NHL Power Rankings: Troy Brouwer and 15 Underrated Power Forwards

Go out and look at any good hockey team in the NHL. Whether it's Detroit or Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Chicago. They all have players that are willing to mix it up in the offensive zone.

Now, this is something that in most cases cannot be learned. Being a power forward in the NHL is an attitude about which the players that have garnered the label have earned in their careers.

I am not going to bring up the Joe Thornton's and Rick Nash's of the world that everyone knows as perennial stars in the league, but would like to bring to your attention the guys that slip under the radar.

There are many other under the radar players that go unnoticed, even by my eye, so please feel free to bring them to all hockey fans attention.

Because the next Shane Doan or Tomas Holmstrom could be on your favorite team.

David Backes, St. Louis Blues

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RALEIGH, NC - JANUARY 29: David Backes #42 of the St. Louis Blues participates in the skills challenge relay during the Honda NHL SuperSkills competition part of 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend at the RBC Center on January 29, 2011 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

In what has been his best season to date, Blues forward and Team America silver medalist David Backes has shown that he is becoming a force on the offensive end of the ice.

After learning through the years from great veterans such as Doug Weight and Keith Tkachuk, Backes has flourished this season: making his first All-Star appearance of his career. In the last off-season he both became an assistant captain and was given an extension in St. Louis, meaning he will be a member of the Blues for years to come.

Milan Lucic, Boston Bruins

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SUNRISE, FL - DECEMBER 27: Mike Weaver #43 of the Florida Panthers is checked into the boards by Milan Lucic #17 of the Boston Bruins on December 27, 2010 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida. The Bruins defeated the Panthers 3-2 in a shoot-out.

One of the young talented big forwards in the NHL, Milan Lucic at 22 years of age has a lot of outstanding seasons ahead of him for the Boston Bruins.

Often injured last season, he has emerged this year and is playing outstanding hockey as he is ranked in the top 20 in the league in goals. He has proven to be just the player that Boston needs as he has given them another punch to their offense, and looks to get even better as the season continues.

Troy Brouwer, Chicago Blackhawks

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DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 22: Troy Brouwer #22 of the Chicago Black Hawks skates in a game against the Detroit Red Wings on January 22, 2011 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The Hawks defeated the Wings 4-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

One of the underrated contributors to the Stanley Cup victory last season was the play of Troy Brouwer. Playing a key role along side Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews on many key shifts in the playoffs and showing his intensity and toughness was a delight for Blackhawks fans everywhere.

This season he started off slow much like his team in general, and has since picked up the pace. The Vancouver native has given the Blackhawks an option at the power forward spot with the departure of Dustin Byfuglien to Atlanta.

Jeff Carter, Philadelphia Flyers

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 25: Jeff Carter #17 of the Philadelphia Flyers skates during an NHL hockey game against the Montreal Canadiens at the Wells Fargo Center on January 25, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)

It is difficult for someone as good and consistent as Jeff Carter to be overlooked, but for a player of his calibre it does not seem like he gets the praise and recognition that he deserves.

The former All-Star from the Philadelphia Flyers has shown his toughness as a power forward as he once played a series with a separated shoulder. He has been a scoring machine the last three seasons for the Flyers including a 46 goal season in 2008. This season he is ranked in the top 10 in goals and game winning goals.

Ryan Clowe, San Jose Sharks

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PHILADELPHIA - DECEMBER 08: Ryan Clowe #29 of the San Jose Sharks skates against the Philadelphia Flyers on December 8, 2010 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Sharks defeat the Flyers 5-4 in a shootout. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty

Ryan Clowe has proven through tough regular season and playoff performances that he is not a guy that you want to mess with. The 28 year old forward who has played his entire NHL career in San Jose and has shown his assistant captain leadership on many occasions.

In the last two seasons he has also shown that he has the ability to stay healthy and be a consistent scorer on a team of prolific scorers. This season he has played well and is trying to bring his Sharks back to the playoffs, and exorcise their playoff demons.

Erik Cole, Carolina Hurricanes

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ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 16: Goaltender Chris Mason #50 and Brent Sopel #3 of the Atlanta Thrashers against Erik Cole #26 of the Carolina Hurricanes at Philips Arena on December 16, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The NHL veteran that has played nearly his entire career in a Hurricanes uniform has proven to be an under-rated talent in the league. The former Stanley Cup champion has shown throughout his career to be a versatile player as he was once the fastest player in the league.

Though his production for the Canes' had dropped off the past two seasons, he has rebounded this year and has been the best he has been offensively since that fateful Cup winning year in Carolina.

Mike Knuble, Washington Capitals

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PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 01: Mike Knuble #22 of the Washington Capitals looks to shoot against Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2011 NHL Bridgestone Winter Classic at Heinz Field on January 1, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The oldest player to be included on this list, Mike Knuble has endured and excelled in many NHL seasons since making his debut in the league with Detroit in 1996. He has been a consistent scorer with the Rangers, Bruins, and Flyers before this season with Washington.

