There's a massive difference between the perception that a player is underrated and that player actually being underrated.
A good example of what I mean is the difference between Loui Eriksson and Patrik Elias.
Eriksson, particularly during his time with Dallas, has been consistently cited as one of the most underrated players in the NHL. The problem is that when a guy consistently gets mentioned as underrated, it generally means that he's doing more than just scoring. It also means that people recognize him as a player who does more than score. That's one of the reasons that "most underrated lists" tend to be populated by defensive specialists.
Elias actually was underrated. In one of the lowest scoring eras in NHL history, he managed to carve out a career that will top 1,200 games and 1,000 points by the time it's over. He did it while playing superb two-way hockey on a primarily defence-oriented team.
He was a leading light on a consistently excellent franchise that won two Stanley Cups and made two other appearances in the Finals in his time with the club. And he's done it all while going almost entirely without being ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Jonathan Willis
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November 26th, 2014 by Jonathan Willis Leave a reply »
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