With the National Hockey League (and the entire sports world) on hiatus, people are coming up with tons of different ways to keep people involved in the sports world. One way that we are doing it here at Drive4Five is by surveying our staff on what their All-Star teams would look like by division. Last week, we did the Metropolitan Division All-Star teams. For this week’s All-Star Survey, we take a look at how everyone’s Atlantic Division teams look like. Before getting into the teams, two rules were set in stone, one being that it had to be a full 12-6-2 roster, and the other being that each team in the division had to have at least one representative. So, here are everyone’s Atlantic Division All-Star teams.

David:

Brad Marchand – Patrice Bergeron – David Pastrnak
Brayden Point – Steven Stamkos – Nikita Kucherov
Mitch Marner – Auston Matthews – Jack Eichel
Jonathan Huberdeau – Aleksander Barkov – Dylan Larkin
Thomas Chabot – Victor Hedman
Torey Krug – Rasmus Dahlin
Keith Yandle – Aaron Ekblad
Tukka Rask
Carey Price

“This team is stacked. On paper, the Atlantic Division has perhaps the most talented roster there is. The forward group is fantastic, with many chemistry pairing from Boston, Tampa Bay, Toronto, and Florida. Leaving Tomas Tatar and John Tavares off the team was a risk, one not felt too heavily with the firepower of this squad, however. On defense, leaving Rasmus Ristolainen was tough, but including Rasmus Dahlin made up for it. Jeff Petry, Shea Weber, and Charlie McAvoy are also enticing options on the backend. Andrei Vasilevskiy was considered in net as well.”

Matt:

Huberdeau – Barkov – Pastrnak
Marchand – Eichel – Marner
Tomas Tatar – Stamkos – Kucherov
Brady Tkachuk – Point – Anthony Mantha
Hedman – Shea Weber
Krug – Ekblad
Yandle – Charlie McAvoy
Rask
Andrei Vasilevskiy

“For my Atlantic Division honorable mentions, I will give a nod to Mike Hoffman of the Panthers. He lost out on a winger spot in order to give the Ottawa Senators a representative in Tkachuk, but Hoffman has had a great year offensively. He leads the Florida Panthers in goals and is third in points. The pending UFA is making his case for a payday this offseason, and he will be a piece to watch on the market this summer. On defense, my honorable mention is Tyson Barrie of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was in a tight decision between him and McAvoy for the final spot on defense; however, I chose McAvoy, trading for his stronger defensive ability in exchange for slightly inferior offense. Barrie suffered from a bad start with the Maple Leafs, tallying seven assists prior to the coaching change. Since then, he has scored five goals and totaled 32 points, and considering the bad start he had, five goals and 39 points is shaping out to be a good season for Barrie. He is also a pending unrestricted free agent this summer, and he will be a very under the radar pickup for whoever he signs with. In goal, my honorable mention is Carey Price. He and Freddie Anderson have each had down years in goal for the Canadiens and Maple Leafs respectively, but Price has been better and earns the nod. While it can be said that Price has had a down year for his standards, he still is a force to be reckoned with in the net. While for now, it is unknown whether this down year is due to age or is a one-off, he will still be a very solid goaltender in this league for the next few seasons.”

Will:

Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak
Barkov – Stamkos – Kucherov
Marner – Point – Matthews
Larkin – Eichel – Huberdeau
Weber – Hedman
Chabot – Dahlin
Yandle – McAvoy
Rask
Andersen

“I chose two forwards, a defenseman, and a goaltender for my honorable mentions. Max Domi is a young, exciting player for the Montreal Canadiens. He has had a bit of a down season after 72 points last year but has room to grow still with this young Montreal forward core. John Tavares is an elite goal scorer and a leader on the current Toronto Maple Leafs team. After coming over from the Islanders by way of free agency in 2018, Tavares had a 47 goal season and was on his way to over 30 this season despite injuries. He will be a key piece moving forward in this Toronto forward core. An underrated offensive defenseman, Torey Krug was on his way to his fourth straight 50-point season. Despite not being the best in his own zone, Krug is always dangerous on the back end for the Bruins. Finally, Carey Price has been up and down over the past few years but he has helped an average Montreal defense out with good play this year. The former Vezina and Hart trophy winner is still a very good goaltender and one of the best in the division.”

Shawn:

Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak
Eichel – Barkov – Kucherov
Huberdeau – Matthews – John Tavares
Larkin – Stamkos – Marner
Krug – Hedman
Weber – Reilly
Ekblad – Chabot
Rask
Vasilevskiy

“The Atlantic Division is totally stacked. The four forward lines really are somewhat even, just because there is an abundance of superstars in the division. For my first honorable mention, I give the nod to Brayden Point. Point has really found his game in the last couple of seasons and has proven to be a superstar in the National Hockey League. William Nylander has a similar situation. He has bounced back tremendously the last season and a half and put up excellent offensive numbers. He is very creative with the puck and can easily make an all-star team. On defense, Keith Yandle gets an honorable mention. Yandle has been one of the league’s best offensive defensemen for years, despite always being underrated. Lastly, even though his play has declined, Carey Price must be considered as he carries a lackluster Canadiens team to most of their victories.”

