In this edition of the hotstove, we share our choices for most underrated player on the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Todd Cordell
Barclay Goodrow.
A lot was made about what Tampa Bay gave up to get Goodrow but I don’t think it was as bad as it looked on the surface. Goodrow is a really useful piece to have around.
Goodrow is a strong defensive player at 5v5 and, along with Blake Coleman, I think he will add even more disruption to Tampa Bay’s forecheck. They have a ton of firepower and Goodrow is the type of guy who makes it very difficult on opposing teams to make up ground.
Beyond the defensive prowess, and versatility (he can play center or wing), Goodrow is also capable of chipping in offensively. He matched Jeff Skinner in 5v5 points this season and out-produced notables like Alex Radulov and Phil Kessel.
You’re not going to find him on many highlight packs, however, I think Goodrow is a solid bottom-6er and a little underappreciated.
James Tanner The most underrated player on Tampa is Yanni Gourde. He broke out with 22 goals and 48 points and got a new contract. But then this year he tanked offensively and people were pretty unfairly hard on him despite it being a pretty clear case of bad puck luck.
Gourde had a 54% CF, 52% SF and 55% expected goals.....but when he played, the Lightning got destroyed, scoring just 45% of the goals. The goalie just couldn't save the puck when he was on the ice, leading to a 97.7 PDO and an all-round unlucky season. He's still a really great player, especially if you're using him in the lower part of your lineup.
Numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com
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