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Most overrated players - Atlantic 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 Atlantic Division
Boston - David Backes
This isn't the same guy who was putting up top six offensive numbers at even-strength while punching his way through every Canadian star player en route to the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. That's almost a decade ago at this point. He's still good defensively, but he's putting up fringe third line offensive numbers which isn't exactly what you are looking for at that 6M range. He's 34, only three more years left on the deal.
Buffalo - Rasmus Ristolainen
I was reluctant to put him here because there is certainly a well voiced faction who believes he is among the worst players in the league. However, I do not believe that is the common perception with this player. I think Ristolainen is a specialist and has some room for improvement because he may finally get some more appropriate usage. That said, he's on this list because I don't know if most people think he's a specialist. I think most people think he's a bonafide top four defenseman. He is going to be a player that can help out a power play and needs very sheltered minutes at even-strength. Sometimes being overrated is a good thing... if you can find somebody to overpay in a trade for them.
Detroit - Danny Dekeyser
Listen, Detroit has a ton of players who are getting non-deserved NTC/NMC and are wildly overpaid. Most people know that these players aren't really that good. One that I think slips through the cracks is Danny Dekeyser. He received a pretty big contract extension getting 30M over six years. He's played like he's good, but he isn't. He gets buried in his own end all the time. The only thing propping him up is his shooting percentage and even then he can't hit double digit goals. Ken Holland needs his keys taken away.
Florida - Aaron Ekblad
The former first round pick is treated like a true #1 defenseman because of his draft slot, but to this point whether it is because of concussions or other things he hasn't been one, yet. Offensively Ekblad is very gifted and that is a definite strength. Possession and defending not so much. The Panthers play him like a number one, but he doesn't get the puck out of his zone and in transition like a number one defenseman. People have a perception that he is a complete player when the evidence isn't there for that. Which is why he is technically overrated.
Montreal - Jonathan Drouin
Super fun to watch, but doesn't help the team out as much as some think. I still don't think he deserved the treatment he got in Tampa Bay. He was an NHL player when they were playing games with him sending him back and forth to the AHL. The issue here is that all that raw skill is not translating into offense which should be his perceived strength. A 5v5 points per 60 of 1.44 and 1.30 the last two years is below the likes of Jay Beagle. His highly skilled hands and agility haven't translated possession wise either. His addition to Montreal has been a failure because he isn't a top end winger and they traded away a really good young defenseman (area of weakness) to acquire him. Another Marc Bergevin special
Ottawa - Mikkel Boedker
His name was always in trade rumors when he was with the Arizona Coyotes. People gravitated to his semi-decent offensive numbers in Arizona, but didn't really peak into them. They were power play driven. At even-strength he's a third liner at best. The last seven years he's been a negative in the possession department relative to his teammates. He's been fool's gold for quite a while
Tampa Bay - Dan Girardi
Yes, the majority of people already think he's bad by this point. That still leaves Girardi overrated. He's a drain on his partners and has effectively ruined the career of Ryan McDonagh by tanking all of his numbers in New York and now in Tampa Bay. What did Ryan McDonagh ever do to deserve this kind of treatment? To think I almost put McDonagh in this spot before I remembered that Girardi has tanked his career.
Toronto - Nikita Zaitsev
He's played like a true top four defenseman, but he's not. He was given a seven year 31.5M contract and regardless if it would Lou Lamoriello or Kyle Dubas behind the wheel of this deal it was misguided. His passing data is subpar and below the 50th percentile in every passing category Ryan Stimson tracks. With Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and Jake Gardiner all coming up for new contracts Zaitsev carries dead weight value.
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
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