Andrei Svechnikov was named as the Carolina Hurricanes’ representative on the NHL All-Star team on Jan. 6, but Caniacs have an opportunity to elect another player until Jan. 17.
Among a roster of talented players, you could make a good case for several — Teuvo Teraveinen, Jordan Staal, even rookie Pyotr Kochetkov — but fans have seemingly narrowed down the race to two individuals: center Martin Nečas and left wing Jordan Martinook. Let’s take a look at the arguments for both candidates.
Martin Nečas
Given his performance so far this season, Nečas is an obvious favorite to make the All-Star roster. He scored his 17th goal in New York on Jan. 3, a career-high for the 23-year-old in only 38 games. By the end of the season, we may be looking at an offensive performance from Nečas that rivals the likes of Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho.
Furthermore, Carolina’s socials have been pushing for fans to vote for Nečas. And why shouldn’t they? Numbers don’t lie, and he averages nearly a point per game. Nečas leads in shots on goal and points, and he takes second in goals, assists, power play goals and power play points. Before the Hurricanes’ loss in Columbus on Jan. 7, Nečas boasted a seven-game point streak, the longest of his career. Few of his teammates have been able to replicate such a performance.
Plus, he’s a likable guy. Don’t underestimate a player’s staying power based on their personality — as we’ll see with Martinook, a friendly smile and some good-natured antics go a long way. Many Caniacs have taken Nečas under their wing as Carolina’s player of the season as a young star with plenty more years left to grow and thrive.
Jordan Martinook
Despite Nečas’ popularity, a smaller — yet vocal — faction on Twitter supports Martinook’s place on the All-Star roster. To his credit, Martinook has had one hell of a season after being placed on waivers Oct. 7 — the 30-year-old has logged nine goals this year after only picking up 12 over the last three seasons combined.
Although Martinook has explicitly expressed his wishes for Nečas to make it to the All-Star game, his biggest fans weren’t swayed. Martinook’s breezy, happy-go-lucky attitude and cries of “Mista Svechnikov!” don’t go unnoticed, and he’s become a fan-favorite despite lackluster performance in recent years. Thanks to his impressive start in the 2022-23 season, a lot of Caniacs are warming back up to the Manitoba native.
Since Martinook is in his ninth season in the NHL, several fans consider him to be deserving of a spot on the All-Star roster. That being said, Martinook has spoken directly on his All-Star campaign — according to Hurricanes team reporter Walt Ruff, Martinook said, “There’s someone to my left who deserves it a lot more. Get him there,” assumedly referencing Nečas.
It’s hard to pit two hard-working hockey players against one another, especially when you consider Martinook and Nečas’ natural chemistry on and off the ice. Luckily, there’s no need to — under the All-Star fan vote rules, participants are able to vote for up to two skaters and one goalie in each division. That means you can throw Kochetkov in there too, if you really want to.
At the end of the day, I’m inclined to think Nečas will be the best addition to the Metropolitan All-Star team. He’s got the star power Martinook occasionally lacks, although both have clearly had impressive seasons thus far. Nečas would fit right in alongside Svechnikov and the rest of the All-Star squad, including star forwards Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. But, that’s not to say I won’t be voting for both.
