By Rob Rossi

From coach Michel Therrien to defenseman Sergei Gonchar, two admittedly biased observers, forward Evgeni Malkin is playing at an All-Star caliber level.

Malkin, despite ranking in the top 20 among NHL scorers (14th with 49 points), was not selected as an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve this past week.

However, an injury to Ottawa forward Dany Heatley could pave the way for Malkin to join Gonchar and captain Sidney Crosby in Atlanta for the All-Star Game next weekend. Heatley will miss up to six weeks with a separated right shoulder, and Malkin is a leading candidate to replace him on the All-Star roster.

"(Malkin) deserves to be there," Therrien said. "He is an elite player." Added Gonchar: "It is a game for the stars of hockey, and Evgeni is one of the biggest stars in the sport."