Which Columbus Blue Jackets Are Most Likely To Be All-Stars?
Pierre-Luc Dubois: Likelihood of Selection: 5%
Pierre-Luc Dubois will be a future All-Star at the NHL level and with the previous five on five style of All-Star Game, he’d certainly get the nod this year. With the reduced amount of players going to the game in it’s current format, it’s very difficult to justify the nomination of Dubois though.
He’s currently third in points for the Columbus Blue Jackets with a total of 27 points, 13 of which are goals, through 33 games this season. If he were to catch fire prior to the break though, it would be possible. The only downside of that would be, his linemates would also earn points on the plays more than likely which would only elevate their stock even higher and Dubois would still be unable to catch up.
Being tied for second on the Jackets behind only Cam Atkinson in goals certainly would help his case over a player like Artemi Panarin, however the points advantage being in Panarin’s favor makes it difficult to support that argument.
The fact that Dubois is even in this conversation at 20 years of age in his second NHL season shows how far he’s grown since being drafted in 2016. He’s not necessarily a “superstar” like the two players who were drafted ahead of him, but he’s certainly become a face of the franchise and will remain that way for years to come.
Expect Dubois to make his All-Star Game debut roughly around 2022 or 2023 when he’s arguably the best forward on the Blue Jackets, even if Artemi Panarin re-signs.
Seth Jones – Likelihood of Selection: 25%
Seth Jones is one of the best defensemen in the league however the Metropolitan division is extremely strong in that regard which makes it much harder for Jones to make it than a forward. With the likes of John Carlson, Ivan Provorov, Justin Faulk and Dougie Hamilton all battling for a spot, Jones is likely going to be snubbed simply because he’s a defenseman.
He shouldn’t let that get him down though, as Jones is a future Norris Trophy winner and will be an All-Star many times in his career. This season though, an early injury likely cost him any shot at either of those honors especially considering the amount of defensemen around the NHL who are playing highly above expectations.
Jones leads the Blue Jackets defensemen in points this season, despite only playing 26 games to this point. He has 19 points through those 26 and has regularly been one of the main scoring options when he’s on the ice.
Seth Jones is a workhorse and is the definition of a top pairing defenseman, and he’d be in that position on nearly every team in the NHL. Much like Dubois, in the old format of the All-Star Game Jones would be a no doubt pick. However once again, as a result of the reduction in the number of participants in the game Jones will likely be forced to watch the game from home due to no fault of his own, preferably on a comfortable couch or reclining chair.
Artemi Panarin – Likelihood of Selection: 35%
Artemi Panarin is the NHL’s idea of a superstar and as a result, he’s arguably most likely to be selected for the All-Star Game. The Columbus Blue Jackets forward is currently tied with Cam Atkinson in points and as a result he’s going to be given a long look as an option to make it to San Jose.
Artemi Panarin’s name by itself brings a level of star power with it, which is why even if he doesn’t win the fan vote; he’ll likely be given a shot to show off his game on a national level. The NHL likes players who market themselves as a star and since the league are the ones who choose the All-Stars that certainly helps his case.
That’s not to say that Panarin’s play on the ice hasn’t deserved recognition. He’s currently over a point per game and leads the Blue Jackets in assists by far. He’s a first line player on every team in the NHL and is a top left winger in the league.
The question remains whether or not the Columbus Blue Jackets fans would look positively on this considering his current unrestricted free agent status following this season. It’s even possible that he gets traded prior to this event, which would make the game much more awkward for Blue Jackets fans.
Artemi Panarin will likely be one of the Blue Jackets representatives at the 2019 NHL All-Star Game, however it’ll be a controversial decision by the league.
Cam Atkinson – Likelihood of Selection: 35%
Cam Atkinson is the Blue Jackets best player this season and it’s not even close. His lack of “star power” though will seemingly hurt his chances of being nominated for the All-Star Game, but based purely on performance alone if there’s only one representative from Columbus it should be Atkinson.
If neither Atkinson nor Panarin go on a massive hot streak between now and the selection of the teams, we’ll be able to see whether the league truly values elite levels of play or if they value a player’s ability to market themselves more.
Atkinson was infamously left off of the captain voting, yet players like Nick Foligno and Sergei Bobrovsky who haven’t had the best seasons are left on the list.
Regardless of his nomination later this season, there’s not a case that can be made against Atkinson deserving to be in the All-Star game. All that remains to be seen is if he’s the NHL’s first choice for the Jackets representative or if he’s their second choice.
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Atkinson is tied with Panarin for the team lead in points, however he’s created a large amount of his own opportunities and leads the team in goals by a large margin. Cam Atkinson will never be at the level of a Hart Trophy winner nor will he ever find himself at the top of the scoring leader boards, however he’s the best Columbus Blue Jackets player this season and he should be recognized as such by being an All-Star.