Arizona Coyotes: Who Replaces John Scott At The NHL All-Star Game?

The Arizona Coyotes sent shockwaves through the NHL by trading presumptive Pacific Division All-Star captain John Scott to the Montreal Canadiens. The move opened up a spot on the All-Star roster for the Coyotes to fill…the question is, who is it going to be?

After the Arizona Coyotes traded John Scott to the Montreal Canadiens, the immediate question turned to what was to happen with Scott’s All-Star captaincy and would there be a new Coyotes player replacing him.

The answer is yes. Now who will it be?

If we go by the voting – which the NHL seems intent to ignore based on the rumblings behind the scenes of the John Scott trade – the most likely candidate to replace Scott would be rookie sensation Max Domi.

Domi has 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points so far in his rookie campaign, and he would certainly be a star to see on the ice in the 3-on-3 format that the NHL unveiled for the event in Nashville. Regardless of his potential All-Star status, however, Domi seems genuinely saddened that his teammate was traded.

If the player is chosen based on merit, then the NHL would find a way to include Arizona Coyotes superstar Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

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He is a crucial part of the present and future of the Coyotes. Frankly, this team may well be knee deep in the Auston Matthews sweepstakes that everyone predicted if not for the young Swede manning the team’s blueline 25 plus minutes per night. He means that much to the team on both ends of the ice.

OEL has 13 goals and 20 assists on the season. Those numbers are better than more than one of his counterparts who are already attending the NHL All-Star game festivites. His 33 points tie him for the team lead with Mikkel Boedker.

Unfortunately for Ekman-Larsson, each division’s roster only chose 3 defensemen and John Scott was a forward. The NHL would have to bend the rules to fit him in…that shouldn’t be a problem for them, though, right?

Another worthy candidate is none other than Captain Coyote himself, Shane Doan. Doan has scored 16 goals this season, already besting his total for last season and we’re only at the midway point. He also broke the franchise goal-scoring record, and if it’s a captain they need they’ll find few better in the game.

The game would be a great highlight at the tail-end of Doan’s career should he decide to retire after this season. If he doesn’t, he’s still a very deserving candidate above and beyond the “lifetime achievement” angle.

“I don’t know if we already have too many defencemen on the team or whatever it may be, but obviously he’s probably their best player and he deserves to be there. I would say him.” — Drew Doughty

That leaves the Arizona Coyotes with one more option for an All-Star selection; the Great Dane Mikkel Boedker. Boedker is tied for the team lead in points and has 12 goals on the season. After missing significant time with injury last season, Boeds looks like he is once again on pace to produce the kind of numbers the Coyotes anticipated when they drafted him in 2008.

This season should be the second where Boedker eclipses the 50 point plateau, and it’s a big one because he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion.

It’s remarkable that in a year when the Coyotes were expected to be bottom feeders in the NHL, they have four viable candidates for the NHL All-Star game. It’s even more remarkable that not one of them were selected before this trade fiasco opened up John Scott’s position.

Regardless of your thoughts on John Scott and his treatment by the league and the Arizona Coyotes (it was poor to put it lightly), it seems most fans are happy that one of their four stars will be able to partake in the All-Star game festivities.

For my money, Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the most deserving candidate. Drew Doughty thinks so too.

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“That’s the only guy I could think of that’s most deserving on that team – it would be him,” said Doughty, who along with Jonathan Quick will represent the Kings in Nashville later this month. “I don’t know if we already have too many defencemen on the team or whatever it may be, but obviously he’s probably their best player and he deserves to be there. I would say him.”

If the NHL is unwilling to make the extra roster accommodation for OEL, however, they’ve got plenty of solid choices to pick from.

I look forward to seeing whoever it is on the ice in Nashville.