Some forwards and defensemen I think may be underrated going into the 2024/25 season.
July 29, 2024
Stats span across the last three NHL seasons.
25 comments
As a Flames fan, I am surprised no one has signed Kylington. With how he screwed up his renegotiation, I think he would be an upgrade for many teams at a low cost.
95% 5v5 defense, 84% offense and 34% finishing
Ok now I see why the canes signed him
Vilardi is good. He just can’t stay healthy.
Carrier is a really good 4th line guy but his inability to stay healthy limits his value. He plays a very physical game which is why he’s valued but also why he is perpetually injured.
Garlands a beast. He doesn’t give up on the ice no matter what’s happening and that counts for a lot more than flashy stats. Undersized as well yet plays around the net very close and physical.
Harris is consistently good but we have a logjam at D rn and I don’t know how much ice time he’s really gonna get this season. I would hate to trade him but it might end up being necessary depending on how our other LD prospects pan out
CONOR GARLAND MENTIONED 🔥🔥🔥
WTF IS SKATING IN A STRAIGHT LINE 🔥🔥🔥
I think Garland is appropriately rated after the last season. He’s a genuine top-six caliber winger that needs to drive his own line to thrive.
Which is why he was so much deadlier as a third liner surrounded by complementary pieces, rather than being second (or third) fiddle to guys like Petey or Miller.
Kylington or his agent have royally fucked up by not just signing whatever the flames offered him
Happy to see Lindell mentioned. One of the best PKers around as well
Coyle bouta put up 70 points next year
**tl;dr:** Esa is probably not underrated. I think he’s good at what he does, but he’s too one-dimensional. He’s a UFA next summer. We’ll see what happens.
It’s hard to comment on “underrated players” whom I don’t watch frequently, but I’ve seen just about every Esa Lindell shift, so here’s my opinion on him that nobody asked for.
The only reason I might suspect that he could possibly be considered underrated is the flashes of top-4 competence he showed while paired with Tanev. It’s like knowing Tanev was back there unlocked some hidden confidence in Esa’s game which allowed him to do more than ice the puck.
But in this day and age, you should hope that your top-4 D-men can play in at least 2 zones, and Esa hasn’t really shown that. He’s borderline elite in his own end when he doesn’t have the puck, but once he gets it, he doesn’t have the skating ability or the hands to move the puck.
He’s good for a handful of goals every year because he will just pop up in the right spot out of nowhere and burry one, but he’s not considered a real threat in the O-zone either.
He’s an excellent 3rd-pairing guy and a very good penalty killer. He can play in the top 4, but the pairing has to be just right.
He’s currently in the last year of his deal where he’s made $5.8M AAV. He’s going to be a really interesting UFA case. On the one hand, I don’t think he has the tools to play as a top-4 modern D-man, and part of me thinks he’s due for a paycut. On the other hand, I think there will be a team out there who needs a top-4 guy, and they’re gonna squint real hard and see Lindell as something he’s not, and they will give him a pretty substantial contract.
I personally think he’s going to free agency because the Stars won’t be able to afford him with Johnston and Oettinger (among a few others) getting their raises next season.
Every fantasy GM knows Garland, Coyle, and Lindell are always expected to do better and never do. Don’t follow the hype.
Laf will put up big numbers this year.
You see this ***[team with good young top 6 player available for trade]***, Jordan Harris is underrated! (he really is)
We love Esa the supressa
Charlie Coyle hasn’t secured a top 6 spot even with how shitty Boston’s been down the middle
I love what he brings defensively and along the boards, but outside of those confines he’s a >$5M black hole. “Underrated” isn’t the right word to describe a guy like that, especially when he’s not even the best situational role player on his own line. Tremt Frederic clears
Nice to see Lindell get some love
He’s been steady for years
I thought wotherspoon being let go was a bad choice. Bolduc just isn’t ready and wotherspoon was cheap and a solid bottom 4 dman.
You just blow in from stupid town?
Vilardi 😭
Man I’m so sad the Isles let Wotherspoon go. When he was up during the COVID Olympics in 2021 he played so well for them.
Just a sturdy reliable defender. Would’ve been great in place of Mayfield last year and with Aho being gone this year.
Oh well.
I miss you every day Vilardi and Alex!
