All-time underrated players

[The Panther]

Thinking about it, Jagr probably is a bit under-rated. I mean, there was a significant period there where he was the best skater in the game (c.1995 to 2001, minus Mario in 1995-96). His "under-rating", I think, suffers from three things:

1) Followed Gretzky and Lemieux as top NHL scorer; his scoring numbers couldn't quite compare (yet were way better than anybody who followed). Onset of Dead-Puck era coinciding with his peak didn't help that.

2) Five scoring titles and a Hart trophy sounds enormous (and is), but it very easily could have been that much more. Even in 1996-97 he was basically pacing Mario, but he missed 19 games. (In 2000, he won the scoring title missing 19 games, and was actually on pace for 125 points at the height of the DPE, while the next-best scorer had 94 points.) In 2005-06 (aged 33), he was leading the League in scoring pretty much the whole season, but then suddenly crapped out in the final week, allowing Joe Thornton to take the Art Ross and the Hart.

Certainly he could easily have had six scoring titles (adding 2006, but for that bad last week), and probably should have had at least two Harts (possible three, as he might have won in '95 too).

3) His personality when he was young. There was nothing at all wrong with it, but since he was an 'outside-the-box', original thinker, he didn't fit NHL social circles easily while in his prime. The NHL old-skoolers took a slightly dim view of him.


I certainly don't rate him as high as #5, but I do think he's well up there in the top 10, well ahead of guys like Crosby and Ovechkin, who have received twice the column inches.

 

[HawkNut]

Now that I think of it, Langway can be on here too. I think Goulet definitely and possibly Langway were snubbed from the 100 Greatest Players list.

Also, Pierre Pilote had this amazing run. Somehow it was decided at least 100 players were better. I think not.

 

[BobbyAwe]

I'm not sure about this as Clarke, Craig Ramsay, Don Luce were all really good 2 way forwards as well.

If anything Sanderson isn't rated higher primarily because of his lifestyle affecting his play.

You're right, as a Bruin's fan I suffer from extreme bias

But I still maintain he greatly underrated...

 

[wetcoast]

Now that I think of it, Langway can be on here too. I think Goulet definitely and possibly Langway were snubbed from the 100 Greatest Players list.

Also, Pierre Pilote had this amazing run. Somehow it was decided at least 100 players were better. I think not.

If anything I think Langway is a bit over rated around these parts.

 

[HawkNut]

If anything I think Langway is a bit over rated around these parts.

How so? Nothing about his resume says overrated to me.

 

[wetcoast]

How so? Nothing about his resume says overrated to me.

2 Norris trophies, getting ranked 29th all time year despite being quite a poor playoff guy.

He also really didn't age well at all and he was the type of player who generally does age well.

 

[HawkNut]

2 Norris trophies, getting ranked 29th all time year despite being quite a poor playoff guy.

He also really didn't age well at all and he was the type of player who generally does age well.

Langway had:

Back-to-back Norris trophies. That alone puts somebody in the conversation as a Top 100 player in history.

A First Team All Star twice, a Second Team All Star once.

Three more seasons of a top five finish in the Norris race, plus one more season in the top 10.

Three top four Hart finishes, including one runner up finish to Gretzky.

That's a pretty stacked resume that's worthy of being in the 100 Greatest.

 

[DitchMarner]

Maybe Jere Lehtinen? He just doesn't seem to be talked about much. The guy won three Selkes as a winger.

 

[wetcoast]

Langway had:

Back-to-back Norris trophies. That alone puts somebody in the conversation as a Top 100 player in history.

A First Team All Star twice, a Second Team All Star once.

Three more seasons of a top five finish in the Norris race, plus one more season in the top 10.

Three top four Hart finishes, including one runner up finish to Gretzky.

That's a pretty stacked resume that's worthy of being in the 100 Greatest.

Look at it objectively though, was Langway really Norris worthy in 82-83 with a minus 2?

I would take Mark Howe, Bourque, heck even Doug Wilson over him that year

Heck even in 83-84 Bourque and Potvin easily and as much as I'm not a fan of Coffey he did score 97 more points than Langway that year.

The Hart finishes are all part of the hype, if you look closely and critically, instead of drinking the kool-aid there was a lot more to Washington becoming better than just the addition of Rod Langway.

It's a case where the narrative isn't really backed up.

I remember at the time there was a real backlash against offensive players winning the Norris and for exactly 2 years the pendulum swung to far in Langways favour before slightly correcting itself.

And no Langway isn't a top 100 player in my books, maybe 150 to 200ish.

 

[HawkNut]

Look at it objectively though, was Langway really Norris worthy in 82-83 with a minus 2?

I would take Mark Howe, Bourque, heck even Doug Wilson over him that year

Heck even in 83-84 Bourque and Potvin easily and as much as I'm not a fan of Coffey he did score 97 more points than Langway that year.

The Hart finishes are all part of the hype, if you look closely and critically, instead of drinking the kool-aid there was a lot more to Washington becoming better than just the addition of Rod Langway.

It's a case where the narrative isn't really backed up.

I remember at the time there was a real backlash against offensive players winning the Norris and for exactly 2 years the pendulum swung to far in Langways favour before slightly correcting itself.

And no Langway isn't a top 100 player in my books, maybe 150 to 200ish.

Based on that resume, he sure is. Whether or not he should have had it, but he did.

Even if he's not a Top 100 player, that is almost certainly a Top 100 resume.

