The debate over how players in the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game should be deployed can begin in earnest now that the rosters are filled.
The final 12 players were added Jan. 19 through the 2023 NHL All-Star Fan Vote presented by Guaranteed Rate, with three from each division joining the players who were selected by the NHL hockey operations department Jan. 5.
But which players should be on the same line in the 3-on-3 tournament at FLA LIVE Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on Feb. 4 (3 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, CBC, SN, TVAS)?
Each roster features nine skaters and two goalies. The winners of each semifinal game play for a $1 million prize going to the championship team. It will follow the All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook on Feb. 3 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS).
To further the debate, NHL.com enlisted a writer to play the part of each division coach: Rod Brind'Amour of the Carolina Hurricanes (Metropolitan), Jim Montgomery of the Boston Bruins (Atlantic), Peter DeBoer of the Dallas Stars (Central) and Bruce Cassidy of the Vegas Golden Knights (Pacific).
The line combinations likely won't be finalized until close to game time, but we couldn't wait that long, so we asked four staff writers to put on their coaching hat to reveal how they would deploy the personnel for each division.