Steven Stamkos has been the Tampa Bay Lightning’s perennial pick for the All-Star Game for years. He is the face of the franchise and a superstar whose popularity extends far beyond Tampa. With Stamkos’ injury making him ineligible to attend this year’s festivities, another deserving player will represent the team at the All-Star Game.
Ben Bishop, Victor Hedman, Tyler Johnson, and Nikita Kucherov are the players listed on the ballot. Of the four contenders, Kucherov is the clear choice. He leads the Lightning by virtually every metric: points, goals, assists, power play goals, power play points, and game winning goals - just to name a few.