Which Wild Player Has the Most All-Star Worthy Vibes?

The NHL released their full list of players attending the All-Star Game last week, and, unsurprisingly, the list of players supposedly voted in by the fans was a list of the normal big-name star players. An uproar erupted on Hockey Twitter over the players who weren’t on the list.

This raised an interesting question: Should the All-Star Games be about only the most skilled hockey players? Or is there a place for hockey players who might not be the goal scorers but bring other things to the table?

We all know the NHL’s answer to this, but let’s pretend the fans actually have a say in this. And here's what the fans want at the All-Star Game: Vibes.

Kirill Kaprizov will be attending the All-Star Game to represent the Minnesota Wild. Off-the-charts vibes, there. But unlike last year when Cam Talbot went with him, he’ll be going it alone this time. But what if we could send another player and do so based purely on vibes? We're going to find out.

Using five main categories, each player was scored between 0-5 points for each category.

Vibe Factor: A baseline Vibes score

Minnesota Boy: You get extra credit for being from here

Does He Want to Go?: My best guess for how much fun they'd have with the honors

Facial Hair: Can your beard or muzzy take your vibes to the next level?

The only rule: We're not allowed to consider skills. They're all in the NHL, that should be all the skill they need. Let's begin.

21. Jared Spurgeon

Vibe Factor: 2

Minnesota Boy: 1

Does He Want to Go?: 2

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 0

Total: 5

Oh Captain, my captain. We’d all follow Spurgeon into battle, but the Captain is a quiet guy who would probably prefer to spend the weekend off with his wife and kids. And in case anyone asks, he isn’t from Minnesota, but he’s raising his family here. I count that as one point.

20. Jonas Brodin

Vibe Factor: 3

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 2

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 1

Total: 6

Jonas Brodin is easily one of the best defensemen in the league, but he remains completely underrated. While it sucks to see him get passed over, there’s also a sense that he is okay with remaining Minnesota’s secret weapon.

19. Freddy Gaudreau

Vibe Factor: 2

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 2

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 2

Total: 6

In a similar vein to Brodin, Freddy Gaudreau is used to being one of those sneaky good players. Even the local fans question Dean Evason’s love for Gaudreau, but let’s save that for another article. The point is that Gaudreau is another player used to remaining in the background, and he seems to be okay without the spotlight.

18. Connor Dewar

Vibe Factor: 5

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 2

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 1

Total: 8

The vibes are all there for Dewar. Mr. Will Fight A Shark deserves all the praise for his wit, but the problem is that it takes a while for him to come out of his shell. By the time he was ready to make a good joke, the weekend would be over.

17. Matt Boldy

Vibe Factor: 4

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 5

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 0

Total: 9

What’s that sound? The screams of Boldy fans as they see how low he is ranked on this list? Listen, he’s all vibes and would be down for an All-Star weekend, but there’s a legitimate chance he’d make the All-Star team on skill alone in the near future. Maybe Mr. 49 Sheets can invest in a Brent Burns-style beard transplant to rocket up next year's list.

16. Jon Merrill

Vibe Factor: 5

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 1

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 3

Total: 9

What are little hockey players made of? If we look to Jon Merrill as a model, it would be vibes, mullets, and patchy mustaches. And we love it. But just like other players on this list, I have a feeling that he’d rather use his weekend off to hang out with his little monsters.

15. Joel Eriksson Ek

Vibe Factor: 4

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 3

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 2

Total: 9

Joel Eriksson Ek is a... jewel in our crown here in Minnesota. His vibes are there, and I’m sure he’d like to attend. And honestly, the mustache he sports part-time has been driving all the social media peeps crazy. The foundation is there, all JEEK needs a tarps-off moment to make a competitive case for the All-Vibes All-Star Game.

14. Alex Goligoski

Vibe Factor: 2

Minnesota Boy: 5

Does He Want to Go?: 1

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 2

Total: 10

Who can forget Goose’s movie moment last fall? Scoring the overtime-winning goal on the night of his 1000th game celebration was *chef’s kiss.* Maybe he’d somehow find a way to pull something similar during the All-Star Game. As the only born-and-bred Minnesota boy on the list, that alone gave him a hefty boost up the rankings. Who doesn’t like to see a local boy succeed?

13. Matt Dumba

Vibe Factor: 4

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 4

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 2

Total: 10

Matt Dumba was a struggle to place because he is continually getting a bad rap. As a former Dumba critic, I’ve come around to rooting for him. But it still didn’t make sense to rank him much higher due to the very strange criteria being used. So middle-ish of the pack it is for him.

12. Marc-Andre Fleury

Vibe Factor: 5

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 3

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 2

Total: 10

There is no doubt that Fleury could get in on skills alone because he’s already been invited five times. He’s a future Hall of Famer who loves to pull pranks and seems to get along with everyone. But does he want to go again? Considering that he declined the invitation in 2020 (which happened BEFORE the pandemic started), he might want a weekend with family instead.

11. Sam Steel

Vibe Factor: 2

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 4

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 4

Total: 10

Sam Steel seems like a quiet guy who is just interested in giving his career a jump start. So far, Minnesota has been a good place for him to do just that. It’s also been a good place for him to regrow a retro throwback of a mustache, which earned him a big jump in these standings.

