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The Hotstove, Edition 2: All-Underrated Team

August 3, 2011, 7:34 PM ET [ Comments]
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Welcome to the Wednesday edition of the HockeyBuzz Hotstove! I'm your host, Travis Yost..

In case you're wondering why the feature today, we've decided to run it semiweekly rather than weekly, thanks in large part to interest and participation from the HockeyBuzz readers. Today's edition will focus on the All-Underrated Team, and Saturday's edition of the Hotstove will focus on the All-Overrated Team.

Your roundtable consists of: Bill Meltzer of the Philadelphia Flyers, Richard Cloutier of the Edmonton Oilers, Travis Yost of the Ottawa Senators, Shaune Vetter of the Calgary Flames, Todd Cordell of the New Jersey Devils, Adam French of the Phoenix Coyotes, John Jaeckel of the Chicgo Blackhawks, and Brian Huddle, our prospects guy.

Whew. Without further ado, our six-man teams. What's yours?

Bill Meltzer


F: Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars
F: David Krejci, Boston Bruins
F: Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild
D: Lubomir Visnovsky, Anaheim Ducks
D: Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
G: Jonas Hiller, Anaheim Ducks

Benn was Mr. Everything for the Stars last year; playing just about everywhere in the lineup as needed. Down the stretch in particular, he was unquestionably the team’s MVP (more valuable after the All-Star break than even the post-concussion Brad Richards or Loui Eriksson). Benn’s emergence was what allowed Dallas to afford to trade James Neal for Alex Goligoski.

Come next season, Krejci probably won’t be underrated anymore after his outstanding playoff run en route to the 2011 Stanley Cup. His injury in the 2010 playoffs contributed to Boston’s collapse against Philadelphia. Krejci has excellent ice vision and is hard to play against.

If Koivu played in Montreal (like his older brother did for so many years), Toronto, New York or another high-visibility team, Koivu would get a lot more attention league-wide than he does. He’s a complete player whose stats only tell part of the story of his value.

Visnovsky would have been my Norris Trophy pick in 2010-11. I don’t if the 34-year-old has another season like that in him, but last season, he was phenomenal.

In my opinion, Pietrangelo's name should be near the top of the list of candidates under the age of 24 who will go on to become the next breakout Norris Trophy caliber defenseman in the NHL. It’s hard to call a 21-year-old former 4th overall pick an underrated player, but I strongly suspect that his 2010-11 season escaped many people’s notice because of all the standout rookies in the league this past season.

As long as he fully recovers from the bout with vertigo, Hiller should resume being one of the most underrated goalies in the NHL. Hiller deserved his All-Star game spot last season, even though he got relatively little attention leaguewide.

Richard Cloutier


I'll start by saying it's hard to create a six-man unit of the most overrated and underrated players, because there are different ways you can take the question. Does it mean "overrated" in respect to salary? Or "overrated" in respect to what I perceive the hockey world to think of a player? I am not going to go the contract-amount route, because there are plenty of bad contracts out there. Instead, I will base my answers on what I've observed from the media and fan bases.

F: Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning
F: Ales Hemsky, Edmonton Oilers
F: Alex Tanguay, Calgary Flames
D: Lubomir Visnovsky, Anaheim Ducks
D: Matt Carle, Philadelphia Flyers
G: Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators

Starting with Lecavalier, I know what you are thinking: Has Clouts lost his marbles? Well, yes, I have, but that's not Lecavalier fault. At one time, Lecavalier was perhaps the most overrated player in the NHL. I mean, look at his contract. But over the last few years, I have noticed everyone discounting him. Make no mistake: Vinnie has everything a player needs to be a #1 center: Offensive skills, defensive awareness, size and some toughness.

If Hemsky was consistently healthy, he'd be a 70-80pts per season player, and considered one of the 5 best RW's in the league. Yet, I constantly read comments about how he has no value. Ales is ridiculously smart with the puck.Consider that the Oilers were the league's worst team over the last two seasons, and Hemsky's +/- was +10 in 69 games.

