Most Underrated NHL Players of All Time

Some NHL players did great things without grabbing headlines.

Most Underrated NHL Players of All Time

Nashville's Pekka Rinne won the Vezina Trophy in 2018.

It's hard to think of a professional athlete being underrated. After all, they are professional athletes. Sometimes it just happens.

In the NHL, it happens a lot because great players thrive with other great players, and just like other sports, the person scoring all the goals often gets all the credit. But plenty of players did great things outside of the spotlight.

Here's a look at the most underrated NHL players of all time, selecting one per franchise.

Note: To qualify, a player had to play at least 100 games with a franchise.

32. Seattle Kraken: Matty Beniers

Born: Nov. 5, 2002 (Hingham, Massachusetts)

Position: Center

Career: 2 seasons (2022-present)

Teams: Seattle Kraken

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Matty Beniers

No matter what happens from here on out, Matty Beniers is always going to hold a unique place in Seattle Kraken history as the first player from the franchise to win an individual honor from the NHL after he was named the Calder Trophy winner in 2023 as the league's Rookie of the Year.

The expansion Kraken is headed into its third NHL season in 2023-24 so fans aren't totally familiar with their best players yet but should get to know Beniers, who starred at Michigan and was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.

31. New York Rangers: Ryan Callahan

Born: March 21, 1985 (Rochester, New York)

Position: Right wing

Career: 13 seasons (2006-19)

Teams: New York Rangers (2006-14), Tampa Bay Lightning (2014-19)

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Ryan Callahan

Ryan Callahan is one of the most beloved players in New York Rangers history despite playing just eight seasons with the franchise.

That's in big part because Callahan made NHL history in 2011 when he became the first native New Yorker to captain the Rangers.

Callahan was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning three years later and signed a six-year, $35 million contract extension with the Lightning a few months after the trade.

30. Columbus Blue Jackets: Oliver Bjorkstrand

Born: April 10, 1995 (Herning, Denmark)

Position: Right wing

Career: 8 seasons (2015-present)

Teams: Columbus Blue Jackets (2015-22), Seattle Kraken (2022-present)

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Oliver Bjorkstrand

Oliver Bjorkstrand has developed into one of the most undervalued players in the NHL over his career. The right winger was on pace to record his second 40-plus point season in 2019-20 before he injured his ankle in late February.

For comparison, Bjorkstrand matched his 2018-19 season total of 36 points, which took 77 games to achieve, in just 49 games in 2019-20.

29. Colorado Avalanche: Stephane Yelle

Born: May 9, 1974 (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)

Position: Center

Career: 14 seasons (1995-2004, 2005-10)

Teams: Colorado Avalanche (1995-2002, 2010), Calgary Flames (2002-04, 2005-08), Boston Bruins (2008-09), Carolina Hurricanes (2009-10)

Stanley Cup championships: 2 (1996, 2001)

Bottom Line: Stephane Yelle

Stephane Yelle was part of one of the more amazing seasons in NHL history when his rights were traded from the New Jersey Devils to the Quebec Nordiques, who became the Colorado Avalanche.

Yelle was on the Avalanche for their first season in 1995-96, when they won the Stanley Cup.

He was part of another Stanley Cup-winning team for the Avalanche in 2001.

28. Anaheim Ducks: Travis Moen

Born: April 6, 1982 (Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada)

Position: Left wing

Career: 12 seasons (2003-04, 2005-16)

Teams: Chicago Blackhawks (2003-04), Mighty Ducks of Anaheim/Anaheim Ducks (2005-09), San Jose Sharks (2009), Montreal Canadiens (2009-15), Dallas Stars (2014-16)

Stanley Cup championships: 1 (2007)

Bottom Line: Travis Moen

Travis Moen found a home with the Anaheim Ducks after a trade following the NHL's 2004-05 lockout.

With the Ducks, Moen was part of the Stanley Cup-winning team in 2006-07 as part of the only line that went unchanged throughout the season alongside Samuel Pahlsson and Rob Niedermayer.

