Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury are listed as the leading vote-getters (by position) to fill out the Top 6 in the league for the All-Star Game. That's the league, by the way, not just the Eastern Conference. In a normal All-Star Game under normal circumstances they would be named starters, but with the (what I feel is) highly anticipated format to this year's game, they are simply heralded as leading vote-getters. Filling out the remaining spots are Chicago's Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith.
Letang's presence in the All-Star Game is just as much a testament to the voting fan base as it is his play. In the wake of Sergei Gonchar leaving via free agency during the offseason, it's more than obvious that Letang has answered the call to step up as Pittsburgh's No. 1 defenseman. In just 40 games Letang has recorded 33 points, already tying him with his season total (and career-high) 33 points, tallied over 74 games during the 2009-10 campaign.
The All-Star Game is scheduled for January 30th at the RBC Center in North Carolina.