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Most overrated players - Central Division |
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I discussed who my favorite players were from each team in the NHL. Now I'm going to go through and list off some of the more overrated players in the league. It isn't easy to always do this because you need a baseline to determine where the player is rated in the first place. I'm going to lean on the teams themselves to help guide this barometer. I'm also not going to have a player from every team because glancing through I didn't feel strongly about every roster having one and I don't like the idea of calling somebody overrated just for this exercise. Today is the Central Division
Chicago - Jonathan Toews
Captain Serious is seriously overrated. The thing is he's been a very good player and deserves praise. The problem is that he is treated like hockey royalty when he was just a very good part in a much larger machine. Since the Blackhawks overpaid him the team hasn't done anything. When he signed his deal his new cap hit was 15.22% of the teams total cap which is probably the highest in the league right now. He's lived in the 50-70 point range in his career which somehow places him among the best 100 players of all-time. Stan Bowman better have some more cap circumvention ideas or else Toews will have to play up to his 10.5M salary. He isn't.
Two things have always been true about Jonathan Toews:
1. He's a really good player
2. He's not as good as his reputation, thus overrated.
Chicago - Brent Seabrook
His latest contract was cringe worthy the day it was signed. It has already cost the Blackhawks the ability to seek out effective talent. Part of that fallout was trading away Artemi Panarin because he wasn't cost controlled. Seabrook is 33 years old and clearly on the decline. HIs contract is your classic Stanley Cup tax, a loyalty contract. The lockout will save the team from this mistake, but until then they will have close to 7M locked up in a declining player that can't come close to his pay grade.
Colorado - Ian Cole
Ian Cole was a great depth piece on a team dripping with talent. He was properly rated as a bottom pairing defenseman who could be a #4 in stretches with another skilled partner. Doubling his salary and losing the kind of talent he had around him makes his value sour a bit. You'd like to see more offense at the price range considering possession is middle of the road and will be playing tougher minutes in the future.
Nashville - Nick Bonino
Considering the Penguins won back to back Stanley Cups it is normal to see some of their players end up on these lists. Teams can't help but overpay for depth players that come from Stanley Cup winning teams. Bonino centered the hottest line in hockey during the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The HBK line with Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin was a big reason why the Penguins mowed teams down that year. It turned out to be lightning in a bottle. Bonino has been consistently buried in his own end since that run and his offense has dried up, too. Nashville bought in on the 2015-16 and they've been getting the 2016-17 version.
St. Louis - Jay Bouwmeester
Once upon a time he was an effective NHL defenseman. He was perceived to be one of the better players in the league who never got the chance to play in a playoff game. He overcame that burden and has played on some decent St. Louis teams the past few years. Recently he hasn't given much for his 5.4M cap hit. He's not great defensively. He doesn't contribute offensively for the money. His puck moving isn't enough to overcome the first two issues.
Winnipeg - Tyler Myers
Since winning the Calder Trophy in Buffalo it's been all downhill since. He's paid like a top four defenseman, but has been very mediocre. He has the luxury of playing on one of the best teams in the NHL. He also has the luxury of playing behind Dustin Byfuglien and Jacob Trouba. The Jets could make better use of his bloated cap hit and they will have to with Patrik Laine, Blake Wheeler, and potentially Jacob Trouba's extension on the horizon.
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
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