Heading to Hollywood: NHL All-Star roster projections

The All-Star Game is nearly here, meaning that at any time now, the NHL will spring official roster selections on us for the Los Angeles showcase.

So to beat the press release, here's how the rosters should shake down for the three-on-three tournament we can hope will entertain us for another year.

Keep in mind that six forwards, three defenders, and two goalies make up the squads.

And, alas, every team must be represented.

The Metro

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins (c)
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia Flyers
Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes
Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils
John Tavares, New York Islanders

Ryan McDonagh, New York Rangers
Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
Justin Schultz, Pittsburgh Penguins

Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets
Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals

On call: Evgeni Malkin, Cam Atkinson, Jakub Voracek

This was little fun.

First, Malkin and Atkinson absolutely deserve to be there. It's wrong they're not. But in squeezing in a representative from each team, we had to prioritize a) ensuring each player genuinely warrants selection, b) that they're deserving in the context of their own locker room, and c) that the player's skills would translate to three-on-three. This is about entertainment, after all.

With that in mind, Skinner and Hall make the roster in lieu of Malkin, Atkinson, and a slew of worthy forwards because Werenski and Schultz are that much more deserving (and, frankly, more enticing options) than defenders we could consider from the Hurricanes and Devils.

Elsewhere, Tavares has to be on the team; there isn't another option on Long Island. And while there's an argument Malkin warrants selection over Ovechkin, word is the NHL wants the active players to be included in the "100 Greatest" unveiling to be participants at the event.

The Atlantic

Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens
Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings
Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins
Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers

Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators
Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Rasmus Ristolainen, Buffalo Sabres

Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens (c)
Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins

On call: Shea Weber, David Pastrnak, Alexander Radulov

It was fairly cut and dry, but with one strategic decision in having Ristolainen over Weber. The rationale is twofold: Ristolainen is most deserving in Buffalo, while the omission of Weber also allows the inclusion of Marchand, who has been the productive member of arguably the best line in hockey.

Elsewhere, if Barkov can't represent Florida, Jonathan Marchessault should receive the invitation. His 2.42 all-situations points rate is best in Sunrise.

The Central

Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
Artemi Panarin, Chicago Blackhawks
Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets
Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators (c)
Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks
Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg Jets

Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild
Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks

On call: Mark Scheifele, Eric Staal, Kevin Shattenkirk

Despite the wealth of talent in the division, the Central roster seems fairly obvious as well.

The top-five scorers are on the team, while MacKinnon has been the most productive player on the last-place Avs. It's really a coin flip between Laine and Scheifele (and Scheifele may go anyway based on Laine's injury), but for now, we're going with the polarizing rookie sniper.

The Pacific

Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Jeff Carter, Los Angeles Kings
Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks
Ryan Kesler, Anaheim Ducks
Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames
Bo Horvat, Vancouver Canucks

Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks
Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
Cam Fowler, Anaheim Ducks

Cam Talbot, Edmonton Oilers
Mike Smith, Arizona Coyotes

On call: Rickard Rakell, Leon Draisaitl, Dougie Hamilton

Ekman-Larsson's impact in relation to the other members of the Arizona backline is undeniable, but Smith deserves some recognition for his performance on a team allowing more shots than any other. His .918 save percentage, which is near the top of the division, is impressive given the circumstances.

We went with Fowler over Ekman-Larsson because the Ducks defender ranks second among Pacific Division counterparts with nine goals - and a last-place team shouldn't boast two representatives under this format.