32 players have already been selected to participate in the 2023 NHL All-Star weekend festivities next month, but one chosen player sticks out like a sore thumb.
Article begins below
Seth Jones of the Chicago Blackhawks puts his name in historically bad players to make the NHL All-Star game. Joining honorary bad picks such as Leo Komarov, Zemgus Girgensons and of course, John Scott.
We all remember John Scott as being the worst player to ever make the All-Star game, all because of fan voting.
But for a player like Seth Jones to be selected in the first 32 players, while other big names such as Leon Draisaitl, Auston Matthews, Mikko Rantanen and Bo Horvat are relying on fan votes, is a sign that the All-Star game is due for a brand new format.
Article continues below
Seth Jones, in just 27 games for the Blackhawks, has scored two goals and nine assists, giving him 11 total points. His +/- is sitting at a brutal (-26) , tied for the second lowest in the NHL.
His monster eight-year, $76,000,000 (9.5M AAV) contract doesn't make this look any better for the struggling Blackhawks, who as of today, sit dead-last (32nd) in the league.
The 28-year-old knows his selection is solely based around every team needing a representative, and Jones just so happens to be the best available Blackhawks player through January and into the All-Star break.
This will be Seth Jones fifth time selected to represent his team at the All-Star game, with four previous times being selected for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Article continues below
What does Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones think about the NHL rule requiring one player from every team to participate in the All-Star Game?
“That’s probably why I got nominated this year,” he responded.
Jones ranks 13th among NHL defensemen in ice time, averaging 24:41 per game, but his results have been poor. Not only does he rank 85th in points per minute but his 41.1% scoring-chance ratio (at five-on-five) ranks 172nd out of 185 defensemen in the league.
Obviously, fans have taken to Twitter to poke fun at Seth Jones and the entire NHL for their horrible system, snubbing actual All-Stars from participating year after year.
Is it time for the NHL to retire their current All-Star game format? As it stands, one player from each team gets automatically selected to represent, and in some circumstances, that player ends up being awful.
