Some players are just great, period. They'd thrive any season, and on any team. For many who are tasting success in 2022-23 though, the question is whether they're doing so well because of their own skill and contributions or, instead, due to favorable deployment…..which brings us to this month's poll.

Below are 20 skaters where an reasonable argument can be made they're excelling more so on a circumstantial basis as opposed to due to their own pure talent. I'm not here to say these aren't all very skilled players; but I'm curious – as I'm sure fellow readers of this column are – which of them would be considered by most to have hit the deployment lottery.

For voting, you should pick the five you believe would see the greatest drop in scoring rate if deployed under less favorable circumstances. Also, your focus should be on who's benefitting the most this season – that is, their past results and future potential don't matter. Without further ado, here are the 20 voting choices, in alphabetical order.

Rasmus Andersson

It seems every season it's supposed to be Noah Hanifin who finally grabs the reins and becomes a top all-around defenseman for the Flames. Continuing to stand in his way though is Andersson, who shows no signs of giving up the PP1 gig and role as top option for blueline offense. Still, Andersson's game doesn't have the earmarks of a prototypical rearguard scorer, which makes poolies wonder if he's succeeding because of how he's being utilized more so than the talents he possesses.

Michael Bunting

Although his numbers aren't where they were last season, Bunting still is producing decently. With that comes the question that plagued him in his Calder-nominated 2021-22, namely how well could he do if he wasn't playing regularly with one or more of the Maple Leafs' most elite forwards.

Max Domi

Although Domi's production is well below his career best, it's far above what we've seen from him of late. In his case, it's that he's being treated as a top liner again and responding. Whether this is a stepping stone in resurrecting Domi's career or him making the most of an opportunity which might not present itself again, we can't be certain, although his poor results in recent seasons do suggest it's more likely the latter.

Vince Dunn

After he posted 35 points at age 21 for the Blues, many had pegged Dunn for major success. That didn't come…..until this season, where he's mainly been used as the top option for blueline offense on an unexpectedly high scoring Kraken team. Still though, one can't help but wonder if this is a case of a rising tide lifting Dunn's boat more so than him having elevated his game. Or has he had this in him all along?

Jordan Eberle

Still only 32, Eberle looks reborn this season, although seeds of a resurgence seemed to have been planted in his last season with the Islanders and first with Seattle. Can it last? By that I'm referencing both his top tier deployment and his unexpectedly solid numbers.

Brandon Hagel

Is Hagel for real, or Ondrej Palat 2.0? As we know, when Palat played alongside Nikita Kucherov he put up impressive numbers. When that ended, his production nosedived. Like Palat, Hagel is a defensive-minded player and has gelled with Kucherov to an extent that Tampa has mostly kept Hagel on his line. Still, doubts as to Hagel's own capabilities do seem reasonable.

Kevin Hayes

To date, Hayes has put together a solid but unspectacular career on various teams by being a middle six center. Circumstances arose this season, however, that thrust him into a top line role, and lo-and-behold he's done better than ever. Is this a situation like Domi where he's only doing well because the team has no other choice, or might he have had this in him all along?

Zach Hyman

When you look at a player who, for each of the past three seasons, scored at a 58-63 point pace, including in his first Edmonton campaign, and see him above the point per game level, it has to raise red flags. Yes, Evander Kane became nearly a point per game player for the Oilers; but he has offensive gifts and a SOG rate which are both better those of Hyman. It is just that Hyman is in the right place at the right time?

Boone Jenner

Always a solid defensive-minded player and face off guy, Jenner was relegated to middle-six duty and facing the opposition's toughest lines. Then, starting last season, he was used – perhaps more out of necessity than design – in a scoring role and sure enough he fared quite well. Fast forward to this season and Johnny Gaudreau is playing much better with Jenner than without. But is Jenner rising to the occasion or just playing well because of how he's being deployed in a scoring role?

Travis Konecny

The knock on Konecny had been he couldn't carry a line but when put with the best of the best on his team he tended to fade into the background. Perhaps what he needed all along was to be anointed a "the guy" player, out of the shadow of the likes of Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux? Still though, one has to worry if this can continue given his past track record.

