Which player has the best chance to win the competition? We asked nine NHL.com staffers for their opinions. Here are their answers, in alphabetical order.
Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
Let's look at the stats from NHL Edge. Hughes has a top skating speed of 22.4 miles per hour, which is in the 66th percentile among all NHL defensemen. He has 51 bursts of more than 20 mph (65th percentile). His top shot is 92.49 mph (69th percentile). He has had three shots in the 90-100 mph range (78th percentile). This alone suggests that Hughes will be super competitive in the fastest skater and hardest shot competitions. We know he's elite with the puck, so odds are he'll be good in the passing event and the accuracy shooting. I trust his stick handling and his one-timer too, so he should score well in those events. Hughes will score high in each event he enters, move on and continue to steadily defeat the competition to win the $1 million prize. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
It's not a stretch to think MacKinnon will win the 2024 NHL All-Star Skills competition. His stride makes him a top contender in fastest skater, and he's got the shot for the accuracy contest, too. MacKinnon has the whole package and it's a treat to watch him any time he's on the ice. This is his fifth appearance at All-Star festivities, and he'll go home with the big prize in the skills competition this year. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
I think Makar will be motivated to showcase his speed in the fastest skater event after he wiped out in 2023. But, as we've seen during the season, the 25-year-old defenseman has more tools than skating. He's got the hands and marksmanship to win the stick-handling ability, as well as the one-timer and accuracy shooting competitions. For my money, it will be Makar who skates away with the $1 million. -- William Douglas, staff writer
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Not that it will be easy with so much talent among the 12, but this feels like McDavid's competition to win. The best part of this format is that we get to see a player like McDavid do more than just, say, the fastest skater event. We get to see each of the 12 do at least four events. My money is on McDavid. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist
McDavid is considered the fastest player in the NHL, so should get off to a flying start. It would be a surprise if he did not finish first in the fastest skater event to kick off the competition. Throughout his career, McDavid has proven nearly impossible to catch once he gets a step on an opponent and I expect the same to be true in this instance. He has an underrated shot, is the best stick-handler in the NHL and passes the puck better than anybody else. I don't expect the Oilers captain to have much difficulty being one of the top eight after the first six events, then dominating the Honda NHL Shootout and finishing it off in style in the Pepsi NHL Obstacle Course. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer
J.T. Miller, Vancouver Canucks
I had Miller as one of my picks for the Skills fan vote and the fans came through, so now I'm going to go all the way with him, predicting he will win the All-Star Skills. It's been a magical year in Vancouver for Miller and the Canucks, so why not him winning the $1 million? Sure, McDavid, Matthews, Makar and MacKinnon will excel in many of these events, but Miller is solid in pretty much everything he does, which is key to winning the Skills. -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief
William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs
The forward has had a magical season, utilizing his many offensive skills to lead the Maple Leafs with 61 points (23 goals, 38 assists) in 44 games. So, the 2024 NHL All-Star Skills competition should be the perfect forum for Nylander to strut his stuff with the support of the adoring Toronto fans. It will be fun to watch him show what he can do, particularly in the fastest skater, passing challenge and the stick-handling competition. Winning the $1 million prize on his NHL home ice would be a fitting next chapter in this season of "Willy Styles" in Toronto. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
Few players enjoy the big stage as much as this forward from the Bruins. The bigger the stakes, the more the smile on Pastrnak's face grows and the more he seems to thrive. His cool-as-ice demeanor will serve him well when he faces off against 11 super-skilled opponents and a hostile crowd that is used to seeing him as a villain. And, oh yeah, the man known as "Pasta" has some skills. Pastrnak has scored 131 goals in the past 2 1/2 seasons. That doesn't happen unless you have a huge collection of skills at your disposal. Pastrnak does and he will show it when it matters most. -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial
Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
I'm going with the winner of the 2023 Hardest Shot competition. Yes, that was Pettersson, who clocked 103.2 miles per hour last season, so he has a chance to go back-to-back in the hardest shot this season. Add that the Canucks seem to be coming out on top in everything this season and I'm backing one of their best. Pettersson has all the tools in the world, all he might just need to take out of his toolbox in the skills competition. He's got the accuracy, the hardest shot, he's got it all. And he's going to need it competing against this crew. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer
