After top 10 all time- rank top 5 Most Overrated / underrated players all time?

[Craig Ludwig]

Over:
Kevin Lowe - Worst Hall of Fame inductee ever, disgusting that he used all his buddies to get in there, and don't remind me of his awful GM skills!
Brodeur - Come on, behind the Devils Steel Curtain...
Fleury - Carried by his teams
Lecavalier - Size, Skill, could have been so much more
Fuhr - I love the guy as a person, but behind that Oilers team?


Under:
Ron Francis - look at top NHL scorers of all time, and he was a two way player
Hasek - If only he played in NHL since he was 20 years old
Ovechkin - Unbelievable so many are dissing his accomplishment, we are watching history
Gilbert Perreault - Imagine him on the 70s Habs
Forsberg - Absolute Powerhouse slowed by injuries
Mark Messier - Warrior, and seeing him live his skating... beautiful

 

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaa]

I just want to throw one name of an overrated player out and then hide for awhile...

Datsyuk.

He had some amazing dangles and was a good all-around player, but I feel he is insanely overrated for what he actually accomplished year to year. He wasn't even a ppg player but people treat him like the Russian Gretzky. Most players with his numbers wouldn't even be mentioned as a superstar if they had played for Buffalo or Arizona.

 

[Stephen]

Mats Sundin was the most overrated player of my lifetime. I always knew that when we were playing against the Leafs, he wouldn’t come through when it mattered. And he never did.

Did all those OT game winning goals score themselves?

 

[Stephen]

Good call on Bill Ranford!! I am going to get crucified here but I think his two year peak rivals Bernie Parents two year peak.

Ranford - “He is only goaltender in history to be awarded the MVP of Stanley Cup Playoffs, Canada Cup/World Cup & Men's Ice Hockey World Championship”

I would say Bill Ranford was overrated as hell for a number of years after the Oilers Cup/Conn Smythe win and the 1994 World Championship. There was a bit of a sea change in butterfly goaltending that exposed Ranford's acrobatic standup style, but people just thought it was because Edmonton was terrible. He gets moved to back Boston, Washington, and was just awful.

 

[nowhereman]

Basically anyone who plays an elite two-way game is on my overrated list (i.e. Datsyuk, Bergeron, Toews, Fedorov, etc.), outside of Bobby Clarke (who I think is somewhat underrated). And it's not because they aren't tremendous, incredibly useful players but because forward defense is so nebulous that it can be used to prop players up to whatever heights you like. Anytime they are compared to elite offensive players, defense is trotted out as a factor that completely makes up whatever gap is acknowledged and then some i.e. "Datsyuk would be as good as Crosby or OV if he didn't play defense".

As for underrated, I have Dionne, Tretiak, Malkin, Pilote, and Perreault.

 

[BMN]

It's all a matter of what you perceive "underrated" to mean. "Underrated" in the sense of fame or deeper analytical acclaim? For e.g., I'd argue that Ron Francis over time has actually kind of become fairly rated by hockey's Corsi'ists for how underrated he was by the general public over time. I'd also argue that Hasek is underrated by a lot of analysts despite being rightfully famous with the general public because the analysts forget just how late he came to the NHL party.

Two players I always keep on my underrated list are Hawerchuk and Dionne. Two Smythe Division standouts that could have done the exact same stuff for the New York Rangers (well....Dionne doing his *peak* stuff for the Rangers I mean...) and the public would never have heard the end of it.

I think Hawerchuk was particularly shortchanged in the popular imagination in that he was on small market teams that could barely be carried to anything resembling postseason success (the Blues 'for-partial-rent' team was his big shot) ....and then right during the period where you would do your cap tips and get your "legends" due.....the team he was most associated with moves away taking away all the fanfare he would have received.

 

[jetsforever]

All these people putting Messier as underrated makes me think he may even be overrated.

 

[Pablo El Perro]

All these people putting Messier as underrated makes me think he may even be overrated.

All these people putting Messier as underrated makes me think he may even be overrated.

Same with Sakic, really. Both great players, but don't know who underrates them.

 

[Bouboumaster]

Overrated:
Malkin
Sundin
Thomas
Forsberg
Datsyuk

Underrated:
Price
Kariya
Lafleur
Sedins

 

[Tom Polakis]

It's all a matter of what you perceive "underrated" to mean. "Underrated" in the sense of fame or deeper analytical acclaim? For e.g., I'd argue that Ron Francis over time has actually kind of become fairly rated by hockey's Corsi'ists for how underrated he was by the general public over time. I'd also argue that Hasek is underrated by a lot of analysts despite being rightfully famous with the general public because the analysts forget just how late he came to the NHL party.

Two players I always keep on my underrated list are Hawerchuk and Dionne. Two Smythe Division standouts that could have done the exact same stuff for the New York Rangers (well....Dionne doing his *peak* stuff for the Rangers I mean...) and the public would never have heard the end of it.

