After announcing their All-Rookie team earlier this week, the AHL have now given us their choices for the first and second All-Star Teams for 2018-19. These players were voted in by coaches, players and media all across the league. This is not the same as the rosters for the All-Star Game, instead these are the top players at each position for the entire season.
First All-Star Team:
Goaltender: Alex Nedeljkovic, Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)
Defenseman: John Gilmour, Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers)
Defenseman: Zach Redmond, Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)
Left Wing: Daniel Carr, Chicago Wolves (Vegas Golden Knights)
Center: Carter Verhaeghe, Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Right Wing: Jeremy Bracco, Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Second All-Star Team:
Goaltender: Shane Starrett, Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)*
Defenseman: Aaron Ness, Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals)
Defenseman: Ethan Prow, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Left Wing: Tyler Benson, Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)*
Center: Chris Mueller, Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Right Wing: Andrew Poturalski, Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)
*Also named to All-Rookie Team
Just like last season when Sami Niku and Mason Appleton made both the All-Rookie and All-Star rosters, Starrett and Benson will draw quite a bit of praise for their outstanding years. The fact that Starrett is having this much success even as an undrafted goaltender is all the more impressive, while Benson certainly delivered on his 32nd-overall selection in his first year of professional hockey.
Talented minor league wingers seem to grow on trees in Toronto, as the team once again has a player with several league accolades. Bracco is currently leading the AHL in scoring with 78 points heading into the last few games of the season, and is a good bet to challenge for a roster spot with the Maple Leafs in the future. So too will Nedeljkovic, who will likely be pushing for a full-time role with the Hurricanes pretty soon.
You guys omitted Nikita Kucherov where’s the credibility?
Hahaha. Nice.
Kuch led the AHL with a Billion points & the ECHL with half-a-billion — that’s why the Bolts called him as early as they did…”He’s taking his game to the next level”