The NHL announced its initial group of 32 participants for the 2024 All-Star Game, with a single representative selected from each team. The Seattle Kraken’s lone representative (for now) is 28-year-old winger Oliver Bjorkstrand, whose nonchalant reaction to being named an All-Star went viral on social media.
In addition to the pre-selected collection of All-Stars, fans will have the chance to send another 12 players (up to eight skaters and four goalies) to Toronto, with online fan voting concluding on Jan. 11.
Though Bjorkstrand earned his nomination by sitting second on the team in goals (11) and points (29), the Kraken have two other candidates worthy of being named an NHL All-Star. Let’s dive into the two players and unpack why not just one but both should join Bjorkstrand at the 2024 All-Star Game.
Joey Daccord, Goaltender
If he garners enough votes, there may not be a more unlikely All-Star than the Kraken’s 27-year-old goaltender Joey Daccord. The journeyman netminder was thrust into the starting role after Philipp Grubauer was sidelined with injury midway through December, and has almost single-handedly kept Seattle in the Western Conference playoff race.
Prior to this season, Daccord had logged a grand total of 19 appearances in the NHL, with 98 appearances in the American Hockey League (AHL) to his name. He played in 26 playoff games as the Kraken’s AHL affiliate (the Coachella Valley Firebirds) came within one win of capturing the Calder Cup, sporting a save percentage of .918.
Daccord’s NHL numbers between the 2018-19 and 2022-23 seasons did not inspire confidence that he could perform at an above-average level in a backup role, let alone as a starting option. The Boston, MA native collectively made 15 starts, won only three, and owned an .884 SV% and a goals-against average (GAA) of 3.64.
Yet, Daccord has played 24 games in 2023-24 with a record of 10-5-8. Among goalies to have played in at least 15 games this season, he ranks fourth in SV% (.922), fifth in GAA (2.29), and 18th in total goals saved above expected (GSAx). Those are results one would associate with a Vezina Trophy frontrunner, not a career journeyman making $1.2 million against the salary cap this season.
The Kraken held a record of 8-13-7 at the time of Grubauer’s injury (Dec. 9), and the fate of their season was in Daccord’s uncertain hands. Since then, the Kraken have won eight of 11 games and rank second in the NHL by PTS% (.792), driven mainly by Daccord’s unbeatable figure in goal. Over that time, Daccord is tied for third in starts (10), second in wins (seven), and first in SV% (.950) among goalies with at least two games played.
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The Kraken are now tied with the Edmonton Oilers by points (41) for the final West wildcard spot (though the Oilers have three games in hand) and four back of the Nashville Predators for the first spot with a game in hand.
Without Daccord stepping up admirably in Grubauer’s absence, the club would likely dream of winning the draft lottery rather than sneaking into the playoffs. How the rest of the campaign unfolds remains to be seen, but Daccord has already fashioned himself into a cult hero in Seattle and should be rewarded with All-Star distinction.
In terms of competing for votes, Daccord will go up against Adin Hill (15 games, .933 SV%), Thatcher Demko (29 games, .916 SV%), Jeremy Swayman (20 games, .921 SV%), Connor Ingram (23 games, .916 SV%), and Linus Ullmark (20 games, .917 SV%) among others for the final four spots allocated to netminders. He doesn’t have the brand-name value of those other goalies, but arguably, no one deserves to go to Toronto more than he does.
Vince Dunn, Defenseman
The second Kraken nominee is a familiar one for OSN readers: defenseman Vince Dunn. The 27-year-old blueliner is once again enjoying a productive campaign, tallying seven goals, 26 assists, and 33 points in 39 games this season. Those numbers put him on pace to score 15 goals, 54 assists, and 69 points in 82 games, with all three prorated marks representing career highs.
Compared to other NHL rearguards, Dunn is tied for fifth in goals, sixth in assists, and fifth in points. He also sits just outside the top 30 defensemen by average time on ice (ATOI) in all situations, playing 23:20 per game for the Kraken.
Dunn’s importance is magnified when you compare his scoring totals to the rest of the Kraken blueline. He has more than double the amount of goals as the next best defender (three), double the assists, and more than double the points. Some of the discrepancy is due to favorable usage and powerplay deployment, but no one else on the team can orchestrate play as well as Dunn.
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An unfortunate byproduct of the NHL’s desire to have at least one All-Star participant from each team is that several of the league’s highest-scoring defenders have been left to scrap for votes to attend the midseason festivities.
Cale Makar (second in points by a defenseman), Victor Hedman (tied-third), Evan Bouchard (tied-third), Noah Dobson (fourth), Roman Josi (seventh), Morgan Rielly (tied-eighth), and Josh Morrissey (tied-eighth) have all joined Dunn on the outskirts of the All-Star circle.
For a league looking to expand its audience and highlight the great skill on display in the sport today, sidelining top talents to appease every fanbase seems like an extremely short-sighted decision. Sure, part of the All-Star Game is marketing the biggest names, and these things aren’t always fully decided by merit, but that doesn’t make the NHL’s choices any less baffling.
Kraken Should Be Well-Represented at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game
The Kraken haven’t enjoyed the same level of on-ice success that made their 2022-23 campaign such a thrilling ride, but that shouldn’t deter fans and the organization from recognizing the excellent individual performances being put forth this year.
Even if both Daccord and Dunn do not capture enough votes to earn an All-Star nod, the odds are at least one will join Bjorkstrand in Toronto. With how much they’ve contributed to the Kraken’s recent hot run of form, they deserve the honor over some of the league’s other uninspired choices.
Data courtesy of MoneyPuck, Natural Stat Trick, and the NHL.