Moen got credit for the goal that won the Stanley Cup by being the last Duck that touched the puck — it was actually an own goal by Ottawa's Chris Phillips.

27. Arizona Coyotes: Teppo Numminen

Born: July 3, 1968 (Tampere, Finland)

Position: Defense

Career: 20 seasons(1988-2004, 2005-09)

Teams: Winnipeg Jets (1988-96)/Phoenix Coyotes (1996-2003), Dallas Stars (2003-04), Buffalo Sabres (2005-09)

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Teppo Numminem

Teppo Numminen retired in 2009 as the leader in career games among active NHL players without winning a Stanley Cup. He was also the last player in the NHL from the 1986 draft.

Nunnimen also retired with Winnipeg Jets/Arizona Coyotes franchise records for games played, with 1,098, and still holds the record for points by a defenseman with 534.

One year after he retired, the Coyotes brought back Numminen to retire his No. 27 jersey.

26. Vegas Golden Knights: Paul Stastny

Born: Dec. 27, 1985 (Quebec City, Quebec, Canada)

Position: Center

Career: 17 seasons (2006-present)

Teams: Colorado Avalanche (2006-14), St. Louis Blues (2014-18), Winnipeg Jets (2018, 2020-22), Vegas Golden Knights (2018-20), Carolina Hurricanes (2022-present)

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Paul Stastny

We're just going on the record to say Paul Stastny is underrated not just for his time with the Vegas Golden Knights from 2018 to 2020, but for his entire career.

Stastny probably suffers somewhat in comparison to his father, Peter, who scored 1,000 points in 15 NHL seasons and was second in the NHL in scoring in the 1980s behind just Wayne Gretzky.

25. Tampa Bay Lightning: Martin St. Louis

Born: June 18, 1975 (Laval, Quebec, Canada)

Position: Right wing

Career: 16 seasons (1998-2004, 2005-15)

Teams: Calgary Flames (1998-2000), Tampa Bay Lightning (2000-04, 2005-14), New York Rangers (2014-15)

Stanley Cup championships: 1 (2004)

Bottom Line: Martin St. Louis

Is Martin St. Louis really underrated if he won the Hart Trophy and is in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Hear us out.

We think St. Louis is underrated because the greatest years of his career played out in Tampa Bay.

Had his career played out anywhere else, this six-time All-Star and three-time Lady Byng Trophy winner would be revered in hockey circles much more.

24. Detroit Red Wings: Chris Osgood

Born: Nov. 26, 1972 (Peace River, Alberta, Canada)

Position: Goaltender

Career: 17 seasons (1993-2004, 2005-11)

Teams: Detroit Red Wings (1993-2001, 2005-11), New York Islanders (2001-03), St. Louis Blues (2003-04)

Stanley Cup championships: 3 (1997, 1998, 2008)

Bottom Line: Chris Osgood

We can't explain it, but Chris Osgood's name doesn't come up much when the greatest goaltenders in NHL history are discussed. And he should.

He won three Stanley Cup titles with the Detroit Red Wings, including two as the starter, and still is on the NHL's top 10 lists for career playoff wins and career shutouts.

23. Toronto Maple Leafs: Ron Ellis

Born: Jan. 8, 1945 (Lindsay, Ontario, Canada)

Position: Right wing

Career: 16 seasons (1963-75, 1977-81)

Teams: Toronto Maple Leafs (1993-96)

Stanley Cup championships: 1 (1967)

Bottom Line: Ron Ellis

Ron Ellis was born and raised in Lindsay, Ontario, about 83 miles from Toronto, and spent his whole life playing hockey in the province's capital — first in the juniors with the Marlboros, then in the NHL with the Maple Leafs, making his pro debut at age 19.

While he might be a local legend, Ellis is not a household name outside hardcore hockey circles and Maple Leafs fan boards. But he is one of only five players to play over 1,000 games for the Leafs and ranks sixth all-time in points in franchise history, ahead of Frank Mahovlich (597 points), Bob Pulford (563) and Ted Kennedy (560), all Hall of Famers.

