Most underrated player in the NHL?

Ianturnedbull

Registered User
Jun 11, 2022
4,975
4,485
For the Rangers, I would nominate Vince Trocheck. He's been a low-end first line center since forever now.

Also, I always find myself surprised by the amount of goals Adrian Kempe has. There's no hype about it and then I see it and I'm like "wow, he's had a good season."
This is his 2nd nomination in almost decade. Where was he the last 8-9 years?
 
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Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
78,727
53,270
Really? He's been mentioned as a top 10 center for the past few seasons at least if I'm not mistaken? I'd say that's fairly correct, seeing as he's never been able to replicate anything close to those numbers without being attached to Kucherov's hip.

Every top ten player has a running mate. That’s the name of the game.
 

Buck Naked

Can't-Stand-Ya
Aug 18, 2016
3,727
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Every top ten player has a running mate. That’s the name of the game.

Of course. But when the difference in your game is Top 10 C with your running mate and average #2C without him, not sure you're underrated when you're being called a top 10 C on a regular basis.
 

Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
78,727
53,270
Of course. But when the difference in your game is Top 10 C with your running mate and average #2C without him, not sure you're underrated when you're being called a top 10 C on a regular basis.

Sports greatness is usually about great players playing with great players having personal and team success. So that’s exactly what Point has done in his career (with help) which exceeds many of the top guys around him…

But curiously enough when we have these online debates people usually want to iso in on the man-alone thesis like in order to be great you have to be doing it all by yourself head and shoulders above what’s around you. That’s not how it works on the ice.
 
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TheGoldenGod

5 Star Man
Nov 8, 2017
3,864
6,683
Which Forwards Play Toughest Matchups?
RANK
PLAYER
5V5 TOI AGAINST "ELITES"
1Robert Thomas454 mins
2Sidney Crosby452 mins
3Auston Matthews446 mins
4Jordan Martinook445 mins
5Nick Suzuki445 mins
6Mikko Rantanen432 mins
7Brandon Hagel428 mins
8Mathew Barzal427 mins
9Nathan MacKinnon425 mins
10Claude Giroux423 mins
“Thomas has thrived in this difficult workload, surrendering just 2.1 goals against per hour at five-on-five. St. Louis is plus-13 with Thomas on the ice at five-on-five but craters to a minus-17 goal differential when he’s on the bench.

Offensively, Thomas has always been a pass-first player because of his elite vision, almost to a fault at times. He’s more well-rounded offensively this year thanks to a more assertive shooting mentality. Across the board, he’s generating more shots, chances and goals for himself.”

Per Harman Dayal via the athletic

Ranked as the #1 underrated center in the nhl
 
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Buck Naked

Can't-Stand-Ya
Aug 18, 2016
3,727
5,621
Sports greatness is usually about great players playing with great players having personal and team success. So that’s exactly what Point has done in his career (with help) which exceeds many of the top guys around him…

But curiously enough when we have these online debates people usually want to iso in on the man-alone thesis like in order to be great you have to be doing it all by yourself head and shoulders above what’s around you. That’s not how it works on the ice.

I totally agree with you. I'm a huge fan of Draisaitl and I've never given a f*** about him playing with McDavid to reach his peak numbers. All I'm saying is that if you're gonna be called underrated as a top 10 center in the league, I feel like you gotta do better than Point's done without Kucherov, especially since he still played with really good players when Kuch was out. I think he's very properly rated in the 7-10 range among centers in the league. And if someone, maybe you, feel like he's more in that 5-6 range, I don't consider the gap being that big that it constitutes underrated status.
 
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Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
78,727
53,270
I totally agree with you. I'm a huge fan of Draisaitl and I've never given a f*** about him playing with McDavid to reach his peak numbers. All I'm saying is that if you're gonna be called underrated as a top 10 center in the league, I feel like you gotta do better than Point's done without Kucherov, especially since he still played with really good players when Kuch was out. I think he's very properly rated in the 7-10 range among centers in the league. And if someone, maybe you, feel like he's more in that 5-6 range, I don't consider the gap being that big that it constitutes underrated status.

Maybe underrated isn’t technically the right term for Point. It’s more like he’s just under mentioned.

I just think if he had won the cups in Tampa doing what he did in Edmonton how much of a Western Canadian hero he would be. Or in Toronto. But nope. Just a guy sometimes.
 
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Ianturnedbull

Registered User
Jun 11, 2022
4,975
4,485
Which Forwards Play Toughest Matchups?
RANK
PLAYER
5V5 TOI AGAINST "ELITES"
1Robert Thomas454 mins
2Sidney Crosby452 mins
3Auston Matthews446 mins
4Jordan Martinook445 mins
5Nick Suzuki445 mins
6Mikko Rantanen432 mins
7Brandon Hagel428 mins
8Mathew Barzal427 mins
9Nathan MacKinnon425 mins
10Claude Giroux423 mins
“Thomas has thrived in this difficult workload, surrendering just 2.1 goals against per hour at five-on-five. St. Louis is plus-13 with Thomas on the ice at five-on-five but craters to a minus-17 goal differential when he’s on the bench.

Offensively, Thomas has always been a pass-first player because of his elite vision, almost to a fault at times. He’s more well-rounded offensively this year thanks to a more assertive shooting mentality. Across the board, he’s generating more shots, chances and goals for himself.”

Per Harman Dayal via the athletic

Ranked as the #1 underrated center in the nhl
I am against...elites.
 

TheBuyckStopsHere

Registered User
Apr 2, 2014
307
466
ATL
I don't know if he's considered underrated anymore, but I remember watching Roope Hintz couple years ago, and especially during the playoffs in the bubble when Dallas made the Stanley Cup Final thinking damn this guy is pretty good can play in all situations. It just seems like Fins are all business, and alot of them tend to be underrated.
 

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