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Underrated Performers In The NHL Playoffs So Far
TL;DR
The NHL playoffs highlight underrated players who step up and become key contributors. Depth players often play a crucial role in a team's success during the championship run.
Key points
- NHL playoffs showcase underrated players stepping up
- Depth players become household names during playoffs
- Championship teams rely on secondary production
- Players prove their worth in high-pressure situations
The Stanley Cup playoffs are the best time of the year to expect the unexpected.
It's when depth NHL players step up on the biggest stage and become household names.
Every Stanley Cup-winning team can't always rely on its stars. A championship team showcases its secondary production that is needed during a long playoff journey.
This is where players can prove their worth.
This post-season has seen different players and lines provide secondary production in key moments.
Here are some underrated performers so far through the 2026 playoffs:
1. Carolina Hurricanes' Second Line
The Hurricanes' second line – Jackson Blake, Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall – has been dominating in these playoffs throughout the team's first six games.
The line consists of the team's three leading scorers, combining for 11 goals and 24 points.
The Hurricanes have needed secondary scoring over the years to try to get over the hump and make the Stanley Cup final. This line combination could just be that missing piece.
Stankoven, Hall and Blake have taken pressure off the top line and has allowed the offense not to rely solely on Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis to produce goals.
Hall and Blake have even already passed their point totals from last playoffs, when the team played 15 games.
Of the team's six game-winning goals so far, Stankoven has scored two, and Hall and Blake have each scored one. Hall recently scored the overtime-winner in Game 2 against the Philadelphia Flyers, and Blake got an assist on the play.
If these three continue to produce at this pace, the Hurricanes will have a good chance to steamroll through the Eastern Conference and reach the Stanley Cup final for the first time since they won it all in 2006.
Logan Stankoven Once Again Sets The Tone For The Hurricanes As They Coast Past Flyers In Game 1
2. Brett Howden, LW, Vegas Golden Knights
It's not Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mark Stone or even 37-goal scorer Pavel Dorofeyev who's leading the Golden Knights in goals this post-season – it's Brett Howden.
The 28-year-old has five goals in eight games during the playoffs, almost half the number of goals he scored in 58 games during the regular season, when he had 12.
Howden, who's on a line with Marner and Stone, had a four-game goal streak that included a double-OT winner in Game 5 against the Utah Mammoth in the first round.
He also opened the scoring in the second-round series against the Anaheim Ducks off a sweet feed from Marner. It's no wonder the Golden Knights lost Game 2 on Wednesday, considering Howden was held off the scoresheet.
This is some unexpected production from a player who's never had more than 40 points in a campaign and is only making $2.5 million a year for the next four seasons.
3. Ryan Poehling, C, Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks' third-line center was an important part of the team's first-round upset over the Edmonton Oilers.
Poehling finished with four goals in the series, tied for the most on the team with Cutter Gauthier.
One of his goals was certainly controversial, but it was one of the most crucial of the series.
In Game 4, just two-and-a-half minutes into overtime, Poehling fired a puck from the corner, which was redirected off Oilers D-man Darnell Nurse and was ruled to cross the goal line despite no camera angle getting a perfect glimpse of the puck.
This gave the Ducks a 3-1 series lead, and the Oilers couldn't fully recover.
Poehling also scored two goals in Game 2 and opened the scoring in the series-clinching game 6 against the Oilers.
Poehling had a career-high 36 points in the regular season and carries a $1.9-million cap hit this year. He's due for a raise this off-season.
The Ducks And Oilers' OT Goal Controversy Was Preventable
4. Ryan Hartman, C, Minnesota Wild
The big dogs have stepped up for the Wild throughout these playoffs. But another playoff performer who's been underrated for the team is Ryan Hartman.
Hartman has four points in his last five games and is tied for fifth on the team in scoring, with six points in eight games. He's done well on a line with Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello.
After putting up 43 points in 76 games during the regular season, the 31-year-old veteran has earned an important role in this lineup, now stepping into the first power-play unit while Joel Eriksson Ek is out injured.
Hartman found the scoresheet in the first two games of Minnesota's second-round series against the juggernaut Colorado Avalanche. He scored a gritty goal in front of the net in Game 1 to get the Wild back into the contest.
He must continue to play his gritty style and drive the net to create chances for the Wild if they want a chance to come back in this series.
5. Bowen Byram, D, Buffalo Sabres
Byram is part of the Sabres' impressive defense corps through their first seven games of the playoffs.
The 2019 fourth overall pick had a career year, with 42 points in 82 games, and he hasn't slowed down in the post-season.
Byram is tied for the third-most points on the Sabres in the playoffs, and his four goals are tied with Cale Makar for the most by a D-man in the NHL.
He's also averaging the second-most ice time on the team with 22:38 and is a team-high plus-7.
Byram has found his rhythm, and the second-pair D-man will continue to be a crucial piece for the Sabres if they want a chance to make a run this post-season.
Luke Martil is an intern with The Hockey News.
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Q&A
Who are the underrated performers in the NHL playoffs this year?
The article discusses various depth players who have made significant contributions during the NHL playoffs.
Why are depth players important in the NHL playoffs?
Depth players provide essential support and secondary scoring, which can be crucial for a team's success in the long playoff journey.
How do NHL teams benefit from underrated players during the playoffs?
Underrated players can step up and become key contributors, helping teams win games and ultimately the Stanley Cup.
What role do secondary players play in a Stanley Cup-winning team?
Secondary players are vital for providing depth and production, allowing star players to focus on their performance while contributing to the team's overall success.