Each NHL Team’s Most Overlooked Player

The NHL and its fans are quick to recognize superstars, both established and burgeoning. They cause endless debate about who is better now, who will be better in the future, and who is on the decline. But what about the guys that don’t get the love they deserve? Every one of the 32 teams has someone that should be getting more recognition than they currently are.

Anaheim Ducks – Tristan Luneau, D

Many were quick to question the big extension for a guy with four points and 14 games to his name, but Luneau is quickly making sense of the deal. He’s tied for fourth on the Ducks with five assists and his 20:50 per night is second only to star defenseman Jackson LaCombe, underscoring his importance on a nightly basis.

Boston Bruins – Matthew Poitras, C

The Bruins are off to a hot start and Poitras has quietly been good with four goals and seven points in 10 games despite 10:15 per night. He’s become an effective depth piece that can move up the lineup if need be.

Buffalo Sabres – Olen Zellweger, D

Zellweger has been a total revelation since being acquired from the Ducks. Logging nearly 20 minutes per night, Zellweger already has three goals and five points while using his speed at both ends of the night to tilt chances in favor of the Sabres.

Calgary Flames – Matvei Gridin, W

Gridin showed flashes last season with six goals and 20 points in 37 games. He is currently leading the Flames in goals with four and is third overall in scoring with eight points through 11 games. It is going to be a tough season in Calgary but Gridin is proving to be a bright spot.

Carolina Hurricanes – William Carrier, W

Carrier is a role guy who does his job well, but he is being rewarded early in the season with some of his best production ever. He has eight assists in 14 games and is well on pace to top the 11 assists and 18 points he had in 70 games last season. He’s also being rewarded with more than 13 minutes of ice time per game, which is the highest of his career.

Chicago Blackhawks – Anton Frondell, C

Not much has gone right for the Blackhawks, but it is hard to ignore the impact Frondell is having. He’s tied for second on the team with six points through 12 games but is already showing the kind of 200-foot game that will make him special before long.

Colorado Avalanche – Jaden Schwartz, W

The Avalanche are known for their scoring prowess but even they have to be impressed with what Schwartz has brought to the table. Playing third-ine minutes, he has three goals and seven points while playing strong defensively, making the Avalanche somehow even more dangerous.

Columbus Blue Jackets – Cole Sillinger, C

It has been a nightmarish start in Columbus, but Sillinger is off to perhaps the best start of his career with six points in 10 games. At his current pace, he would hit 50 points – a huge improvement from his career best of 33 (the past two seasons).

Dallas Stars – Thomas Harley, D

It has been a weird start so far for the Stars, but Harley looks like he’s trending up after a down 2025-26 season. He has five assists through 12 games but he’s logging nearly 25 minutes per night while looking better defensively.

Detroit Red Wings – Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, W

The 2024 first-round pick is off to an excellent start for the Red Wings, tied for third in assists (six) and fourth in points (eight). He has been a nice complement for Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond on the second line, and he’s only going to get better as he develops.

Edmonton Oilers – Vasily Podkolzin, W

All the talk of Edmonton goes in the direction of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard but that will happen when you combine for 79 points in 12 games. Riding shotgun with McDavid, Podkolzin is benefitting to the tune of eight goals and 13 points in 12 games. If he can spend most of the season there, Podkolzin is going to decimate his previous career highs.

Florida Panthers – Carter Verhaeghe, W

After 34 goals and 72 points in the Panthers’ first Stanley Cup-winning season, Verhaeghe has backslid a bit, coming in at 55 points a season ago. He’s back on track again this season, tied for the team lead in goals (eight) and fourth in points (11) on a loaded Panthers team.

Los Angeles Kings – Anton Forsberg, G

There isn’t a lot to love about what’s going on in Los Angeles, so we’ll go with Forsberg by default. Sure, he’s 0-3-1 but is sporting a solid .902 save percentage and 2.39 goals against average behind a team that can’t score (2.55 goals per game) and can’t defend (3.36 goals against per game). Consider him the somewhat dulled silver lining.

Minnesota Wild – Maxim Shabanov, W

The Wild may be lacking down the middle, but they are loaded at the wings. Shabanov, signed to a one-year prove it deal, has been an unexpected bright spot. He has four goals and nine points in 13 games, already halfway to his total production with the Islanders in 44 games last season.

Montreal Canadiens – Zachary Bolduc, W

The Canadiens are stacked but Bolduc is one of their heart-and-soul players. He is already being rewarded with five goals (second on the team) and seven points (fifth) while forming one of the more underrated trios in the league with Phillip Danault and Alexandre Texier.

Nashville Predators – Adam Wilsby, D

Roman Josi rightfully gets all the love among Nashville defensemen, but Wilsby is off to a strong start. A fourth-round pick in 2020, he looked like one of their better defenseman last season and is taking his game up a notch. He already has five assists in 12 games while logging a career high 19:27 per game.