Ellis also had 11 20-plus goal seasons and helped the Leafs win a Stanley Cup in 1967, the last year Toronto raised the Cup. He retired in 1975 at the age of 30 and then returned to the Maple Leafs in 1977 and played four more seasons.

22. Winnipeg Jets: Connor Hellebuyck

Born: May 19, 1993 (Commerce, Michigan)

Position: Goaltender

Career: 8 seasons (2015-present)

Teams: Winnipeg Jets

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Connor Hellebuyck

While the rest of the hockey world might be sleeping on Connor Hellebuyck for now, we don't expect him to be underrated for much longer.

That's because the Michigan native jumped to the front of the line for NHL goalies in a big way in 2020 when he led the league in shutouts, was second in wins and won the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender for the first time.

Hellebuyck, 27, is 6-foot-4 and is a three-time All-Star through the start of the 2023-24 season.

21. Ottawa Senators: Daniel Alfredsson

Born: Dec. 11, 1972 (Gothernburg, Sweden)

Position: Right wing

Career: 18 seasons (1995-2004, 2005-14)

Teams: Ottawa Senators (1995-2004, 2005-13), Detroit Red Wings (2013-14)

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Daniel Alfredsson

Daniel Alfredsson won the Calder Trophy in 1996 as the NHL's top rookie and made six All-Star teams in his 18-year career.

He played all but one season for the Ottawa Senators and in 2016 became the first player from the modern era to have his number retired by the Senators.

He still doesn't get enough credit for all he did.

20. Minnesota/Dallas North Stars: Neal Broten

Born: Nov. 29, 1959 (Roseau, Minnesota)

Position: Center

Career: 17 seasons (1980-97)

Teams: Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars (1980-95, 1997), New Jersey Devils (1995-97), Los Angeles Kings (1997)

Stanley Cup championships: 1 (1995)

Bottom Line: Neal Broten

Neal Broten is perhaps the best pound-for-pound player on the 1980 U.S. hockey team that won the gold medal.

He had his No. 7 retired by the Dallas Stars and was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000. He also scored the game-winning goal for the New Jersey Devils in the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals to clinch the title.

So how come he was an All-Star only twice in 17 seasons and never won any major awards? It might have had something to do with playing in the same era as Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemiuex and other great players. Broten got overshadowed.

19. New Jersey Devils: Sean Burke

Born: Jan. 29, 1967 (Windsor, Ontario, Canada)

Position: Goaltender

Career: 18 seasons (1987-91, 1991-2004, 2005-07)

Teams: New Jersey Devils (1987-91), Hartford Whalers (1992-97), Carolina Hurricanes (1997-98), Vancouver Canucks (1998), Philadelphia Flyers (1998, 2004), Florida Panthers (1998-2000), Phoenix Coyotes (2000-04), Tampa Bay Lightning (2005-06), Los Angeles Kings (2006-07)

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Sean Burke

Sean Burke started his career with the Devils, and few goaltenders in NHL history have entered the league with the amount of hype Burke had in the late 1980s.

In his first NHL action, Burke led the Devils to within one game of the Stanley Cup in 1988, then became the first rookie goalie to start an All-Star game the next season.

Burke played 18 seasons in the NHL, but his career took a sharp turn in 1991 when he sat out an entire season because of a contract dispute with the Devils.

18. Los Angeles Kings: Dave Taylor

Born: Dec. 4, 1955 (Levack, Ontario, Canada)

Position: Right wing

Career: 17 seasons (1977-94)

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Dave Taylor

Dave Taylor played his entire career for the Los Angeles Kings and retired with a franchise-record 1,111 games played.

Taylor made the All-Star team four times — three times in the first decade of his career, then again in 1994, his final season in the NHL.

Taylor was the Kings' general manager from 1997 to 2006.

