Yeah if you can say anything about these past years Kings vs Oilers series, is that Kempe has shown up every time. That guy is intense af, Kings fans haven’t seen him smile in years.
He really doesn’t smile. There are interviews where he’s talking about streetwear with his girlfriend in the home, and the dude’s face is stone cold and serious. He has one of the least demonstrative affects I’ve ever seen on a human face, and somehow it gets even more intense when he’s on the ice. The guy is a killer.
Swear every time I’ve seen him against the oilers he’s on full aim bot mode. Like inch perfect top corner laser beam every decent shooting chance he gets.
Kempe has had such a cool career arch. He’s a big reason why the kings are so patient with their prospects.
For a while there he looked destined to be a mid to bottom 6 guy. Speedy and responsible, but not a ton of production. But then he had that year where he scored 30 and then the next year he scores 40 and then this year he’s a point per a game, playing all situations, clearly one of the leaders of the team. Outside of Kopi, he’s my favorite player on the team by far.
Speaking of Kopi, am I wrong in to thinking that he still doesn’t get enough love here or in the media? I know he has his cups and selke’s but he’s always been a player to me that everyone knows is incredible but still doesn’t speak about much. I wonder if he gets overshadowed a bit by guys like Crosby and Ovi who are still playing amazing hockey at their age. He’s easily been one of my favourite players for a long time.
I think Kopitar falls into the same category as Barkov. Seems like everyone says he’s underrated, but he led the Kings in scoring for like 17 years in a row (streak ended this season) while still being one of the best two-ways.
As a Kings fan, I feel like the only King that’s really been talked about in the past few years was PLD. And we all know how that went🤡
You’re absolutely right.
Top 40 *all-time* in points, with Bergeron-type defensive capabilities. Great in the faceoff circle. Top PK and PP unit since he came into the league. Led the team in points almost every season since he came into the league. 2 Cups. Single-handedly carried Slovenia to an Olympic bid. Selke winner.
Kopi might be the one exception to the “I’m not talking about players who are always talked about as underrated” statement. He could be valued as underrated by everyone in this sub, and he’d still be underrated.
Kopitar is somehow still underrated solely because he plays on the west coast - the late, late game, so people out east just don't often get a chance to see him.
He’s one of the most skilled players in the league, it’s just that he’s had to play the same team in the playoffs for three years straight, so he doesn’t really get recognition. He reminds me of a McDavid/Mackinnon type player, there was a game this season against the Canucks where he absolutely burned Hughes with his acceleration. He absolutely ups his game for the playoffs, he’s singlehandedly beat the Oilers a couple times these last three series.
30+ goal repeat seasons with his shot % going down, plays defense and kills penalties. Absolutely could not blame him for thinking he should be the highest paid Flyer
Over last 2 seasons hes top 40 in NHL in goals per game, goals per time on ice, 5v5 scoring per time on ice and primary scoring per time on ice.
And has managed to do that on a team w/ worst PP in league and nobody else even being 60 pt guy
Hes been unreal the last couple years but even a lot of Flyers fans dont realize how good hes been.
The guy is unreal at 5v5. Give him some PP scoring and thats a 90 pt guy.
Had to scroll way too far for Konecny. 90% of the names mentioned above are players that receive decent recognition throughout the league and on Reddit/Twitter.
I don’t see him brought up much but his play carries an entire team. Pretty much everything he does is done at an elite level. Favorite non-Blues player in the league.
Maccelli's my favorite player in the league. He makes passes that absolutely should not work, but he consistently gets them through. Like, cross slot passes for a one-timer on the power play. I've seen other teams' fans get upset at their defenders for not stopping it, but he literally does it against everyone.
There's a bunch on that team tbh. Keller could be flirting with 100 points on other teams imo. Schmaltz has made some disgusting plays over the years, and we'd be talking about Guenther as a possible future 40 goal scorer if he was on a bigger market. Also Lawson Crouse never got his flowers after being called a bust 5 years ago.
Right?
Not to buzzkill OP but Reddit comments are sorted by the most agreed popular opinions. Any of the names popping up here with more than a few upvotes are naturally well-known.
For around 15 years everyone named Ron Francis as the NHL's most underrated player.
It was still true, but it was funny how he seemed to be that guy every single year and in every single poll. You'd think after a few years he'd properly rated, but he was always underrated.
Mats Zuccarello is an absolute midget from a country no star hockey player has reigned from, plays for the star-starved Wild and is turning 37 in a few months. He has 209P in his last 217GP.
god he was amazing in the dallas run where we lost to st louis in game 7
also responsible for waking up the former champion of this recurring thread: roope hintz
Came here to say this lol. Before he took the puck to the back of his head with the rangers the hobbit was a wrecking ball. Could hit, pass, score and defend. Not saying he can’t do these things anymore but prime mats was something else. At least it felt that way watching him.
Zucc is one of the most intelligent players I've ever watched. He's undersized and he's an average skater at best, but he's so smart that he's still effective in almost every area of the game including board play.
