I'm on the second line lol

lol weird flex but ok

i miss bread /:

Letang? he's been great this season

I know he's been good, but I can't justify him above Jones, I can probably take out Hamilton but.... Canes bias ngl....

Carlson's leading the defense in points. Probably want to include him, since he did last year, too. http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?reportType=season&seasonFrom=20182019&seasonTo=20182019&gameType=2&playerPlayedFor=division.18&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,1&sort=points,goals,assists

Top three forwards in points at the moment are Ovechkin, Backstrom, Kessel. Then Malkin, Crosby, and Giroux. I think those are also better lines in terms of chemistry.

He gets sheltered minutes with Orlov and Niskinen playing top opposition, his stats hide the fact he isn't on Washington's top pair

Carlson is third in the Metropolitan division in time on ice per game at 25:34, behind just Jones and Letang. His zone starts are easier that Orlov's 45%, but only at 52% He's 8th in the division in shorthanded ice time per game, but only two of the guys on the above team are ahead of him there (http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?report=timeonice&reportType=season&seasonFrom=20182019&seasonTo=20182019&gameType=2&playerPlayedFor=division.18&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,1&sort=shTimeOnIcePerGame). I agree that Niskanen and Orlov are better defensively than Carlson, but I also think they're each better at offense than half of the above players, so you're not really convincing me that Carlson isn't an All-Star, by getting me to check myself on this stuff, just that they are.

At even strength, Carlson, Niskanen and Orlov all have more points than any of them except Jones and Letang this year. http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?report=skaterpoints&reportType=season&seasonFrom=20182019&seasonTo=20182019&gameType=2&position=D&playerPlayedFor=division.18&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,1&sort=evPoints,points

Since the summer of 2016, the top six defensemen by even strength points in the Metropolitan are Jones, Carlson, Provorov, Niskanen, Letang, and Orlov. http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?aggregate=1&report=skaterpoints&reportType=season&seasonFrom=20162017&seasonTo=20182019&gameType=2&position=D&playerPlayedFor=division.18&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,1&sort=evPoints,points

If teams were redrafted from scratch, the Caps have three defensemen who ought to be among the first 31 taken, based on minutes and even strength points over the last two seasons and change. Carlson is the best fit on the power play, so the other two get tougher minutes at evens, but they all kill penalties, and they all move the puck pretty well at even strength. Carlson led the NHL's defensemen in points last year, and last postseason. He plays easier minutes than Niskanen and Orlov, but he doesn't play easy minutes. He's playing with a good shutdown partner in Kempny, which lets him play the puck more, and he's doing okay.

Over the past 2.5 seasons, Orlov, Niskanen and Carlson are all top sixteen in plus/minus among the 116 defensemen who have played in the Metropolitan division. Nick Leddy is 116th. Carlson is 1st among Metropolitan division defensemen in primary assists, and 2nd in points/60 to Ghost since summer '16. Hamilton is playing 20:32 a night with 57.1% offensive zone starts. Compared to Carlson's 25:34 and 52%, Hamilton plays forward. Slavin's 54.2% zone starts are respectable for an offensive defenseman. Hamilton's role in Calgary was regular last year. This year in Carolina, he's coasting.

I would be thrilled to see Orlov or Niskanen in an all star game, but I don't think it's going to happen while Carlson is piling on so many points on the power play, and someone has to represent the Island.

I can't see it because you need 1 representative per team, and there's every chance he could miss for Leddy because the islanders have less then 0 other good players. Bailey is good but there's no guarantee he makes it which leaves Leddy there ahead of Carlson

Leddy's the big name, who won the Cup with Chicago a while back, and he plays huge minutes for that team, but Bailey, Lee, Barzal, Mayfield and Pulock are outscoring him, and will be with the team for a long time, in big roles.

A few years back the league picked Dennis Wideman from a Caps team with Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin, and Green, so there's really no telling what will happen.

I completely forgot about Barzal.... Lee mayfield Pulock and Bailey aren't special, I forgot Barzal was a thing

Over the past three seasons, Lee's got two of the forty best single-season goal totals, whether at evens or all situations. That won't get him into the hall of fame, and it remains to be seen whether he can keep it up without Tavares, but he was just named team captain, so if the league is looking for someone the Islanders would love to see honored, he's a logical choice this year, while we're waiting to see which of the kids shakes out.

Barzal has already shaken out... he's solid and already becoming special.... Lee needs to pick it up, he's been lacklustre because he scores "garbage goals" if you will. Rebounds and tips, nothing that'll get him onto a highlight reel, but 40 goals nevertheless

They all count the same. That's the kind of logic that has Matt Moulson playing in the AHL when half the league has below average power plays.