10. Filip Gustavsson

Vibe Factor: 4

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 2

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 4

Total: 10

Hop aboard the Gus Bus as it rolls to the All-Star Game, everyone! And the way he’s been playing this season, that might be a reality a few years down the line. There is something understated about Gustavsson, but at the same time, he is an absolute delight. Between that and the beard that seems to grow overnight, Gustavsson squeaks in just under the Top-10.

9. Marcus Foligno

Vibe Factor: 4

Minnesota Boy: 1

Does He Want to Go?: 1

Tarps Off: 3

Facial Hair: 1

Total: 10 + 1 grit point =11

Moose is a great mix of a relatable father and someone who can throw a Superman Punch heard around the world. He’s charismatic, gritty, and comes from a hockey family. Even though he might also want a family weekend, he’d be a great addition to the All-Star games. (And in case anyone is wondering about the tarps off points, Twitter was a buzz at him having only his back visible during the video where he greets Ryan Reaves to the club. So half-ish points.)

8. Jordan Greenway

Vibe Factor: 4

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 4

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 3

Total: 11

Jordan Greenway already goes down in Wild Vibes history for a pitch-perfect “Not Weird, Wild” commercial that raised the bar for everyone else.

Scaring Bill Guerin by honking the horn of an actual big rig while clowning with Spurgeon shows that his vibes are immaculate. And he deserves something nice after being continually whistled for penalties that come down to the fact that he’s taller than most players. It shouldn’t be high-sticking if the level he naturally holds his stick at happens to be the same as a player’s face!

7. Mason Shaw

Vibe Factor: 5

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 4

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 2

Total: 11

Sometimes, hockey players are stereotyped as rich boys who get everything handed to them. Mason Shaw is the opposite of that. As a farm boy who still works with his dad when he goes home, Shaw also battled through ACL tears three times before making the big club. Not only is he willing to work hard, but he’s a genuine, down-to-earth guy who would make the most of All-Star weekend.

6. Brandon Duhaime

Vibe Factor: 5

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 5

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 0

Total: 10 +2 "Dewey 1" points = 12

You might be saying, “Hold on! Why does he get points for being Dewey1?” Easy. Because the Vibes Factor only goes up to 5, and he deserves a few more points. He might not fight sharks like his Dewey counterpart, but he is unforgettable. Between falling on his rookie lap, scoring his first NHL goal backward off his skate as he tried to pick up his stick, and his general chaotic bench energy, Duhaime is a treasure.

5. Ryan Hartman

Vibe Factor: 5

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 4

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 3

Total: 12 + 1 grit point = 13

Ryan Hartman is a fiery player who sometimes has trouble controlling his emotions. To be fair, wearing his heart (and sometimes hate) on his sleeve is why we love him. Remember the bird fund from last year? Not only did Hartzy inspire enough love from fans to send him thousands of dollars, but he also ended up donating all of that money and taking responsibility to pay his fine himself. He’s a diamond in the rough who doesn’t want to be saved, and we can all respect that. Also, I feel like if anyone would somehow start a fight at the All-Star Game, it would be Hartman. That could be both a good and bad thing, but we dig the chaos.

4. Mats Zuccarello

Vibe Factor: 5

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 3

Tarps Off: 0

Facial Hair: 2

Total: 10 + 5 Kirill Bestie Points = 15

Mats Zuccarello would have come in somewhere in the middle of the pack, but let’s be real. If Kaprizov had his way, Zuccarello would come along for the All-Star ride. And imagine how great that would be! Not only would there be the on-ice component of their chemistry, but think of the buddy-buddy interviews. The world needs more peanut butter and jelly moments from Kaprizov and Zuccarello.

3. Calen Addison

Vibe Factor: 5

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 3

Tarps Off: 5

Facial Hair: 3

Total: 16

Multiple Tarps Off interviews. A mustache that inspires awe. Amazing vibes. Calen Addison is a trifecta of fun that would liven up the All-Star games. The only thing that could catapult him to No. 1 would be regrowing the long, wavy hair that crashed him into the Twitter spotlight a few years back.

2. Ryan Reaves

Vibe Factor: 5

Minnesota Boy: 0

Does He Want to Go?: 4

Tarps Off: 5

Facial Hair: 2

Total: 16 + 1 Grit Point = 17

Ryan Reaves might not be the most skilled player on the ice, but he’s got a presence that doesn’t quit. That extends off-ice, where his personality shines. Once Reaves retires, he will have no trouble finding a color analyst position and continuing on in the hockey world.

1. Jake Middleton

Vibe Factor: 5

Minnesota Boy: 1

Does He Want to Go?: 4

Tarps Off: 5

Facial Hair: 5

Total: 20

Jake Middleton has it all, according to these rankings. The Original Tarps Off interviewee — who apparently terrorizes the locker room with full nudity more often than not — scores high in almost every category. Middleton’s mustache, missing teeth, and easygoing personality tend to charm everyone.

He’s another player who has had to work hard at making it in the hockey world. Being the last pick of the 2014 Draft set him up for season after season of being shuffled between the NHL and AHL worlds. After landing in Minnesota at last year's trade deadline, Middleton has finally found a home for the foreseeable future. Sending him to an All-Star Game would be icing on the cake for him.