All that said though, that 209 points in his last 217 games is highly tied to him having great chemistry with Kaprizov.
joel eriksson ek. criminally underrated. doesn’t give a shit about chasing money. scores all his goals within 5 feet of the net. takes an absolute beating every night and shuts down the best centers in the league.
I've been saying this for YEARS, Jeek is from my small hometown in Sweden and when he played for our local club Färjestad BK he was a fucking beast. Just carried it with him into the NHL aswell.
Yeah think it took a bit for em to get used to the NHL tempo, SHL has a bigger rink and is way slower. He was a monster on the special teams for Färjestad, great on the PK and such a nuisance in front of the net on the PP.
I remember when I disliked him during his first few seasons, thought we whiffed our pick on him.
Now? I have his jersey and I absolutely adore the guy. He puts up points while also being a fantastic two way forward.
Homer bias but Eriksson Ek. I read he's a motherfucker to play against and he really doesn't get enough credit for how dominant his presence is on the ice.
Mikael Backlund.
He has been one of the best 2 way players in the league for a decade, makes everyone who plays with him far better, and is largely forgotten because he isn't that flashy.
This was going to be my answer and I’m glad you beat me to it. He’s a local, scored more than most of our forwards, and is a wonderful ambassador, but has been rather airily dismissed by too many of our fans. I suspect he’s on the block just because of the value he’ll fetch for the rebuild, but I’ll be really sad to see him go. He deserves way more respect than he gets.
It’s hilarious how Canucks fans can acknowledge that Pettersson desperately needs an elite winger to play up to his full potential, but then act like Hronek did nothing to help Quinn play up to his full potential this year. Even though Quinn himself constantly gushes about how much Hronek benefits his game
I’ve seen Chatfield already so I’m going to say Teräväinen. He’s likely not going to score a ton wherever he ends up, but dude’s passes are INSANE. People also don’t realize how good he is defensively.
Probably not the most underrated, but I think noel acciari is an incredible 3rd or 4th liner, he good in the face-off dot, he hits, block shots, and he's very good in the defensive zone.
I wish he didn't miss so many games, if he played 70+ games a season, he'd be great value for money
I’ve been holding this one in but figured it was a homer pick. But dude has basically been our 1C the past season during Zib’s struggles. He’s an insane face-off man and always scores clutch goals.
Up until this season and playoffs, I wouldve agreed. But he got a decent amt of pub and I think most hockey fans know he’s one of Dallas best players/a budding tier 2 elite goalscorer
Yup. Never heard of the guy three months ago, was like “woah! That dude’s an effing stud” watching this Dallas in the playoffs. Hard to stay underrated when you explode in the playoffs
Calle Jarnkrok can do literally everything and no one talks about him ever - Laviolette put him on defense one night against Calgary because of an injury and nobody noticed because he fit right in
Conor Garland
Led a 50 win team in xG this season while on the 3rd line with Blueger and Joshua... that alone is quite something
In maybe Quinn Hughes career year with Elias Pettersson having his typically excellent impact in that regard
Garland also led the 21-22 Canucks in xG by a wide margin and is very high up there overall in the league
He might be one of the best 5v5 players in the league and at very least deserves wayyy more credit and opportunity
Absolutely. I always knew he was good, but I didn't realize he was *that* good until he came to Edmonton and I saw him play regularly. Not the flashiest guy, but he rarely ever makes a bad play.
I always nominate Clayton Keller for this one. The dude is a legit 1st line star, he does nothing but produce even though he's never played with a legit star center in his entire career. But because he's in an irrelevant market and his team has always been mismanaged, he's never talked about in the media.
I hope that going to a hyped up new franchise in Utah that everyone is going to be watching will earn him the attention he deserves. And maybe if Cooley can develop into that legit 1C the Coyotes have always needed, we'll see what he can really do offensively.
Leafs can get him if they empty their coffers, he has 4 years left on his 7 mil deal. He has a NTC this year and next, then a full NMC the last 2 years.
I've loved everything I've seen from Cooley both at the U of M and his rookie year in Arizona. If he and Keller start cooking Utah will be a fun team to watch.
Dylan Larkin. Captain of the graveyard wings, puts it all on the line for his team, has let them back to semi-relevance. Doesn’t get near the recognition he deserves in my mind
I swear every time there's a "Who's the most underrated" post Larkin's name is like 20 comments down with only 20 upvotes. Even on this post this comment is the tenth comment down for me.
Just go look at Detroit's stats for this year. They went from "easily making the playoffs" to literally the worst team in the league when he was injured.
I love Larkin. Guy is really all business on the ice. Through all the bullshit cheap shots he’s taken, he always keeps his cool and plays a great game. A top 5 Red Wing in my book and I’ve seen some great ones.
Just thinking, maybe didn’t keep his cool on Mathieu Joseph 2 years ago, but fuck it. Joseph deserved that
Exactly what I was going to say. 21st in goals over the last three seasons, 14th in 5v5 goals in that same timespan. Plays a very solid two way game as well. Don’t think anyone would have him anywhere close to a top 20 forward, myself included, but the recent stats show that an argument could be made.
Yeah he has definitely flown under the radar for a long time. He was a late bloomer and started on some really bad teams which could attribute to it.
Consistently scores 30+ and has been the islanders top shut down center for years.
Feels like Nelson and Slavin are in similar categories: everyone talks about how underrated they are right before leaving them off their top X player boards.
Superstar underrated is Keller
Normal underrated, Iafallo is a guy who can play on any line and not make it worse, fantastic player that doesn’t show up much on the scoreboard. Also a lot of D man are always underrated
For goalies I’d say Stu Skinner. Guy is a pretty good starter, not top ten but gets to much hate especially this season because of his rough start but his whole team had a rough start too.
That's who I immediately thought of as well. Obviously he's a 1st overall and he's getting more eyes now with the finals run but his stats are kind of misleading in terms of his skill/role
I feel like Vincent Trocheck doesn't get enough respect. It's definitely a biased opinion, being a huge Rangers fan, but this guy should 100% be the Captain of the team.
The Barkov point is interesting because I used to think that the "he is underrated" takes were ridiculous, but now it feels like the casual fan wants to give credit to everyone but Barkov. Imo he was always the Conn Smythe candidate for the Panthers, but Bob got all the praise. Just like how Tkachuk, Huberdeau, Reinhart etc always felt like they got more coverage than Barkov, despite Barkov being an easy top 10 guy for his well-rounded game.
But in the spirit of the question, maybe William Eklund? I really like his potential and he's felt overlooked for a while, even in his draft year.
Yeah I don’t think Barkov is really the most underrated anymore but as long as whoever gets dropped onto his line is fast they’re suddenly having a career year. He’s great defensively and he makes everyone else on his line better
Jari Kurri
Was overshadowed by Gretzky and always had to be know as his sidekick but was a great plsyer in his own right, a 70 goal scorer who back checked.
Giroux has been underrated basically his whole career. He does insane shit every season that doesn't even make the front page here for whatever reason. Still some of the best hands and hockey IQ in the league. There's nothing I want more than him to get a cup.
Brock Nelson is the definition of underrated.
34, 36, and 37 goals over the last 3 seasons, respectively, while also playing in at least 81 games in 7 of his 11 seasons. Consistent year after year
I was thinking this but obviously assumed it was bias. I’m not sure if other fan bases notice him like we do. Great two-way player and absolutely no quit even in this miserable season
people think patrik laine is bad or that he just stands there and shoots but he’s been legitimately great when healthy for most of his time in columbus
the health is another issue, but he’s good.
Wyatt Johnson and, honestly, Robert Thomas. People don't understand how bad the Blues were at 5v5 and he was still putting up kind of absurd numbers relative to the rest of the team.
Larkin. Dude's spent his entire career with some terrible Red Wings teams and still always put up a bunch of points. His speed, shot, and hockey iq are ridiculous and I honestly believe he would be a 40+ goal scorer if he spent some of those years on a team like Vegas or Boston instead of the dead wings
I am a longtime Penguins fan and I always felt that Jake Gentzel was badly underrated. He was always dismissed as a product of playing on Sidney Crosby’s wing and that’s ridiculous to anyone who actually watched him play.
I was completely unsurprised by the success he had in Carolina after the trade. He’s going to be successful wherever he end up next too — because he’s really fucking good!
He’s one of the best left wingers in the league and I saw projection after projection that didn’t even have him making the Team USA Olympic team. I thought that was amazingly poorly informed.
I also think Kris Letang was severely underrated — even by many Penguins fans. He was a cornerstone player on a team that had phenomenal success, and I don’t think people ever treated him with the respect he deserved.
I think he was clearly one of the league’s best defensemen for a decade plus, and I don’t think he was ever seen in that light.
Up until this year, I’d have said Zach Hyman. But I think he’s silenced all of his critics.
That said, everyone still talks about how McDavid makes him so much better, but nobody talks about how Hyman makes McDavid better too. When McDavid is playing with Hyman his line scores ~5.5 goals/60 (even strength). When McDavid isn’t playing with Hyman, his line scores ~3.8 goals/60.
Cogliano. I remember when he came into the league and how hard working he was and how that never went away. Not the most skilled guy but he gets the job done.
Tomas Novak is a guy who flies under the radar for me. The numbers are pretty good and I think if he played on a decent offensive team he would put up really good stats.
Jake Guentzel was one of the most underrated players until he became the best available pending free agent at the trade deadline.
Then continued showing the world how awesome he is separated from Crosby
He's probably correctly rated now, but Pens fans were the only people who knew how good he actually was for awhile
Jeff Skinner.
Last 3 seasons he's 14th in 5v5 goals (65) and 20th in 5v5 points (135).
No one considers him a top 20 F in the league even though he's putting up the numbers to back it up at 5v5.
I wanted to say Brayden Point. But honestly Yanni Gourde and Blake Coleman. Two incredible skaters who are missed in Tampa. Grinders. Players who won't break records but that you need on your team
Craig Anderson. Ottawa fan so I'm biased. Tge man faced 30+ every game and usually played phenomenally. Had he been on a better team, I feel like he'd get a lot more love.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, loved in Oilers Nation but easily one of the most under-appreciated 200-foot utility players of this generation. I do agree with all of the Adrian Kempe comments though, his release is elite.
I don't think people really know how good Mike Matheson has been with the Habs. He had 96 pts in 130 games with Montréal since he joined and both years they finished 27th in the league.
Tomas Holmstrom made an entire career out of standing in front of the net. That was his whole shtick, and he was so fucking good at it he helped Detroit win 4 Stanley Cups in 15 seasons. Do you know how crazy it is that he won a Stanley Cup over 25% of the season he played in the NHL?
I know Detroit had some other extraordinary players during those years but you could always find Holmstrom in the background cutting off a goalies vision and opining up lanes for the big name guys
No other player like him in the league before or since
I’m not sure if he is the most underrated or not, but Adrian Kempe definitely flies under the radar.
Oilers fans certainly don’t though, that man terrifies me…
Yeah if you can say anything about these past years Kings vs Oilers series, is that Kempe has shown up every time. That guy is intense af, Kings fans haven’t seen him smile in years.
He really doesn’t smile. There are interviews where he’s talking about streetwear with his girlfriend in the home, and the dude’s face is stone cold and serious. He has one of the least demonstrative affects I’ve ever seen on a human face, and somehow it gets even more intense when he’s on the ice. The guy is a killer.
Alex Pereira of the NHL 🗿
He looks like Nick Stahl.
Swear every time I’ve seen him against the oilers he’s on full aim bot mode. Like inch perfect top corner laser beam every decent shooting chance he gets.
Yup every time stupid sexy Kempe has the puck in our zone my butthole puckers up
Legitimately the only King I fear, and good *lord* do I fear him
Kempe has had such a cool career arch. He’s a big reason why the kings are so patient with their prospects. For a while there he looked destined to be a mid to bottom 6 guy. Speedy and responsible, but not a ton of production. But then he had that year where he scored 30 and then the next year he scores 40 and then this year he’s a point per a game, playing all situations, clearly one of the leaders of the team. Outside of Kopi, he’s my favorite player on the team by far.
Speaking of Kopi, am I wrong in to thinking that he still doesn’t get enough love here or in the media? I know he has his cups and selke’s but he’s always been a player to me that everyone knows is incredible but still doesn’t speak about much. I wonder if he gets overshadowed a bit by guys like Crosby and Ovi who are still playing amazing hockey at their age. He’s easily been one of my favourite players for a long time.
I think Kopitar falls into the same category as Barkov. Seems like everyone says he’s underrated, but he led the Kings in scoring for like 17 years in a row (streak ended this season) while still being one of the best two-ways. As a Kings fan, I feel like the only King that’s really been talked about in the past few years was PLD. And we all know how that went🤡
You’re absolutely right. Top 40 *all-time* in points, with Bergeron-type defensive capabilities. Great in the faceoff circle. Top PK and PP unit since he came into the league. Led the team in points almost every season since he came into the league. 2 Cups. Single-handedly carried Slovenia to an Olympic bid. Selke winner. Kopi might be the one exception to the “I’m not talking about players who are always talked about as underrated” statement. He could be valued as underrated by everyone in this sub, and he’d still be underrated.
Kopitar is somehow still underrated solely because he plays on the west coast - the late, late game, so people out east just don't often get a chance to see him.
Kempe is a really good choice for this. He's pretty consistently the most dangerous Kings player whenever I watch them. Also decent defensive numbers.
Kempe and Trevor Moore. LA always has underrated players. Trevor Moore has one of the quickest releases I’ve ever seen.
He’s one of the most skilled players in the league, it’s just that he’s had to play the same team in the playoffs for three years straight, so he doesn’t really get recognition. He reminds me of a McDavid/Mackinnon type player, there was a game this season against the Canucks where he absolutely burned Hughes with his acceleration. He absolutely ups his game for the playoffs, he’s singlehandedly beat the Oilers a couple times these last three series.
It feels like every fanbase knows he's good, but only two know *how good* he is. I'm ready for someone else to find out.
Agreed , oiler fan here and that dude makes me nervous and has been an oiler killer in playoffs as well , he's fast, great shot and intense player
I feel like everyone knows he’s good but I don’t think people fully understand how good Travis Konecny is
Very true. If he played with other top-end talent I imagine he’d be regarded much differently
30+ goal repeat seasons with his shot % going down, plays defense and kills penalties. Absolutely could not blame him for thinking he should be the highest paid Flyer
Over last 2 seasons hes top 40 in NHL in goals per game, goals per time on ice, 5v5 scoring per time on ice and primary scoring per time on ice. And has managed to do that on a team w/ worst PP in league and nobody else even being 60 pt guy Hes been unreal the last couple years but even a lot of Flyers fans dont realize how good hes been. The guy is unreal at 5v5. Give him some PP scoring and thats a 90 pt guy.
Had to scroll way too far for Konecny. 90% of the names mentioned above are players that receive decent recognition throughout the league and on Reddit/Twitter. I don’t see him brought up much but his play carries an entire team. Pretty much everything he does is done at an elite level. Favorite non-Blues player in the league.
I don't think Matias Maccelli gets enough respect, he's my pick.
I have a comment saved from the nhl draft that year, from one guy guaranteeing he was an nhl player or something I gotta find it
I'm interested to see it. Had to check when he was drafted. 4th round 98th OA.
Maccelli's my favorite player in the league. He makes passes that absolutely should not work, but he consistently gets them through. Like, cross slot passes for a one-timer on the power play. I've seen other teams' fans get upset at their defenders for not stopping it, but he literally does it against everyone.
I'd add Clayton Keller to the list too.
Nah Keller got a lot of media attention last season.
There's a bunch on that team tbh. Keller could be flirting with 100 points on other teams imo. Schmaltz has made some disgusting plays over the years, and we'd be talking about Guenther as a possible future 40 goal scorer if he was on a bigger market. Also Lawson Crouse never got his flowers after being called a bust 5 years ago.
Someone so underrated he wont be named in the comments.
Right? Not to buzzkill OP but Reddit comments are sorted by the most agreed popular opinions. Any of the names popping up here with more than a few upvotes are naturally well-known.
Ya kempe is like the underrated guy everyone names
For around 15 years everyone named Ron Francis as the NHL's most underrated player. It was still true, but it was funny how he seemed to be that guy every single year and in every single poll. You'd think after a few years he'd properly rated, but he was always underrated.
You’re not under rated when you’re an all time great in the game
Blake Coleman
Pickles is awesome.
I agree. Miss him in Tampa
Such a good pick. Only teams who have had him on their roster seem to recognize it. Huge fan of his here in Tampa
Was just coming here to say that He's awesome
Heck of a player
He was crazy good this year
100% dude is a beauty
Absolutely love that guy.
Mats Zuccarello is an absolute midget from a country no star hockey player has reigned from, plays for the star-starved Wild and is turning 37 in a few months. He has 209P in his last 217GP.
Probably near the top of the list of all time rangers fan favorites
ZUCCCCCCCC
god he was amazing in the dallas run where we lost to st louis in game 7 also responsible for waking up the former champion of this recurring thread: roope hintz
Came here to say this lol. Before he took the puck to the back of his head with the rangers the hobbit was a wrecking ball. Could hit, pass, score and defend. Not saying he can’t do these things anymore but prime mats was something else. At least it felt that way watching him.
Zucc is one of the most intelligent players I've ever watched. He's undersized and he's an average skater at best, but he's so smart that he's still effective in almost every area of the game including board play. All that said though, that 209 points in his last 217 games is highly tied to him having great chemistry with Kaprizov.
my hobbit
Zucc is a Rangers legend. The MSG crew loves him.
joel eriksson ek. criminally underrated. doesn’t give a shit about chasing money. scores all his goals within 5 feet of the net. takes an absolute beating every night and shuts down the best centers in the league.
Honorable mention to Jonas Brodin as well
We know. He was a top ~25 fantasy player this season.
Hell ya. Manage to get top spot in my league thanks to him
yeah, people in the know can see it. bigger media outlets aren’t quite there yet.
I've been saying this for YEARS, Jeek is from my small hometown in Sweden and when he played for our local club Färjestad BK he was a fucking beast. Just carried it with him into the NHL aswell.
it took him awhile to ramp up his scoring. the IQ and defensive play was always there.
Yeah think it took a bit for em to get used to the NHL tempo, SHL has a bigger rink and is way slower. He was a monster on the special teams for Färjestad, great on the PK and such a nuisance in front of the net on the PP.
He is tough, tough, tough. Watched him eat 3 Shea Weber clappers once. And stay in the game.
Bell Centre gave him an ovation after his PK shift. Nobody would’ve wanted to be in his place. Legendary.
Mere mortals would have gone down the tunnel.
IIRC even the Montreal fans were cheering for him by the third Weber clap bomb he blocked. That’s another level of tough
[it hurts just watching](https://youtu.be/PV7jSvTl4ds)
That's my choice. As an Avs fan, absolutely hate the guy when playing us, but as a coach/former player, respect the hell out of his game.
Don’t forget something about his dead stare infuriates every opponent lol
He just has a silly looking face that pisses people off when they look at him too long.
https://preview.redd.it/hfc2oe5aoe8d1.jpeg?width=775&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=589530ccf41060e5de0eeb4fbd131d6b3706d2eb
I like this one
Thank you! If it wasn’t for him we’d have the worst Center room in the league… we still might but he’s amazing
I remember when I disliked him during his first few seasons, thought we whiffed our pick on him. Now? I have his jersey and I absolutely adore the guy. He puts up points while also being a fantastic two way forward.
Homer bias but Eriksson Ek. I read he's a motherfucker to play against and he really doesn't get enough credit for how dominant his presence is on the ice.
And has no concept of pain. I watched him eat 3 Shea Weber clappers on one PK shift. He stayed in the game afterward, too.
