WildCard Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Same nature as the last thread, but this time we're discussing the most underrated NHL player. Is it Kopitar?Is it Bergeron? Is it Josi? Is it ROR? My initial thought is ROR, but, then I thought of Kuznetsov, and while he's too young to qualify IMO, his teammate, Backstrom, isn't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksabre Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Cal Clutterbuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCard Posted January 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 (edited) In a recent players poll, Backstrom is voted the most underrated, and Tavares the 2nd most. I find it hard to believe Tavares is underrated http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/nhl-players-poll--who-is-the-most-underrated-player-in-hockey-152910474.html Edited January 15, 2016 by WildCard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josie Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Nikita Kucherov isn't bad and highly ignored. Roman Josi, yeah. He's getting more notoriety, though, but falls in Shea Weber's shadow. Okposo when he isn't hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Flagg Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 OEL ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BagBoy Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 (edited) No love for McGinn? Edited January 15, 2016 by BagBoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pi2000 Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Jamie Benn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyldnwoody44 Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Matt Moulson...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCard Posted January 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 (edited) No love for McGinn? Eh, he's not a top player, so he really isn't underrated. OEL A very serious candidate Jamie Benn Also another good one. Matt Moulson...... If you like pina-coladas, and getting caught in a slump If you're not into scoring, and having Jack on your couch If you like playing on the 4th line, in the midst of the bench Your the salary we've looked for, come to us and escape Edited January 16, 2016 by WildCard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Can we consider Victor Hedman? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabres Fan in NS Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Subban, P.K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudacek Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Bergeron. Not sure how his game is being regarded outside Buffalo this year, but I wonder if ROR is in this conversation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlueGED Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Hard to argue against Bergeron, but it'll go off the reservation a bit for the sake of discussion and say Braden Holtby. He's a heck of a lot closer to Price/Lundqvist than Quick is, but is seemingly never mentioned in that group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudacek Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Hard to argue against Bergeron, but it'll go off the reservation a bit for the sake of discussion and say Braden Holtby. He's a heck of a lot closer to Price/Lundqvist than Quick is, but is seemingly never mentioned in that group. And, again, I introduce you to that category of analytics called "success in the playoffs" More a rumination on the court of public opinion versus Quick, because, over the past year and a half, Holtby is a good choice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlueGED Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 And, again, I introduce you to that category of analytics called "success in the playoffs" More a rumination on the court of public opinion versus Quick, because, over the past year and a half, Holtby is a good choice I just disagree with seemingly everyone on the value of playoff performance. Even going on a Cup run is a comparatively short stretch of games and I refuse to weigh 40 playoff games heavier than hundreds of regular season games. I think performing better in the playoffs than the regular season is how players get overrated, whereas most probably view it completely the opposite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 OV. I don't think fans appreciate that we are watching one of the top five players of all-time. He needs a Cup to solidify his spot with the likes of Gretzky, Orr and Lemieux. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudacek Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 I just disagree with seemingly everyone on the value of playoff performance. Even going on a Cup run is a comparatively short stretch of games and I refuse to weigh 40 playoff games heavier than hundreds of regular season games. I think performing better in the playoffs than the regular season is how players get overrated, whereas most probably view it completely the opposite. Logically you're probably right. Except the goal is to win the cup. (Remembering all the Hasek/Roy arguments I've had with Habs fans) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampD Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 I just disagree with seemingly everyone on the value of playoff performance. Even going on a Cup run is a comparatively short stretch of games and I refuse to weigh 40 playoff games heavier than hundreds of regular season games. I think performing better in the playoffs than the regular season is how players get overrated, whereas most probably view it completely the opposite. So you would rather win the Presidents' Trophy than the Stanley Cup? :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlueGED Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 So you would rather win the Presidents' Trophy than the Stanley Cup? :blink: Of course not. But winning the Stanley Cup doesn't mean everyone in the Cup team is better than their equivalents on the Presidents Trophy team, or any other team that didn't win the Cup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCard Posted January 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 OV. I don't think fans appreciate that we are watching one of the top five players of all-time. He needs a Cup to solidify his spot with the likes of Gretzky, Orr and Lemieux. A guest analyst on Hockey Central called Ovechkin the greatest goal scorer of all time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampD Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Of course not. But winning the Stanley Cup doesn't mean everyone in the Cup team is better than their equivalents on the Presidents Trophy team, or any other team that didn't win the Cup. I was being facetious, but how can you place no value in playoff performance, though? Performance under pressure is a real thing, and I think I value it more than anything in sports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlueGED Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 I was being facetious, but how can you place no value in playoff performance, though? Performance under pressure is a real thing, and I think I value it more than anything in sports. Because I don't think we can ever truly tell if a player played better because of the pressure, or just got hot at the right time. Brian Bickell had a hot playoff run and it shaped the narrative of who he was as a player, and earned him a big contract...all based on a short run, at the right time, that he was never able to repeat. Even if you take a great player like Toews, who has a clear reputation as a guy who plays big under the spotlight and in the playoffs, as well as many deep playoff runs. He still only has 117 playoff games compared to 612 regular season games. So even if his did have better playoff stats, it amounts to basically a career year's worth of games. And his playoff stats aren't any better, despite the reputation he has built up. His career playoff PPG is .87 and his career regular season PPG is .88. He's not performing better under pressure or stepping his game up when it matters, as the narrative goes--he's simply doing what he always does. He's a top player because he's great all the time, not because he's great "when it counts" or however anyone wants to phrase it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Crotch Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 A guest analyst on Hockey Central called Ovechkin the greatest goal scorer of all time To score 50 in today's game is quite a feat. If he played in the early 90s he'd probably put in 80 or 90 in a season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huckleberry Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 jeff carter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorny Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Because I don't think we can ever truly tell if a player played better because of the pressure, or just got hot at the right time. Brian Bickell had a hot playoff run and it shaped the narrative of who he was as a player, and earned him a big contract...all based on a short run, at the right time, that he was never able to repeat. Even if you take a great player like Toews, who has a clear reputation as a guy who plays big under the spotlight and in the playoffs, as well as many deep playoff runs. He still only has 117 playoff games compared to 612 regular season games. So even if his did have better playoff stats, it amounts to basically a career year's worth of games. And his playoff stats aren't any better, despite the reputation he has built up. His career playoff PPG is .87 and his career regular season PPG is .88. He's not performing better under pressure or stepping his game up when it matters, as the narrative goes--he's simply doing what he always does. He's a top player because he's great all the time, not because he's great "when it counts" or however anyone wants to phrase it. This is a great post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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