This month we go from one end of the spectrum, namely last month's poll asking you to choose the five most overrated players in fantasy, to the other, where your task here is to land upon the five who are most underrated. Interestingly, there were several goalies in the overrated poll, but none are included here, as I couldn't find any who seemed more deserving than the 20 skaters I did ultimately choose. That says a lot about the state of the goalie position and fantasy. But that's a topic for another day.

As with the overrated poll, this is strictly about fantasy and, with only skaters as choices, points. Things like intangible value, leadership and/or multi-cat excellence don't matter. Here we're talking about who's overrated right at this moment; so if a player was underrated but no longer is, then he shouldn't get your vote, nor should he if he's on his way to proving his worth but isn't quite there yet, or if he was once arguably overrated, but has now come full circle.

On what other criteria should you base your votes? Players whose name value lags the farthest behind their actual value as of right now. Or players who've done enough to prove they're the real deal but many poolies somehow remain skeptical. One key to remember is a player can be "better" than another, even by a lot, yet still comparatively more underrated. In other words, it is relative. If all else fails, it's the skaters who, when you hear or read their name, one of the first things that jumps into your head is "yeah, that guy is really underrated."

With those things in mind, I've assembled a list of what I feel are the 20 most underrated skaters in the NHL as of today. I'm sure I missed a couple (like last month not including Tage Thompson, for example), but hopefully this is still a good list. The names are in alphabetical order. Your task is to pick the five who, as compared to the rest, are the most underrated. The link to cast your votes appears at the end of the column.

Mathew Barzal

After making a huge rookie splash with 85 points, Barzal was a coveted commodity in fantasy. But then he suffered through years of playing under coaches who emphasized defense first systems, hurting his numbers. Finally this season he's unshackled again, and playing great. But I feel poolies are slower to embrace him as they did previously.

Oliver Bjorkstrand

After scoring paces of 60 and 64 points, Bjorkstrand's rate fell to 58 and then to 46, leading many to write him off. Yet in 2023-24 he's back to his former rate and even has 24 PPPts, more than Jake Guentzel, Sidney Crosby, Anze Kopitar, and Jamie Benn despite a PPTOI at least 30 second less than all those with more PPPts. But does anyone even mention him? Not really.

Noah Dobson

For sure Dobson has been highly touted; however, much like Barzal he was throttled by the systems in which he was forced to play. Ironically, now that he's finally delivering on that promise, I feel he's not somehow getting the level of recognition he should.

Vince Dunn

When Dunn ignited for 64 points last season, it got him attention, yet still not much respect, as many figured it was a fluke. Yet here again he's doing just as well. But has his fantasy profile been raised appropriately? I'd say no.

Joel Eriksson Ek

If this was multicat, JEE would certainly not be on the list. Yet I still feel he's not seen as the scorer he's become. Plus, he's on pace to see his scoring rate, SOG rate, and TOI rise again, as has already occurred in each of the past five seasons. That is an incredible accomplishment, yet JEE still seemingly does not get his rightful recognition outside of multicat.

Filip Forsberg

Many – myself included – figured Forsberg's 100 point scoring pace in 2021-22 was due as much, if not more so, to him being on the cusp of unrestricted free agency as based on his own actual talent. When he dipped to a 69 point pace in 2022-23, few were surprised. But here he is again well above the point per game mark, proving naysayers wrong yet, at the same time, not getting nearly the attention or respect he did two years ago.

Brandon Hagel

Yes, being on a line with Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point is a great gig. But those two are points magnets and Hagel barely takes the ice on the PP, so the fact that Hagel is nearly at a point per game rate says a lot about him in his own right. Yet he's still seen as more lucky than good, which seems unjust at this point.

Zach Hyman

No question Hyman's profile has been raised; however, much like Hagel Hyman's success is seen as a by-product of those around him, rather than his own skill. But let's not forget there was a long line of wingers trialed with Connor McDavid and/or Leon Draisaitl, and Hyman is the first who actually shined. So although he is in a great spot, it's not just that leading him to success.