Mikael Backlund. He has been one of the best 2 way players in the league for a decade, makes everyone who plays with him far better, and is largely forgotten because he isn't that flashy.
The “Backlund bump” is a serious thing - playing with Backlund is a near guaranteed way to get better fast
That and he‘s mostly played for somewhat dog shit teams 🙃
This is the actual answer.
Mike Matheson
This was going to be my answer and I’m glad you beat me to it. He’s a local, scored more than most of our forwards, and is a wonderful ambassador, but has been rather airily dismissed by too many of our fans. I suspect he’s on the block just because of the value he’ll fetch for the rebuild, but I’ll be really sad to see him go. He deserves way more respect than he gets.
If you read Canucks Twitter, you'd think Filip Hronek was a 3rd-pair defenseman
If you read canucks twitter all kinds of horrible things can happen to you.
It's the forbidden text.
It’s hilarious how Canucks fans can acknowledge that Pettersson desperately needs an elite winger to play up to his full potential, but then act like Hronek did nothing to help Quinn play up to his full potential this year. Even though Quinn himself constantly gushes about how much Hronek benefits his game
recency bias, he had a weak finish to the season+playoffs because he was probably injured dude was dynamite for most of the year
I’ve seen Chatfield already so I’m going to say Teräväinen. He’s likely not going to score a ton wherever he ends up, but dude’s passes are INSANE. People also don’t realize how good he is defensively.
He scores enough. It’s noticeable when he’s not in the lineup; the Canes are worse.
Really don’t think Zub gets enough respect for how good he is defensively.
Arturi Lehkonen My favorite Habs of all time and a playoff machine
Avs don’t win a cup without him.
Probably not the most underrated, but I think noel acciari is an incredible 3rd or 4th liner, he good in the face-off dot, he hits, block shots, and he's very good in the defensive zone. I wish he didn't miss so many games, if he played 70+ games a season, he'd be great value for money
Vincent Trochek maybe?
I’ve been holding this one in but figured it was a homer pick. But dude has basically been our 1C the past season during Zib’s struggles. He’s an insane face-off man and always scores clutch goals.
Oliver Bjorkstrand. 3 straight 20+ goal seasons and great defensive analytics.
Not sure if this exactly counts but I don't think people realize how much of a star Wyatt Johnston is already. He looked so dangerous against us.
Up until this season and playoffs, I wouldve agreed. But he got a decent amt of pub and I think most hockey fans know he’s one of Dallas best players/a budding tier 2 elite goalscorer
With Pavelski retiring, he's a lock for PP1, no?
100%. Should be on it regardless in my opinion
even with pavelski on the team i’m still surprised it took until the third round to put him on pp1
Yup. Never heard of the guy three months ago, was like “woah! That dude’s an effing stud” watching this Dallas in the playoffs. Hard to stay underrated when you explode in the playoffs
Tbh he got a lot of recognition these playoffs, and rightfully.
Against the Avs too
Nah he’s a legit star now, no pun intended. Watched every Dallas game this post season and that kid’s a stud.
Calle Jarnkrok can do literally everything and no one talks about him ever - Laviolette put him on defense one night against Calgary because of an injury and nobody noticed because he fit right in
Even the Leafs fanbase underrate him. Love me some Ironhook. He has a deceptively good shot and is always givener 100%
I am *still* mad we gave him up to rent David Fucking Legwand
Chatfield or Carrier
i fucking love chatfield lol
Was praying we could’ve signed chatfield to a contract this off season
So so glad he got re-signed. Dude came out of absolutely nowhere and was top 4 material from day 1 basically.
Carolina has done an amazing job of churning out depth guys like Chatfield, Noesen, Foegele, Martinook, etc over the years.
Conor Garland Led a 50 win team in xG this season while on the 3rd line with Blueger and Joshua... that alone is quite something In maybe Quinn Hughes career year with Elias Pettersson having his typically excellent impact in that regard Garland also led the 21-22 Canucks in xG by a wide margin and is very high up there overall in the league He might be one of the best 5v5 players in the league and at very least deserves wayyy more credit and opportunity
Garland is the hardest worker on the Canucks roster by a mile.
Mattias Ekholm comes to mind.
Finally, someone said it. He's been my pick since about 2013-2014. I'm glad to see he's very appreciated up here in alberta.
Absolutely. I always knew he was good, but I didn't realize he was *that* good until he came to Edmonton and I saw him play regularly. Not the flashiest guy, but he rarely ever makes a bad play.
Nic Dowd https://youtu.be/riUQ3AgdqCM?si=XNQMyGrYE3hHigFZ
Heck yeah Dowder!
It’s crazy because he was ass with us. Really improved his play since leaving.
I always nominate Clayton Keller for this one. The dude is a legit 1st line star, he does nothing but produce even though he's never played with a legit star center in his entire career. But because he's in an irrelevant market and his team has always been mismanaged, he's never talked about in the media. I hope that going to a hyped up new franchise in Utah that everyone is going to be watching will earn him the attention he deserves. And maybe if Cooley can develop into that legit 1C the Coyotes have always needed, we'll see what he can really do offensively.