Tanguay gets even less respect than Hemsky. Before last season started, it seemed like no one wanted to sign him. Eventually the Flames did, and AT had a 69 point season. More often than not, he looked like the most awake Flames player for the majority of the season. Glad to see he got a new long-term deal. It's only fair.

You want to talk about someone who gets no respect, how about Visnovsky? Lubo proves a couple of things: You don't have to be a huge defenseman to be strong on the puck in your own zone. He also shows that there is no replacement for raw talent. Skate, pass, shoot...he does all three incredibly well. Yet no one ever considers him even close to being a top defenseman. Why?

Matt Carle is defenseman who can do everything well. I could say Carle was all about defense (was +30 last year) but he also added 40pts. Tough-as-nails too.

I put Anderson as my underrated goalie, although it looks to me that people started to figure out just how good he is after he was dealt by Colorado to Ottawa. Colorado immediately sunk; Ottawa immediately began winning games. It was no accident. Anderson is Tim Thomas 2.0.

Travis Yost


C: David Backes, St. Louis Blues
W: Ryane Clowe, San Jose Sharks
W: Loui Eriksson, Dallas Stars
D: Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
D: Lubomir Visnovsky, Anaheim Ducks
G: Tomas Vokoun, Washington Capitals

Let's start off with David Backes, just because I think this guy could be the most criminally underrated player in the league north of the sixty point threshold. Think Dustin Brown of the midwest, but with more finishing ability and the same kind of tenacity on the back-end. Guy is an absolute freak. And, as an American, who can forget the gauntlet of pre-Olympic fights he ran with Jon Toews, Rick Nash, and Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks.

Next up is Ryane Clowe - no brainer here. Clowe was the only player voted by HockeyBuzz fans to even come close to sniffing Loui Eriksson's jockstrap as the most underrated player in the league, and for good reason. Clowe's a behemoth in front of the net, single-handedly personifying the kind of grit and 'edge' that the San Jose Sharks have long been looking for. And, he does it all without trading away a respectable skill set like most guys cut from his cloth do. Somehow, I think that twenty-four goal total he threw up last season is on the rise upwards.

Loui Eriksson's probably the easiest choice I've ever made for one of these teams. Brad Richards may have been the face of the Dallas Stars in years past, but Eriksson's as productive as any forward in the National Hockey League. Think of some of the names he out-produced last year; Patrick Sharp, Bobby Ryan, Joe Thornton, Danny Briere, and Matt Duchene. Now, some names right near his level of production - Anze Kopitar, Patrick Kane, and Patty Marleau. Absolutely incredible how he gets so little fanfare.

On defense, Lubomir Visnovsky was easily the most offensively gifted performer of last season. So, how are blogs such as Puck Daddy (written by Sam McCaig) still leaving him outside of the top twenty-five amongst defensemen? It blows my mind just the same. Visnovsky's really made a concerted effort to improve his defensive game from years past, and offensively, the guy is just flat out sharp. He's one of the main reasons why the Ducks remained one of the scariest teams on the man advantage last year, and unlike alleged comparables in Mike Green, he's not a defensive liability.

Add Pietrangelo to the mix on the back-end, too. He's a popular pick amongst the HockeyBuzz bloggers, and rightfully so. Pietrangelo's still a tender twenty-one years old, but he's already come into his own as a top-four defenseman. Still filling out his frame and learning how to work the opposition's attack, Pietrangelo remains focused on building his overall game. What's already developed - some pretty sick offensive play. The kid just has incredible vision.

Lastly, we'll end with a guy I maintain is still among the top-five goalies in the National Hockey League, Tomas Vokoun. If he's a top-five netminder as I alleged, then why on Earth did he sign a contract for just $1.5M per? Two reasons. The first, he's on the wrong side of thirty, and second(related), the market for a starting goaltender was fairly slim. But, as I've mentioned previously, after Tim Thomas, few - if any - goalies have out-produced Vokoun over the past three years. Go look up his year-to-year splits, playing behind one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League. Think you'll be impressed, if not downright shocked.

