The NHL named the league’s first batch of 2024 All-Star Game participants on Jan. 4, with one player initially being named from each team. The Colorado Avalanche‘s first – but likely not last – All-Star Game representative is superstar center and 2023-24 Hart Trophy frontrunner Nathan MacKinnon.
MacKinnon has authored a 22-goal, 64-point campaign in 39 games and is tied with Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov (27 goals and 64 points) for the Art Ross Trophy lead. Yet, he’s outscored his Russian counterpart by 57 points to 53 since the beginning of November, and is on pace to eclipse both the 120- and 130-point thresholds for the first time in his career.
Apart from their dynamic forward, the Avalanche have several other candidates for one or more of the 12 remaining spots (eight skaters plus four goalies) in the 2024 All-Star Game. These slots are to be decided by fan voting which concludes on Jan. 11. Let’s dive into three of those potential names, and each of their respective cases for league-wide recognition.
Mikko Rantanen, Forward
First up is MacKinnon’s figurative and literal wing-man, Mikko Rantanen. The Finnish forward set a new Avalanche single-season record with 55 goals during the 2022-23 campaign, and is on pace to hit the 40-goal benchmark for the second time in his career after scoring 20 times in his first 39 appearances this season.
Only five other players in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques franchise history (including MacKinnon) have ever scored 40 goals in a single season more than once. Rantanen could become the sixth if he maintains his current goalscoring rate over the second half of the season.
Rantanen is currently tied for 10th in the NHL in goals, and ranks eighth with 48 points to date, giving him an almost ironclad case to be voted in as one of the final 12 representatives. It should be noted that, including Rantanen, four of the NHL’s top-10 skaters by points were not named in the initial unveiling though the league has made its bed with the desire to include every organization in the festivities. Given his credentials and brand-name value, it’s difficult to see Rantanen not being voted to join MacKinnon in Toronto.
Cale Makar, Defenseman
Despite being one of only two NHL defensemen to have already scored 40 points this season (along with the Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes), Avalanche rearguard Cale Makar was not among the first 32 players named to the 2024 All-Star Game. Given that his spot was taken by a MacKinnon leading the MVP race, it’s somewhat understandable.
Still, Makar is in the midst of another Norris Trophy-caliber campaign while trailing the aforementioned Hughes by a single point in the defensemen scoring race despite only playing 34 games to Hughes’ 38. However, the Avalanche star leads all blueliners in points-per-game (P/G) with a rate of 1.32, which would be the highest per-game clip since Hall-of-Fame defender Al MacInnis scored at the same pace during the 1990-91 season.
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Makar leads all defensemen in powerplay scoring (20 points) and is tied for third in total even-strength production (22 points). Among qualified defenders (minimum 100 minutes played in all situations), he ranks first in assists and points per-60-minutes, and second in expected goals created per-60. Hughes is the only other blueliner to have scored more than 2.75 points per-60, and only Makar has eclipsed three points per-60.
Traditional boxscore statistics are by no means the only way to measure a defenseman’s impact on the run of play. Yet, Makar is so far ahead of the rest of the field (bar Hughes) that it’s almost unfathomable that he wasn’t named as an All-Star at first, though the NHL’s strict roster guidelines and MacKinnon’s incredible start clearly explain that omission.
Valeri Nichushkin, Forward
Though it’s highly unlikely that Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin will receive enough votes to be named an All-Star, that shouldn’t take away from his play during the first half of the 2023-24 campaign.
The hulking Russian has tallied 19 goals, 19 assists, and 38 points in 37 games this season, and sits fourth in team scoring behind MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Makar. Those numbers would give him 41 goals, 41 assists, and 82 points in 80 games by year’s end (if he plays in every remaining game), with all three marks representing career highs for the 28-year-old Nichushkin.
Long-term injuries to Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog and Artturi Lehkonen (who should be returning soon) vaulted Nichushkin into being Colorado’s third-most important active forward, and he’s repaid the club for its faith in his performance. He sits in the top 15 of the league in goals and top 30 in points, a testament to his welcome offensive eruption this season.
Mix in his forechecking, two-way prowess at five-on-five, and utility on the penalty kill and you’ve got one of the NHL’s best all-around forwards. Though an All-Star nod is likely not in his future, Nichushkin is enjoying a very impressive campaign in the second season of his massive eight-year contract which carries an average annual value (AAV) of $6.125 million.
Avalanche Have Several Worthy Candidates for 2024 All-Star Game
Though being named to the NHL’s mid-season All-Star Game is far from the most important accolade to be earned in a player’s career, being recognized by one’s league and fans is undoubtedly an honor.
The NHL’s rules for representatives can – and have – taken spots from more deserving participants over the years in the name of parity and inclusion. Even so, Rantanen and Makar should find themselves among the top eight skaters in fan voting and join MacKinnon in Toronto.
Who else should join the NHL’s first 32 All-Star Game participants? Who are the most egregious snubs? Let me know in the comments and don’t forget to vote for your favorites and send them to Toronto.
Data courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and the NHL.