As announced last week, both Alex Ovechkin and Barry Trotz are headed to the All-Star Game in Tampa later this month to captain and coach the Metropolitan Division squad – and today we learned that the two of them would be joined by Braden Holtby.
Holtby will make his third-straight All-Star appearance, a franchise record for goaltenders, and will make up half of the Metropolitan’s goaltending duo alongside the Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist. The honor is a well-deserved one for Holtby, who has a save percentage of .917 so far this season and is just a couple of months removed from being the second-fastest goaltender in NHL history to hit 200 career wins.
As is the case with any All-Star Game selection, you could make a case for plenty of others to make the team. Most notably among them? John Carlson, who is having a career year and is second among NHL defensemen in scoring with 34 points (5 goals, 29 assists).
Still, with each team needing a representative, the division teams consisting of just 11 players total, and Washington already having Ovechkin in as the Metro team captain, it’s not surprising that cuts had to be made – and it shouldn’t take away from the fact that both Ovechkin and Holtby are more than deserving of the honor.
Read more about the team’s All-Star representation, including Coach Trotz and the team’s equipment crew led by head equipment manager Brock Myles, below (via the Capitals):