Which Flyer is the most underrated?
By Nick Som
The Philadelphia Flyers have several players flying under the radar who look primed for a rebound. But which one is the most underrated?
Over the course of this past offseason, we’ve looked at several different Philadelphia Flyers players who have reason to expect dramatic improvements this year. While it’s unlikely that all of them will actually improve, simple regression dictates that a few will. That’s why the 2017-18 Flyers seem like a team with the potential to outperform expectations- there is a clear group of Flyers who are being underrated league-wide.
But which Flyer is the most underrated? Let’s take a look at a few of them.
Jordan Weal
Weal is a victim of small sample sizes, but man, the guy just produces. It’s taken him a while to gain a foothold in the NHL, but it looks like this is finally the season he gets an extended look in the role he deserves. As we observed in a piece on him several weeks ago, Weal’s shot-differential numbers were the best on the team. Yes, he put up those numbers in only 23 games. But he’s been consistently excellent at every level he’s played at for yours. Betting that he won’t do the same this year is a risk you don’t want to take.
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Earlier this offseason, SB Nation ran a series that laid out the top 25 NHL players under the age of 25. Provorov didn’t even make the list as an honorable mention. It’s true that his counting stats didn’t jump off the page, but seriously? Not even a mention? Provorov is going to put what doubters remain to rest this season, and it’s going to be fun to watch.
Philadelphia Flyers
Sean Couturier
It’s not a list of underrated Flyers until Sean Couturier makes the list. It’s fair to say at this point that he’ll never become a dominant, top-line scoring center, but there’s so much else he does well that he remains an incredible valuable player. He’s a shutdown defender, great in the neutral zone, and strong on the boards. But until he breaks through the arbitrary 40-point barrier (which he’s been on pace to beat before, if not for injuries) he’ll continue to be undervalued by the public at large.
Michael Raffl
Last but not least, we have Michael Raffl. The Austrian winger scored a paltry 11 points in 52 games last year, which to some is a performance that deserves to put his roster spot in jeopardy. But Raffl remains highly regarded by advanced metrics like Corsi, both relative to his teammates and not. Raffl is currently flying somewhat under the radar, but don’t be surprised if he puts together a strong rebound season.
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For my money, Jordan Weal is the most underrated current Flyer. The Vegas Golden Knights passed up on him to take Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, for crying out loud. Which Flyer do you think is most deserving of greater recognition?
(Stats via Hockey-Reference)