HockeyBuzz Hotstove: Most underrated player on the Nashville Predators?

Let me guess. A trip to Natural Stat Trick and the 5vs5 production?

Probably Bones ... I really like his game

Might not be a positive that a team’s most underrated player# are in their 30’s

I miss hockey and ‘hating’ on Nashville/Chicago, instead listening to all the other hate going around.

Hope to see a game in Nash someday....of course with a Blues winner

Smith gets underrated mainly due to consistency issues. 20 goals a season is great, but someone with his skill-set and work ethic should be closer to the 25-30 range, but he's rarely ever sniffed that mark despite his obvious potential. A lot of his goals too, seem to come at times you wouldn't exactly consider crucial. Kind of like a baseball player who hits the 3-run homer when the score is already 12-1. I'm not trying to knock the guy either, I like him, he's the type of guy whose effort you never have to question. Just a general opinion from someone whose pretty much watched every game he's ever played in the NHL for why he might get overlooked, and even why some Preds fans are sour on him.

Bones is a good choice, but I'm going to go with a more unconventional choice. Mattias Ekholm. He's not technically underrated anymore as most of the league seems to recognize how good he his now, but he's been overshadowed over the years by the other defensemen on the team. He's easily been the Preds best defender for several years now, and this season he finally started to put up the offensive numbers to go with the solid defense. He also virtually never misses a game where guys like Ellis are good for at least one lengthy IR stint a season.

Smith gets underrated ....

Bones is a good choice, but I'm going to go with a more unconventional choice. Mattias Ekholm. He's not technically underrated anymore as most of the league seems to recognize how good he his now ...
- Squatchy

The the other two i considered!

Same on Smith (I mean same) and Ekholm ... they talk about him a lot when I watch Preds games from the other teams perspective (you can spoof GPS and use a Privacy[dot]com credit card to make it seem like you live in Anaheim or wherever ..)

Might not be a positive that a team’s most underrated player# are in their 30’s

I miss hockey and ‘hating’ on Nashville/Chicago, instead listening to all the other hate going around.

Hope to see a game in Nash someday....of course with a Blues winner
- Mph6689

How do you read "must be young" into that question?

Ok then.. Fabbro and the door's always open .. come on over any time! Party starts after the game

How do you read "must be young" into that question?

Ok then.. Fabbro and the door's always open .. come on over any time! Party starts after the game
- farooge

I don’t read ‘must be young’. I just think it is better to have younger players heading into their prime as the underrated guys with more potential.

All good

I don’t read ‘must be young’. I just think it is better to have younger players heading into their prime as the underrated guys with more potential.

All good
- Mph6689

well ... ideally .. sure, also, please don't look behind the curtain ..

He's easily been the Preds best defender for several years now, and this season he finally started to put up the offensive numbers to go with the solid defense.

Josi would like to have a word.

I'd say Bones. That's it, that's the post.

He's easily been the Preds best defender for several years now, and this season he finally started to put up the offensive numbers to go with the solid defense.

Josi would like to have a word.

I'd say Bones. That's it, that's the post.
- FoxMulder

Love Josi, but I'll still stand behind Eklholm purely from a defensive standpoint. Ironically, Josi is actually a little underrated himself when you look at him purely by defensive metrics. It's mind boggling how often I still hear people refer to him as a one-way defenseman. That might've been true when he was younger, but he's gotten so much better over the years. He can handle himself in his own zone just fine thank you.

Love Josi, but I'll still stand behind Eklholm purely from a defensive standpoint. Ironically, Josi is actually a little underrated himself when you look at him purely by defensive metrics. It's mind boggling how often I still hear people refer to him as a one-way defenseman. That might've been true when he was younger, but he's gotten so much better over the years. He can handle himself in his own zone just fine thank you.
- Squatchy

It pained me to see him spot a seam (he could skate into) then almost immediately pull-up and look for a forward to take a pass (from the D-zone). New coach must harp the heck out of that because when he followed his instincts and skated the it you could see their (the forwards) body language .. like they were saying "You're supposed to pass it now, ROMAN!"