17. Florida Panthers: Jonathan Huberdeau

Born: June 4, 1993 (Saint-Jerome, Quebec, Canada)

Position: Left wing

Career: 11 seasons (2012-present)

Teams: Florida Panthers (2012-22), Calgary Flames (2022-present)

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Jonathan Huberdeau

Florida Panthers fans appreciated Jonathan Huberdeau — the rest of the NHL just needed to catch up.

Huberdeau won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year in 2013 at the age of 19 but didn't make his first All-Star team until 2020. Huberdeau keeps getting better as he matures. He recorded a career-high 92 points in the 2018-19 season and 78 points in 2019-20.

16. St. Louis Blues: Bernie Federko

Born: May 12, 1956 (Foam Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada)

Position: Center

Career: 14 seasons (1976-90)

Teams: St. Louis Blues (1976-89), Detroit Red Wings (1989-90)

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Bernie Federko

Few players in NHL history could drive and dish like Bernie Federko, who set an NHL record by becoming the first player to have at least 50 assists in 10 consecutive seasons.

But Federko played 13 of his 14 seasons with the St. Louis Blues and never had a real shot at winning the Stanley Cup.

15. Washington Capitals: Peter Bondra

Born: Feb. 7, 1968 (Bakivtsi, Lutsk Raion, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union)

Position: Right wing

Career: 17 seasons (1990-2007)

Teams: Washington Capitals (1990-2004), Ottawa Senators (2004-05), Atlanta Thrashers (2005-06), Chicago Blackhawks (2006-07)

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Peter Bondra

Peter Bondra is a two-time winner of the NHL Fastest Skater Competition, in 1997 and 1999 and has a pretty unique distinction in NHL history.

He is one of only 45 players who has scored at least 500 goals, but Bondra has the least amount of total points of any player in the 500-goal club with 892.

Bondra also is among a handful of eligible players in the club who aren't in the Hall of Fame.

14. Buffalo Sabres: Phil Housley

Born: March 9, 1964 (Saint Paul, Minnesota)

Position: Defense

Career: 21 seasons (1982-2003)

Teams: Buffalo Sabres (1982-90), Winnipeg Jets (1990-93), St. Louis Blues (1993-94), Calgary Flames (1994-96, 1998-2001), New Jersey Devils (1996), Washington Capitals (1996-98), Chicago Blackhawks (2001-03), Toronto Maple Leafs (2003)

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Phil Housley

Phil Housley had one of the more understated careers of any player on this list.

He retired as the leading point scorer among American-born players in 2003, but another look at his stats reveals why his career may have been so underappreciated.

Although he was a seven-time All-Star and Norris Trophy runner-up in 1992, he retired with the NHL record for most career games without winning a Stanley Cup.

13. Carolina Hurricanes: Rod Brind'Amour

Born: Aug. 9, 1970 (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)

Position: Center

Career: 21 seasons (1989-2004, 2005-10)

Teams: St. Louis Blues (1989-91), Philadelphia Flyers (1991-00), Carolina Hurricanes (2000-04, 2005-10)

Stanley Cup championships: 1 (2006)

Bottom Line: Rod Brind'Amour

Rod Brind'Amour was the No. 9 overall pick in the 1988 NHL draft and became one of the most durable players in NHL history, at one point playing 484 consecutive games for the Philadelphia Flyers.

His greatest success came with the Hurricanes, where he spent the last decade of his career, made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2002 and won his only Stanley Cup in 2006.

Brind'Amour became the Hurricanes' head coach in 2018 and had a .600 winning percentage in his first two seasons.

12. Calgary Flames: Theo Fleury

Born: June 29, 1968 (Oxbow, Saskatchewan, Canada)

Position: Right wing

Career: 15 seasons (1988-2003)

Teams: Calgary Flames (1988-99), Colorado Avalanche (1999), New York Rangers (1999-2002), Chicago Blackhawks (2002-03)

Stanley Cup championships: 1 (1989)

Bottom Line: Theo Fleury

Always one of the smallest players on the ice at 5-foot-6, Theo Fleury was one of the more controversial players in NHL history and led the Calgary Flames to a Stanley Cup title in 1989.

