In this edition of the hotstove, we share our choices for most underrated on the Calgary Flames.
Todd Cordell
Rasmus Andersson.
I think he is one of the best kept secrets in the NHL. He’s not the flashiest guy – although he has plenty of skill – but he is solid across the board. He makes a good first pass that always seems to hit forwards in stride and/or on the tape. He really knows how to read the ice and make good decisions. His in-zone passing is strong and he has a heavy shot in his arsenal if opposing forwards leave him space at the line.
Andersson is also fantastic defensively. His gap control is excellent and he’s really good at driving players out wide and sealing them off. Andersson really doesn’t give an inch.
There’s a reason the Flames gave up chances, and goals, at a noticeably lower rate with Andersson on the ice over the last couple of years.
The Flames are going to lose some defenders to free agency this off-season, which should open up more ice time for Andersson next year. I have no doubt he can handle it.
James Tanner The most underrated player on the Flames is TJ Brodie. He only has two seasons in his whole career where he wasn't a positive corsi relative to his team, and he gives you 35-40 every year, which is better than it sounds because he scores almost exclusively at 5v5.
Brodie is the victim of a mentality in the NHL that underrates solid defensive players who don't post big numbers. He is extremely underrated.
Sean Maloughney The most underrated player on the Calgary Flames is clearly Milan Lucic. In his last season in Edmonton, Lucic scored 6 goals and this season he scored 8. That is a 25% boost in goal production which is just an astounding boost. According to analytics that means Lucic will be a 40 goal scorer for the Flames by the year 2042, roughly around the time that his contract will expire.
Flames fans know how good Lucic is, as they usually grace my comment section to champion his abilities. His physicality and toughness is a massive asset to the team. Whenever Lucic takes a penalty and isn't on the ice, the performance of the team dramatically improves. Few players around the league can boast that kind of performance.
Lucic's shot generation is also highly underrated. Lucic had 83 shots on net through the 68 games he played which actually tied offensive juggernaut Travis Hamonic who was able to generate the same number of shots through 50 games.
Milan also finished third on the team in powerplay goals with 5. Seeing Milan Lucic streak down.... no that's not the right word....
Seeing Milan Lucic trudge down the ice on the powerplay is a horrifying thought for Oilers fans and I hope that Geoff Ward doesn't continue to place him in that position. The thought scares me so much I'm giggling...
Numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com
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