Boeser received permission to talk to his hometown Minnesota Wild in an attempt to swing a trade. This year, it's hard to imagine the Canucks wanting to move on from either foward.

Miller didn't have a terrible season last year, as he finished with 82 points. He's on pace to smash that in 2023-24, as he currently has 48 points in 35 games. This total leads the Canucks, and he is one of three players with 40 or more points so far.

Brock Boeser, though, is excelling in a different manner. He leads the team with 24 goals through 35 games. He is second only to Auston Matthews for most goals in the entire league. Furthermore, the 26-year-old has already surpassed his goal total from last season. And the pending unrestricted free agent is on pace to smash his career-best mark for goals in a season.

The Canucks have benefitted in a major way from these two bouncing back. Now, J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser should reap the rewards of their performances and skate in the 2024 NHL All-Star Game.

Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes continue to shine for Canucks

Finally, we get to two players who has established themselves as legitimate superstars in the NHL. Elias Pettersson broke out last season, scoring 102 points for Vancouver. Meanwhile, Quinn Hughes has long been thought of as one of the best young defensemen in the league. This year, they look to be taking their play up a notch.

Elias Pettersson has 13 goals and 43 points through 35 games. He ranks third on the team in points right now. Furthermore, he is on pace to smash his point total from last season. He has emerged as the team's standout top-line center who can be counted on when it matters most.

Quinn Hughes, meanwhile, ranks second on the team in points with 44. The Orlando native has already emerged as one of the premier offensive defensemen in the league. In fact, he scored 76 points last season, which is quite the total for a defenseman. However, he is on pace to score north of 100 points in 2023-24.

Both of these players are stepping up at the right time for Vancouver. The Canucks will be in great shape if they can continue playing as they are. And there may not be any more worthy NHL All-Star Game representatives for the Canucks than Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson.