NHL players poll - most overrated

[L K]

Ovechkin is the 2nd most overrated player in the league?  How?  Everyone has crapped on his play since he stopped scoring at an insane pace.

Well, for what it's worth, I've always felt he was overrated. I don't think there's a trophy he's won that wasn't very, very debatable.

Well sure, but that still puts him as one of the best players in the league, a guy who even if he plays mediocre for the rest of his career is still likely a lock for the HOF as a 500+ career goal scorer.  He had 5 straight 90 point seasons (four over 100); 4 of 5 seasons he had 50 goals, one 60 goal season and a 46 goal season.    His "terrible" season last year was 85 points and 32 goals.  His terrible season this year is still going to be a 30 goal ~70 point season if he doesn't continue to build off the 16 points in his last 18 games 9 goals in 14 games stretch he has had lately.  It's not back to his 100 point seasons, but he's been better offensive than in the past.

He's not a dominant defensive player, but he's still a guy who plays a good physical game.  He's not better than Crosby, I'd probably take Datsyuk over him too, but beyond that I'm not sure there are many I would take after that.  Calling him the best player in the league when he is the #3-5 best player seems not all that much of an overrating. 

 

[Darryl]

What a high school poll. Surprised there wasn't an class clown and most school spirit category.

 

[dappleganger]

Why would Scott Gomez rank as #3 overrated?

Who is rating him high these days??

It seems like it's more of a 'Who's the most overpaid' than most overrated.

 

[Kin]

Calling him the best player in the league when he is the #3-5 best player seems not all that much of an overrating.

Well, I guess, but it's who's overrated the most, not who's overrated by the widest margin. I mean, as an example, you could argue that most people think Derek Roy is this good when you really think he's actually not so good but it won't register as much if nobody talks all that much about Derek Roy to begin with. If the constant debate is Ovechkin/Crosby and, in someone's opinion, it's Crosby then Datsyuk then Getzlaf(or whoever) then Ovechkin than it's safe to say that Ovechkin will be overrated the most often and there's kind of a cumulative effect.

 

[Kin]

The important thing is that Dion won and by a huge margin.

Good for the #6th Dman in points this season. And his leadeship is iffy, afterall he is the captain of the yongest team in the NHL that without a proven #1 goalie sits (so far - and hopefully when the music stops) on a playoff spot. Now, that is overated.

See, I can't help but read that and think you're basically proving their point. There are lots of reasons why the Leafs are where they are but for the most part they're tangible like the play of Lupul and Kessel. Giving him credit for that via leadership strikes me as misplaced.

He's been ok this year but we still see a lot of questionable play from him defensively and some really bad penalties. Labeling him as overrated when he just was voted onto the all-star team doesn't strike me as unreasonable.

 

[maplesyrup]

Even if players feel Phaneuf is overrated, so what? Not that I hold this pool in any form of high regard but when people are making a list of overrated things aren't the ones at the top of people's generally good anyway?

I mean, I like most corvettes. Most automobile "experts" feel for the price, they are overrated. Fine. For the money? They probably are but it's still a freakin' nice car (most models I find anyway.) I find champagne overrated. Why? It's spendy and the taste is lost on me. However, I know it's pretty good stuff and would never call it "crap."  Point being, nobody calls a a can of brown beans overrated and in the hockey world, Dion Phaneuf 'aint no can of brown beans.

Now, a few players here (like Gomez) don't apply to this theory but just who exactly is rating a guy like this high? I don't know... My feeling is this poll is kind of dumb.   

 

[Boston Leaf]

So who is voting him overrated.. guys like Mark Redden?

 

[ZBBM]

The DGB quote earlier says it all.

BTW, it's interesting, isn't it, that almost every player on that list plays on a team that gets a lot of press coverage.  If you don't think there's an element of jealousy here, you're kidding yourself.

 

[Kin]

BTW, it's interesting, isn't it, that almost every player on that list plays on a team that gets a lot of press coverage.  If you don't think there's an element of jealousy here, you're kidding yourself.

1. Dion Phaneuf, Toronto Maple Leafs D 20%
2. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals LW 8%
3. Scott Gomez, Montreal Canadiens C 6%
4. Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks G 6%
5. Dany Heatley, Minnesota Wild LW 4%
6. Ilya Kovalchuk, New Jersey Devils
7. Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning
8. Jay Bouwmeester, Calgary Flames
9. Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks
10. Mike Komisarek, Toronto Maple Leafs
11. Chris Pronger, Philadelphia Flyers
12. Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
13. Alexander Semin, Washington Capitals
14. Olli Jokinen, Calgary Flames
15. Ed Jovanovski, Florida Panthers

That's four of the fifteen. An additional five of the fifteen are on either the Flames or Capitals. I'd say big market, big media teams actually did pretty well by comparison.

 

[Kin]

Even if players feel Phaneuf is overrated, so what?

The issue would be whether or not one feels that players have a special insight into the workings of the game and who really makes a big difference in what goes into a winning/losing effort. If so, then this would be illuminating. If not, then not.

 

[sampson]

BTW, it's interesting, isn't it, that almost every player on that list plays on a team that gets a lot of press coverage.  If you don't think there's an element of jealousy here, you're kidding yourself.

1. Dion Phaneuf, Toronto Maple Leafs D 20%
2. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals LW 8%
3. Scott Gomez, Montreal Canadiens C 6%
4. Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks G 6%
5. Dany Heatley, Minnesota Wild LW 4%
6. Ilya Kovalchuk, New Jersey Devils
7. Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning
8. Jay Bouwmeester, Calgary Flames
9. Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks
10. Mike Komisarek, Toronto Maple Leafs
11. Chris Pronger, Philadelphia Flyers
12. Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
13. Alexander Semin, Washington Capitals
14. Olli Jokinen, Calgary Flames
15. Ed Jovanovski, Florida Panthers

That's four of the fifteen. An additional five of the fifteen are on either the Flames or Capitals. I'd say big market, big media teams actually did pretty well by comparison.

Overrated, but that's one heck of a team right there. Well over the cap, but hey... who's counting?

 

[ZBBM]

BTW, it's interesting, isn't it, that almost every player on that list plays on a team that gets a lot of press coverage.  If you don't think there's an element of jealousy here, you're kidding yourself.

1. Dion Phaneuf, Toronto Maple Leafs D 20%
2. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals LW 8%
3. Scott Gomez, Montreal Canadiens C 6%
4. Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks G 6%
5. Dany Heatley, Minnesota Wild LW 4%
6. Ilya Kovalchuk, New Jersey Devils
7. Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning
8. Jay Bouwmeester, Calgary Flames
9. Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks
10. Mike Komisarek, Toronto Maple Leafs
11. Chris Pronger, Philadelphia Flyers
12. Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
13. Alexander Semin, Washington Capitals
14. Olli Jokinen, Calgary Flames
15. Ed Jovanovski, Florida Panthers

That's four of the fifteen. An additional five of the fifteen are on either the Flames or Capitals. I'd say big market, big media teams actually did pretty well by comparison.

Overrated, but that's one heck of a team right there. Well over the cap, but hey... who's counting?

You lost me, Nik.  Of the 15 players listed, I would say only Lecav & Jovo play in markets with not a lot of press coverage of hockey.  Every Canadian team gets a lot.  The size of the market doesn't matter for Canadian teams, which is why I didn't say "big market teams."

EDIT: OK, let me modify a bit -- you could argue that the Caps don't get tons of press coverage in the DC market.  But that's on the margin.  What you don't see on these lists are players from PHX, CAR, NSH, etc.

 

[ZBBM]

Another take, from Poulin on tsn.ca:

"A very simple answer for an anonymous poll," said Leafs assistant GM Dave Poulin, "is that people tend to vote for players they don't like to play against."

Burke's comments are fairly amusing as well.

 

[Kin]

You lost me, Nik.  Of the 15 players listed, I would say only Lecav & Jovo play in markets with not a lot of press coverage of hockey.  Every Canadian team gets a lot.  The size of the market doesn't matter for Canadian teams, which is why I didn't say "big market teams."

I think that by the standards you're using then that 24 or 25 teams in the NHL would qualify as teams that get a lot of coverage. So it doesn't actually strike me as being all that odd. Otherwise I think the Devils, Caps, Wild and, yes, Flames would all count as teams who don't get a ton of coverage.

 

[Kin]

I just caught some of the Burke interview and, I mean, it's Burke all over. You think Dion Phaneuf is overrated? Well, he made the all-star game as a starter.

I mean, why not just ask "you mad, bro?"

 

[Bonsixx]

Ovechkin is the 2nd most overrated player in the league?  How?  Everyone has crapped on his play since he stopped scoring at an insane pace.

Well, for what it's worth, I've always felt he was overrated. I don't think there's a trophy he's won that wasn't very, very debatable.

He's won a couple of Rocket Richard trophies. Although I imagine if anyone could debate the validity of his claim to them, it'd be you.

 

[ZBBM]

You lost me, Nik.  Of the 15 players listed, I would say only Lecav & Jovo play in markets with not a lot of press coverage of hockey.  Every Canadian team gets a lot.  The size of the market doesn't matter for Canadian teams, which is why I didn't say "big market teams."

I think that by the standards you're using then that 24 or 25 teams in the NHL would qualify as teams that get a lot of coverage. So it doesn't actually strike me as being all that odd. Otherwise I think the Devils, Caps, Wild and, yes, Flames would all count as teams who don't get a ton of coverage.

Devils are thoroughly covered by all the NY outlets, and CGY is covered in depth by the Cgy Sun, TSN, etc etc.

You've obviously never been to the Cities.  The Wild gets tons of press.

Here are teams that I would say for sure don't get lots of press in their home markets (compared to other teams there):

ANA
LAK
SJS
PHX
DAL
NSH
FLA
TBL
CAR
CBJ

That's 10 of 30, a full third. 

To that you might add WSH, STL, and even COL now that they aren't elite.

 

[Kin]

Devils are thoroughly covered by all the NY outlets, and CGY is covered in depth by the Cgy Sun, TSN, etc etc.

You've obviously never been to the Cities.  The Wild gets tons of press.

I'd say the same to you about New York if you think the Devils get a lot of press coverage in the NY market.

I mean, realistically, if the definition is when compared to other teams in the market(and on your list there are a couple teams who have no other teams in their market) then it really should be expanded. The Caps, Islanders, Blackhawks. Heck, even the Bruins get a tiny fraction of the press the other three Boston teams get.

 

[ZBBM]

Devils are thoroughly covered by all the NY outlets, and CGY is covered in depth by the Cgy Sun, TSN, etc etc.

You've obviously never been to the Cities.  The Wild gets tons of press.

I'd say the same to you about New York if you think the Devils get a lot of press coverage in the NY market.

I mean, realistically, if the definition is when compared to other teams in the market(and on your list there are a couple teams who have no other teams in their market) then it really should be expanded. The Caps, Islanders, Blackhawks. Heck, even the Bruins get a tiny fraction of the press the other three Boston teams get.

NY is a solid hockey market and all 3 teams get plenty of coverage.  (And yes, I've been.)  Ditto Bruins and Hawks.

As for the bolded, if you're referring to CBJ the team there is Ohio State football, 24/7/365.  I didn't say "pro" teams. 

 

[Kin]

NY is a solid hockey market and all 3 teams get plenty of coverage.  (And yes, I've been.)  Ditto Bruins and Hawks.

NY is a fine hockey market but the Devils don't play in New York. They play in downtown Newark. Again, if the bar is where they are relative to other teams in the market than the Devils are way, way down on the totem pole. The Devils get a fraction of the coverage of the Rangers who get a fraction of the coverage of the Knicks who get a fraction of the coverage of the Jets and Giants who get a fraction of the coverage of the Yankees.

As for the bolded, if you're referring to CBJ the team there is Ohio State football, 24/7/365.  I didn't say "pro" teams.

Them and San Jose, but I'm sure we'll just include San Jose in the larger Bay Area market at which point the difference between them and, say, the Devils is entirely lost on me.

Again, to take it back I'm entirely lost on your point if teams with such a wildly disparate amount of media coverage both in the total sense and in their specific markets such as the Leafs and the Devils/Caps/Wild are tossed together. Nobody is hating on Dany Heatley because of the omnipresence of the Minnesota Wild's media coverage.