NHL's Six Most Underappreciated Players

Whether it's being overshadowed by their teammates or the rest of the NHL's top players, these six players deserve more hype for their impressive efforts, writes Jacob Stoller.

NHL players can be underappreciated in several ways.

Sometimes, a player performing at an elite level can be overshadowed, either by the market they play in or the teammates that surround them. In other instances, players fly under the radar because the things they excel at aren’t showcased in highlight reels or the box score.

So let’s give some love to those that aren’t privy to as much attention as they really deserve.

People don’t realize just how good Kevin Fiala is. While the 27-year-old was named to his first All-Star Game this past season, Fiala has been one of the NHL’s most effective wingers since the 2021-22 season. 

On top of recording 1.04 points per game through his last 151 regular-season contests, Fiala has posted elite numbers during 5-on-5 play. He recorded the fifth-most primary assists (1.21) and seventh-most points (2.79) per 60 minutes of any winger to play at least 500 minutes over the last two years, according to naturalstattrick.com.

Fiala is a dynamic passer who's among the very best wingers at creating offense in transition. And manually tracked data by Corey Sznajder of allthreezones.com attest to that. During 5-on-5 play, Fiala recorded the fourth-most high-danger passes (3.26), fifth-most scoring chance assists (6.71) and second-most rush assists per 60 minutes (11.1), according to allthreezones.com.

Fiala may not get as much spotlight as some of the league’s other top wingers, but next time you’re discussing the best wingers in the game – you best not overlook him.

While Noah Cates’ rookie campaign may not have caused Cates jerseys to become commonplace in Philadelphia, there is no doubt the 24-year-old is on the cusp of becoming a highly regarded player league-wide. 

In 82 games with the basement-dwelling Flyers, Cates recorded 38 points — 11 of which came in his final 14 games — and recorded remarkable defensive numbers. Cates is a defensively oriented forward with all the tools to become an elite shutdown third-line center — think Jordan Staal, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Adam Lowry or Boone Jenner. While those players aren’t the flashiest, they’re highly coveted league-wide, especially in the playoffs, when you need someone to kill plays and neutralize the opponent’s best players in tight-checking, low-scoring contests. 

Considering he just finished 15th in Selke voting as a rookie, Cates appears on the right track to become the next great third-line center.

It’s about time we put some respect on Carter Verhaeghe’s name once and for all. He is one of the best goal-scorers in the league, after all. 

Verhaeghe is a versatile threat, able to generate chances from the inside, in transition, or off the forecheck. Dating back to the start of the 2020-21 season, his first with the Panthers, Verhaeghe has recorded the eighth-most 5-on-5 goals per 60 minutes (1.30) of any NHL player with a minimum of 500 minutes played, according to naturalstattrick.com. He’s also been an incredible post-season performer over the last three years, tallying a league-high seven game-winning goals and 30 even-strength points, tied for the fifth-most through that span.

Verhagehe had a monster 2022-23 campaign, recording 42 goals and 73 points in 81 regular-season games before registering another 17 points in 21 playoff games.

Jake Walman flies under the radar, but players like him are a coach's dream. 

The 27-year-old game is centered around simplicity and efficiency. Walman knows who he is. He knows he’s not Mortiz Seider, and you’ll never find him attempting a crafty, highlight-reel dipsy-doodle. 

Ultimately, the beauty of Walman’s game lies in the positive impact he makes that often doesn’t attract the naked, unsuspecting eye. He’s terrific at executing zone exits, finishing 13th among defensemen in carried exits (10) per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 this past season, according to allthreezones.com. 

Walman is a cerebral defenseman who knows when to jump into the play, when to stay back, and when to distribute the puck versus skate with it. The 6-foot-2 left-shot rearguard is the perfect partner for Seider, acting as somewhat of a safety blanket for the uberly talented – albeit sometimes reckless – offensive defenseman.

In 63 games last season, Walman averaged 19:43 minutes per game and recorded nine goals and 18 points. He also averaged only 2.28 expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, which ranks him 14th among defensemen that played at least 500 minutes this season, according to naturalstattrick.com. 

Ryan Graves is a similar player to Walman, although he’s three inches taller and not as good of a puck-mover. Nevertheless, Graves is the definition of sturdy. And the left-shot defenseman will fit in perfectly on a Pittsburgh blueline with Kris Letang and Jeff Petry on its ride side (or maybe even Erik Karlsson). 

Graves averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time per game in his previous two seasons with New Jersey. He is a versatile top-four defenseman who possesses a coveted skill set. He's solid in transition and below the hash marks, where he leverages his big frame and high IQ to limit opponents’ real estate. He’s not a power-play guy — although he’s very useful on the penalty kill — but he’s capable of skating the puck out of trouble and making plays in transition.

You could make a good case that Filip Gustavsson had the biggest glow-up of any player last season. Entering 2022-23, Gustavsson was coming off two seasons as a third-string goalie for the Ottawa Senators. Once he joined the Wild, he immediately became the team’s 1B goalie alongside Marc-Andre Fleury. 

In 39 games, Gustavsson posted a 22-9-7 record, a .931 save percentage and three shutouts. Gustavsson also recorded 0.628 goals saved above expected per 60 minutes, which ranked him fifth among goalies who played at least 20 games, according to moneypuck.com.

Gustavsson eventually took on the starter reigns in the post-season — suiting up for five of the team’s seven playoff contests and recording a .921 save percentage. The 25-year-old set a Wild franchise record when he recorded 51 saves in Game 1 of Minnesota’s first-round series against the Dallas Stars.