In the latest issue of Sports Illustrated (coincidentally enough with the Steelers' Troy Polamalu on it), writer Michael Farber took a stab at what he feels should be the top lines for both the East and West.
I've included the list after the jump, seeing as how I didn't want the stats and such taking up too much space. So if you want to take a look at the list and then give this a read, by all means click "continue reading" below this post.
I don't see how anyone can argue with the picks. Maybe Pens fans would like to make a case for Semin, but aside from that I see an all-star lineup.
Frankly, who can really say this year around that Crosby deserves a nod over Malkin? Geno is scoring more and staying healthy, the latter of which you can hardly hold against Sid. Sid wasn't snubbed, he was outdone.
Let's face it - if there's some sort of list concerning hockey then there's a very good chance Sid will make an appearance. I for one think his absence from this list is justified.
The best thing about all of this is how modest Geno is about all of this. If you've seen some of the videos in the Malkin Learns English collection then you're probably no stranger to Malkin's constant praise of Crosby. Definition: team player.
In the long run there's a good chance that Michael Farber is somewhat of a psychic. After all, it's not like Crosby will be playing much in the All-Star game. That is if in fact the latest release stating Crosby's absence from the ASG holds true. He'll likely show up for the whole face value part of it but whether he plays or not remains a gray area.
As far as I'm concerned, please sit down. We need you where it counts and when it counts, not on the ice in Montreal for a meaningless game.
You can check out the Western picks on SI.com.
In the East, much like in the real All-Star game, select players from only a few teams make the cut. According to Farber, these guys are at the top:
Goalie
Defensemen
Forwards