The NHL All-Star game is back in our lives after a year, with some fantastic ice hockey set to take place over the course of the weekend.
Four all-star captains will lead the way and pick their teams from a draft before taking part in skills games and then the usual three vs three games to crown the best team from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Lets take a look at the rosters and provide you with our best free NHL picks to try and earn you some extra cash from the game.
| NHL All-Star Game 2024 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team McDavid | +250 | +250 | +250 |
| Team MacKinnon | +275 | +275 | +275 |
| Team Matthews | +275 | +275 | +275 |
| Team Hughes | +300 | +300 | +300 |
Learn more about how to bet on the NHL All-Star game.
NHL All-Star Game 2024 information
- Thursday, February 1st - All-Star Thursday (Team Drafts): 18:30-20:00 ET
- Friday, February 2nd - NHL All-Star Skills: 19:00 - 22:00 ET
- Saturday, February 3rd - NHL All-Star Game: 15:00 - 18:00 ET
- Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Live on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC
NHL All-Star Game: First Pick Favorites
William Nylander - +300
It’s a no-brainer for captain Auston Matthews and vice-captain Morgan Reilly to keep the Toronto Maple Leafs vibes going strong by selecting teammate William Nylander with their first pick, with the hope that they'll be able to grab Mitch Marner with their second pick.
Nylander has had a much stronger year than Marner, so the Swede is the obvious first choice and with his teammates as captains of the team, this looks like a lock and is fantastic value at +300.
Check out our review for Bovada sports betting here.
Nikita Kucherov - +600
If Matthews opts to make the most of the All-Star game setup and looks to play with players he wouldn't usually get the opportunity to link up with, then Kucherov is a fantastic shout.
The Tampa Bay Lightning man is the second favorite to be the first pick and has a similar profile and style to that of Nylander, so any plan they have in place would still work if he went for a more left-field pick here.
So far this season Kucherov has managed 32 goals and 53 assists in 49 regular season games compared to 23 goals and 38 assists in 47 games this season for Nylander, so he may even end up being the better pick.
If the captains look past the current teammate bias from Toronto, then Kucherov seems likely to be the man to get the nod as the number-one pick in the 2024 All-Star game.
NHL All-Star Game Favorites
Below you'll find a list of the favorites to win the NHL All-Star Game 2024.
Team McDavid - +250
If you can name a scarier offensive trio than Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Nikita Kucherov then you're better than me. There is a very real possibility that they all end up on the same team, bringing McDavid 209 points of production.
They could then add Elias Pettersson also to add to their offensive options. Rasmus Dahlin should still be available in the third round and Team McDavid can follow that selection with more Pacific Division foes by taking Pettersson’s Canucks teammates, J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser.
This could be a very serious outfit and is deserving of it's tag as favorites.
Team Matthews - +275
With three elite offensive players under their belt, Team Matthews would be smart to lock up a goalie early and grab Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck, who is currently the favourite to win the Vezina Trophy.
After that, Team Matthews can round things out with some solid secondary scoring options with the likes of Kirill Kaprizov and Sebastian Aho then solidify some depth in net with Igor Shesterkin.
Add that to the two captains already at their disposal plus potential picks of Maple Leafs regulars Nylander and Marner, and it's difficult to see how the team with the first pick doesn't walk away from the whole weekend victorious.
Check out the best bonuses available with Bovada sports betting here.
Team MacKinnon - +275
Nathan MacKinnon will almost certainly target fellow Nova Scotia native Sidney Crosby with his first pick. Despite his age, Crosby gives this team strong leadership and playmaking skills while remaining an elite offensive threat and is a solid option.
The team already has arguably the NHL’s best defenceman in Colorado teammate Cale Makar, and they're likely to add Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk with their next pick to give them a really well-rounded team.
Filip Forsberg provides even more skill and you can round out the depth with players like Clayton Keller and Tomas Hertl to make them even stronger, while defensively Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko should still be available in the third round also to give them a real chance of success over the course of the weekend.
Team Hughes - +300
If David Pastrnak is still available with the fourth pick in the draft, Team Hughes would be crazy not to take him quickly. He has 33 goals (third-most in the NHL this season) and he’s possibly the most skilled player in terms of pure talent available in the draft.
With vice-captain Jack Hughes not available to play due to injury, Quinn should continue to target goal-scoring and take Sam Reinhart, to add some firepower to his team.
The Hughes brothers will have a decent shout when it comes to picks and if they can add some quality between the nets and some all-round players who can do a bit of everything then they have a chance of causing an upset over the weekend to be crowned victorious in the All-Star Game 2024.
