All-Star Fantasy Draft Recap

This year's All-Star fantasy draft wasn't quite as fun as last year's (no "Phil Kessel sitting all alone" moment?) but it still provided plenty of laughs and awkwardness. The following are the results of the fantasy draft, as well as some observations on the evening.

Team Chara
Zdeno Chara (C)
Joffrey Lupul (A)
1. Pavel Datsyuk, F
2. Tim Thomas, G
3. Evgeni Malkin, F
4. Marian Hossa, F
5. Kimmo Timonen, D
6. Corey Perry, F
7. Carey Price, G
8. Phil Kessel, F
9. Ryan Suter, D
10. Jimmy Howard, G
11. Brian Campbell, D
12. Patrick Kane, F
13. Dion Phaneuf, D
14. Jarome Iginla, F
15. Dennis Wideman, D
16. Marian Gaborik, F
17. Jordan Eberle, F
18. Tyler Seguin, F
19. Jamie Benn, F

Team Alfredsson
Daniel Alfredsson (C)
Henrik Lundqvist (A)
1. Erik Karlsson, D
2. Jason Spezza, F
3. Jonathan Quick, G
4. Claude Giroux, F
5. Kris Letang, D
6. Steven Stamkos, F
7. Brian Elliott, G
8. Shea Weber, D
9. Daniel Sedin, F
10. Dan Girardi, D
11. Keith Yandle, D
12. Milan Michalek, F
13. Henrik Sedin, F
14. James Neal, F
15. Alexander Edler, D
16. John Tavares, F
17. Scott Hartnell, F
18. Jason Pominville, F
19. Logan Couture, F

Post-Draft Observations 
- On paper, it looks like Team Chara is stronger. However, with Lundqvist, Quick, and Elliott in net for Team Alfredsson, Team Chara is going to score approximately one goal in the game. Those three are all in the Top 5 in the NHL in goals against average (Elliott is first with 1.69), save percentage (Elliott again, is first with .938), and shutouts (Quick leads with six, Lundqvist and Elliott each have five). Goaltending advantage: Alfredsson.
- Alfredsson did hoard all the Ottawa Senators and Swedish players for his team, but what did you expect from a team whose decisions were made by, you guessed it, two Swedes?
- How inappropriate to immediately ask Tim Thomas after his selection about his skipping the Bruins' White House event? Agree with his decision or not, let's focus on the fun All-Star festivities of this weekend, not something completely unrelated that happened earlier this week.
- It's great that Jason Spezza was selected to this All-Star game. One of several players mic'ed up during the draft, Spezza was easily the most entertaining. Chatting with Erik Karlsson, Spezza even poked fun at the Sedin twins, joking, "Think they'll have chemistry?" -- while sitting two rows in front of them.
- Most expected comment of the night? A mic'ed Patrick Kane caught commenting on a blonde in the crowd.
- I had hedged on Jason Pominville being picked last, but was surprised to see him picked up in the second to last round. Logan Couture was a good sport about being the last man standing after Jamie Benn got the pity pick, having just had an appendectomy 11 days ago.
- There was a new twist at this year's draft: the option to make one trade. It added a very interesting aspect to the draft, but, unfortunately, neither team opted to make a trade. Boring.
- Chara apparently elected to make teammate Tyler Seguin sweat a little, selecting him in the second to last round. The surprising part? The fact that Alfredsson didn't pre-empt Chara and pick him up sooner. But no hard feelings between Chara and Seguin. They hugged it out.
- Priceless reaction of the night goes to Carey Price, apparently shocked at being selected by Boston Bruin and rival Zdeno Chara. Unfortunately, when Chara held out his hand for a handshake, Price blew him off. But Price admitted he just didn't see that Chara was going for the handshake due to the blinding lights on stage, claiming, "I did not see the 6-foot-9 giant!"