Here’s a final look at what the 2018 NHL All-Star Game rosters should look like.

The 2018 NHL All-Star Game is nearly here. With the captains already announced, the rest of the rosters will be named on Wednesday, Jan. 10. The All-Star Game is one of the league’s premier events. And with the recent switch to a three-on-three tournament format, it’s finally exciting again.

Each division will have six forwards, three defensemen, and two goaltenders. Also, the rules dictate every team must send at least one player. Let’s take a look at each division’s likely roster before the official rosters drop on Wednesday.

I looked into more than just productivity for these selections. Star power matters, but not as much as putting points on the board. There were a lot of very tough decisions, which speaks to how much parity there is in today’s NHL. We’ll start with the reigning tournament champions, the Metropolitan Division.

Metropolitan

Head coach: Barry Trotz (Washington Capitals). He’s gotten a lot of well-deserved criticism over his career. But credit Trotz for pushing the right buttons and helping the Caps come back from a dreadful start to their season.

Forwards:

The first four are the obvious picks. Kessel has been the Penguins most consistent forward this season. Hall is leading the Devils’ surprising playoff push. Tavares is a Hart Trophy candidate despite the Islanders’ struggles.

Voracek gets the slight nod over teammates Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier. You could roll a three-sided die and whatever comes up, you’ve got a deserving All-Star. Tervainen gives the Metropolitan Division another center option, which is why he was selected over Sebastian Aho. Josh Bailey was left off, but would be on the team over Teravainen without the “each team needs a representative” rule.

Defensemen:

Seth Jones (Columbus Blue Jackets)

John Carlson (Capitals)

Shayne Gostisbehere (Flyers)

Jones leads all Blue Jackets blueliners with 28 points this season. He and Zach Werenski form one of the NHL’s most efficient duos. Of those two, Jones is the most deserving.

Carlson has been invaluable to the Capitals this season. He also leads the division in points among defensemen with 33 as of Jan. 8. There are a number of players who could make sense as the last defenseman. None of them are more deserving than Gostisbehere. You could make an argument for Nick Leddy, though.

Goaltenders:

The Metropolitan Division has a ton of goaltending talent. You could make a really good argument for four guys (Bobrovsky, Lundqvist, Braden Holtby, Cory Schneider) and a decent one for a fifth (Brian Elliott). King Henrik has been the heart and soul of the Rangers, dragging them kicking and screaming to wins they didn’t deserve. Bobrovsky is yet again a serious Vezina Trophy candidate.