This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the Rink
Fan voting always seems like a great idea in principle, but seldom is it great in execution. With Saturday's announcement of this season's All-Star captains, we have another example of the pitfalls of fan voting. Sure, Alexander Ovechkin and Patrick Kane are deserving of the honor, but Jaromir Jagr and John Scott? What Jagr is doing at the age of 43 is amazing, yes, but should a forward who's scoring at a 50-point pace in his last 26 games be playing in the All-Star Game? John Scott and his three trips on waivers this year clearly don't deserve a spot.
I understand that the fans are indeed getting what they want, but that means that what they want is not an All-Star Game. With Jagr and Scott's appearances in the All-Star Game, it means that two well-deserving forwards will not be receiving the call to Nashville this season.
I suspect that the NHL isn't too thrilled with John Scott being voted to the All-Star Game, so we may see further changes to the game's format next season as well. Until then, let's hope that those who voted for John Scott will enjoy watching true all-stars skate circles around the worst player in the league.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
Stars (Kari Lehtonen) vs. Islanders (Thomas Greiss), 5:00 PM
Wild (Devan Dubnyk) vs. Panthers (Al Montoya), 6:00 PM
Senators (Craig Anderson) vs. Blackhawks (Corey Crawford), 7:00 PM
Jets (Michael Hutchinson) vs. Ducks (John Gibson), 9:00 PM
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check out our Projected Goalies Grid.
Injury News for Teams Playing Sunday
Dallas Stars
Ales Hemsky, RW (lower body) – placed on injured reserve Wednesday
Valeri Nichushkin, LW (lower body) – missed Saturday's game
New York Islanders
Johnny Boychuk, D (shoulder) – out week-to-week
Cal Clutterbuck, RW (upper body) – left Saturday's contest and did not return
Jaroslav Halak, G (upper body) – could be available to start Sunday
Minnesota Wild
Darcy Kuemper, G (concussion) – placed on injured reserve Saturday
Florida Panthers
Nick Bjugstad, C (upper body) – likely to return Sunday
Dave Bolland, C (lower body) – status for Sunday uncertain
Steve Kampfer, D (lower body) – no timetable for his return
Ottawa Senators
Cody Ceci, D (upper body) – considered week-to-week
Clarke MacArthur, LW (concussion) – has been travelling with the team
Milan Michalek, LW (finger) – remains on IR
Chris Phillips, D (back) – likely out for the season
Chicago Blackhawks
Marcus Kruger, C (wrist) – may miss the remainder of the regular season
Winnipeg Jets
Ondrej Pavelec, G (knee) – could be nearing a return
Mark Scheifele, C (concussion) – eligible to return Sunday
Anaheim Ducks
Simon Despres, D (concussion) – out indefinitely
Cam Fowler, D (knee) – will miss the next three-to-five weeks
Hot
John Tavares, C, NYI – Islanders' fans were piling it on their captain early in the season, with Tavares enduring struggles quite similar to what Sidney Crosby was experiencing in Pittsburgh. Much like Crosby again, Tavares has picked up his play in recent games and is beginning to look like his dominant self. Tavares' six points led the Isles to a 3-2-0 record in their last five games.
Duncan Keith, D, CHI – The two-time Norris Trophy winner sits tied for 17th in the league in scoring for defensemen, but he would be much closer to the top if he hadn't missed 10 games with a knee injury earlier in the season. His 0.76 points per game ranks him seventh amongst defensemen, and this number has only grown in recent games. Keith has scored seven points in his last six games, including four in his last two.
Cold
Ryan Suter, D, MIN – The former Wisconsin Badger was tearing up the league in his first 20 games of the season, scoring at a point per game rate. While Suter remains on pace to set career bests in scoring, he has recorded just four points in his last 17 games and is scoreless over his last seven contests. The most likely cause for Suter's drop-off in production is the jump from playing 27:44 per game in the first 20 games to playing 28:50 per game over his last 17 games.
Recommended Pickup
Charlie Coyle, RW, MIN – The 28th-overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft is playing his best hockey since entering the league in the 2012-13 season. Coyle has great size (6-foot-3, 221 lb) which allows him to better utilize his skill and protect the puck better than other players, and now it seems that he has found his confidence at the NHL level. The Massachusetts native has scored eight points in his last eight games, including an active three-game point streak.
