The most underrated defensemen in the NHL

[Beukeboom Fan]

For top line d-men, Morrissey (who I think has been top six in the league since Buff and Trouba left the Jets).

Most people see Morrissey as a potential 2nd tier Norris candidate. Hard to be underrated when you're seen as at least a top 5-10 dmen in the NHL.

 

[5cotland]

It is very clear that many people on here don't understand what underrated means.

 

[Grifter3511]

2 other teams let him go for nothing as well

I know he wasn't a high draft pick or anything, but this is why I can't wrap my head around so many hf posters writing off players when they're 21-23 years old or so.

 

[benfranklin]

Devon Toews is the right answer.

 

[Sdevils42]

He’s not a #1 on a Cup team but he literally won the biggest prize in the game for a defenseman and is routinely a top 5 defenseman in the league?

That’s a take. Good chance it’ll be tested this year too.

How we feeling now? He’s slow, not the least bit physical and has become too reliant on the PP.

He’s not a true 1D on a Cup team.

 

[Raistlin]

Not sure if mentioned already, But I always feel Jonas Brodin up in Minny is underrated, just steady as a rock and provides decent offense every year.

 

[Mike Liut]

Parayko

 

[LTIR]

Ekholm on the Oilers. He is a top pairing Dman.

 

[bossram]

Devon Toews is the right answer.

No. Literally everyone knows who Toews is. Everyone thinks he's great. He's going to be on Team Canada.

He's not underrated.

Most people see Morrissey as a potential 2nd tier Norris candidate. Hard to be underrated when you're seen as at least a top 5-10 dmen in the NHL.

Exactly. Everyone thinks Morrissey is excellent. Not underrated.

It is very clear that many people on here don't understand what underrated means.

This x1000

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Vlasic
L Hughes
Lindell
Kovacevic
Tanev
Gostisbehere
Hanifin
Casey
Valimaki
Brannstrom
Chatfield
Samberg
Fox
Slavin
Ekholm
Larsson

 

[bossram]

Not sure if mentioned already, But I always feel Jonas Brodin up in Minny is underrated, just steady as a rock and provides decent offense every year.

This is a pretty credible answer for this thread. Brodin is a high-end shutdown defenseman and just does it year after year. He gets very little chatter though.

 

[Soundgarden]

Dante Fabbro
No surprise that him and Werenski are killing it right now.

 

[TheNumber4]

Darnell Nurse (not a joke)

Brett Kulak

 

[ManofSteel55]

Devon Toews is the right answer.

Maybe it was a few years ago. Everyone knows how good Toews is though.

Darnell Nurse (not a joke)

Brett Kulak

Nurse is probably the answer, considering that everyone around here seems to think he sucks, when he's been very good all season again, with a few brain farts that make people think he is awful (again).

 

[57special]

Kulikov has been underrated his whole career.

Not during his playoff run with the Wild- he sucked.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Parayko

How? Everyone knows he is a top pair defenseman.

 

[10YearsHaveGotBehind]

+1 for Nurse. People talk about him as if he's a borderline NHLer. In truth he's an excellent top 4/decent top pairing two-way defender. Physical, skates very well, and has good offensive totals at ES. But because he's overpaid by a few mil that is all anyone likes to talk about.

Against elites at 5v5 this year he has a 57% DFF, and a 5-1 goal share. These are elite numbers, if he can keep it up over a full year he could get some outside Norris consideration.

 

[kerrabria]

Gonna give a little plug for Niko Mikkola here. He's probably not the most underrated defenseman in December 2024, but he had a case at this time last year. When the Panthers signed him, we were told by Blues, Rangers, and other fans that Mikkola was at best a replacement level bottom pair guy who gets minutes because of his size.

This was immeadiately shown to be false. Mikkolas was a 3D caliber guy from the first game. He has a lot of tools and a high hockey IQ. Florida fans were worried when Weegar, Forsling, and Montour were all promoted up the lineup over the years, but nobody had any qualms about tasking Mikkola with leading the second pair in 2024-25.

 

[Uberpecker]

Just as a rule of thumb, players on big market teams are rarely underrated.
So Tanev, McCabe, Zadorov, Fox? Nah.

 

[Norwegianoiler]

Chris Tanev still

Brent Sopel, brother.

 

[Mike Liut]

How? Everyone knows he is a top pair defenseman.

He gets overlooked by everybody that ranks dman. Not many better defensive dman in the league.

 

[Bouboumaster]

Lane Hutson

 

[SUX2BU]

Dylan DeMelo

 

[Breakers]

Samberg
Chatfield

 

[ManofSteel55]

He gets overlooked by everybody that ranks dman. Not many better defensive dman in the league.

Everyone knows how good Parayko is though. Just because he isn't ranked in the top 20 or 30 doesn't mean he is the most underrated.