The Most Underrated Player at Every Position in the 2015-16 NHL Season

As we edge closer to the end of the season, fans have a chance to reflect on the year and identify outstanding performances. Some of the league's best players this year will not receive credit for various reasons.

Some play a major role, but it's in relative anonymity on poor teams—or they play on famous teams but occupy a lesser role. Often these players are not underrated for long, as fans catch up quickly to the men who are making a difference every night for their favorite team.

Here are the most underrated players in the NHL this season, by position.

Note: Players were chosen based on performance this season, but also—if applicable—a longer period of being overlooked or underrated, by fans, media and in one case a player's own team. This could apply to award voting, international selection, All-Star appearances or salary.

Goalie: Brian Elliott, St. Louis Blues

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The Numbers: Brian Elliott of the St. Louis Blues is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career. As was the case in 2011-12, he is leading the entire NHL in save percentage—a leading indicator for quality in net. 

Why Is He Underrated? He is underrated for two reasons. First, Elliott has battled injuries in St. Louis, and that makes it difficult to grab and hold the No. 1 job. Second, he has always played for good—but not successful playoff—teams, and we often associate great goalies with playoff success. 

What Is His Ceiling? Elliott turns 31 in April, so his peak is either in the past or present—his future will likely involve a downturn in performance. That doesn't matter to the current St. Louis Blues, as this spring is massive for a veteran team that has a lot on the line.

Left Defense: Hampus Lindholm, Anaheim Ducks

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The Numbers: Hampus Lindholm of the Anaheim Ducks is an outstanding young defenseman. At 22, and in his third season, he is a quality two-way player who will push 30 points for the third year in a row. He is also a tremendous possession player, along with partner—and another underrated player—Josh Manson.

Why Is He Underrated? Although this is his third season, Lindholm emerged with several other young defenders in Anaheim. There is a "no-name" feel to the group, as none of them have emerged as strong contenders for the Norris Trophy or other major awards and honors. In fact, despite having a tremendous group of young defensemen, no Anaheim player received even one vote for the 2015 Norris Trophy.

What Is His Ceiling? Lindholm's skills appear to be across the board, but we don't know what he is yet. He ranks among the top defensemen in power-play points per 60 this season, and he is among the five best blueliners in even-strength possession. If he can maintain those numbers, and that is going to be difficult, there is every chance Lindholm emerges as one of the NHL's dominant defensemen over the next couple of seasons.

Right Defense: Ryan Ellis, Nashville Predators

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The Numbers: Ryan Ellis of the Nashville Predators owns a complete skill set, allowing him to help out in all situations. 

Why Is He Underrated? Ellis plays on what might be the NHL's strongest defensive unit. Along with Roman Josi, Shea Weber and his partner Mattias Ekholm, he is part of a formidable group. As an example, all four regulars have an even-strength scoring total of 0.85 or better—quality totals for defenders. In possession, he is among the NHL's 15 best defensemen—giving Nashville the edge at a 54.6 percent rate while he is on the ice.

What Is His Ceiling? At 25, we are probably looking at Ellis' outer marker. The good news is, he should be able to sustain this level for several seasons, assuming he stays healthy. The bad news: With Shea Weber on the team, Ellis is going to be underrated for all of those future seasons.

Center: Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

The Numbers: Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers is a top-flight center with a wide range of skills. He is top 20 in overall scoring and top 10 in face-off percentage among regulars. He is also inside the top five overall in power-play points per-60 minutes. By any stretch, he is one of the NHL's best players—and yet, he has not received a major award and has not been a part of Canada's Olympic team. 

Why Is He Underrated? Giroux arrived in Philadelphia when the team was strong, playing a major role in the Flyers' deep run in 2010. As he entered his prime, the team suffered from some unusual transactions and Chris Pronger's inability to continue his career—as the Associated Press explained (via CBC Sports).

What Is His Ceiling? At age 28, Giroux is still in his prime and should be productive for some time to come. Philadelphia appears to be rebuilding quickly under Ron Hextall, so Giroux may be a more prominent player in the coming years. Flyers fans know his value, but he is less famous than his ability warrants—a sure sign of being underrated.

Left Wing: Mike Hoffman, Ottawa Senators

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The Numbers: Mike Hoffman of the Ottawa Senators is an overnight sensation. After several years in the minors, he burst on the scene in 2014-15, scoring 27 goals. He is at 26 and counting this season, and is a substantial scorer. 

Why Is He Underrated? Part of it comes from his unusual career path. In the modern NHL, it is unusual for a player to toil in the minors for years and the pop 27 goals as as 25-year-old rookie. Another part of it comes from the Ottawa Senators, who appear to be unconvinced of Hoffman's ability—an article by Don Brennan in the Ottawa Sun recently was revealing and suggested the Senators want to see more before committing to him long term.

What Is His Ceiling? Hoffman's age—he is 26—and late emergence make it difficult to create a model that can predict his future. If he can average 25 goals a year over the next few seasons, he is going to be a very wealthy man—although he may not be playing in Ottawa.

Right Wing: Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Numbers: Kyle Palmieri of the New Jersey Devils is enjoying a career season. His 29 goals this year is more than double any previous total for a season, and he is inside the top 15 right wingers in total points this year. 

Why Is He Underrated? Palmieri has always had good scoring rates, but he was used as a part-player in Anaheim. As an example, in 2013-14 he scored 14 goals in 71 games—and that appears to be a mediocre total. However, he averaged under 12 minutes a night that season, which is very low for a player with that kind of skill. He is up to 17:37 a night this year, and the goals are more plentiful. 

What Is His Ceiling? He turned 25 in February, so he is in his prime and should be able to maintain his current pace for years to come. The only concern is trusting that his current output is an established ability level—but if we factor in previous usage, he does appear to be a prolific NHL scorer.

Note: Advanced stats via Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com and Hockey-Reference.com.