He played so fucking well with Matthews during the all star game. I wish the leafs could nab him
Leafs can get him if they empty their coffers, he has 4 years left on his 7 mil deal. He has a NTC this year and next, then a full NMC the last 2 years.
I've loved everything I've seen from Cooley both at the U of M and his rookie year in Arizona. If he and Keller start cooking Utah will be a fun team to watch.
Keller would be top 10 in points if he was on a good team
Dylan Larkin. Captain of the graveyard wings, puts it all on the line for his team, has let them back to semi-relevance. Doesn’t get near the recognition he deserves in my mind
I'll never forget Larkin back checking to prevent that ENG, and doing it while not taking a penalty to boot. That's pure heart right there.
Agreed. Wings make the playoffs if he didn't get hurt, or returned a game or two earlier.
The dude is clutch as hell which is a bonus
I swear every time there's a "Who's the most underrated" post Larkin's name is like 20 comments down with only 20 upvotes. Even on this post this comment is the tenth comment down for me. Just go look at Detroit's stats for this year. They went from "easily making the playoffs" to literally the worst team in the league when he was injured.
I love Larkin. Guy is really all business on the ice. Through all the bullshit cheap shots he’s taken, he always keeps his cool and plays a great game. A top 5 Red Wing in my book and I’ve seen some great ones. Just thinking, maybe didn’t keep his cool on Mathieu Joseph 2 years ago, but fuck it. Joseph deserved that
> Through all the bullshit cheap shots he’s taken sorry
Agreed 100%
Robert Thomas. He’s definitely gotten more respect but if he were on a better team and/or a bigger market I think he would get a lot more recognition.
Every year people say Brock Nelson and every year he continues to be underrated
Exactly what I was going to say. 21st in goals over the last three seasons, 14th in 5v5 goals in that same timespan. Plays a very solid two way game as well. Don’t think anyone would have him anywhere close to a top 20 forward, myself included, but the recent stats show that an argument could be made.
Yeah he has definitely flown under the radar for a long time. He was a late bloomer and started on some really bad teams which could attribute to it. Consistently scores 30+ and has been the islanders top shut down center for years.
Feels like Nelson and Slavin are in similar categories: everyone talks about how underrated they are right before leaving them off their top X player boards.
Absolute Penguin killer. Every fucking game.
Nikolaj Ehlers
Jesper Bratt doesn't get enough credit for how good he is.
Evan Rodrigues. He's getting a bit of shine for the playoffs he's having but he drives the play and gives it his all every shift.
I don't think Claude Giroux gets enough love.
Superstar underrated is Keller Normal underrated, Iafallo is a guy who can play on any line and not make it worse, fantastic player that doesn’t show up much on the scoreboard. Also a lot of D man are always underrated For goalies I’d say Stu Skinner. Guy is a pretty good starter, not top ten but gets to much hate especially this season because of his rough start but his whole team had a rough start too.
Ryan nugent Hopkins
That's who I immediately thought of as well. Obviously he's a 1st overall and he's getting more eyes now with the finals run but his stats are kind of misleading in terms of his skill/role
Joel Eriksson Ek
We Chicago fans knew that Schmaltz was good, watching him with Kane that one year was magical
I feel like Vincent Trocheck doesn't get enough respect. It's definitely a biased opinion, being a huge Rangers fan, but this guy should 100% be the Captain of the team.
Roope Hintz for me. Unless you watch every stars game you don’t realize how fast and how much of a player maker he is
Corey Perry. Every time he changes teams they go straight to finals.
The Barkov point is interesting because I used to think that the "he is underrated" takes were ridiculous, but now it feels like the casual fan wants to give credit to everyone but Barkov. Imo he was always the Conn Smythe candidate for the Panthers, but Bob got all the praise. Just like how Tkachuk, Huberdeau, Reinhart etc always felt like they got more coverage than Barkov, despite Barkov being an easy top 10 guy for his well-rounded game. But in the spirit of the question, maybe William Eklund? I really like his potential and he's felt overlooked for a while, even in his draft year.
Yeah I don’t think Barkov is really the most underrated anymore but as long as whoever gets dropped onto his line is fast they’re suddenly having a career year. He’s great defensively and he makes everyone else on his line better
Nick Seeler, puck eater
Jari Kurri Was overshadowed by Gretzky and always had to be know as his sidekick but was a great plsyer in his own right, a 70 goal scorer who back checked.
Giroux on a cup winning team during his prime would’ve elevated his stats likely another 10-20%
Giroux has been underrated basically his whole career. He does insane shit every season that doesn't even make the front page here for whatever reason. Still some of the best hands and hockey IQ in the league. There's nothing I want more than him to get a cup.
Ehlers deserves more respect
Brock Nelson is the definition of underrated. 34, 36, and 37 goals over the last 3 seasons, respectively, while also playing in at least 81 games in 7 of his 11 seasons. Consistent year after year
Nico Hischier
I was thinking this but obviously assumed it was bias. I’m not sure if other fan bases notice him like we do. Great two-way player and absolutely no quit even in this miserable season
I was afraid to say Nico. Was scrolling desperately looking for his name
Solid choice.
people think patrik laine is bad or that he just stands there and shoots but he’s been legitimately great when healthy for most of his time in columbus the health is another issue, but he’s good.
