Who are the most underrated forwards in the NHL?

It’s a topic bound to create ferocious debate because of its subjective nature. After all, for a player to be “underrated,” we have to establish a baseline for how highly the general hockey world rates each forward (which is complicated because everyone’s opinions on players differ), and then determine who deserves more recognition.

In an exercise like this, we have to be aware of the Aleksander Barkov effect, where if a player has been unanimously dubbed underrated for many years, they’re probably not underrated anymore.

I also didn’t want to take the easy route and just name a bunch of star forwards on small- to mid-size-market teams such as Mark Scheifele, Jason Robertson, Kyle Connor, Clayton Keller, Troy Terry, Kirill Marchenko and Pavel Dorofeyev, among others. Yes, these players are legitimately underrated by most casual hockey fans, but I think more plugged-in, sophisticated fans, such as readers at The Athletic, are well aware of how good they are.

I won’t be including forwards I’ve previously included in an “underrated” centers piece from two years ago (notably this means no Robert Thomas, Adam Lowry, Brock Nelson, or Jason Dickinson). In an effort to avoid redundant analysis, I also excluded players I’ve written about within the last year in recent “most improved” or “under-the-radar” stories, so no Josh Doan, Aliaksei Protas, Emil Heineman, Jackson Blake and Luke Evangelista, among others.

This list could have easily been 30-50 players long, so unfortunately, a lot of highly deserving candidates (including the one on your favorite team) will likely be left off. Here’s my personal take on seven underrated NHL forwards. I’ve tried to include a diverse mix of player types, including top-six players that out-of-market fans have already heard of but whose talent/production they may not fully appreciate, and some under-the-radar middle-six forwards.

Ryan McLeod, C, Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres were widely panned when they traded away 2022 No. 9 pick Matt Savoie to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Ryan McLeod, a 30-point bottom-six center coming off an underwhelming 2024 Stanley Cup playoff run where he registered just four points in 24 games.

Clearly, Buffalo was onto something because McLeod has blossomed into an extremely valuable, well-rounded second-line center.

McLeod has crossed 50 points in back-to-back seasons, and since the start of last season, he ranks 18th among all full-time NHL centers in five-on-five points.

NHL Centers’ 5v5 Points Since 2024-25

The speedy, 6-foot-3 forward’s impact extends far beyond just his point totals, though. McLeod shoulders a lot of defensive responsibilities — he leads the team’s forwards in five-on-five defensive zone starts and short-handed minutes on the team’s penalty kill, which ranks as one of the best in the NHL. He’s trusted to handle difficult matchups and ranks third among the team’s forwards in average ice-time, behind only Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch.

What makes McLeod such an effective all-around driver? The 26-year-old has developed into a machine for transporting the puck up ice because of his elite speed and underrated transition passes, as he ranks in the top-10 percent of NHL forwards in generating defensive zone exits with possession and the top-15 percent in offensive zone entries with possession. That puck transportation puts his line in an advantageous position to control possession and attack rather than defend.

Ryan McLeod’s elite puck transportation

StatPercentile

Speed Bursts 20 mph or faster

99th percentile

Zone Exits With Possession

93rd percentile

Offensive Entries With Possession

85th percentile

McLeod’s offensive breakout, meanwhile, has been fueled by his improvement as a playmaker. Early in his career, McLeod would wind up for exciting-looking rushes, but couldn’t convert them into Grade-A chances consistently enough. In Buffalo, he’s become better at scanning the ice and hitting dangerous passing lanes. Here’s an assist that showcases his puck transportation and clever passing.

Owen Tippett, RW, Philadelphia Flyers

This “underrated” slot could easily have gone to Tyson Foerster, whose goal scoring and elite defensive impact fly under the radar across the league. Ultimately, he’s only played 26 games this season, so for this piece, we’ll turn our attention to Owen Tippett.

Tippett is on the cusp of cracking the 30-goal mark for the first time. The 27-year-old right-winger has quietly become one of the NHL’s most productive even-strength wingers this season, ranking in the top 50 among forwards for five-on-five points.

5v5 Point Leaders (Forwards)

Tippett’s game-breaking speed has made him an electric scoring weapon off the rush.

On the right night, he can effortlessly blow past defenders and singlehandedly break a team’s defensive coverage in a Nathan MacKinnon-esque way. We’re seeing these outrageously dynamic, game-breaking flashes from him more consistently this season. Here’s one of many highlight-reel rush goals he’s scored this year.

Tippett is a prolific, high-volume shot creator, which is especially valuable to a Flyers team that has transformed into an elite defensive side under Rick Tocchet (they rank top-five in suppressing shots and expected goals at five-on-five), but doesn’t have a ton of high-end offensive firepower.

5v5 Shot Leaders This Season

He’s also noticeably improved his off-puck engagement, which has made him more impactful on nights when he isn’t scoring. That change has been reflected in his strong two-way metrics, with the Flyers controlling 56.5 percent of high-danger chances with Tippett on the ice, which is the second-best mark among Philadelphia’s forwards.

Shane Pinto, Ottawa Senators

Shane Pinto is technically listed on the Senators’ third line and appears to be the 3C behind Tim Stützle and Dylan Cozens. In reality, though, he’s one of the team’s most valuable forwards and heavily leaned on two-way drivers.

Pinto averages 18:40 per game, which ranks second among Senators forwards (behind only Stützle) and is more than the likes of Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson and Cozens. The 25-year-old right-shot center has been assigned the toughest defensive matchups out of all NHL forwards this season. Pinto is putting up Selke Trophy-caliber results despite this daunting usage: He’s surrendered only 1.5 goals against per 60 in nearly 500 head-to-head minutes against “elite” competition at five-on-five, according to PuckIQ.

Which Forwards Play Toughest Matchups?

Pinto is an elite defensive stopper because of his size (6-foot-3), wingspan and intelligent reads. He’s a tenacious battler; his motor is nonstop and he has a heavy, disruptive stick that constantly breaks up plays.

He also has a sneaky, dangerous shot, scoring at a 27-goals-per-82-games pace this year. He’d probably produce even more points if he weren’t restricted to such challenging shutdown duties, which instead frees up Stützle and Cozens’ lines to do more offensive damage.

Mathieu Olivier, RW, Columbus Blue Jackets

Mathieu Olivier is a perfect example of a player whose value and importance far exceed his point totals. The burly, 232-pound third-line winger is a unicorn with his exceptionally rare blend of punishing, old-school toughness, shutdown defensive play and genuine secondary scoring touch.

The 29-year-old throws momentum-changing hits (ranks fifth among forwards in hits since 2024-25) and is arguably the best fighter in the league, dropping the gloves 24 times since the start of last season. He’s one of the league’s few remaining players who are legitimately scary to play against, but he’s way more than just an enforcer.

Olivier has skated on Columbus’ shutdown line with Charlie Coyle, which is tasked with going toe-to-toe against the opposition’s top line for most games. Olivier and Coyle’s line has won these difficult matchups, earning an impressive 59 percent of high-danger chances, surrendering only 1.89 goals against per 60, and driving a plus-14 goal differential.

Which CBJ F’s Play Hardest Matchups?

Olivier ranks in the 91st percentile of NHL forwards for even-strength defensive impact over the last three years, according to HockeyStats’ model. He’s also evolved into a useful secondary scorer over the last couple of years, scoring 18 goals in 2024-25 and chipping in with 15 goals in 61 games this season (a 20-goal pace).

It is fair to wonder how long Olivier will continue to deliver all-around value at this level. Many bottom-six players start to hit a wall in their late 20s to early 30s, and Olivier, especially, could be at risk because he isn’t the fastest skater and plays a very physically demanding style. For now, though, he’s an underrated playoff-style third-line winger.

