The votes in my head have been tabulated, and I’ve come up with my 2010 All Star Team for the Western Conference:

Forwards (13)

Corey Perry – (54GP, 19G, 31A, -3, 84PIM) – The discussion this season for the Ducks best player easily starts and ends with Perry.  He does it all for the team.  He scores, he sets players up, he hits, he kills penalties (and possibly small animals) and he has been their best and most consistent player for the larger part of this season.  He’s currently on pace for a career season and one of the main reasons why the Ducks aren’t out of the playoff picture. 

Patrick Kane – (54GP, 21G, 39A, +15, 18PIM) – If you didn’t know who Patrick Kane was before this season (cab drivers, beware), you certainly know who he is now.  Kane has shrugged off the controversy that followed him into this season and has emerged as a primetime player in the NHL.  Kane stands apart from the rest on a Blackhawks team that easily stands apart from the rest of the NHL. 

Paul Stastny – (52GP, 11G, 37A, +12, 28PIM) – Winning is definitely in Stastny’s blood and he is proving his worth to fans everywhere as Colorado continues to surprise.  Stastny is pacing the team in points and is showing why the team was so high on him after his rookie season.  While he’s not quite on pace for his career high numbers, he is healthy this season, which is a huge step forward. 

Rick Nash – (56GP, 24G, 26A, -13, 44PIM) – You can’t talk about all stars and not talk about Rick Nash, to be quite honest.  Nash is having another fantastic season for the Blue Jackets and is on pace for his third-straight 30+ goal season, and the fifth of his career.  He’s also starting to lead by example and is showing a rougher edge to his game this season than he has in the past. 

Brad Richards – (51GP, 15G, 44A, -10, 10PIM) – Richards has quickly made his way back into relevance in Dallas after fading away towards the end of his tenure in Tampa Bay.  On pace for a career season, Richards is pacing the Stars in points and has become a dominant player in the NHL once more.  He also gives the Stars hope for the future of the franchise, as he is a stabilizing factor and leader on and off the ice. 

Mikko Koivu – (54GP, 16G, 33A, -2, 22PIM) – Ask any Minnesota fan and they might tell you that Mikko Koivu could be the best player that you’ve never heard of.  That might be overstating it a little, but Koivu is often overlooked when it comes to the solid two-way players in the game.  He is the class of a streaky Minnesota team and has begun to excel in all facets of the game.  On top of that, when he’s determined to make something happen, he’s as good as anyone in the game. 

Joe Thornton – (54GP, 13G, 54A, +16, 30PIM) – Remember when Big Joe Thornton was the game’s premiere playmaker?  Unfortunately for the rest of the NHL, he did this season.  Playing on possibly the most dangerous line in the league, Thornton has taken off once again and is pacing the league in assists.  His leadership is always solid and he is using his big frame once more.  There is always going to be the playoff knock against him, but that’s no basis for an All Star nomination. 

Patrick Marleau – (54GP, 35G, 23A, +22, 14PIM) – It seems like just last year that Marleau was thought of as an expendable player for the Sharks.  What?  It was?  There’s no doubt that this has changed a great deal.  With the weight of the captaincy lifted from his shoulders, and Thornton and Heatley flanking him on the line, he is playing the best hockey of his career and is setting himself up for a career season. 

Dany Heatley – (54GP, 30G, 27A, +14, 36PIM) – Wasn’t Dany Heatley supposed to be declining just this off season?  It’s amazing what a change in scenery can do for a player.  Heatley is on pace for yet another 40+ goal season and could be on pace for a 90+ point season depending on how the rest of the season goes.  He’s comfortable on Joe Thornton’s wing and it shows, as both players are having tremendous years. 

Henrik Sedin – (53GP, 24G, 52A, +25, 36PIM) – It wasn’t long ago that people were questioning the worth of the Sedins, especially of Henrik.  Hank has quickly quieted his critics this season, however, emerging as one of the elite players in the NHL.  Already having a career year in goal scoring, he is on pace for a career year overall and is at the forefront of any discussion about the Hart Trophy this season. 

Anze Kopitar – (53GP, 22G, 31A, +7, 10PIM) – Kopitar has certainly cooled off since his torrid start to the season, but he is still on pace for a career year.  Not only that, but he is a large part of the reason why the Kings are in the middle of the playoff picture.  It’s not a stretch to think that Kopitar has some gas left in the tank for the rest of this season, and he should be fired up to show what he can do. 