After his retirement, Fleury bravely revealed he'd suffered sexual abuse at the hands of Canadian junior ice hockey coach Graham James, leading other survivors to come forward and ultimately leading to the conviction of James.

11. Minnesota Wild: Jared Spurgeon

Born: Nov. 29, 1989 (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)

Position: Defense

Career: 13 seasons (2010-present)

Teams: Minnesota Wild

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Jared Spurgeon

Jared Spurgeon has not made an All-Star team and does not have the accolades of some of his fellow contemporaries, but he has been an elite NHL defenseman for many seasons.

Spurgeon can thank the Wild for paying him like one. He received a four-year, $20.35 million contract extension in 2015, then doubled down with the Wild for a seven-year, $53 million contract extension in 2019.

10. Chicago Blackhawks: Steve Larmer

Born: June 16, 1961 (Peterborough, Ontario, Canada)

Position: Right wing

Career: 15 seasons (1980-95)

Teams: Chicago Blackhawks (1980-93), New York Rangers (1993-95)

Stanley Cup championships: 1 (1994)

Bottom Line: Steve Larmer

Steve Larmer scored 90 points as a rookie in 1983 on the way to winning the Calder Trophy, then played a staggering 884 consecutive games for the Chicago Blackhawks over the next 11 seasons.

Larmer's streak was the third-longest in NHL history until it was snapped because of a contract dispute with Chicago.

He played his last two seasons with the New York Rangers, winning his lone Stanley Cup in 1994.

9. Boston Bruins: Rick Middleton

Born: Dec. 4, 1953 (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Position: Right wing

Career: 14 seasons (1974-88)

Teams: New York Rangers (1974-76), Boston Bruins (1976-88)

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Rick Middleton

Rick Middleton retired without winning a Stanley Cup but should be given credit for being an elite player in the postseason.

Middleton finished his career with 100 points in 114 career playoff games and made all three of his All-Star appearances as a member of the Bruins.

In 1982, he won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

8. San Jose Sharks: Vincent Damphousse

Born: Dec. 17, 1967 (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)

Position: Center

Career: 18 seasons (1986-2004)

Teams: Toronto Maple Leafs (1986-91), Edmonton Oilers (1991-92), Montreal Canadiens (1992-99), San Jose Sharks (1999-2004)

Stanley Cup championships: 1 (1993)

Bottom Line: Vincent Damphousse

Vincent Damphousse was the No. 6 overall pick in the 1986 NHL draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He had his best years with the Montreal Canadiens, where he won a Stanley Cup in 1993, but was also great with the Sharks in the last five seasons of his career.

With 1,205 career points, Damphousse has seen his NHL exploits largely overlooked because of several off-ice incidents involving his former spouse, although both parties ultimately had the charges against them dropped.

7. New York Islanders: Stefan Persson

Born: Dec. 22, 1954 (Bjurholm, Sweden)

Position: Defense

Career: 9 seasons (1977-86)

Teams: New York Islanders

Stanley Cup championships: 4 (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983)

Bottom Line: Stefan Persson

Stefan Persson's NHL career was short — just nine seasons — but very, very sweet.

Persson anchored the New York Islanders' defense on four consecutive Stanley Cup championship teams and was part of the first Stanley Cup champion in NHL history to have European players on its roster.

Persson's career came to a bizarre, emotional end when he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets. Persson was so hurt by the trade he never returned to the NHL.

6. Edmonton Oilers: Kevin Lowe

Born: April 15, 1959 (Lachute, Quebec, Canada)

Position: Defense

Career: 19 seasons (1979-98)

Teams: Edmonton Oilers (1979-92, 1996-98), New York Rangers (1992-96)

Stanley Cup championships: 6 (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 2004)

Bottom Line: Kevin Lowe

Kevin Lowe was one of the key figures on the Edmonton Oilers' dynasty.

Probably because he was a defenseman, he doesn't get his name mentioned as much as Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier or even goalie Grant Fuhr.