Scott:

Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak
Huberdeau – Barkov – Kucherov
Marner – Stamkos – Matthews
Point – Eichel – Larkin
Hedman – Reilly
Krug – Yandle
Mikhail Sergachev – Chabot
Vasilevskiy
Price

“This team was much harder to put together than the Metropolitan Division team last week. To start from the top, the first line is the first line of the best team in hockey, the Boston Bruins. You can’t bother breaking up Marchand, Bergeron, and Pastrnak. The second line includes two members of the Panthers’ first line in Huberdeau and Barkov, and last year’s Hart Trophy winner in Kucherov. The third line consists of players that were going to make the team in Marner, Stamkos, and Matthews, while the fourth line has some debate. Larkin is there as the Red Wings’ representative, but he would have been on my team either way, and Eichel and Point are two of the best young talents in the game. Alongside Point competing for that last forward spot was Max Domi, who would have been the extra skater for this forward group, alongside John Tavares, Brendan Gallagher, Tomas Tatar, Sam Reinhart, Anthony Mantha, Brady Tkachuk, and Anthony Cirelli. On the defense, the top-four includes four players that were destined to be there, including the game’s top defenseman in Victor Hedman. Yandle, Reilly, and Krug are all producing at elite-level paces, despite Reilly’s injury this year. The bottom pair is where questions come up. Chabot is one of the elite defensemen in the game, and, Ottawa representative or not, deserves to be on the team. Mikhail Sergachev has stepped up in a big way this year playing alongside Kevin Shattenkirk, and he gets the final nod on defense. The honorable mentions on defense include Shea Weber, Rasmus Dahlin, Ryan McDonagh, Jeff Petry, Filip Hronek, Tyson Barrie, and Aaron Ekblad. The goaltending was arguably the most intriguing spot to pick, as there have been some inconsistencies from all the Atlantic Division goaltenders this year. I went with the reigning Vezina Trophy winner in Andrei Vasilevskiy, and the best goaltender of our generation in Carey Price. Also in consideration for the goaltending spots were Tukka Rask and Frederik Andersen.”

Jake:

Kucherov – Matthews – Pastrnak
Marchand – Bergeron – Eichel
Barkov – Tavares – Marner
Gallagher – Larkin – Domi
Hedman – Ekblad
Weber – Chabot
Chara – Reilly
Vasilevskiy
Rask

“With the Atlantic Division, I think the biggest strength with these teams are the chemistry that is formed by players in the division. Montréal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry and goaltender Carey Price are both fine players but have their highs and lows which make them honorable mentions, instead of taking a spot on the team. Another honorable mention is Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi, who is a solid all-around player that is performing on the struggling Red Wings.”

Aidan:

Tavares – Matthews – Kucherov
Marchand – Bergeron – Point
Stamkos – Eichel – Pastrnak
Huberdeau – Barkov – Marner
McAvoy – Hedman
Weber – Chabot
Ekblad – Krug
Rask
Bernier

“Contrary to my Metropolitan Division team, my Atlantic Division team thrives completely through star power, especially among the forwards. Each of these forwards has proven to be elite offensively at some point over the past few years, and most of them suffice defensively because the Marchand-Bergeron-Point line is capable of limiting opposing top offensive lines. The top defensive line is composed of two of the best two-way defensemen in the NHL, whereas the rest of the defense is very mediocre defensively, with the exception of Aaron Ekblad. For this reason, I considered including Jeff Petry and Mikhail Sergachev instead of Shea Weber and Torey Krug. However, Weber and Krug produce substantially more on the offensive end, and the most crucial defensive minutes of the game will be assigned to Victor Hedman and Charlie McAvoy. The two best goaltenders in this division are Tuukka Rask and Andrei Vasilevskiy, but Jonathan Bernier has been one of the few bright spots on a miserable team this year. Among all starting goaltenders in the Atlantic Division, Bernier ranks second in Goals Allowed above Expected, according to Evolving Hockey. Furthermore, as a means of including a Detroit Red Wing, Bernier offered somewhat surprising upside for this team.”