Shaune Vetter


F: Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes
F: Ryane Clowe, San Jose Sharks
F: Andrew Ladd, Winnipeg Jets
D: Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
D: Cody Franson, Toronto Maple Leafs
G: Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings

I know Staal's a star in Carolina but if he was in any media centre for hockey he might be the face of the NHL. This guy should have been at the Olympics ahead of players like Thornton and Marleau yet for some reason he just quietly goes about his business in near-anonymity for the Canes. He’s as overlooked as Joe Sakic was when he was still in Quebec.

Clowe is the true heart and soul of the Sharks and he’s one of the few that raises his game when it comes to the post-season. He might have just barely been in the top 6 on the Sharks depth chart, but Ryan Clowe can play on my top 6 any day.

Ladd's got size, skill, and has won two Stanley Cups but just doesn’t seem to be able to stick in a city. Even when he managed to get an extension from the franchise he was with last season they moved the team to a different city. Rodney Dangerfield gets more respect than this guy, but he just keeps on winning. Jets fans hope he can capture a third cup in their city.

When the Flames supposedly had the new “big three” a couple of years ago, Giordano surprised everyone by coming back from Russia and being their most consistent blue-liner and hasn’t looked back. With the departure of Robyn Regehr this offseason, Gio might see a little more of the spotlight.

Nashville may have always struggled to get talented forwards, but what they’ve lacked up front they’ve more than made up for on the blueline. Cody Franson is just one of many defensemen that the Preds have drafted who is effective at both ends of the ice and has impressive size at 6’5 213lbs. Leafs fans will be thrilled to have his presence as he matures.

Quick is aptly named, and although the Kings haven’t been able to “take the next step” it’s in no way a reflection of his ability as he gives his team a chance to win every night. His 35 wins last year tied him with the player who would have been the choice for most under-rated for the last 5 seasons: Tim Thomas.

Todd Cordell


F: Derek Roy, Buffalo Sabres
F: Nikolai Kulemin, Toronto Maple Leafs
F: Loui Eriksson, Dallas Stars
D: Lubomir Visnovsky, Anaheim Ducks
D: Alex Goligoski, Dallas Stars
G: Jonas Hiller, Anaheim Ducks

I have always followed Derek Roy closely going back to his days with the Kitchener Rangers; and he has never failed to impress me. He's a very solid two-way center who can put up pretty solid numbers. He's exactly what you want in a player and I have no idea why he doesn't get more attention.

In my opinion, Nikolai Kulemin is certainly worthy of making this list. Rarely do I hear anyone (except Leafs fans) talk about him. I have followed Kulemin closely since he came to the Leafs, and I, among others, always thought he had potential. Last year he showed it as he quietly scored 30 goals. He's also very responsible defensively, so he's good in my books.

Perhaps Loui Eriksson is the most underrated forward in the NHL. Over the last three seasons he has put up over 200 points, yet he is rarely talked about. Odd.

Those who have followed my work, and me on twitter for a while know I am extremely high on Lubomir Visnovsky. He's an offensive force, and is solid in his own end. Why he wasn't at least up for Norris last season is beyond me, as I think he should have won; but that's discussion for another day.

I'll just flat out say it: Alex Goligoski is a stud on the backend. He makes all the right plays, and is as quick as they come. He definitely doesn't get the respect he deserves. Why? Probably because most of the East Coast doesn't stay up to watch him.

Hiller is so underrated it makes my mind boggle. He steals games night-in night-out and is one of the only reasons the Ducks were not out of the playoff race early on in the season. Hiller proved during the 2010 Olympics and in the playoffs (especially in that 1/8 series vs. the Sharks) that he is capable of taking over hockey games. I'll stick to my belief that the only reason the Ducks lost in round one is because Hiller was not in net. Predators fans may call me out for saying that, but do you really think the weak Predators offense could average 4+ goals per game on Hiller? I certainly don't.