Lowe was a seven-time All-Star and ultimately won six Stanley Cup titles — five with the Oilers and one more with the Rangers and Messier in 1994.

5. Montreal Canadiens: Claude Lemieux

Born: July 16, 1965 (Buckingham, Quebec, Canada)

Position: Right wing

Career: 19 seasons (1985-2003, 2008-09)

Teams: Montreal Canadiens (1985-90), New Jersey Devils (1990-95, 2000), Colorado Avalanche (1995-2000), Phoenix Coyotes (2000-03), Dallas Stars (2003), San Jose Sharks (2008-09)

Stanley Cup championships: 4 (1986, 1995, 1996, 2000)

Bottom Line: Claude Lemieux

Claude Lemieux had the unfortunate luck of playing in the same era as one of the NHL's greatest players, Mario Lemieux, who had the same surname even though the players weren't related.

Claude Lemieux won four Stanley Cup titles — two more than Mario Lemieux — and a Conn Smythe Trophy, but his skills on the ice have become somewhat overlooked because he was widely thought of as a dirty player.

4. Nashville Predators: Pekka Rinne

Born: Nov. 3, 1982 (Kempele, Finland)

Position: Goaltender

Career: 15 seasons (2005-06, 2007-21)

Teams: Nashville Predators

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Pekka Rinne

Pekka Rinne was one of the NHL's best goaltenders for a decade. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2018 and was a finalist four more times. He was also a four-time All-Star, all within the last decade of his career, and is the Predators' career leader in wins and shutouts.

At 6-foot-5, Rinne was the tallest goaltender in the NHL by almost two inches.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins: Ron Francis

Born: March 1, 1963 (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada)

Position: Center

Career: 23 seasons (1981-2004)

Teams: Hartford Whalers (1981-91), Pittsburgh Penguins (1991-98), Carolina Hurricanes (1998-2004), Toronto Maple Leafs (2004)

Stanley Cup championships: 2 (1991, 1992)

Bottom Line: Ron Francis

If you want evidence of how underrated and underappreciated Ron Francis was, look no further than his spot at No. 5 on the NHL career points list behind only Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr, Mark Messier and Gordie Howe with 1,798 points.

Have you ever heard Francis even mentioned in the same breath as the other four? Probably not. Most casual hockey fans today have very limited knowledge of Francis' career 16 years after his retirement.

If they remember him at all.

2. Vancouver Canucks: Alexander Mogilny

Born: Feb. 18, 1969 (Khabarovsk, Russian Soviet Union)

Position: Right wing

Career: 15 seasons (1989-2004)

Teams: Buffalo Sabres (1989-95), Vancouver Canucks (1995-2000), New Jersey Devils (2000-01, 2005-06), Toronto Maple Leafs (2001-04)

Stanley Cup championships: 1 (2000)

Bottom Line: Alexander Mogilny

Alexander Mogilny was recruited to the Soviet Union's CSKA Moscow — the "Red Army Team" — when he was just 17 years old and defected to the United States three year later to play in the NHL.

Mogilny had some of his best years with the Canucks but was gifted with a trade to the New Jersey Devils in 2000 just in time to be with their team for its run to winning the Stanley Cup.

1. Philadelphia Flyers: Brian Propp

Born: Feb. 15, 1959 (Lanigan, Saskatchewan, Canada)

Position: Left wing

Career: 15 seasons (1979-94)

Teams: Philadelphia Flyers (1979-90), Boston Bruins (1990), Minnesota North Stars (1990-93), Hartford Whalers (1993-94)

Stanley Cup championships: None

Bottom Line: Brian Propp

Brian Propp didn't just fail to win a Stanley Cup. He set the record for the most goals in a Stanley Cup playoffs without making the finals.

Propp was a six-time All-Star who still owns six NHL records over 25 years after his retirement, including career points and assists for a left winger in the playoffs.

Propp also still has eight franchise records for the Flyers, including most game-winning goals in a single season.