I think Hawerchuk was particularly shortchanged in the popular imagination in that he was on small market teams that could barely be carried to anything resembling postseason success (the Blues 'for-partial-rent' team was his big shot) ....and then right during the period where you would do your cap tips and get your "legends" due.....the team he was most associated with moves away taking away all the fanfare he would have received.

On this board anyway, I think longevity is underappreciated. Of course Hawerchuk belongs in the Hall of Fame; he had 1409 points! It doesn't matter how flashy he may have been, or how high his peak was. The same is true for Mike Gartner, who averaged nearly 35 goals per season for over 20 seasons. I'll take that accomplishment over three or four spectacular 50-goal seasons any day.

 

[quietbruinfan]

Overrated: Dionne
Derian Hatcher
Kevin Hatcher
Mike Bullard
Jarome Iginla
Dustin Byfuglien

Umderrated: Middleton
Datsyuk
Zubov
Bill Barber
Craig Hartsburg

 

[Chips]

I just want to throw one name of an overrated player out and then hide for awhile...

Datsyuk.

He had some amazing dangles and was a good all-around player, but I feel he is insanely overrated for what he actually accomplished year to year. He wasn't even a ppg player but people treat him like the Russian Gretzky. Most players with his numbers wouldn't even be mentioned as a superstar if they had played for Buffalo or Arizona.

He was excellent defensively too and had some solid scoring seasons considered. He wasn’t just out there for points and “only” getting at or close to ppg

Did so, that defense, without taking a ton of penalties too, a lot of great defensive guys put their team down a man often too

And his peak season, that highest if briefest peak, he had to be in the best player conversation that year.

 

[Zalos]

90% of posts in this thread:

Overrated
*Insert players I don't like from rival teams I don't like*

Underrated
*Insert favorite players from my favorite team who everyone else doesn't worship*

Nice.

 

[DearDiary]

Overrated:
Malkin
Sundin
Thomas
Forsberg
Datsyuk

Underrated:
Price
Kariya
Lafleur
Sedins

Odd you would list Malkin and not Toews, when Toews is considered a top 100 hockey player of all time over Thorton as well

 

[Puckclektr]

didnt play nearly as good for as long, and thats a big factor, imo. Longevity is part of greatness. Theres a reason why we dont see many goalies last more than 5-10 years anymore.


huh? when was he even considered good after he was drafted?

No but when he was drafted he was highly overated IMO. Shouldn’t have even been a first rounder IMO.

 

[Boris Le Tigre]

Andreychuk, Tim Kerr, Ciccarelli, and Michel Goulet.

Some HMs for underrated

 

[Spitfire11]

He was excellent defensively too and had some solid scoring seasons considered. He wasn’t just out there for points and “only” getting at or close to ppg


And his peak season, that highest if briefest peak, he has to be in the best player conversation that year.

Yes, it was a short peak but for those 4-5 seasons I’ve never seen a player do what he did so regularly with and without the puck, he was definitely in the conversation of best player in the league.

It’s why I personally consider him so underrated. The stats/trophies/rankings will never capture how great a player he really was.

 

[rfournier103]

I think Guy LaFleur is underrated by non-Montreal fans. His 6 consecutive seasons with 50+ goals is only surpassed by Mike Bossy’s 10 seasons (also underrated) and Wayne Gretzky’s 9.

I think no matter the era, that’s quite an accomplishment.

 

[byrath]

Fuhr - I love the guy as a person, but behind that Oilers team?

Playing goalie for those oilers teams was no easy task. For example, in 1983-84 the Oilers record was 57-18-5. They gave up the 4th most shots in the whole league and were actually outshot (slightly) on the season. Crazy!

 

[kings11]

So overrated he has yet to be named even though he’s a lock for the HOF…


Anze Kopitar

 

[Hoochi Papa]

Overrated:
Iginla
Messier
Brodeur
Toews
Stevens

Underrated
MAF
Lecavalier
Forsberg
Kovalchuk
Pronger

 

[psycat]

Overrated
Crosby
Harvey
Datsyuk
Bedard
Richard(either one really but Maurice is the one I am thinking of)

Underrated
Brett Hull
Esposito
LaFleur
Gretzky
Jagr

 

[Bouboumaster]

Odd you would list Malkin and not Toews, when Toews is considered a top 100 hockey player of all time over Thorton as well

I completly forgot about Toews lol

 

[Xirik]

Underrated

Patrick Elias

 

[Frank Drebin]

Playing goalie for those oilers teams was no easy task. For example, in 1983-84 the Oilers record was 57-18-5. They gave up the 4th most shots in the whole league and were actually outshot (slightly) on the season. Crazy!

That team averaged 5.56 goals scored per game.

Even if Fuhr had a GAA of 5.00, he likely would have had a winning record.

Playing for a team that scores many, many goals is relatively stress free. Let a weak one or 2 in? No big deal, just settle in for the second period and your team will bail you out.