 

[Eisen]

Maybe Jere Lehtinen? He just doesn't seem to be talked about much. The guy won three Selkes as a winger.

And with Modano on his team.

 

[wetcoast]

Based on that resume, he sure is. Whether or not he should have had it, but he did.

Even if he's not a Top 100 player, that is almost certainly a Top 100 resume.

Sorry but that is a lazy way to look at it. 2 wrongs don't make a right.

Do you know which defenseman don't have 3 top 5 Hart finishes?

Larry Robinson, Guy Lapointe, Salming, Leetch, Potvin, Keith, Pronger, Doughty, MacInnis, Chelios, Scott Stevens, Chara...that's just post expansion guys off the top of my head.

 

[HawkNut]

Sorry but that is a lazy way to look at it. 2 wrongs don't make a right.

Do you know which defenseman don't have 3 top 5 Hart finishes?

Larry Robinson, Guy Lapointe, Salming, Leetch, Potvin, Keith, Pronger, Doughty, MacInnis, Chelios, Scott Stevens, Chara...that's just post expansion guys off the top of my head.

That's not to take away from Langway's achievements and that is the track of a legendary player.

 

[wetcoast]

That's not to take away from Langway's achievements and that is the track of a legendary player.

We are going to have to agree to disagree on Langway as he is over rated IMO.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Patrik Elias and Milan Hejduk are two of the most underrated of all time IMHO. Czechs who played on smaller market/less media attention US teams and won Cups, 2 for Elias, 1 for Hejduk.

 

[MS]

NHL goals 1969-70 through 1978-79 (basically the 1970s) :

1. Phil Esposito - 518
2. Guy Lafleur - 355
3. Gary Unger - 347

 

[MadLuke]

I thought about how Ron Francis would age,

5th all time scorer, Selke winner, that could strong defense according to the press taking only 20 of penalty a season ? Really big piece of the Pens cups, all-time longevity with 3 top 5 in points during his peak....

Hard to think that he will be underrated by the future generation with such numbers and trophy, but during his career by the contempories, was he ? Will people ask why no team Canada in 91-96-98, unlike Oates he was a 6 foot 3, 4th overall draft pick, really strong 18 years old rookie season, never had a hill to climb.

Will one day his low PIM numbers will get reevaluated and push him higher ? People starting some narrative that he was not sexy to watch like the Fosberg-Messier-Bure-Fedorov-Lindros-Modano and got vastly underrated (in the all-star voting for example) ?

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Patrik Elias and Milan Hejduk are two of the most underrated of all time IMHO. Czechs who played on smaller market/less media attention US teams and won Cups, 2 for Elias, 1 for Hejduk.

Probably not a coincidence that both Sakic and Forsberg had their best seasons with Hedjuk on their wing. Great scorer, and made his linemates better.

 

[MadLuke]

Probably not a coincidence that both Sakic and Forsberg had their best seasons with Hedjuk on their wing. Great scorer, and made his linemates better.

Would Tanguay be involved in both case as well ?

One thing about Heddjuk, he often looked real good despite how much talent was on the ice watching him (for non Avs fans being him with the sakic-forsberg against the Stars-Devils-Wings type of teams).

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Would Tanguay be involved in both case as well ?
your post
One thing about Heddjuk, he often looked real good despite how much talent was on the ice watching him (for non Avs fans being him with the sakic-forsberg against the Stars-Devils-Wings type of teams).

Tanguay was certainly on the other wing, with Sakic in 2000-01, and iirc played with Forsberg for the most part in 2002-03. In 2002-03 there was a steep drop-off in production from Hedjuk (who won the Richard that year) to Tanguay, and I've always thought Hejduk was the more impactful player and better goal scorer.

 

[Overrated]

NHL goals 1969-70 through 1978-79 (basically the 1970s) :

1. Phil Esposito - 518
2. Guy Lafleur - 355
3. Gary Unger - 347

12 goals in 52 playoff games
2 goals in 17 international games

once it got tough he couldn't compete

 

[Gorskyontario]

12 goals in 52 playoff games
2 goals in 17 international games

once it got tough he couldn't compete

His playoff stats aren't even that bad compared to his regular season stats. He wasn't a superstar, and was only ppg 3 times in his career. He happened to have his entire prime through the entire 70s while being super durable.

Posts like yours make less then zero sense.

 

[Hobnobs]

Tanguay was certainly on the other wing, with Sakic in 2000-01, and iirc played with Forsberg for the most part in 2002-03. In 2002-03 there was a steep drop-off in production from Hedjuk (who won the Richard that year) to Tanguay, and I've always thought Hejduk was the more impactful player and better goal scorer.

Tanguay also was the odd man out in that group when it came to offensive assignments as it usually was Sakic, Forsberg, Hejduk, Morris and Blake when on the PP or chasing a goal. Tanguay offense goes up when Sakic is out. But he's definitely the weaker part compared to Hejduk.

 

[The Pale King]

NHL goals 1969-70 through 1978-79 (basically the 1970s) :

1. Phil Esposito - 518
2. Guy Lafleur - 355
3. Gary Unger - 347

Legitimately would have guessed at least 30 players before I threw Gary Unger's name out there... if I even got there at all. Like I probably would have guessed Lanny Mcdonald three times before they kicked me out of the trivia night and confiscated my credit card so I could pay the bill in the morning.

 

[VanIslander]

Oates.