The NHL has named the initial 32-man roster for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game, one player from every team.
To the surprise of absolutely no one, the player named from the Vancouver Canucks was their captain, Quinn Hughes.
Hughes currently leads all defencemen in goals, assists, and points, with 10 goals, 36 assists, and 46 points in 37 games. He's on pace for 102 points, which would smash his career high, which was already a franchise record for the Canucks. There was never really a doubt that Hughes would get the All-Star call.
The teams for the All-Star Game won't be split by division. Instead, the NHL has gone back to the fantasy draft format that was first used back in 2011. This time, four captains will select 11-player rosters to compete in a three-on-three tournament.
The question for the Canucks is whether Hughes will be the team's only representative. The Canucks have five legitimate All-Star candidates, including Hughes, but only 12 more players from across the NHL will be added to the All-Star roster for a total of 44 players.
That means the Canucks will be fortunate to add even one more player to the All-Star Game from Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Thatcher Demko, and Brock Boeser.
Of that quartet, Miller is the only one who has never been to an All-Star Game and, as the Canucks' current leading scorer, is arguably the most deserving player to join Hughes.
That said, a case can be made for Brock Boeser, who is tied for third in the NHL for goalscoring, or for Thatcher Demko, who is a Vezina favourite, or for Elias Pettersson, who is also among the top scorers in the NHL and is the face of the Canucks franchise.
The decision on who will join Hughes is in the hands of the fans, as the 12 remaining players named to the All-Star Game will come down to a fan vote.
Will Canucks fans show up in droves to get another couple of Canucks on the All-Star roster?