Adam French


F: Loui Eriksson, Dallas Stars
F: Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild
F: Ray Whitney, Phoenix Coyotes
D: Ryan Suter, Nashville Predators
D: Brian Campbell, Florida Panthers
G: Dwayne Roloson, Tampa Bay Lightning

Loui Eriksson. If there is a poster boy out there for Mr. Underrated, it is Eriksson. Three straight years of All-Star caliber play and in each season getting better and better has Eriksson developing into one of the best players in the game. Yet still we don’t hear his name often enough, the past two years he has outscored such household names as Rick Nash and Bobby Ryan. He really needs more respect.

Mikko Koivu is a first line center and very close to being elite. He does it all at both ends of the ice and busts his nuts every game. He provides great playmaking and two-way play. He’s the captain of his team and the face of his franchise. I know Minnesota is not a big team outside of its market but I think even Brian McCabe as captain of the Panthers hot more recognition.

Ray Whitney is a personal favourite of mine and not just because he was on the Coyotes last season. He is Mr. Consistent, and for years he has been the epitome of the playmaking winger and quietly raked up 6 straight years of 50+ point years. Last season he was still great with 57 points in a year where Carolina let him go because at 38 he didn’t have enough gas in the tank for the 2 years he wanted. Well, he's now turning 40 and still ticking.

Ryan Suter, also known as “Shea Weber’s Partner” to most, is a criminally underrated player. He makes up one of the best defensive pairings in the league but is always an afterthought. Sure he doesn’t have the booming shot or the bone crushing hits but he gives consistency and amazing awareness, he bails Weber out all the time and allows him to play his game. Four straight years of 30+ points isn’t shabby either for a player of his defensive prowess.

Known more for his atrocious contract, Brian Campbell is still an amazing player. He is an amazing puck rusher, good on the PP, solid on the PK, has a good shot, and passes the puck with fluidity. Quite frankly, there's very little to like - except for his contract. His contract makes people think he “sucks” which is why he is underrated, but if you ask Blackhawk fans they will tell you that he was at times their best defenseman.

41 years old and still pumping out great years, everyone is still waiting for the time where Roloson will be too aged to play, but it never seems to happen. He took the Lightning on a great run in the playoffs and helped make their season a success where Dan Ellis and Mike Smith couldn’t. If I was in the playoffs and somebody gave me a list of goalies Roloson would be close to the top.

Brian Huddle


F: Nikolai Kulemin, Toronto Maple Leafs
F: David Krejci, Boston Bruins
F: Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers
D: Ryan Suter, Nashville Predators
D: Tobias Enstrom, Winnipeg Jets
G: Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes

Kulemin does it all. He can score 30, has tremendous speed, strength and a deceptive shot, and he’s one of Toronto’s best two-way players.

Krejci doesn’t get enough credit. He’s so talented with the puck and has such high end vision that he made his wingers that much better.

Giroux, who could also be considered a center, is another guy who doesn’t get enough talk. He can make ridiculous plays, with very little help and is approaching on PPG status.

Shea Weber should thank Suter more often. Ryan perfectly complements Weber, and is likely the better of the two in the defensive end. Not to mention he’s also putting up points.

Tobias Enstrom is so tiny that you don’t expect him to be as good as he is. When he went down, Big Buff suffered, but it was Enstrom’s solid defensive game and 50 points that really should have headlined the Thrashers backend.

Cam Ward plays so often, and sees so much puck, while putting up consistently good (and improving) numbers. Somehow, he gets very little media attention. He’s easily a Top 10 goalie in the National Hockey League, and is somehow still improving.
John Jaeckel


F: Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks (great player, sometimes overshadowed by Henrik)
F: David Backes, St. Louis Blues (does it all)
C: Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks (everyone knows he's really good, not enough realize how great he is)
D: Niklas Hjalmarsson, Chicago Blackhawks (like a furnace, you only notice him when he breaks down, which is never. Has more physical and offensive upside too.)
D: Dan Hamhuis, Vancouver Canucks (gets it done, real difference maker, tougher than given credit for)
G: Jonas Hiller, Anaheim Ducks (ice)

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