Jordan Harris is legit amazing bottom pair D
He probably won’t get much more opportunity than that in Montreal with how many Dmen they have though
Carrier is a stud but he’s been really injury prone the last couple seasons. Hes not gonna pot 10 goals and 40 points just not gonna happen
25 comments
As a Flames fan, I am surprised no one has signed Kylington. With how he screwed up his renegotiation, I think he would be an upgrade for many teams at a low cost.
95% 5v5 defense, 84% offense and 34% finishing
Ok now I see why the canes signed him
Vilardi is good. He just can’t stay healthy.
Carrier is a really good 4th line guy but his inability to stay healthy limits his value. He plays a very physical game which is why he’s valued but also why he is perpetually injured.
Garlands a beast. He doesn’t give up on the ice no matter what’s happening and that counts for a lot more than flashy stats. Undersized as well yet plays around the net very close and physical.
Harris is consistently good but we have a logjam at D rn and I don’t know how much ice time he’s really gonna get this season. I would hate to trade him but it might end up being necessary depending on how our other LD prospects pan out
CONOR GARLAND MENTIONED 🔥🔥🔥
WTF IS SKATING IN A STRAIGHT LINE 🔥🔥🔥
I think Garland is appropriately rated after the last season. He’s a genuine top-six caliber winger that needs to drive his own line to thrive.
Which is why he was so much deadlier as a third liner surrounded by complementary pieces, rather than being second (or third) fiddle to guys like Petey or Miller.
Kylington or his agent have royally fucked up by not just signing whatever the flames offered him
Happy to see Lindell mentioned. One of the best PKers around as well
Coyle bouta put up 70 points next year
**tl;dr:** Esa is probably not underrated. I think he’s good at what he does, but he’s too one-dimensional. He’s a UFA next summer. We’ll see what happens.
It’s hard to comment on “underrated players” whom I don’t watch frequently, but I’ve seen just about every Esa Lindell shift, so here’s my opinion on him that nobody asked for.
The only reason I might suspect that he could possibly be considered underrated is the flashes of top-4 competence he showed while paired with Tanev. It’s like knowing Tanev was back there unlocked some hidden confidence in Esa’s game which allowed him to do more than ice the puck.
But in this day and age, you should hope that your top-4 D-men can play in at least 2 zones, and Esa hasn’t really shown that. He’s borderline elite in his own end when he doesn’t have the puck, but once he gets it, he doesn’t have the skating ability or the hands to move the puck.
He’s good for a handful of goals every year because he will just pop up in the right spot out of nowhere and burry one, but he’s not considered a real threat in the O-zone either.
He’s an excellent 3rd-pairing guy and a very good penalty killer. He can play in the top 4, but the pairing has to be just right.
He’s currently in the last year of his deal where he’s made $5.8M AAV. He’s going to be a really interesting UFA case. On the one hand, I don’t think he has the tools to play as a top-4 modern D-man, and part of me thinks he’s due for a paycut. On the other hand, I think there will be a team out there who needs a top-4 guy, and they’re gonna squint real hard and see Lindell as something he’s not, and they will give him a pretty substantial contract.
I personally think he’s going to free agency because the Stars won’t be able to afford him with Johnston and Oettinger (among a few others) getting their raises next season.
Every fantasy GM knows Garland, Coyle, and Lindell are always expected to do better and never do. Don’t follow the hype.
Laf will put up big numbers this year.
You see this ***[team with good young top 6 player available for trade]***, Jordan Harris is underrated! (he really is)
We love Esa the supressa
Charlie Coyle hasn’t secured a top 6 spot even with how shitty Boston’s been down the middle
I love what he brings defensively and along the boards, but outside of those confines he’s a >$5M black hole. “Underrated” isn’t the right word to describe a guy like that, especially when he’s not even the best situational role player on his own line. Tremt Frederic clears
Nice to see Lindell get some love
He’s been steady for years
I thought wotherspoon being let go was a bad choice. Bolduc just isn’t ready and wotherspoon was cheap and a solid bottom 4 dman.
You just blow in from stupid town?
Vilardi 😭
Man I’m so sad the Isles let Wotherspoon go. When he was up during the COVID Olympics in 2021 he played so well for them.
Just a sturdy reliable defender. Would’ve been great in place of Mayfield last year and with Aho being gone this year.
Oh well.
I miss you every day Vilardi and Alex!
Jordan Harris is legit amazing bottom pair D
He probably won’t get much more opportunity than that in Montreal with how many Dmen they have though
Carrier is a stud but he’s been really injury prone the last couple seasons. Hes not gonna pot 10 goals and 40 points just not gonna happen