Picking NHL All-Star teams at the season's unofficial halfway mark

There's no NHL All-Star Game this season, but we want to recognize those who would've deserved a selection had this been a typical year.

We've kept the three-on-three tournament-based format the NHL has used since 2015-16. This means rosters will consist of seven forwards, two defensemen, and two goaltenders for each of the four divisions.

The selections are based on performance. Unlike the usual process involving fan voting (and an actual tournament played in front of spectators), popularity isn't a factor here.

We've also chosen not to employ the NHL's rule mandating at least one player from every team because the quota exists purely to placate fans, and it often results in better players being left out, even in a normal season. Lastly, the players are listed in order of their worthiness, and the picks were made with input from all of theScore's hockey editors.

Here's who we believe would warrant NHL All-Star selection in 2021 if the midseason event was being held:

North Division

Forwards

Honorable mentions: Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers, Johnny Gaudreau.

Almost all of the North Division forward picks are no-brainers. McDavid has been the Hart Trophy front-runner for most of the season, Matthews has been the consensus runner-up, and Draisaitl and Marner are among the NHL's top point producers. Toffoli's done most of his damage against the Canucks (eight goals and five assists in seven games), but he's still produced seven markers in 20 contests against the other Canadian teams.

Defensemen

Honorable mentions: Neal Pionk, Thomas Chabot, Darnell Nurse.

Petry leads all NHL rearguards in goals and sits within striking distance of the league lead in points at the position while producing more points than any other Canadiens skater. The Montreal blue-liner's also driving possession better than the other candidates, boasting a 55.52 expected goals for percentage, a 57.18 scoring chances for percentage, and a 55.89 Corsi For percentage at five-on-five.

Hughes has also been a must-watch blue-liner in 2021, leading all Vancouver skaters in assists and outpacing all but two Canuck players in points. His underlying numbers aren't favorable, but chalk that up to his team's largely underwhelming performance. The 21-year-old has played more games than his counterparts this season and the sky's the limit for this star.

Goaltenders

Honorable mention: Mike Smith.

The top North Division goaltenders have largely underachieved and/or endured injuries this season. Jacob Markstrom has done both, as has Frederik Andersen, and Carey Price is clearly no longer the netminder he once was.

Given Hellebuyck's workload, no other goalie has played better for the Canadian teams. While the Jets puck-stopper's save percentage isn't otherworldly, it's better than all other No. 1 goalies in the North who've matched or even approached his 21 starts. He's also helped Winnipeg match the first-place Maple Leafs' points percentage despite the Jets being one of the NHL's worst teams in shots allowed per game.

Demko struggled to start the season but has seized the Canucks' No. 1 job and has dominated as of late. In his last six games, he's posted a .952 save percentage with five wins.

Central Division

Forwards

Honorable mentions: Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, Vincent Trocheck.

Kane and DeBrincat have been lights out for the surprisingly competitive Blackhawks, while another dynamic duo - Huberdeau and Barkov - are excelling for the resurgent Panthers. Forsberg would be on the fringes of the Hart Trophy race if his Predators were in a playoff spot with how much he's carried them.

Defensemen

Hedman is far and away the best blue-liner in the Central Division, and, as usual, his numbers prove it. Ekblad has also put himself in the Norris Trophy conversation with a stellar first half.

Goaltenders

Honorable mention: Chris Driedger.

Much like the Central rearguards, there's no debate regarding the netminders. Vasilevskiy is the Vezina Trophy front-runner, while Lankinen has emerged as a Calder Trophy candidate since coming out of nowhere to become the Blackhawks' unquestioned No. 1 goalie.

East Division

Forwards

Honorable mentions: Artemi Panarin, Alex Ovechkin.

It would be shocking if Ovechkin didn't earn a spot in any other season, but he doesn't warrant selection here since we're basing it solely on performance. The Capitals superstar hasn't been his typically prolific self in 2021, and his underlying numbers are similarly unflattering.

Conversely, all three members of the Bruins' vaunted top line deserve to crack the list. Pastrnak missed time at the start of the campaign due to injury but has been lights out since returning, and Bergeron, as always, has been proficient at both ends.

Defensemen

Honorable mentions: Adam Fox, Kris Letang.

McAvoy is a legitimate Norris Trophy candidate and has been indispensable to a Bruins squad that lost Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara in the offseason. Carlson - the 2019-20 runner-up for that award - has been productive as usual in 2021. He helped the Capitals remain competitive when they were without a quartet of key players for an extended period.

Goaltenders

A pair of Russian netminders playing for New York-based clubs have separated themselves from the East pack. Varlamov has ceded some starts lately to another countryman, Ilya Sorokin, but the veteran is still the Islanders' clear No. 1 and has been the division's best puck-stopper in 2021. Shesterkin has a mild injury that's considered day-to-day, so he keeps his spot.

Tuukka Rask has a winning record because he plays for the Bruins, but he's been subpar for much of the season, posting a .906 save percentage and minus-0.18 goals saved above average in all situations. He has a respectable 0.98 goals saved above expected (according to Evolving Hockey), but Varlamov and Shesterkin are outperforming him in that department, too.

West Division

Forwards

Honorable mention: Max Pacioretty.

Kaprizov leads all rookies in goals, assists, and points while pacing all first-year forwards in average ice time by a wide margin. The 23-year-old has looked like a seasoned pro while dazzling at times in his first NHL campaign. O'Reilly does so much for the Blues, and Perron has been an All-Star caliber player for St. Louis in his own right.

Defensemen

Honorable mentions: Jakob Chychrun, Sam Girard.

Makar hasn't played since late February due to an injury, but he was the Norris Trophy front-runner before being forced out of the lineup and remains day-to-day. Either fellow Avalanche blue-liner Girard or Chychrun would be worthy replacements, but considering Makar isn't expected to be unavailable for the long term, he has to be the West Division's top blue-liner here.

Doughty is enjoying a bounce-back year for the surprisingly better-than-awful Kings, ranking near the top of the NHL in average ice time and sitting among the league leaders in points by a rearguard.

Goaltenders

Honorable mentions: Philipp Grubauer, Darcy Kuemper.

Kahkonen has outperformed Grubauer in terms of save percentage and goals saved above average at five-on-five. The Wild netminder has also won a larger percentage of his starts than his Colorado counterpart. While Grubauer has notched four shutouts, three of them came against either the San Jose Sharks (two) or Kings.

(Analytics source unless otherwise indicated: Natural Stat Trick)