Anyone who plays a second in even a single NHL game has done something only a tiny fraction of those who've laced up a pair of skates ever will. And players can have far greater value in "real" hockey than in fantasy. These things having been said, the reality is there are players in today's NHL who are overrated in terms of their fantasy value.

What makes someone overrated? In the end it's subjective; however, in my view it can be that they're living off past glory, or are looked upon favorably even though they haven't fulfilled or kept pace with expectations, while others simply have a perceived fantasy value that far exceeds their actual value. And then there's what I call litmus test guys, who, when you see or hear their name, one of the first things that pops into your head is that they're overrated, plain and simple.

What follows are – in my opinion – the 20 most overrated players in today's NHL when it comes to fantasy. Your job is to pick the five who you feel are most overrated. If they were overrated in the past but aren't any more, or are in danger of being overrated if they continue to perform like they are, but aren't overrated yet, then they shouldn't get your vote. These should be the five who are the most overrated as things stand.

Every player on this list has passed his 200-game breakout threshold, or, for goalies, has started at least 100 career games, as including players who've yet to do so would be unfair. For skaters, consider points only, while for goalies in W, GAA, SV%, and SO.  The link to cast your votes – and remember, you're voting for exactly five – will appear at the end of the column.

Sebastian Aho

In most leagues, Aho is always an early pick, and the poolie who grabs him is eager for his skill to finally pay huge scoring dividends……and then it doesn't yet again. I'm not here to debate Aho's talent level; but this is someone who's right at the 500 games played mark for his career, and he's yet to finish a season with a 90+ point scoring pace. At some point we have to acknowledge that what you is what you get with Aho, for now and going forward.

Frederik Andersen

Unless he signs a new deal beforehand, Andersen – along with Tristan Jarry – is poised to be the biggest UFA netminder prize this summer. When you envision Andersen, you think Tier 1 or high Tier 2 guy, no? Maybe you shouldn't. He's never – not even once – had over five shutouts in a season and his SV% numbers have been downright bad this season and two of the prior three. He's not young anymore, so banking on a late career resurgence is unlikely too.

Patrice Bergeron

Yes, he still shoots the puck a lot and gets all the PP1 time he can handle. But when it comes to actual scoring, Bergeron isn't even close to where he was just a couple seasons ago, in contrast to Brad Marchand, who's not much younger but still holding onto his scoring touch, or at least more so. Bergeron's name value now seems to be outpacing his actual value by quite a bit.

Thomas Chabot

After scoring at a 64-point rate in his second full season, poolies had visions of Chabot becoming the next EK65. But instead he's settled into a solid but unspectacular pattern of scoring in the 50- to 55-point range. That's fine and dandy except for the fact he's being drafted with higher envisioned production, which is looking more and more like it will never recur.

Jack Eichel

Where is the Eichel who was going to score in droves once out of Buffalo and healthy? Granted, Eichel hasn't had much of a supporting cast to work with; however, he's also not done as much as we figured he would in terms of being able to carry the team on his shoulders.

Aaron Ekblad

Many a poolie drafted or traded for Ekblad figuring what we saw in 2021-22 was a new normal. But instead, he's taken a big step back, closer to what we saw in prior campaigns. Still young and definitely talented, he'll have plenty of chances to be able to replicate his 2021-22 success, but it's no longer clear he's deserving of the value being placed on him.

Filip Forsberg

With Forsberg, it was seemingly always a question of when, not if, he'd break out. Last season he did so in a big way……. just in time to cash in as a UFA. With a now much fatter wallet, Forsberg is back to his usual scoring rate. The only question is whether his value truly did rise or if poolies were skeptical that they were truly witnessing the real Forsberg in 2021-22.

Johnny Gaudreau

Most pegged Gaudreau as the main ingredient in the success of the Calgary top line in 2021-22; but a quick look at the scoring leaders shows former linemate Matthew Tkachuk putting up tons of points, while Gaudreau has come back to earth in a big way. Is Gaudreau a victim of a poor supporting cast, or should he be doing better?

