Most overlooked NHL All-Stars

Not everyone with a hockey jones and an IP address should be trusted. Case in point: the results of the NHL's 2011-12 All-Star Game fan voting.

The starting six, as voted by fans, for the NHL All-Star Game were announced Thursday morning and the results of the popularity contest were overwhelming Ottawa-centric. The starting forward trio is comprised of entirely Senators -- Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, and Milan Michalek -- and another Sens player, defenceman Erik Karlsson, led all players in votes with 939,591.

Yet another Ottawa player, Sergei Gonchar, finished third in defenceman voting (603,628 votes), nearly ousting Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf (614,933) for the final spot on the starting five.

Having Gonchar (an oft-injured, minus player) in the running and the inclusion of Alfredsson (68th in scoring) and Spezza (good year, but outside the top 10 in scoring) in the starting spots actually taints the accomplishments of Michalek and Karlsson -- two bona-fide breakout stars who are enjoying career years.

But it's not just the home-ice Senators who swayed the NHL fan base. Glance at the leading vote-getters, and head-scratchers abound. Sidney Crosby, God bless him, finished in the top six for forwards. Were he active, it's doubtless that No. 87 would be a shoo-in, but how can you vote a guy into the 2011-12 game when he has played a total of eight games?

James Reimer may not even be the best goaltender on the Toronto Maple Leafs, let alone the second-best netminder in the league, and yet that's where the fans have placed him with their votes. Granted he missed considerable time with a concussion, but here's where he ranks statistically: seven wins (37th-best in the league); 3.01 GAA (53rd), 9.00 save percentage (52nd). Sensibly speaking, there are probably 35 goalies who should've ranked higher than Reimer in votes -- and that's being conservative.

Not all fans are experts, and even fewer are objective. That's fine. They're not supposed to be. But with the flood of poorly-cast ballots this year, maybe it's time that the NHL modify or eliminate fan voting.

Here are six guys that the fans, at least those who exercised their franchise, have grossly underestimated. SPORTSNET.CA presents a starting lineup of all-star players that got no respect from the fan voting system.

Nicklas Backstrom, F

While his team has failed to live up to expectations, Backstrom has quietly turned in an all-star half season. The 24-year-old Washington Capitals centre has 42 points in 38 games (nine more than teammate Alex Ovechkin, good for eighth in the scoring race), and has come through in the clutch, scoring four game-winners. Fans believe Backstrom to be the 42nd-best forward this season.

Henrik Sedin, F

This is a jaw-dropper. The play-making twin leads the NHL in scoring (48 points to brother Daniel's 46), is a plus-16 on the ice, and 40 per cent of his goals are game-winners. Yet the voting public (presumably thin on Swedes) picked 20 forwards ahead of him. Twenty!

Patrick Sharp, F

Granted, Sharp finds himself on a team stacked with shooters who put up all-star-contending stats (Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews), and he might take solace in knowing that he sits right below Henrik Sedin in fan voting (until he finds out that Sedin was ranked 20th). Sharp is playing at a point-per-game pace, has potted five game-winners (third in the NHL), wins 57 per cent of his face-offs, and is a remarkable plus-16. Get him in the game.

Brian Campbell, D

Talk about overlooked. In his first year in a Florida Panthers uni, Campbell has quarterbacked his new team to the third seed in the East. If the Panthers make the postseason and end their 10-year franchise playoff drought, Campbell should be the first guy to get a high-five. He has 31 points in 38 games, has only gone to the penalty box twice, and logs more than 26 minutes per game. Where did the fans place him? Twentieth (88,654 votes) amongst d-men.

Ryan Suter, D

No player in the NHL (goalies aside) has spent more time on the ice than the Nashville Predators’ other star defenceman. Suter has averaged more than 27 minutes per game in 39 contests this season. Contributing on both ends of the rink (24 points, plus-9) as well as special teams, Suter was voted only the 29th-best defender by fans, 15 spots behind Chris Pronger, whose season ended after 13 games.

Brian Elliott, G

Of NHL goaltenders with at least 15 games played, only Tim Thomas (who rightfully did earn the fans' starting goaltender vote) has a better save percentage than the St. Louis Blues backstopper (.938). And no goaltender with at least 14 games played allows fewer goals than Elliott (1.70 GAA). Yet the fans rank Elliot as the 19th most all-star-worthy goalie, behind his own teammate (Jaroslav Halak). Another problem with the current election: Elliott, Chicago's Corey Crawford, Ottawa's Craig Anderson, and Detroit's should-be all-star Jimmy Howard (who has a league-leading 24 wins) weren't even on the official ballot; they relied solely on write-in votes.