NHL All-Star: Top 10 players to watch out for in the 2024 NHL All-Star Game ft. Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, and more

On Feb. 3, some of the best NHL players will skate at the Scotiabank Arena in the annual NHL All-Star Game.

Even though this is a fun event meant to serve as an avenue to grow the game, all eyes will be on 32 players looking to win the event for their respective divisions.

This year, several Canadian teams will be heavily represented, with the Vancouver Canucks sending five skaters and the host Toronto Maple Leafs sending four of their own.

Eight of the top 10 scorers will attend the NHL All-Star Game, but they won't be the only ones worth watching. Here's a list of skaters everyone should watch at this year's event.

Top 10 players to watch in the 2024 NHL All-Star Game

10.) Leon Draisaitl (Pacific)

Leon Draisaitl is one of the game's premier snipers and has made a living terrorizing goalies on the powerplay with a lethal slapshot from below the hash marks. Since he will represent the Pacific Division and skate alongside teammate Connor McDavid, watching their chemistry together on the national stage will be fun.

9.) Kyle Connor (Central)

Kyle Connor will skate in his second consecutive NHL All-Star Game and is coming off another season with at least 35 goals. As the leading goal-scorer for the Central Division top-seeded Winnipeg Jets, he's on pace to reach the plateau again.

8.) Elias Pettersson (Pacific)

Elias Pettersson is no stranger to the NHL All-Star Game. As one of the top scorers in the league, he's set to become a free agent and is having one of the best seasons of his career. At the event, he will be surrounded by four other teammates, so the chance to reconnect with them should give the Pacific Division an edge over all the competition.

7.) Nathan MacKinnon (Central)

Nathan MacKinnon is among the most seasoned veterans at the NHL All-Star Game, with 2024 marking his seventh trip to the event. Despite all the success in his career, he's taken his game to the next level this year and is one of the favorites to win the Art Ross Trophy for the first time. As one of the best players from the Central Division, he'll be responsible for leading them to victory.

6.) Sidney Crosby (Metropolitan)

Sidney Crosby is winding down his legendary professional hockey career, which makes moments like this even more special as fans get one more chance to see him play. Although he's just 36 and still has a few seasons left, he is not guaranteed to return to the NHL All-Star Game in the future. Everyone should enjoy this while it lasts.

5.) Nikita Kucherov (Atlantic)

Nikita Kucherov is having a career season and is on pace to break his personal best of 128 points achieved in 2018-19, the only time he's won the Art Ross Trophy. Even though he's the only one representing the Tampa Bay Lightning at this year's event, he'll have undeniable chemistry with other elite players from the Atlantic Division, like the next guy on the list.

4.) David Pastrnak (Atlantic)

During the offseason, many predicted that the Boston Bruins would experience a significant drop-off from last season's historic campaign. However, David Pastrnak has ensured that hasn't happened with the league's third-most goals (33). Deploying one of the game's most dangerous slap shots, he's always a joy to watch and should be entertaining in the skills competition and the NHL All-Star Game itself.

3.) William Nylander (Atlantic)

All eyes will be on William Nylander, who makes his first appearance at the NHL All-Star Game in 2024. Just a month removed from inking one of the most lucrative deals in Maple Leafs history, his offensive production has dipped a bit following a record 17-game point streak to begin the year. In front of the hometown fans, he's got a chance to reignite that spark and regain the confidence he had for the stretch drive that begins next week.

2.) Connor McDavid (Pacific)

As the most dynamic player in professional hockey, everyone usually pays attention whenever McDavid steps on the ice for a shift. Whether scoring, skating through defenders, or making the most impossible passes tape-to-tape, people tune in to watch him work. He'll look to lead the talented Pacific Division to victory on one of the game's grandest stages.

1.) Auston Matthews (Atlantic)

As mentioned, the annual NHL All-Star Game is for fun. However, Auston Matthews will be pressured to step up in front of the loyal Maple Leafs fans. Currently, he is the only player in the league with 40 goals, so in the national spotlight, even for one night, many will expect him to net a few more and help the Atlantic Division win the event.