Players who put up a lot of points while being unnoticeable on the ice

[Padan]

Name some players you felt were invisible on the ice, despite putting up a lot of points.

Since I'm only 19 years old, I'll go with todays players.

Dany Heatley - Average skater, average defensively, inconsistent physical play, but excels at being in the right place at the right time. I'll never forget when Ottawa beat Toronto 8-0 in 05/06. The only times you noticed Heatley in that game was when he scored those four goals. Just incredible.

Alex Tanguay - You wonder if he is sidelined, until you take a look at the scoresheet just to find out that he put up three assists in the game and was named third star.

Brett Hull - At least in his later years. Could be invisible in 59 minutes until he came out of nowhere and scored a hat-trick.

I also got the same feeling about Ray Sheppard and maybe Luc Robitaille.

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[Big Phil]

I think with Heatley and Hull it's a little different. They manage to find open holes, I don't think that's a bad thing, but I wouldnt call them invisible, but I see your point. You are bang on with Tanguay though.

Others:

Marc Savard - How many times does this guy get in the top 10 in points? Enough times but he doesnt do anything spectacular yet he'll get 4 assists in a game. I have a hard time noticing Savard. Which is why he isn't on Team Canada's selection camp. He can be invisible at times. Also it's a telling tale when someone in your own organization bad mouths you. Harry Sinden stated that Savard was a guy with a "good batting average with no RBI's." Ouch.

Pierre Turgeon - He didn't have blinding speed, or a hard shot, but he put up points. He didn't hit, fight or even come on the ice for a bench clearing brawl (1987 Can/Rus). But he got 132 points, and then 106 another year. How?

Bernie Nicholls - Just a point collector. Never won nothing, put up the quietest 70 goal season in the history of the world and yet 99% of us wouldn't induct him into the Hall of Fame. Even in the playoffs he did fairly well points wise but can anyone think of a defining moment in Nicholls career? Or a time when he hit the highlight reel? Neither can I, but he's scored more goals in a season than Ovechkin, imagine that.

 

[Maynard]

Would Vanek fall into this group? I've only watched a handful of Buffalo games over the last couple of years so I could be totally wrong, but he seemed to me to be a guy that scores goals but other than that had no big presence out there. Feel free to set me straight.
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[Selanne08*]

crosby in the playoffs

 

[buffalowing88]

Would Vanek fall into this group? I've only watched a handful of Buffalo games over the last couple of years so I could be totally wrong, but he seemed to me to be a guy that scores goals but other than that had no big presence out there. Feel free to set me straight.
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Eh, yes and no. He is fun to watch when he's on offensively, a top 10 sniper and top 5 deflector, but he certainly does load up his stats in bunches and when I go to games I hardly notice him. Id rather it be that way than watch a guy like Afinogenov stand out every time he touches the ice yet never produces. Remember that part of the reason he's unnoticeable is that Ruff refuses to give him first line minutes. This shouldnt be an issue much longer as he has really commited himself to backchecking lately.

Ill say Shanahan but Turgeon was probably the ideal guy to point out. Housley as well.

 

[sidewayzLEAFS]

joe thornton in the playoffs
marc savard for sure
vanek too
esposito with the bruins (orr simply did everything for him, deke out the entire team, fake out the goalie and give him a perrfect pass with a wide-open net)

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Brett Hull - At least in his later years. Could be invisible in 59 minutes until he came out of nowhere and scored a hat-trick.

My friends and I used to have a theory that Brett Hull could actually make himself invisible. We'd never seen such a dangerous goal scorer left so wide open so frequently. Seriously, it was uncanny.

 

[Rzeznik]

crosby in the playoffs

Well, at least we all know who didn't watch the playoffs..

He was his teams best player, by a wide margin actually, through the first two rounds. Malkin came on strong enough over the final two to win the Smyth, but Crosby was very, very far from, "unnoticable".

 

[kmad]

My friends and I used to have a theory that Brett Hull could actually make himself invisible. We'd never seen such a dangerous goal scorer left so wide open so frequently. Seriously, it was uncanny.

Hull is one of the few players where I'd call his tendency to become invisible an asset.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Alex Tanguay was anything but invisible in the 2001 finals...


As a Devil's fan, I don't think there's any player I have more bad playoff memories about.

 

[thefifthsedin*]

unnoticeable in the way of not participating in the overall game or unnoticeable in the way of not having an aura?

brett hull is an example of the first, pierre turgeon the second

 

[brianscot]

I think it depends upon your definition of invisible.

To me invisible doesn't necessarily mean not hard working or not having jam, but players who didn't have overtly obvious physical or hockey skills that made you notice them.

Under this definition, Steve Larmer comes to mind.

 

[Crosbyfan]

joe thornton in the playoffs
marc savard for sure
vanek too
esposito with the bruins (orr simply did everything for him, deke out the entire team, fake out the goalie and give him a perrfect pass with a wide-open net)

Esposito wasn't the prettiest guy to watch but he was far from invisible.

Savard is right on. He's the Invisible Man. Unbelievable how average he looks and yet how effective he is.

 

[edog37]

I would say Marian Hossa come playoff time....the only time he really produced was with Sid....

 

[seventieslord]

It's so tempting to name all the 1980s and 90s compilers here.

 

[Pear Juice]

Esposito wasn't the prettiest guy to watch but he was far from invisible.

Savard is right on. He's the Invisible Man. Unbelievable how average he looks and yet how effective he is.

Agree 100%. Ask Team Sweden how invisible he was in WHC 1977. Esposito personifies the Swedish grudge against Canadian hockey, and that's not by racking up points that's for sure. He actually threatened to knock down a Swedish supporter that came to their training for a post-game interview!