Wednesday, August 10, 2011

NHL: 25 Most Overrated Players in the NHL Part II

19. Scottie Upshall

Yet another player brought in to strengthen the weak Columbus offense, Scottie Upshall hasn't exactly been an offensive juggernaut during his career.  With a career high of 32 points, Upshall hasn't burned out any goal lights with his shooting and his defensive game leaves a bit to be desired:  He was a -12 in only 21 games with Columbus last year.  While he's still a young player, Upshall needs to show a little more and grow into his role as a top player in the Blue Jacket lineup.

 

18. Dany Heatley

Don't get me wrong, Dany Heatley was once one of the most feared scorers in the NHL and absolutely dominated as a member of the Senators.However, Heatley's regular season numbers have slid downwards in the past few seasons and he has a large glaring hole in his resume:  His playoff performance.

In 66 career playoff games, Heatley only has 15 goals and only five in the past four seasons.  To put that in perspective, Sidney Crosby has 30 goals in 62 games and Alex Ovechkin has 25 in 37 games.
If Heatley wants to be considered with elite company, he has to step up his game in the postseason.

 

17. Joel Ward

Sorry, I just don't see it.

Ward had a really good playoff series last year, leading his team in scoring with 13 points in 12 games.  The Washington Capitals jumped at the chance to increase their offensive production, especially in the postseason where they have struggled in recent years.  However, Ward has only 40 goals in three NHL seasons (that's an average of 13 goals per year for all you math majors out there) and was a career minor leaguer before that.
The Caps threw $3 million per year at the guy, so I don't blame him for taking it but don't expect a sudden offensive outburst.

 

16. Maxime Talbot

Max Talbot is just an example how a great performance on a big stage can increase your value whether it's deserved or not.Talbot was a great worker bee for the Penguins, helping them win a Stanley Cup in 2009 with two goals in Game 7 against the Red Wings.  However, since then, Talbot logged a grand total of 28 points and seemingly disappeared for weeks on end when the Penguins needed him the most.  His pain in the ass attitude will endear him to the Philadelphia crowd but, unless he plays every game like it's Game 7, the Flyer faithful are going to be disappointed.

 

15. Ed Jovanovski

Jovanovski was quite the defenseman back in the day, a minutes workhorse who matched up against all the top fowards, Ed was a stalwart on the Vancouver blue line for years.  However, everyone gets old and no one, not even Ed Jovanovski, can avoid that.  Jovanovski is a -40 in the past three years, mostly due to the fact the he simply doesn't have the speed to make up for his risk-taking any longer.   While he does put the puck in the net on occasion still, his inconsistent defensive play might spell the end for one of the most solid D-guys in recent memory.

 

14. Tim Connolly

Drafted fourth overall in 1999, Connolly was always expected to fulfill his expected potential and become an offensive force in the NHL.  It simply never happened.  Connolly has never topped 20 goals in his entire career but that didn't stop the Maple Leafs from signing him to a 2-year, $9.5 million contract.  Maybe he's going to help carry bags or something.

 

13. Jay Bouwmeester

No one is arguing with  Jay Bouwmeester's ability to put pucks on net (even if only five went in during the past two seasons) but his lack of physicality is downright frustrating.  Put it this way, if Bouwmeester carried a purse on the ice, he would probably hit you with it if you went in front of the net.  A five-year, $33 million contract hasn't lit a fire under his butt either and Calgary seems to have gotten the raw end of that deal.  I'd list his playoff stats as well but there's only one problem:  He's never been there.

 

12. Sean Avery

This was the easiest entry on this list.  Sean Avery makes a mockery of hockey and I can't imagine why any self-respecting franchise would allow itself to employ such a man.  His career high in goals is 15 and he managed to alienate himself from his teammates in Dallas so quickly that he didn't have time to get suspended for anything serious.

His latest arrest for allegedly battering an LAPD police officer is just another example as to why this clown needs to go back to the bush leagues where he belongs.

 

11. Trent Hunter

Picking on a member of the New York Islanders is like bragging that you could beat a guy with a broken leg in a race, it's just not fair.Hunter finished third in the Calder voting his rookie year and it's been all downhill since then.  He's only played one full season since 2006 and has a grand total of 99 goals in 459 games.  While he is a respected penalty killer, Hunter is a career minus player and has never helped the Isles reach any level of respectability.


 

Next time...the top 10.

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