New Jersey Devils – Luke Evangelista, W

The stars in New Jersey get the love – and the attention only continues to grow with the addition of Connor Hellebuyck – but Evangelista has been outstanding so far. He has three goals and eight points in nine games and is second on the team in even-strength points with six.

New York Islanders – Simon Holmstrom, W

The 2019 first-round pick has quietly been a solid middle-of-the-lineup presence for the past two seasons but looks like he’s finding more this season. He has recently been bumped up to the top line and has four goals (second on the team) and six points (fourth) in just 12 games so far this season.

New York Rangers – Tye Kartye, W

The Rangers are having a nice start to the season despite the loss of goalie Igor Shesterkin. And part of that is because of the strong start of Kartye, an undrafted free agent. He already has more goals (4-3) and points (10-8) than high profile addition Pavel Dorofeyev, not to mention a much better plus-minus (plus-1 to Dorofeyev’s ugly minus-13).

Ottawa Senators – Shane Pinto, C

Ottawa’s depth down the middle is already showing itself thanks to the strong start from Pinto and Michael Amadio on the third line. Coming off a career-best season in goals (23), assists (23), and points (46), Pinto is off to a hot start with eight points in 13 games while logging nearly 20 minutes of ice time per night.

Philadelphia Flyers – Oliver Bonk, D

The Flyers are finding their footing and part of that has to do with the play of the 2023 first-round pick, Bonk. Through eight games so far, he has five assists and is fifth on the team logging 19:15 per night. The 21-year-old has growing to do but he’s been a bright spot in a bad season.

Pittsburgh Penguins – Tommy Novak, C

The Penguins have taken a step back so far this season, but Novak is building off his 42-point effort of a season ago. He’s garnering more responsibility – a career high 15:26 per night – and has three goals and eight points in a dozen games to show for it while riding on Sidney Crosby’s wing.

San Jose Sharks – Tyler Toffoli, C/W

All the love goes to the young core of forwards, but the 34-year-old Toffoli has had a resurgence since coming to San Jose. He’s second on the team in goals (four) and points (nine), providing a veteran balance to what is still one of the youngest teams in the league.

Seattle Kraken – Frederick Gaudreau, C

The Kraken offense continues to be a pleasant surprise, seventh in the NHL in goals per game at 3.58. Depth has been a key to that, as has Gaudreau’s team-leading six goals. He’s off to one of the best starts of his career and should easily surpass the 24 points he posted in 68 games last season.

St. Louis Blues – Connor McMichael, C

The Blues have been frisky despite clearly being in the middle of a retooling. McMichael, brought in thanks to the Jordan Kyrou trade, has been a good reason for that. He is fourth on the Blues with seven points, though his defensive game could use a little work.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Charle-Edouard D’Astous, D

Other Lightning defensemen get more press clippings, but D’Astous has quietly been one of their best defensemen. He leads Tampa Bay defensemen with four assists and six points while playing sheltered third-pairing minutes. He does what he’s asked to do and the straightforward approach is paying off.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Jack Roslovic, W

The Maple Leafs are loaded with talent, but Roslovic often goes unregarded. He’s off to a fast start with five goals and 13 points in 14 games while earning time on the top line. He’s a utility scorer who can fit anywhere in the lineup and is showing his value on a talented Toronto team.

Utah Mammoth – Barrett Hayton, W

His teammates tend to get more of the attention, but Hayton has quietly become one of the Mammoth’s best forwards. He’s getting it done offensively with seven assists and eight points through 13 games, but his plus-six shows his two-way ability as well. He, Anders Lee, and Kailer Yamamoto have formed one of the best third lines in the league.

Vancouver Canucks – Jonathan Lekkerimaki, W

Things aren’t great in Vancouver but the 15^th-overall pick in 2022 is off to a hot start. He leads the team with six goals and is second with 12 points. He has also basically carried the Canucks’ second line and could earn a promotion before long.

Vegas Golden Knights- Trevor Connelly, W

The Golden Knights are a star-studded group, but they have key depth pieces where it matters. The team’s 2024 first-round pick has already been impactful as a rookie. He has four goals and nine points in 14 games, good for fifth on a stacked Vegas outfit. Connelly has been a nice fit with center Tomas Hertl as well, giving Vegas a dangerous third line.

Washington Capitals – Jordan Kyrou, W

It feels like Kyrou has lost some shine to fellow offseason acquisition Alex Tuch but he’s off to a solid start of his own. Tied for the team-lead in assists (six) and second in points (eight), his defensive game has struggled a bit (minus-6) but should come around as the season progresses, especially playing with Tuch.

Winnipeg Jets – Neil Pionk, D

Josh Morrissey’s injury hasn’t been as deeply felt partly because of Pionk’s play. He is tied for the team-lead in assists with six and leads Winnipeg defensemen with seven points in 12 games. He also leads the team in ice time per game, playing a strong two-way game in all situations.