Roman Josi

When Josi posted a scoring rate of 77 at age 29 after never previously finishing a season with a rate of 60+, it opened eyes. Yet when he came back to earth the following season, his fantasy profile was lowered. Then lo and behold he somehow has gotten better with age, on pace for a second point per game season. But has anyone done what he's done more quietly than him?

Patrick Kane

For many years, Kane was highly rated, and rightfully so. But after a dismal 2022-23 and then having a procedure from which few have ever returned, let alone at a high level, he's back to nearly a point per game pace. But I feel like it's not being noticed, or people are waiting for him to slow, which more and more with each passing day seems less and less likely.

Nazem Kadri

You can take what I wrote for Forsberg and pretty much apply it to Kadri as well, with a huge season on the cusp of being a UFA, then a major drop in production. But Kadri has played point per game hockey since the first quarter, and I feel it's gone largely unnoticed, or certainly not as noticed as it should be.

Jared McCann

On track to post a scoring rate of 60+ for the third time in three seasons, it seems like McCann is not even close to being given his proper level of fantasy love. He shoots a lot and produces on the PP, all despite nothing close to elite ice time.

Sean Monahan

Once a fantasy darling, and rightfully so, Monahan was cast into a fantasy wasteland though when his scoring rate as a Flame went from 86, to 56, to 49, to a jaw dropping 26, leaving most to figure he was done as far as fantasy. Yet last season his scoring rate was 56, albeit in limited action, while this season he's faring just as well but in more games and despite being traded during the campaign. He's not the Monahan of old; however, his fantasy profile likely deserves to be raised again, at least more so than it has.

Josh Morrissey

After exploding last season for 76 points, Morrissey found himself with fewer believers than Brandon Montour, who also came from nowhere to excel. Yet here we are a season later and it's Morrissey who's had the far less severe drop off in production and in fact is still scoring at an elite rate. Still, some seemingly remain skeptical.

Valeri Nichushkin

Hugely hyped upon his arrival in North America, Nichushkin was a major disappointment and looked to be on his way of the NHL as recently as 2020-21. But to say he's turned things around since then would be a vast understatement, as he's now a point per game player. But between still recent enough memories of his prior failings, plus his tendency to get injured, and this season's off ice issues, that creates a recipe for Nich not to be viewed as highly as many others producing at his rate.

Artemi Panarin

How can a legit star be underrated? Because you just don't hear his name among the best of the best despite the fact that he's right there in points per game since 2019-20 with everyone but Connor McDavid, plus he rarely gets hurt. And this season he's at unprecedented levels in terms of goals and SOG per game, perhaps indicating he has even more improving to do, with the only question whether he'll ever get proper recognition.

Mikko Rantanen

While not quite the producer as Panarin, here too it's a case of someone who is highly regarded, but arguably not highly enough. This is poised to be his fourth season in a row of better than a 100-point scoring pace. Yet due to him playing second fiddle to Nathan MacKinnon and never being super elite, he's considered merely great, when in truth he's among the most consistent and reliable scorers in the league.

Dylan Strome

Thought to be only as good as his linemates in Chicago, Strome is showing he's the real deal in Washington. Even as the team around him has seen its scoring nosedive, Strome is on pace to do even better this season than last, yet he's largely ignored, unrightfully so.

Robert Thomas

After following up an 87-point scoring pace in 2021-22 with a drop to 73, Thomas is right in the middle this season. Yet I think poolies still largely write him off as someone who doesn't shoot enough and isn't a true first liner. Well guess what – his SOG rate is now above two per game and he's taking the ice for 21 minutes per contest. He should be getting more accolades than he is now, that's for sure.

Carter Verhaeghe

No question Verhaeghe's fantasy profile has been raised, after he showed he was more than a supporting player bolstered by those on his line. But he'll either finish with 40/40 numbers or just below, with over 20 PPPts and 3+ SOG per game. Newsflash – he should be held in even higher regard than he is despite the added recognition that's come of late.

************

Your job is to vote – using whatever objective factors you consider relevant – for the five players you consider to be the most underrated among this list of 20. Remember to judge them based on points only league, and that underrated is a relative term, as a better player can still be more underrated than one who puts up fewer points. Click here to cast your votes.

************

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.