He has played a key role with the Caps this season as a leader and on-ice producer. He was the man who scored the first goal for Washington in the Winter Classic against the bitter rival Penguins.

Dustin Penner, Edmonton Oilers

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 15: Jonathan Bernier #45 of the Los Angeles Kings makes a save as Dustin Penner #27 of the Edmonton Oilers waits for a rebound during a 5-2 Kings win at the Staples Center on January 15, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo

Dustin Penner made an impact as soon as he came into the league. Winning the Stanley Cup in his rookie season with the Ducks, he has since become one of the best players over recent years with a string of bad Oilers teams.

This season he has yet again been able to produce for the Oilers and many speculate that he may be traded eventually because many teams would like to have a power forward with his many attributes.

Nathan Horton, Boston Bruins

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TORONTO,CANADA - JANUARY 3: Nathan Horton #18 of the Boston Bruins keeps an eye on the play as does David Krejci #46 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during their NHL game at Air Canada Centre on January 3, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.(Photo By Dave Sandf

The second Bruin to make the list is Nathan Horton. The former third overall selection in the NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers has finally gotten the opportunity to show people what he can do on a larger scale. While producing solid numbers in Florida, he has yet to compete in a playoff series

Since being traded to Boston he has shown to be another dynamic threat that the B's can unleash on other teams.

David Booth, Florida Panthers

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NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 25: David Booth #10 of the Florida Panthers watches Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers deflect his shot on goal during the first period at Madison Square Garden on January 25, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Christopher P

It is hard to compare Siberia with Fort Lauderdale, but in hockey terms the Florida Panthers are in that realm of the unknown. So for many, David Booth's name does not ring many bells. But for hockey fans it is an underrated player that has been overlooked for much of his career.

Last season, Booth was the victim of some brutal hits that caused his season to be cut short because of post-concussion syndrome. He has bounced back this year and has been putting the puck in the net, and is among the league leaders in shots taken.

Andrew Ladd, Atlanta Thrashers

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NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 31: Andrew Ladd #16 of the Atlanta Thrashers skates against Dainius Zubrus #8 of the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on December 31, 2010 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Thrashers 3-1. (Photo by Jim McIsaa

Not many players can say they have the winning attitude and pedigree the way that Andrew Ladd can. The captain of the Atlanta Thrashers has won two Stanley Cups in his career in Carolina and Chicago, all by the age of 25.

This season he leads the Thrashers as captain, but has also been one of the best in terms of short-handed goals. His toughness and resolve have shown through as he has not missed a game over the course of the past three seasons.

Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings

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RALEIGH, NC - JANUARY 29: Anze Kopitar #11 of the Los Angeles Kings shoots on Henrik Lundqvist #30 of New York Rangers during the elimination shootout in the Honda NHL SuperSkills competition part of 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend at the RBC Center on January

Underrated?

Yes, for some the multi-time All-Star may not seem to be a player that gets over looked by some. But, for the majority of sports fans, Anze Kopitar is not the household name that he should be or may soon will be.

The young 23 year old has already become the face of the Kings franchise in his short career, and has become one of the league's preeminent forwards. This season he is among the league leaders in points, assists, and game-winning goals.

Evander Kane, Atlanta Thrashers

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NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 31: Evander Kane #9 of the Atlanta Thrashers looks on against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on December 31, 2010 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Thrashers 3-1. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Evander Kane may not be an imposing figure for many in the league now, but at the age of 19 he is only going to get much bigger and better. In his rookie season last year he showed that he had a knack for scoring goals and would be a key piece of the Thrashers future plans.

This year he has already matched the totals that he set last year, and is hoping to help the Thrashers possibly make a run in the playoffs by season's end.

Chris Stewart, Colorado Avalanche

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DENVER, CO - JANUARY 18: Chris Stewart #25 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the Vancouver Canucks at the Pepsi Center on January 18, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Canucks 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Ima

The Avalanche have certainly found some players over the last few seasons that they can count on to be a part of what they hope will be something special happening soon. Chris Stewart certainly seems to be a part of what they are trying to do.

The big winger had a breakout season last year including three goals in the short playoff run. This season he has again been able to produce, and has become a fan favorite of sorts in Denver.

James Neal, Dallas Stars

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DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 15: James Neal #18 of the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on January 15, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The 23 year old forward for the Stars has already become a player that the fans of Dallas will look upon to bring back the glory days of a decade ago.

Neal has certainly come a long way since his debut as a rookie. Last season he emerged for the Stars recording 55 points. This year he is in the top 20 in the league in goals, and many fans in Big D think he could be the future captain.