Jared:

Marchand – Matthews – Kucherov
Pastrnak – Eichel – Marner
Huberdeau – Tavares – Stamkos
Tkachuk – Barkov – Larkin
Hedman – Krug
Rielly – Yandle
Sergachev – Weber
Vasileskiy
Rask

“This Atlantic Division was much harder to put together than the Metropolitan Division due to the extensive amount of talent the division has. The first three offensive lines were easy to place into the lineup but it got hard placing wingers on the fourth line. My honorable mentions for forwards are Brayden Point, Brendan Gallagher, Thomas Tatar, Max Domi, and Anthony Mantha. Brady Tkachuk makes the list with the need of an Ottawa Senator, yet his skill and tenacity cannot be missed when creating a top Atlantic Division roster. The defensemen are arguably some of the best in the league, however, the inclusion of Shea Weber is due to the need of a Montreal Canadian.  My honorable mentions for defensemen are Thomas Chabot and Kevin Shattenkirk. Both players are very skillful and provide great backend help to their teams but didn’t have the power and skill to make the cut. For goaltenders, you got very tough choices to make. Tukka Rask, Andrei Vasileskiy, Carey Price, and Frederick Anderson are four of the top goaltenders in the league. Price is arguably the best netminder of our generation yet his decline has left him off of the list. Frederik Andersen is my other honorable mention alongside Price. He has proven to be a vital part of the success in Toronto.”

Alex:

Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak
Kucherov – Matthews – Marner
Huberdeau – Barkov – Eichel
Bertuzzi – Stamkos – Point
Hedman – Weber
Chabot – Yandle
Krug – Petry
Rask
Vasileskiy

“For honorable mentions in the Atlantic Division, I chose one forward, one defenseman, and one goaltender. At forward, my honorable mention is Toronto Maple Leafs winger Willian Nylander. Nylander has had a fantastic breakout season but considering how loaded the Atlantic is upfront he just misses the cut. On defense, my honorable mention is Mikhail Sergachev. Sergachev is behind Hedman on the Lightning’s depth chart but has still put together a fantastic campaign. For goaltending, Frederik Andersen has had a decent season for the Leafs, and following Rask and Vasilevskiy, he seems to be the choice as the third-best goaltender in the Atlantic Division.”

AJ:

Marchand – Eichel – Kucherov
Huberdeau – Stamkos – Pastrnak
Larkin – Matthews – Marner
Point – Barkov – Tatar
Chabot – Hedman
Weber – McAvoy
Petry – Reilly
Vasilevskiy
Rask

“Two stars of the Atlantic Division I believe got snubbed off the team were John Tavares and Rasmus Dahlin. Both Tavares and Dahlin are excellent players but didn’t fit that team-specific role I was looking for with the remaining spots left on the line-up. I didn’t pick the best names, but I picked the players who can make a bigger impact in-game on both sides of the ice. The two surprises on my team would be Tomas Tatar and Jeff Petry, who both play for the Montreal Canadiens. Both of these players are extremely underrated, as Tatar has put up sixty-one points in sixty-eight games, while also being a solid two-way player and will be able to log some penalty kill time. Jeff Petry is one of the more underrated players in hockey, and reporters are shocked his name isn’t being mentioned as much as it honestly should be for the UFA class of 2021. He is great on both ends of the ice, playing a solid top defenseman role with the Canadiens while also finding the back of the net eleven times and putting up forty points this season.”

Ben:

Marchand – Matthews – Pastrnak
Huberdeau – Eichel – Marner
Tatar – Tavares – Kucherov
Tkachuk – Barkov – Stamkos
Hedman – Weber
Reilly – Ekblad
Chabot – McAvoy
Rask
Vasilevskiy

“I was tempted to place three of these six honorable mentions in the main lineup.  It was a testament to just how deep the Atlantic Division is in terms of talent.  Patrice Bergeron is one of the best defensive countermen of the decade, but Alexander Barkov has started to take over that title, and I gave the spot to him instead. Another emerging star in the division is Anthony Mantha in Detroit.  He was having a great season before he was injured in December.  The right-wing is just too stacked in the Atlantic, nothing against Mantha. After Marchand and Huberdeau, I had a hard time filling out the other two left-wing spots. Tomas Tatar has been extremely underrated for Montreal this season with 61 points before the season was paused. Brady Tkachuk is emerging as a stud in Ottawa, and right behind them was Mike Hoffman. Keith Yandle and Torey Krug are my honorable mentions on defense. When it comes to points among defensemen, Yandle is usually at the top of the list. Krug is also a gifted offensive defenseman and is a huge part of Boston’s 2nd ranked power play. In goal, I couldn’t resist choosing the league leader in Goals Against Average and the runner up in Save Percentage, Tukka Rask. Rask is one of the most dominant goalies in the game, and Jaroslav Halak gives him plenty of rest so he can perform when it matters most. Similarly, how can I pass up on a perennial Vezina candidate in Vasilevsky? There are many good goalies in the division, and Frederik Andersen just missed the cut.”
Thank you to all of our writers for participating in this week’s Atlantic Division All-Star article! Come back next week for our Central Division All-Star teams!

SEF