Daniel Sedin – (35GP, 14G, 34A, +23, 12PIM) – Were it not for an injury, Daniel would likely be keeping pace with his brother and would also be in the talks for the Hart Trophy.  His injury, however, kept him out of almost 20 games and certainly hampered his performance.  That doesn’t mean that he isn’t deserving, however, as he has proven that he belongs in the talk of the NHL elite as well. 

Jarome Iginla – (54GP, 22G, 25A, -1, 42PIM) – Iginla would be the first to tell you that he isn’t having his best season, but that doesn’t exclude him from the All Star talk.  Despite his struggles, he certainly deserves to be in the discussion for the All Star team and has earned himself a reserve spot.

Defensemen (7)

Duncan Keith – (54GP, 11G, 38A, +21, 28PIM) – Ladies and gentlemen, the front runner for this season’s Norris Trophy.  All hyperbole aside, Keith is enjoying the best season of his career and has come out of his shell as a solid two-way defenseman.  Equally as dangerous on offense as on defense, Keith deserves strong consideration for a number of awards in the NHL besides just being an All Star. 

Drew Doughty – (53GP, 10G, 31A, +16, 34PIM) – If it weren’t for the emergence of Steve Mason last season, Doughty would have undoubtedly been the Calder winner.  Okay, maybe it wouldn’t have been that cut and dry, but he had as good of a case as anyone.  This season, he’s making a case for another award – the Norris Trophy.  He has played well enough to get the nod from Team Canada and he is truly one of the top d-men in the game right now, all at age 20. 

Stephane Robidas – (53GP, 10G, 23A, -1, 33PIM) – Robidas has truly come into his own this season.  He has always been an important part of the Stars team, but it is only now that people are understanding why.  His strong, physical game and his strong offensive game are keys to the Stars defense and his grit and leadership are helping a team searching to find their identity. 

Lubomir Visnovsky – (47GP, 9G, 20A, +4, 12PIM) – Apart from the offensive mindset that Visonvsky has, he is also a plus-four on a Edomonton team that could nicely be said to be struggling.  He has been an underrated cog to this team and has been key to the small successes that they have had this season.  While it’s thought that he might be getting a change of scenery come March 3, for now he’s an All Star for Edmonton. 

Shea Weber – (50GP, 9G, 21A, +4, 30PIM) – Weber continues to grow as both an offensive and two-way defenseman and is one of a handful of young Canadian defensemen that send shivers down player’s spines.  He’s equally as likely to score the game winning goal as he is to put you into the endboards and his vision and passing are very underrated. 

Dan Boyle – (51GP, 10G, 33A, +6, 46PIM) – Talk about a success story.  Boyle went from being an undrafted free agent to being a constant in the Norris Trophy talks.  He plays the game at a high level and his defensive play is greatly underrated.  On pace for a career year with the Sharks, Boyle is again front and center when talking about the best defenseman in the game. 

Erik Johnson – (52GP, 4G, 20A, +1, 55PIM) – There are a handful of young defensemen that are coming into their own this season and Johnson is certainly one of them.  Despite being a reserve in this case, he is certainly deserving of being on the team with his strong two-way play and the fact that he is a solidifying defenseman on the struggling Blues’ blueline. 

Goaltenders (3)

Miikka Kiprusoff – (23-16-8, 2.25 GAA, .924% Sv Pct) – As always, Kiprusoff is a stabilizing factor in net for the Flames.  His strong play this season is one of the reasons why Calgary is still in the playoff picture during their recent freefall and he is still capable of stealing games at any point. 

Jimmy Howard – (18-11-5, 2.30 GAA, .924% Sv Pct) – Howard has answered all of his detractors this season with his strong play.  Coming into the season, there were many that thought that he was going to be a rare draft bust for the Red Wings.  Instead, the New York native stepped up to the plate and stole the starting job away from incumbent Chris Osgood as Ozzie began to struggle. 

Ilya Bryzgalov – (28-14-4, 2.35 GAA, .918% Sv Pct) – It took him seven seasons, but Ilya Bryzgalov is finally living up to the potential that everyone knew that he had.  He showed flashes throughout the rest of his career, but never was he as consistently good as he has been for Phoenix this season. 

Hopefully you enjoyed the chaos of our All Star selections!  I will be back Monday with my selections for the Eastern Conference.