Who is the most under-rated player in the NHL?

Question

Just curious to see who people think it is.

Answer 1

How about Scott Niedermayer? This guy won 3 Cups -- and was not "just along for the ride" -- and I think also a Norris Trophy by the time he was 32, and yet you never heard anyone suggest he was a future Hall-of-Famer. Now he's got a 4th Cup as a team Captain, and you gotta start thinking of him as an HOFer. And I can't stand the Ducks.

Answer 2

Michael Nylander.
So many other guys on the Rangers get all the press, but Nylander is the on ice brains of the outfit.
He's been around for a long time (started in Hartford), never had a 30 goal or 100 point season, not a whole lot of playoff or all star experience. He is by no means a Star, however, teams get better when he comes aboard. Without him the Rangers are nowhere near the playoffs the last two years.

Answer 3

Uh hello! Ryan Smyth is the most under-rated player at the moment! It makes me so mad because if you've seen him play you'd also say that he is under-rated! He plays crazy good and he's usually gets a goal in at least 1 out of 2 games! Like some people don't even know he exists! I was in Toronto last summer and I was talking to this people about hockey then they asked me who my favorite player was and I said Ryan Smyth, and they were like "Who on earth is that?" I was like oh my gosh, you have got to be kidding me! Meaning no one outside Edmonton knows who Smyth is! I mean in the 05/06 playoffs he was barely noticed Pronger, Hemsky, and Roloson made him unnoticeable! Like honestly, the only time people really did care about him was when he got traded then they realized how good he was and how much the Oilers were gonna suffer! And oh boy they did! They went lower and lower on the scoreboard until they were out while Smyth helped the Islander into the playoffs and, you must be saying well they got knocked out in the first round. Yes I agree but compare the Sabres with the Islanders, I admit they were better which helped them win. So all I'm saying is Ryan Smyth has got everything it takes to be a great hockey player! And I forgot to mention above when I was talking about when he got traded, another thing I noticed was before his jersey would sit there and people would buy Pronger and Pisani and those people, but when he got traded people ran to grab his jersey! That disgusts me! And you can't say she has no point or anything, because I have made my point loud and clear and just to let you know I've seen this all because I am Edmontonian!

I still love you Smyth!

Answer 4

1. Eric Brewer, St. Louis Blues: Brewer's a horse. He plays a lot of tough minutes and is really difficult to handle in front of his own net. He'll never score a ton of goals, but he'll play 25 solid minutes a night, every night. There are 29 other teams in the league who would take him in a minute.

2. Chris Drury, Buffalo Sabres: One of the best big-game players currently in the league, Drury boasts a multitude of skills. He can score, he's a crafty playmaker, he can check and he has a little bit of a mean streak to his game. He's a coach's dream and is also a rock-solid leader in the Buffalo locker room.

3. Manny Fernandez, Minnesota Wild: Fernandez is among the most fundamentally sound goaltenders in the league today, and always gives his team a chance to win. He's the perfect goalie for the Wild, a team built around overall team defense. Fernandez is one of the top five goaltenders in the NHL, although not everyone knows it yet.

4. Brenden Morrow, Dallas Stars: Morrow is the heart and soul of the Stars, a team that has traditionally been identified as Mike Modano's team. While Modano is still a very fine player, Morrow brings the "blood and guts" attitude that we often associate with old-time hockey players (and is regrettably lacking in today's game). He can score, he can (and will) get in your face and he's a great leader. He's the perfect player to build a team around, and it appears that's what the Stars are doing.

5. Christopher Higgins, Montreal Canadiens: Higgins is turning into a fine player in just his second full season in the NHL. The New York native is on the smallish side, but he's a bulldog when it comes to hunting down the puck and is now rewarding the faith Montreal showed in him by selecting him with the 14th pick in the 2002 draft. At 23 years of age, you can expect him to keep getting better.

6. Mathieu Schneider, Detroit Red Wings: Schneider happily plays in the long shadow cast by his teammate, Nicklas Lidstrom, which makes him one of Detroit's secret weapons. He puts up tremendous offensive numbers year after year, is always a plus player, and plays a lot of minutes each night. A very canny and intuitive player.

7. Steven Reinprecht, Phoenix Coyotes: A gritty player with some offensive skills, Reinprecht has a tremendous work ethic and always makes his linemates better. He's moved around a lot during his career, but that's more a testament to what he brings to a team than anything else.

Answer 5

Tomas Kaberle of the Toronto Maple Leafs deserves a mention. Always flying under the radar despite playing in a huge NHL market.

Answer 6

I think there are 2 goalies who stand over top.
1) Nicklas Backstrom (that Minnesota goalie, the rookie)
2) Peter Budaj (stepped in and had a fantastic 2nd half)

Answer 7

Mathieu Schneider

Answer 8

the conn smythe is the whole playoffs which would be fine if mcdonald wasn't flat through the first part of the playoffs

niedermayer is not underrated everyone knows he is the ish

i like stastny he kindof got lost under crosby ovechkin staal kopitar and malkin, but he is right up there with these young guys

Answer 9

Andy Mc for sure. No one knew who he was until he started pulling points out of his a**, and even after that they didn't know him. Firing up Selanne is a hard task, and especially when Kunitz jams up the middle, that line is a pain.

Spezza is out of the question, watching him in the Stanley Cup. I think he coughed up a lung choking so bad.

Answer 10

Mattais Ohlund with the Vancouver Canucks. Big, strong, smart, reasonably good skater with a great pass and a great shot. Very versataile and very dependable on both ends. He's the reason why Vancouver could trade Jovonovski, improve defensively and still have offensive contribution.