Kraken Goal Celebration (photo by Jenn Goldberg, courtesy of Emerald City Hockey).
The National Hockey League (NHL) formerly allowed fans to vote in players for the annual All-Star Game, held in January. However, they switched up the system to include a player from every team in 2016.
For the most recent game, in 2022, the Seattle Kraken sent Jordan Eberle as their solo representative to the game at T-Mobile Arena in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada.
Last year’s Seattle Kraken team was not packed with star players. Eberle was already an All-Star once, playing in 2012 as a member of the Edmonton Oilers, so he had some name recognition with fans across the league.
Oddly enough, the NHL didn’t select then-captain Mark Giordano (three-time All-Star), Yanni Gourde (two-time Stanley Cup winner), or Jared McCann, who finished the season as the team’s leading scorer.
Outside of the league’s obvious superstar choices, like Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Igor Shesterkin, the selections for many teams beg us to question who gets nominated and why?
Even though the NHL season is just a month old, and the holiday season is fast approaching, it is always early enough to discuss who should attend the next All-Star Game on February 4, 2023, in Florida.
Let’s start with the obvious choice right out of the gate. Andre Burakovsky is a two-time Stanley Cup champion (2018 & 2022) who signed with the Seattle Kraken as a free agent in July 2022.
He brings a wealth of experience and leadership to the team. That’s reflected in the standings since the Seattle Kraken currently sit in third place in the Pacific Division with an 8-5-3 record. As a comparison, last year, the team won their eighth game of the season in their 22nd contest.
Burakovsky is the Seattle Kraken’s leading scorer, with four goals and ten assists for 14 points in 16 games. Thanks to his time in Washington and Colorado, he has star power attached to his name, and his signing made headlines news across the league.
Even if Burakovsky had a slow start to the season, he would be the Kraken’s best choice to send to Florida. The 27-year-old wing represents this improved expansion team fighting for a playoff spot.
Burakovsky has never played in an NHL All-Star game, and the nomination would be a nice feather in his cap, which includes two twenty-goal campaigns and his championship rings.
Seattle went into the 2022-23 season with Phillipp Grubauer and Martin Jones as their one-two punch in between the pipes. Last year Grubauer led the team in appearances (55), compiling an uninspiring 18-31-5 record. Meanwhile, Jones struggled as a backup with the Philadelphia Flyers (12-18-3).
The duo’s fate took a blow in late October when Grubauer went down with a lower-body injury. That move opened the door for Jones to take over as a number one goalie again, like in his days with the San Jose Sharks, and he hasn’t looked back.
Jones was the backbone of the Sharks franchise for six seasons, taking his team to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final. After two-subpar seasons in 2020 and 2021, the Seattle Kraken brought him to town to sure up their goalie pool with Chris Driedger out of action for an extended period.
So far, Jones has impressed the team and fanbase with his performance, thanks to a 7-4-1 record and one shutout. He’s sporting a 2.32 goals-against average (GAA) and .910 save percentage (SV%), his best numbers in four seasons. If you look up goalies across the league, Jones ranks sixth in wins and 17th in GAA.
The selection process for goalie inclusion at the All-Star Game is slightly different than the skaters. However, the Kraken can have two players at the game if Jones keeps pace with the other elite goalies in the league.
If you live outside of the Seattle area and only pay attention to the Kraken when they visit your city. There’s a good chance that Morgan Geekie doesn’t appear on your radar.
The 24-year-old center has just over 120 games of NHL experience and is leading the Kraken in plus/minus with a +12 rating. He’s scored four goals and collected four assists for eight points in 12 games.
The most interesting statistic is he’s producing in a limited role, skating in just over 11:13 minutes a game. Amongst the Kraken’s four centers, he’s ranked last with a 41.4% win percentage which doesn’t scream All-Star caliber.
Geekie may produce at a different rate than Burakovsky or not have the same credentials on his resume as Eberle; however, three of his four goals this year are game-winners. He’s had a unique role in the Seattle Kraken’s offense so far this season and is a huge part of the team’s early success.
This team could be full of All-Star Game players by the time the final selections are announced later in the season.
The game showcases the best of the best, and the selection process usually reflects that. Seattle is unique because they don’t have superstars like Nathan McKinnon and Steven Stamkos on the roster.
Last year, Eberle represented the team because he was a former young superstar who fans recognized.
All bets are off this year because this young and upcoming team is making noise in the Pacific Division and the Western Conference. Their All-Star Game selection should reflect this progress.
The team and fans need to lobby for a young guy or veteran who has never been to the game, someone who will embrace the chance to represent the Seattle Kraken in front of the hockey world.
Some people think that Jaden Schwartz (ten points) deserves some votes, along with Matthew Beniers (nine), Brandon Tanev (nine), Yanni Gourde (eight), Alexander Wenneberg (eight), Oliver Bjorkstrand (eight), and/or McCann (eight).
At this point in the season, who do you think should represent the Seattle Kraken at this season’s All-Star Game?