The 15 Most Underrated Players in the NHL Right Now

By Nick Villano

The Most Underrated Players in the NHL Right Now

Tampa Bay Lightning — The NHL seems to be budding with stars and potential stars right now. There are 50 players who would be considered a franchise player in other sports. Skill is at an all-time high in the league. With that, some players are going to fall through the cracks of coverage. These 15 players need to be on your radar.

15. Mats Zuccarello

15. Mats Zuccarello

15. Mats Zuccarello

15. Mats Zuccarello — When you ask a hockey fan who leads the New York Rangers in points, many would probably immediately guess Rick Nash. Others might try to go with Derick Brassard or Chris Kreider. Mats Zuccarello would be the right answer. He has 31 points and 16 goals, while being the only player to step up while the rest of the team is going through a slump.

14. Brent Burns

14. Brent Burns

14. Brent Burns

14. Brent Burns — Brent Burns is tied with Alex Ovechkin in points. He is the best offensive defenseman in the league. He needs to get better on the defensive side, but his rocket shot and offensive mindset really helps the Sharks.

13. Alexander Steen

13. Alexander Steen

13. Alexander Steen

13. Alexander Steen — It seems everyone is overlooking the star power on the Blues thanks to their lackluster playoff performances. Vladimir Tarasenko and Alexander Steen should be in the conversation for best one-two punch in the league, but they're not. Despite Tarasenko's ridiculous start, Steen is only five points behind him with 34 on the season.

12. Roman Josi

12. Roman Josi

12. Roman Josi

12. Roman Josi — Roman Josi would be much higher on this list, but people are starting to understand just how good this guy is on the ice. Some are even talking about trading Shea Weber because Josi is a legit No. 1 defenseman. Unfortunately, Josi is still not a household name.

11. Mike Cammalleri

11. Mike Cammalleri

11. Mike Cammalleri

11. Mike Cammalleri — It has been a long time since a member of the New Jersey Devils were in the top 10 in points. Ilya Kovalchuk was the last player to do it. Mike Cammalleri is currently two points away from the top 10, and has been on a hot streak. He is carrying a below average Devils offense to a surprising playoff push.

10. Jonathan Huberdeau

10. Jonathan Huberdeau

10. Jonathan Huberdeau

10. Jonathan Huberdeau — The Florida Panthers are the top team in the Atlantic Division today. Everyone talks about Jaromir Jagr when talking about this team, which they should, but the present and future of this franchise is Jonathan Huberdeau. He is second on the team in points and deserves more credit than he's been given.

9. Max Pacioretty

9. Max Pacioretty

9. Max Pacioretty

9. Max Pacioretty — Max Pacioretty's value seems to be on a roller coaster. He will be considered one of the best in the league on Tuesday, then a forgotten player by Friday. He deserves to be in the conversation with other great players. While he has slumped, along with the rest of the Canadiens team in December, his turnaround is a given.

8. Blake Wheeler

8. Blake Wheeler

8. Blake Wheeler

8. Blake Wheeler — Would you be surprised to know that Blake Wheeler is averaging more than a point per game? He has 37 points in 36 games for a Winnipeg team that can't find its way. He is doing everything he can to make sure the Jets aren't a one-and-done playoff team.

7. Roberto Luongo

7. Roberto Luongo

7. Roberto Luongo

7. Roberto Luongo — Roberto Luongo is still playing like one of the better goalies in the league, and has the Panthers flying high. He still ranks in the top 10 in both goals against average and save percentage. He is just everything the Panthers could have hoped for in net.

6. Kyle Okposo

6. Kyle Okposo

6. Kyle Okposo

6. Kyle Okposo — Kyle Okposo is the jelly to John Tavares' peanut butter. While they aren't lighting the lamp at their usual rate, they are still carrying the Islanders to a two seed in the Metropolitan Division. His value will become clear after he becomes a free agent after the season.

5. Ondrej Palat

5. Ondrej Palat

5. Ondrej Palat

5. Ondrej Palat — Ondrej Palat has been dealing with multiple injuries and is having a terrible season this year. His drop in production is a big reason why the Lightning have been very slow out of the gate. This one may bring some criticism, but you've seen his skill. While Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov get all the headlines from that line, Palat brings a lot to the table.

4. Niklas Hjalmarsson

4. Niklas Hjalmarsson

4. Niklas Hjalmarsson

4. Niklas Hjalmarsson — The Chicago Blackhawks' defense is stacked. With Dustin Keith's injury earlier in the year, people finally saw how good Brent Seabrook was. Now it is time to see the skill of Niklas Hjalmarsson. Despite being a second line player, he is still playing over 22 minutes per game.

3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson

3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson

3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson

3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Oliver Ekman-Larsson is one of the best kept secrets in the league. It has a lot to do with playing in Arizona, and it has a lot to do with playing defense. On most teams, he would be the man the fans can't wait to see grow. He is only 24 years old. His point total is always one of the best in the league.

2. Anze Kopitar

2. Anze Kopitar

2. Anze Kopitar

2. Anze Kopitar — The Los Angeles Kings star is not considered one of the biggest superstars in the league. Maybe it is because he is from an awkward country, or because his team has many stars, but the lack of coverage for Kopitar is surprising to say the least. He's been getting better as the season has gone on, scoring 14 points in December. He's about to get paid this offseason.

1. Jamie Benn

1. Jamie Benn

1. Jamie Benn

1. Jamie Benn — Jamie Benn is not underrated when it comes to people knowing who he is. He is underrated in the fact that he is likely the best player in the league, but can't buy his way into that conversation. Tyler Seguin was traded to Dallas and immediately became one of the most prolific point scorers in the NHL. The team had no depth, but the top line brought them to the top. Can you say you honestly knew that Benn led the league in points last season?

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