Welcome to another edition of the Hockeybuzz hotstove.
In this one we'll be looking at some underrated teams who are doing pretty well for themselves but not getting any attention for their play.
Todd Cordell: Winnipeg Jets I considered going with the Fancy Cats, but I have to pick the Jets here.
Playing in an extremely tough conference and the toughest division in hockey the Winnipeg Jets, who most considered to be in the running for Connor McDavid/Jack Eichel, currently own a Wild Card spot and are only half of a point behind St. Louis for 3rd in their division.
What makes their season incredible is that early on they couldn't score to save their lives, and now they're currently without four of their top-5 defenseman in Jacob Trouba, Tobias Enstrom, Zach Bogosian and Mark Stuart.
Despite that they continue to win games, and are posting elite possession numbers in the process.
I didn't think they'd be at the bottom of the NHL, but I didn't expect them to compete for a divisional playoff spot in a division that calls itself home to Chicago, St. Louis, Nashville and Dallas, among others.
Adam French: Nashville Predators I guess I'm obligated to say the Predators because a lot of these playoff teams were teams you could easily predict to be there (Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and so on). Nashville has been a revelation. Rinne is playing like the best goalie in the world. Weber-Josi is one of the best pairings in the NHL. The rest of their defense core has been solid enough. They have a top line for the first time in years led by wunderkind Forsberg and a man with a lot to prove in Ribeiro. They've had timely scoring and it's good to see Colin Wilson actually developing, what once was a top prospect seemed to be languishing in mediocrity, though he hasn't (and probably never) hit the heights people hoped for.
A fantastic defense with an elite goalie combined with timely scoring. Sounds like the kind of team you don't want to face in the playoffs. Yet we don't hear much about them...though that could just be the nature of playing in Tennessee.
Ryan Wilson: Florida Panthers The Fancy Cats have a Score-Adjusted Fenwick of 52.1% and their team EVSV% of .930% is good for sixth overall in the league. Good possession and great goaltending is a wonderful combo to have over the long haul. The Panthers are in the playoff race and I don't expect them to go anywhere.
They've even managed to do this while focusing less on their veteran players and more on the youth. Panthers are looking good moving forward.
Ed Stein: Nashville Predators The most underrated team so far this season has to be the Nashville Predators. Because they play in a small market, very few of their players are “household names.… The Preds currently sit two points behind Chicago and three points ahead of St. Louis in the standings and have games in hand on each. They are a team built on goaltending and defense, which isn't considered sexy; but it is effective. Come playoff time, they are the team no one will want to face.
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