Collin Graf, San Jose Sharks

Collin Graf is one of the best undrafted NCAA free-agent signings in recent memory, developing into a critical top-nine forward for the Sharks. Playing in his first full NHL season, Graf has scored 20 goals and 44 points in 77 games. The Sharks have used him all over the top-nine — he’s smart enough to be an effective running mate for Macklin Celebrini, but also a sturdy enough two-way driver to make more of a solo difference in the middle six.

There’s nothing fancy about Graf’s game; he’s a fast, hard-working player with underrated offensive skill, strong defensive details and some untapped upside given he’s still only 23.

Graf is also an absolute monster on the penalty kill. He leads Sharks forwards in short-handed minutes by a mile and is crushing that assignment, with the team allowing only 5.63 goals against for every 60 minutes that he kills penalties for. For reference, that PK goal suppression rate would rank second-best among all NHL teams.

Offensively, Graf’s confidence and poise as a playmaker have been impressively growing in recent weeks. Look at how sneaky his backhand pass is at the net front to set up this Will Smith goal from earlier this week.

I also love this assist from last weekend against the Predators. He begins the sequence by stealing the puck from Roman Josi in the defensive zone. When he gets the puck back on the offensive entry, he patiently holds onto it, wheels behind the net, and finds Celebrini for a sweet slot pass and goal, rather than forcing a sharp-angle shot off the rush.

Rickard Rakell, Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby’s Olympics-related injury could have killed the Penguins’ playoff hopes. Pittsburgh had a modest five-point lead on a playoff spot coming out of the break and was facing an extended absence from its captain. Remarkably, the Penguins kept rolling, posting a 5-3-3 record while averaging 3.45 goals scored per game (eighth best in the NHL) until Crosby’s return.

One of the biggest changes during this stretch was the team shifting Rakell to center, a move they’ve stuck to even after No. 87’s return. Rakell has been a dominant force since the Olympic break, piling up 14 goals and 10 assists in 23 games. He’s been a two-way monster driving his own line, earning 64 percent of high-danger chances and outscoring opponents 23-14 at five-on-five.

It can’t be overstated how impressive it is to play out of position at center and produce these types of offensive results and two-way metrics. Sure, there have been a couple of growing pains along the way (namely in the faceoff circle), but he’s exceeded all reasonable expectations. This stretch also proved that he isn’t just a Crosby merchant or pure complementary player — he can drive the bus himself as well.

Of course, Rakell isn’t just on this list for what he’s accomplished the last couple of months. The 32-year-old Swedish sniper is scoring at a 34-goals-per-82 games pace this year, and quietly potted 35 goals last season, making him one of the league’s top scorers since last season.

Alex Laferriere, Los Angeles Kings

Every time I watch the Kings play, Alex Laferriere jumps off the screen with his impactful, assertive two-way play, even in games where he isn’t scoring. Laferriere is a Swiss Army knife for a team’s top-nine: He can play wing or center, is an absolute DAWG with his physical, max energy game and is legitimately impactful at both ends of the rink.

The 24-year-old is a menace at hounding pucks on the forecheck (ranks in the 96th percentile for forecheck involvement), winning battles and is top-10 in hits this season because of his speedy wheels and tenacious motor. He has a direct, aggressive shot-first mentality, ranking 29th among NHL players at generating five-on-five shots since last season.

Laferriere is in the 20-goal, 40-point neighborhood for a second consecutive season, which may not seem exciting, but it’s impressive when you consider that basically all of his production has come at even strength. He ranks second among Kings players in five-on-five points since last season, ranking higher than teammates such as Quinton Byfield, Kevin Fiala and Anže Kopitar. League-wide, he’s narrowly outside of the top-50 for five-on-five goal scoring since last season.

Laferriere is responsible defensively and has grown into a prominent penalty-killing role as well. He’s also very involved at engineering zone exits and zone entries, which explains why the Kings outshoot, outchance and outscore opponents by such a wide margin when he’s on the ice.

Laferriere isn’t the most creative or skilled playmaker, but he’s a coach’s dream in the middle six due to his versatility, speed, five-on-five scoring, physicality and defensive reliability.