Who should replace Ovechkin at All-Star Game?

With Ovechkin bowing out of the NHL All-Star Game, there's an open roster spot to fill prior to Thursday's All-Star Draft. Who deserves the nod?

Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Hartnell is off the table, deservedly named to the All-Star roster to replace the injured Jonathan Toews. With another roster spot to fill and the majority of the league leader board already participating, it may come down to the heart-and-soul guys in the NHL.

Boston Bruins fans have made a lot of noise about the exclusion of Patrice Bergeron, and they have a point. He doesn't have the flash of teammate and 2012 All-Star Tyler Seguin, but Bergeron is undoubtedly one of the best two-way forwards in the league, in strong early contention for the Selke Trophy.

He's a leader for the Bruins in all situations -- even strength and special teams -- and it shows in his 43 points and plus-27 rating (second in the league). He's on pace for what would be a career-high 74 points. Centering the Bruins' top scoring line with Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin on his wings, Bergeron should be considered for an All-Star roster position.

Bergeron's snub came as a surprise to his linemate Tyler Seguin. "Yeah, I was very surprised," he said. "I kind of kept hearing (Bergeron) was going. I thought he was going. I gave him so much credit for my success, obviously not only for how he plays and how many opportunities he gives me, but, you know, just being the guy that I can really follow."

Coach Claude Julien added his own surprise. "I think a lot of our players would have been worthy to go (to the All-Star game). (Bergeron) comes to mind, obviously, with the year he’s had. But, at the same time, there's 30 teams in the league and they've got to fill some spots, and they've got to give players on other teams an opportunity, so you've got to kind of share the spotlight with other teams."

If, as Julien points out, the issue is inclusion of all NHL teams, what about the Carolina Hurricanes' Jeff Skinner? The only Hurricane currently participating in All-Star weekend is defenseman Justin Faulk, who was selected only for the rookie portion of the event.

Skinner, last year's Calder Trophy winner, participated in the 2011 All-Star Game, a late replacement for an injured player. His promotion from the rookie portion of the event to the actual game made history, as Skinner became the youngest player ever in an NHL All-Star Game. He recorded an assist in the game as a member of Team Staal.

In terms of the Hurricanes' statistics this year, Skinner's may seem low -- he has 27 points, but due to missing 16 games in December with a concussion, those 27 points came in just 35 games. At the time of his injury, he was leading the team in points, but has since dropped to third behind Eric Staal and Jussi Jokinen. Now recovered and back in action, Skinner has barely skipped a beat, scoring three points in his first five games back.

In addition to his stats, Skinner is still a media darling in the NHL, and the publicity he brings to the game can't be denied. In lieu of Ovechkin, who typically garners a lot of press during the All-Star weekend, Skinner certainly brings the kind of storyline and personality that reporters (and teenage girls) love.

If the focus is on publicity, Skinner, who at last year's game was dubbed "a bigger hit than Bieber" by the Winnipeg Free Press, is a great choice to replace Ovechkin. Zdeno Chara, who played on Team Lidstrom last year, might agree. "Sometimes that's all you need, is for a young player to be the face of the franchise, a fan favorite, and all the kids say, 'I want to play hockey, I want to be like this guy,'" Chara said of Skinner.

Others to keep in mind are Pittsburgh's James Neal, Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar and Florida's Kris Versteeg.

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