Fansided

One player from each NHL team who should be on the NHL 18 cover

By David Rouben

Nov 2, 2016; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) prepares to throw pucks to the crowd after the game against the Vancouver Canucks at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 2, 2016; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) prepares to throw pucks to the crowd after the game against the Vancouver Canucks at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 7, 2016; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Buffalo Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons (28) skates with the puck in the third period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. The Sabres defeated the Senators 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 7, 2016; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Buffalo Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons (28) skates with the puck in the third period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. The Sabres defeated the Senators 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports /

Buffalo Sabres: Zemgus Girgensons

Jack Eichel would be the obvious choice for the Sabres given that he’s the face of the franchise and all. But putting Zemgus Girgensons on the NHL 18 cover would be their way of protesting the NHL for taking a page from the No Fun League’s book for the All-Star Game.

According to The Hockey News, they’re going to keep fan voting for all-star rosters open, but will only limit the choices to “bona fide NHLers.” This comes a year after fans voted in John Scott to show how little people cared about the All-Star Game. Despite the league’s best efforts to prevent him from playing, he did play and won the MVP. It was easily the best All-Star Game they’ve ever put on because of Scott, and now they want to get rid of that aspect.

But before Scott, Zemgus Girgensons was famously the leading vote-getter in the 2015 All-Star Game because Sabres fans and all of Latvia stuffed the ballot boxes. He didn’t get nearly the same amount of attention that Scott did, but that’s because he was a new commodity. It was only his second season in the NHL, while Scott had been around for 11 years, and everyone knew exactly who he was.

Girgensons deserves props for being with the Sabres during arguably their worst season in franchise history – when they finished 23-51-8 and still lost the Connor McDavid sweepstakes. Through all that misery, he still made it to the All-Star Game, where he had a blast. And although his numbers don’t indicate that he’s an all-star – he has yet to score more than 30 points in a season – at least he’s capable of scoring goals unlike John Scott.

Zemgus is still young, and he has yet to reach his prime. It might only be a matter of time before he has a breakout season, and the NHL will consider him bonafide enough to go to the All-Star Game. Certainly landing on the NHL 18 cover would boost his profile even more.

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