Jonathan Huberdeau

Yes, this season has been an unmitigated disaster; however, should it be written off, or should we instead lower the value of – and expectations for – Huberdeau? Has he played so poorly as to actually not be overrated despite his struggles?

Chris Kreider

Always a valuable fantasy asset, Kreider's stock soared after he scored 52 goals and at a 78 point pace despite never even once previously scoring at a 60 point pace. Here too the only question is whether his value kept pace, or if instead the skeptics were never fully convinced.

Patrik Laine

Thought to be the NHL's next great sniper, it's looking more and more like Laine can't excel without a top-flight center. But is he still even overrated, or had that ship already sailed?

Jacob Markstrom

Anointed a Tier 1 goalie entering 2022-23, the truth was Markstrom, after an unbelievable start to 2021-22, trended downward. So really 2022-23 is just a continuation of that. Still, as with Huberdeau, has he played so poorly as to no longer qualify him as overrated?

J.T. Miller

Was 2021-22 a flash in the pan, in hopes of getting – and, ultimately, receiving, a fat contract? The magic eight ball says signs point to yes, given his career numbers and what we've seen in 2022-23. But like others on this list, did his value really skyrocket, or were there still skeptics? If it did rise, has it dropped to an extent that realistically he's no longer truly overrated?

Morgan Rielly

Thought to be like Victor Hedman and John Carlson, Rielly seems to be more like Drew Doughty, where you can tell he puts his team first, much to the chagrin of poolies who own him. But by playing for the Leafs and being the true #1 in ever sense of the word, he remains highly valued. Is that still deserved, or was it even deserved in the first place?

Mark Scheifele

Yes, only Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby have a longer stretch of consecutive point per game seasons among centers; however, Scheifele has never truly put things together to have that one superb campaign. And he's arguably past his prime. The question is whether poolies value him properly, or too highly?

Andrei Svechnikov

Not to toot my own horn, but amidst all the clamor as to how Svechnikov was going to explode this season, I told everyone who's listen – and there weren't many of you who did – to pump the brakes. And sure enough after a scorching start he's cooled considerably. Yes, he's still young enough to take things to another level; but from where I sit I can't see how he's not among the most overrated players on this list.

Vladimir Tarasenko

Was Tarasenko not playing up to par because the Blues were unable to get the trio of him, Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich together, or was last season a fluke? Now that he's in a big market like New York it'll be put up or shut up time, especially since he's playing for a new contract. He has always been seen as having top tier talent, and I think that last season there were enough of those who doubted it could last, so maybe his rating and value never really climbed too high for him to be considered truly overrated?

Vincent Trocheck

It seems like just when everyone has started to drop their rating of Trocheck, he ignites for a season. With the promise of lining up with Panarin for 2022-23, hopes were high. Yet it looks like the combo has hurt both of them. But again, has Trocheck's rating taken a hit, or were there already enough skeptics before his 2022-23 disappointment?

Jacob Trouba

No one was expecting Trouba to score in droves, and he's still pilling up multicat stats. But his dalliance with scoring last season seems to have come and gone, and K'Andre Miller might just be making Trouba's role less crucial. Will Trouba's rating suffer though, or will his still huge multicat numbers keep it high?

MacKenzie Weegar

A great come from nowhere story…… until he signed a big offseason deal. Now his numbers have nosedived. Poolies figure Weegar could thrive in Calgary much like Noah Hanifin, or even have a chance to push aside Rasmus Andersson. Instead Weegar is putting up middling numbers to the point where he's been dropped in many leagues, perhaps making it so his value has already plummeted enough for him not to earn your votes?

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Those are your 20 nominees. Apologies if I omitted anyone you feel was deserving; however, hopefully these 20 are still a good enough group to make you really have to ponder which five are the most overrated. Keep in mind someone who produces better than another player can still be more overrated – it's all relative. And remember that you should vote for exactly five players, no more no less. 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.