2024 NHL All-Star Sport: Favourite line combos, predictions

After a humorous All-Star participant draft on Thursday and an exciting night time of All-Star abilities on Friday, it is time for the ultimate occasion of 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend: the sport(s)!

It is a easy format: two semifinals of 3-on-3 hockey, adopted by the winners of these video games squaring off within the last. First up shall be Staff MacKinnon vs. Staff McDavid at 3 p.m. ET, then Staff Hughes vs. Staff Matthews at 4 p.m. ET, adopted by the championship sport at 5 p.m. ET. All three video games shall be broadcast on ABC, and simulcast on ESPN+.

Earlier than the video games start, which line combos are we most excited to see? Which draft choices have been essentially the most questionable? And who will win all of it?

What lineup trio are you most excited to see?

Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter: Any mixture from Staff Hughes that options some mixture of Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser, Kyle Connor, J.T. Miller, Brady Tkachuk or Frank Vatrano. That quantities to 6 elite American gamers, and any a kind of three who’re on the ice additional justifies what makes america look extraordinarily promising within the buildup to the 2025 4 Nations match and the Olympics in 2026.

Victoria Matiash, NHL analyst: If tossed collectively, give me Nikita Kucherov’s imaginative and prescient and playmaking talents in concord with Kyle Connor’s knack for placing the puck within the internet, together with all the pieces Brady Tkachuk does beautifully, when others on Staff Hughes are resting on the bench.

Arda Öcal, NHL broadcaster: Nathan MacKinnon-Sidney Crosby offers us the Nova Scotia connection, buddies who get together at one another’s Stanley Cup celebrations again residence over the summer time, and two of the very best gamers in historical past. Add a human spotlight reel in Kirill Kaprizov — yeah, that is a heck of a trio proper there.

Kristen Shilton, NHL reporter: I am feeling a David Pastrnak-Connor McDavid-Leon Draisaitl state of affairs. It appeared like Staff McDavid was the quieter group in Thursday’s draft, however their squad is sneaky good. And given the historical past between Draisaitl and Pastrnak that has by no means (till now) translated into them having the ability to play collectively in an occasion of this magnitude — I believe it will be fairly cool to see.

Greg Wyshynski, NHL reporter: You have to give the folks what they need. And by “folks” I imply all these Leafs lovers within the enviornment who need to see their guys placed on a present on residence. Toss Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly’s identify in a hat, pull out a trio and watch them ship a (glorified exhibition sport time beyond regulation) championship to the Centre of the Hockey Universe.

What was essentially the most questionable draft choice?

Clark: Sam Reinhart going within the fifth spherical to Staff McDavid. For starters, they did not want extra objectives. They’ve the three gamers — McDavid, Draisaitl and Pastrnak — who completed first, second and third in factors final season.

However past that, an argument may be made Reinhart ought to have gone greater. A perennial 20-goal scorer, he has already achieved a 3rd straight 30-goal season and is on tempo to complete with greater than 60; he sits second within the goal-scoring race proper now, with 37. We suppose a 27.6% capturing share helps.

Matiash: I am not suggesting Tom Wilson would not carry his personal model of panache to any roster, in any type of competitors, however I am additionally most likely not choosing the Capitals ahead earlier than Reinhart or Filip Forsberg or Vincent Trocheck, as Staff MacKinnon did Thursday night.

Öcal: An excessive amount of of the captains sticking to their NHL teammates for me general. I get it, you need to play along with your boys, however I might have beloved some mix-and-match — we did not even get a commerce! When it comes to one particular choice, it was Alexandar Georgiev to Staff MacKinnon. I might have beloved the drama of seeing him chosen by one other group, then MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Tate McRae having to orchestrate a commerce.

Shilton: Vincent Trocheck touchdown within the backside 4 was loopy to me. He is a point-per-game man this season! And whereas all 4 groups had chosen scoring expertise to that stage of the night time, it nonetheless felt like Trocheck ought to have been off the board nicely earlier than Dave Keon got here out and handed him his secret envelope. I am taking a look at him to have an enormous sport on Saturday simply to indicate the opposite captains how badly they whiffed.

Wyshynski: I nonetheless suppose protection wins championships, so I nonetheless suppose that the correct goaltenders can win the All-Star Sport match. To the opposite three groups that allowed the squad with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to even have Connor Hellebuyck and Sergei Bobrovsky: What have been you pondering?

Which group wins the championship?

Clark: Let’s go along with Staff MacKinnon. They’ve a number of gamers who can rating and create for others. Having a goaltending tandem of Georgiev and Jeremy Swayman additionally helps. But the element that might show essentially the most pivotal is that they’ve plenty of gamers with two-way means, which could give them a bonus in these late-game conditions, making an attempt to carry a lead.

Matiash: Staff McDavid contains the very best skater on the earth, arguably the highest goaltender within the sport in Connor Hellebuyck, a Boston winger who might discover himself an eventual Hart Trophy nominee, the participant with the second-most objectives up to now, and one of many higher two-way forwards in Boone Jenner (an underrated asset, in my view). Oh, and Leon Draisaitl. If Staff Matthews would not derive an excessive amount of additional oomph from taking part in in entrance of the hometown crowd, I like this squad’s possibilities.

Öcal: Staff Leafs … err, Matthews bought the job carried out in entrance of the house crowd on the draft Thursday, and I say the great vibes proceed Saturday. With the groups constructed how they’re, we might hear essentially the most booing we have heard ever at an All-Star Sport. Staff Matthews vs. Staff Hughes within the opening spherical … Leafs vs. Canucks … Staff Hughes will certainly be taking part in the position of the heel in Toronto for that one.

Shilton: I will additionally take Staff Matthews. They’re bought familiarity (with all 4 Maple Leafs collectively), their goaltenders (Jake Oettinger and Igor Shesterkin) are unbelievable, and so they’ll simply be having quite a lot of enjoyable — which might translate into success! Plus, you understand the hometown crowd may have their backs. Matthews’ crew may run away with this factor.

Wyshynski: The Can-Am Connection on Staff Hughes. We have now a group with the core 5 gamers from the first-place Vancouver Canucks together with American heroes Brady Tkachuk, Kyle Connor and common supervisor Jack Hughes. Oh, and a few man named Nikita Kucherov who’s main the NHL in scoring on the break.