The NHL All-Star selections were announced today, and the Dallas Stars will send two players to represent them on the Central Division team: Tyler Seguin and John Klingberg.
Seguin currently leads the Stars in scoring with 21 goals and 40 points through 43 games. This is his fifth All-Star game selection. When you look at leaders in the Central Division scoring race, Seguin is tops in goals scored so far in the season and 7th in points (behind Nathan MacKinnon, Blake Wheeler, Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, Brayden Schenn, and Mikko Rantanen).
Klingberg gets his first nod for an NHL All-Star game this season. He is currently leading the league in scoring by a blueliner with 39 points (6 goals, 33 assists). He’s five points ahead of the next highest scoring defenseman, a lead that has shrunk by only a point or two since the Stars hit their bye week on Sunday.
Both players are more than deserving of their nominations as All-Stars. Each team gets one player to represent them in the 3-on-3 tournament and skills competition, with four spots left for additional nominations.
Stars Captain Jamie Benn, who went to the All-Star game the last time the league held the event, was not included on the initial All-Star roster. It’s not surprising, given the league-leading nature of Klingberg’s season. Benn is just one point behind Seguin, but with four fewer goals. Should any player be unable to attend (due to injury), it wouldn’t surprise me if Benn is at least in the discussion as a replacement candidate.
Along with the Dallas Stars, the Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues will all send two players. The Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, and the Chicago Blackhawks will send only one player each (it feels like it’s been quite a number of seasons since Chicago didn’t flesh out the Central Division All-Star roster, doesn’t it?)
The full list of All-Stars for the Central Division are as follows:
Forwards
Tyler Seguin (Dallas Stars)
Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)
Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche)
Brayden Schenn (St. Louis Blues)
Eric Staal (Minnesota Wild)
Blake Wheeler (Winnipeg Jets)
Defensemen
John Klingberg (Dallas Stars)
P.K. Subban (Nashville Predators – captain)
Alex Pietrangelo (St. Louis Blues)
Goaltenders
Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets)
Pekka Rinne (Nashville Predators)
You can check out the full list of All-Stars from each of the four divisions in the NHL here.