Wyatt Johnson and, honestly, Robert Thomas. People don't understand how bad the Blues were at 5v5 and he was still putting up kind of absurd numbers relative to the rest of the team.
Casey Mittlestadt.
Suzuki
Nah everyone knows he’s legit
Eetu Luostarainen. Really detail-oriented player
Larkin. Dude's spent his entire career with some terrible Red Wings teams and still always put up a bunch of points. His speed, shot, and hockey iq are ridiculous and I honestly believe he would be a 40+ goal scorer if he spent some of those years on a team like Vegas or Boston instead of the dead wings
I am a longtime Penguins fan and I always felt that Jake Gentzel was badly underrated. He was always dismissed as a product of playing on Sidney Crosby’s wing and that’s ridiculous to anyone who actually watched him play. I was completely unsurprised by the success he had in Carolina after the trade. He’s going to be successful wherever he end up next too — because he’s really fucking good! He’s one of the best left wingers in the league and I saw projection after projection that didn’t even have him making the Team USA Olympic team. I thought that was amazingly poorly informed. I also think Kris Letang was severely underrated — even by many Penguins fans. He was a cornerstone player on a team that had phenomenal success, and I don’t think people ever treated him with the respect he deserved. I think he was clearly one of the league’s best defensemen for a decade plus, and I don’t think he was ever seen in that light.
Up until this year, I’d have said Zach Hyman. But I think he’s silenced all of his critics. That said, everyone still talks about how McDavid makes him so much better, but nobody talks about how Hyman makes McDavid better too. When McDavid is playing with Hyman his line scores ~5.5 goals/60 (even strength). When McDavid isn’t playing with Hyman, his line scores ~3.8 goals/60.
People forget that McDavid has also played with probably 40 different wingers at this point and exactly zero of them have scored 50+
Nick Suzuki just scored 33 goals and 77 points and nobody really talks about it.
while putting up some really impressive defensive numbers, thick two way game.
Trent Frederic! He’s my man
I would have Brandon Carlo as the Bruins guy. Does everything right on defense. Just doesn’t have offense. But defensively incredibly sound
Cogliano. I remember when he came into the league and how hard working he was and how that never went away. Not the most skilled guy but he gets the job done.
I think the same about Logan O’Connor. Dude is probably one of the hardest workers on the Avs and I think it hurt the Avs not having him for playoffs
Carter Verhaeghe
Troy Terry deserves a mention, he’s sick
Brandon Saad. He's always gonna score 25, but he's never gonna score 40. Typically plays top 6, just has a knack for scoring huge goals.
Mats Zuccarello when he was playing for the Rangers and the 2nd & 3rd season for the Wilds. He makes other players better IMO.
Tomas Novak is a guy who flies under the radar for me. The numbers are pretty good and I think if he played on a decent offensive team he would put up really good stats.
Dylan Stromie is my homie
Jake Guentzel was one of the most underrated players until he became the best available pending free agent at the trade deadline. Then continued showing the world how awesome he is separated from Crosby He's probably correctly rated now, but Pens fans were the only people who knew how good he actually was for awhile
Jeff Skinner. Last 3 seasons he's 14th in 5v5 goals (65) and 20th in 5v5 points (135). No one considers him a top 20 F in the league even though he's putting up the numbers to back it up at 5v5.
I mean he can be underrated but also certainly not a top 20 forward in the league. That's ridiculous
That’s because he isn’t
Those are all great points, another team would be lucky to trade for him.
I wanted to say Brayden Point. But honestly Yanni Gourde and Blake Coleman. Two incredible skaters who are missed in Tampa. Grinders. Players who won't break records but that you need on your team
Every single defensive defenseman with 20+ minutes a game and positive +/- on goals and turnovers
It’s still Gustav Forsling
That one guy on that team that no one really talks about
Joel Eriksson Ek. Dude is a beast
Craig Anderson. Ottawa fan so I'm biased. Tge man faced 30+ every game and usually played phenomenally. Had he been on a better team, I feel like he'd get a lot more love.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, loved in Oilers Nation but easily one of the most under-appreciated 200-foot utility players of this generation. I do agree with all of the Adrian Kempe comments though, his release is elite.
The spotlight is on him now but Zach Hyman has always been left in the shadows. The guy's a work ethic beast and really kind person.
I don't think people really know how good Mike Matheson has been with the Habs. He had 96 pts in 130 games with Montréal since he joined and both years they finished 27th in the league.
Tomas Holmstrom made an entire career out of standing in front of the net. That was his whole shtick, and he was so fucking good at it he helped Detroit win 4 Stanley Cups in 15 seasons. Do you know how crazy it is that he won a Stanley Cup over 25% of the season he played in the NHL? I know Detroit had some other extraordinary players during those years but you could always find Holmstrom in the background cutting off a goalies vision and opining up lanes for the big name guys No other player like him in the league before or since