All-time underrated players

[The Panther]

Thinking about it, Jagr probably is a bit under-rated. I mean, there was a significant period there where he was the best skater in the game (c.1995 to 2001, minus Mario in 1995-96). His "under-rating", I think, suffers from three things:

1) Followed Gretzky and Lemieux as top NHL scorer; his scoring numbers couldn't quite compare (yet were way better than anybody who followed). Onset of Dead-Puck era coinciding with his peak didn't help that.

2) Five scoring titles and a Hart trophy sounds enormous (and is), but it very easily could have been that much more. Even in 1996-97 he was basically pacing Mario, but he missed 19 games. (In 2000, he won the scoring title missing 19 games, and was actually on pace for 125 points at the height of the DPE, while the next-best scorer had 94 points.) In 2005-06 (aged 33), he was leading the League in scoring pretty much the whole season, but then suddenly crapped out in the final week, allowing Joe Thornton to take the Art Ross and the Hart.

Certainly he could easily have had six scoring titles (adding 2006, but for that bad last week), and probably should have had at least two Harts (possible three, as he might have won in '95 too).

3) His personality when he was young. There was nothing at all wrong with it, but since he was an 'outside-the-box', original thinker, he didn't fit NHL social circles easily while in his prime. The NHL old-skoolers took a slightly dim view of him.


I certainly don't rate him as high as #5, but I do think he's well up there in the top 10, well ahead of guys like Crosby and Ovechkin, who have received twice the column inches.

 

[HawkNut]

Now that I think of it, Langway can be on here too. I think Goulet definitely and possibly Langway were snubbed from the 100 Greatest Players list.

Also, Pierre Pilote had this amazing run. Somehow it was decided at least 100 players were better. I think not.

 

[BobbyAwe]

I'm not sure about this as Clarke, Craig Ramsay, Don Luce were all really good 2 way forwards as well.

If anything Sanderson isn't rated higher primarily because of his lifestyle affecting his play.

You're right, as a Bruin's fan I suffer from extreme bias

But I still maintain he greatly underrated...

 

[wetcoast]

Now that I think of it, Langway can be on here too. I think Goulet definitely and possibly Langway were snubbed from the 100 Greatest Players list.

Also, Pierre Pilote had this amazing run. Somehow it was decided at least 100 players were better. I think not.

If anything I think Langway is a bit over rated around these parts.

 

[HawkNut]

If anything I think Langway is a bit over rated around these parts.

How so? Nothing about his resume says overrated to me.

 

[wetcoast]

How so? Nothing about his resume says overrated to me.

2 Norris trophies, getting ranked 29th all time year despite being quite a poor playoff guy.

He also really didn't age well at all and he was the type of player who generally does age well.

 

[HawkNut]

2 Norris trophies, getting ranked 29th all time year despite being quite a poor playoff guy.

He also really didn't age well at all and he was the type of player who generally does age well.

Langway had:

Back-to-back Norris trophies. That alone puts somebody in the conversation as a Top 100 player in history.

A First Team All Star twice, a Second Team All Star once.

Three more seasons of a top five finish in the Norris race, plus one more season in the top 10.

Three top four Hart finishes, including one runner up finish to Gretzky.

That's a pretty stacked resume that's worthy of being in the 100 Greatest.

 

[DitchMarner]

Maybe Jere Lehtinen? He just doesn't seem to be talked about much. The guy won three Selkes as a winger.

 

[wetcoast]

Langway had:

Back-to-back Norris trophies. That alone puts somebody in the conversation as a Top 100 player in history.

A First Team All Star twice, a Second Team All Star once.

Three more seasons of a top five finish in the Norris race, plus one more season in the top 10.

Three top four Hart finishes, including one runner up finish to Gretzky.

That's a pretty stacked resume that's worthy of being in the 100 Greatest.

Look at it objectively though, was Langway really Norris worthy in 82-83 with a minus 2?

I would take Mark Howe, Bourque, heck even Doug Wilson over him that year

Heck even in 83-84 Bourque and Potvin easily and as much as I'm not a fan of Coffey he did score 97 more points than Langway that year.

The Hart finishes are all part of the hype, if you look closely and critically, instead of drinking the kool-aid there was a lot more to Washington becoming better than just the addition of Rod Langway.

It's a case where the narrative isn't really backed up.

I remember at the time there was a real backlash against offensive players winning the Norris and for exactly 2 years the pendulum swung to far in Langways favour before slightly correcting itself.

And no Langway isn't a top 100 player in my books, maybe 150 to 200ish.

 

[HawkNut]

Look at it objectively though, was Langway really Norris worthy in 82-83 with a minus 2?

I would take Mark Howe, Bourque, heck even Doug Wilson over him that year

Heck even in 83-84 Bourque and Potvin easily and as much as I'm not a fan of Coffey he did score 97 more points than Langway that year.

The Hart finishes are all part of the hype, if you look closely and critically, instead of drinking the kool-aid there was a lot more to Washington becoming better than just the addition of Rod Langway.

It's a case where the narrative isn't really backed up.

I remember at the time there was a real backlash against offensive players winning the Norris and for exactly 2 years the pendulum swung to far in Langways favour before slightly correcting itself.

And no Langway isn't a top 100 player in my books, maybe 150 to 200ish.

Based on that resume, he sure is. Whether or not he should have had it, but he did.

Even if he's not a Top 100 player, that is almost certainly a Top 100 resume.

 

[Eisen]

Maybe Jere Lehtinen? He just doesn't seem to be talked about much. The guy won three Selkes as a winger.

And with Modano on his team.

 

[wetcoast]

Based on that resume, he sure is. Whether or not he should have had it, but he did.

Even if he's not a Top 100 player, that is almost certainly a Top 100 resume.

Sorry but that is a lazy way to look at it. 2 wrongs don't make a right.

Do you know which defenseman don't have 3 top 5 Hart finishes?

Larry Robinson, Guy Lapointe, Salming, Leetch, Potvin, Keith, Pronger, Doughty, MacInnis, Chelios, Scott Stevens, Chara...that's just post expansion guys off the top of my head.

 

[HawkNut]

Sorry but that is a lazy way to look at it. 2 wrongs don't make a right.

Do you know which defenseman don't have 3 top 5 Hart finishes?

Larry Robinson, Guy Lapointe, Salming, Leetch, Potvin, Keith, Pronger, Doughty, MacInnis, Chelios, Scott Stevens, Chara...that's just post expansion guys off the top of my head.

That's not to take away from Langway's achievements and that is the track of a legendary player.

 

[wetcoast]

That's not to take away from Langway's achievements and that is the track of a legendary player.

We are going to have to agree to disagree on Langway as he is over rated IMO.