Andrei Kuzmenko

The runaway Calder favorite were he not too old to qualify, Kuzmenko is playing superb hockey, including even after being a healthy scratch, a situation that might have led others in his shoes to sulk; but let's not forget he's been tethered to Elias Pettersson. Although past results don't dictate future outcomes, do yourself a favor and look up Dmitri Kvartalnov, who played a while ago but similarly had a huge impact at a slightly older age as a rookie while playing with the best on the Bruins, only to be gone from the NHL within just a couple of seasons thereafter.

Artturi Lehkonen

What do you get when Gabriel Landeskog is out and late blooming Valeri Nichushkin misses chunks of time? If you're Lehkonen, it's first line and PP1 deployment. While it's true he's in uncharted territory in terms of his scoring rate, he's never really been positioned as a scorer in the past; plus, even when those two get back to health, Lehkonen likely has done enough to keep himself in at least the top six and on PP2. Is this a case of a player's skill presenting itself when given the chance, or just a bona fide bottom sixer scoring due to circumstances?

Hampus Lindholm

A player who always had more real-life hockey value than fantasy value, Lindholm came to the Bruins and signed a big contract, which, at the time, raised more than a few eyebrows. That was before what we've seen from him in 2022-23, where he'll easily shatter his career best in scoring. Maybe it was a simply case of Lindholm being brought down by how he was used and the prior team for which he played?

Brandon Montour

The Panthers must've liked what they saw from Montour last season when he filled in on PP1 during the injury absence of Aaron Ekblad, as they've chosen to use a now rare two defenseman first unit despite a deep core of forward talent. But would Montour, who's never had a season of even point-per-every-other-game production, be doing anywhere near as well on another team where he'd be used much differently?

Josh Morrissey

Perhaps the season's biggest defenseman surprise is Morrissey, who is putting up offensive numbers that are the envy of even top rearguard scorers. He's nearing game 400, so this might be just him finding his game. But it also could be that the Jets have finally anointed him – not Neal Pionk – as "the guy" for blueline offense and are playing him on one of the better league PPs. Or maybe it's a bit of both?

Joe Pavelski

After making a career out of playing above expectations, Pavelski looked DOA upon his arrival in Dallas. But a shot on a line with youngsters Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson ignited him. What we don't know of course is how those two would fare with a different linemate, as the trio has been joined at the hips. A case could be made thought that Little Joe might be helping them at least to some extent rather that just being boosted by being on their line,

Jeff Skinner

After a strong start to his career, Skinner was adrift, until traded to Buffalo where he parlayed a great season alongside Jack Eichel into a huge deal, only to then produce poorly again. Since being placed on a line with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch – more on him next – Skinner has thrived, even beyond his previous highs. Let's also not forget Skinner was once a top draft pick, so maybe it took until now for him to connect all the dots?

Alex Tuch

The oft-injured Tuch seems like he should be a lot younger than 26-years-old; but that's in part to so many missed games over the course of his young career. He's also a larger frame player; so him rising to the levels he has this season seem more reasonable, that is until you look at his SH%. Could it be that Thompson is so talented as to be carrying not one but two players on his tall shoulders?

Carter Verhaeghe

Not a headline grabber, Verhaeghe nevertheless has managed to stick within Florida's top six, where he continues to do well. Still, it's unclear to what extent his skill is leading to his success versus that of the payers surrounding him. We might find out once Anthony Duclair returns from injury and perhaps pushes Verhaeghe into the bottom six.

Mats Zuccarello

Always a player who gave 110%, Zuccarello was put on a line with Kirill Kaprizov and the rest is history, by which I mean Zuccarello soaring to new heights in scoring. Given his age and past results, one can't help but think it's Kaprizov who's elevating the diminutive Norwegian; but maybe Zuccarello had this in him all the time and just needed to be treated like a true top liner?

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Having gone through the list, now it's time to decide, based on whatever criteria you see fit, the five players who are benefitting most from their deployment, such that if deployed differently they'd see the biggest drop in scoring. Click here to cast your votes.

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Questions for Mailbag Column

My monthly mailbag column runs next week and I have room to answer more questions. To get yours to me, you can either private message “rizzeedizzee” via the DobberHockey Forums or, instead, send an email to [email protected] with “Roos Mailbag” as the subject line.