The National Hockey League announced its first batch of 2024 All-Stars on Jan. 4, deciding to continue allowing one representative from each team despite sentiment across the hockey world that it's time for a change.
When a player like Tom Wilson is included, who is scoring at a 0.5 point-per-game clip in 2023-24, or Boone Jenner, who hasn't played a game in almost six weeks, it's harder to justify all 32 rosters getting to send someone. That's especially true when fans are forced to watch much more deserving players get left out year after year.
After the first 32 selections, an additional five NHL All-Stars were picked through a Fan Vote and announced on Saturday. Cale Makar, Alexandar Georgiev, Leon Draisaitl, Jeremy Swayman and Sergei Bobrovsky were the next batch of additions, and five more will be chosen before the Toronto Maple Leafs-Colorado Avalanche tilt on Hockey Night in Canada. More details on the final two players will be revealed at that time as well.
As usual, there were some worthy All-Stars chosen for the festivities in Toronto in February, and the ASG will be a dandy north of the border in 2024. But, every year, there are players who deserve recognition but just don't get it. On Friday, ClutchPoints dove into the five most undeserving NHL All-Stars. On the flip side of the coin, let's explore the five (plus a few) biggest snubs for the 2024 NHL All-Star festivities.
William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs
There's absolutely no way that William Nylander would have been left off the All-Star ballot if every team didn't need to send a player. Although Auston Matthews is a well-deserving representative for the Maple Leafs, Nylander is in the midst of the best season of his career.
The 27-year-old is fifth in league scoring with a ridiculous 21 goals and 57 points in 39 games. He just secured the bag, to the tune of a mammoth eight-year, $92 million contract extension. He's the best player on the Leafs this year, the All-Star Game is in Toronto, and if Wild Bill doesn't earn a spot through the fan vote, it'll be a travesty.
Adin Hill, Vegas Golden Knights
Adin Hill hasn't played a full hockey game since Nov. 30, but he still leads the National Hockey League with a sparkling 1.93 goals-against average and .933 save percentage. After watching Bobrovsky, Georgiev and Swayman get voted in, it's even more baffling that Hill wasn't chosen. Sure, he might not be healthy when the All-Star festivities come around, but he was as or more deserving than teammate Jack Eichel.
Hill has been lights out since leading the Vegas Golden Knights to their inaugural Stanley Cup championship last June, and should be an All-Star in 2024.
Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche are already sending Makar, Georgiev and Nathan MacKinnon to the 2024 ASG, but Finnish superstar Mikko Rantanen should also be there. Four reps from one team is aggressive, but it's well-deserved here. Rantanen is putting together another phenomenal campaign, creating one of the best one-two punches in the game of hockey along with MacKinnon.
The 27-year-old is tied for ninth in league scoring, with 53 points in just 42 games. He was an All-Star in 2019, again in 2023, and most certainly should be in 2024.
Elias Pettersson/Brock Boeser/Thatcher Demko/JT Miller, Vancouver Canucks
An individual case can be made for all of the above four Canucks players to be NHL All-Stars, and that's after Quinn Hughes was already selected as an original representative. Each of Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Thatcher Demko and JT Miller should be involved in Toronto next month.
Pettersson has scored four game-winning goals in a row, the first player to accomplish the feat in all road games. Boeser has scored 27 goals and 46 points in 42 games. Demko is back to form and looking like a true Vezina Trophy contender; he just keeps on winning games. And Miller is first in team scoring with a ridiculous 58 points in 42 contests.
Yes, the 2023-24 Vancouver Canucks should have five All-Stars.
Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh Penguins
Jake Guentzel has been overshadowed by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for most of his Pittsburgh Penguins career, and that happened again after Crosby was selected to yet another All-Star Game in 2024.
Sid the Kid is well-deserving, but Guentzel is putting together one of the best seasons of his career. The former Omaha Maverick has never scored more than 84 points in a season, but seems poised to eclipse that number. He's scored 18 goals and 45 points in 40 games this season, more than anyone else on the team — including Crosby.
All of the above players should be All-Stars in Toronto, but because the system is flawed, that won't be the case. Probably, a few of them will get in on the final fan vote. But for another year, there will be undeserving All-Stars and even more egregious snubs in 2024.
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