The NHL season is fast approaching, with just over a month until the regular season officially starts. Every team has at least one player who they consider underrated, and some teams have several. The Minnesota Wild are one of those teams. A couple of players who were considered underrated at one point have gained more notoriety for their skills now, even though Wild fans still consider them highly underrated, and they are Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek.Â
Everyone knows Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy aren’t underrated, and while Brodin and Eriksson Ek are making their way up the charts, there are other players who have taken their spots as the most underrated. In this article, we’ll look at the three most underrated players for the Wild coming into this season, starting with the lone defenseman on the list.Â
Middleton Quietly Represents
There are two types of fans when it comes to Jake Middleton: the ones that love him for not only his play but his personality, and those who think he’s not worth his contract. While he does have a great personality, he’s a stronger player than most give him credit for. He’s one of those players who does a lot behind the scenes. Everyone knows he plays defense, but many don’t realize how much he actually sacrifices.Â
He’s the number one defenseman on the Wild’s roster in blocked shots with 157, and the season before that, he led once again with 161 blocks. The only two seasons he hasn’t led were the first half season after he was traded and then his first full season with the Wild, but he only trailed leader Jared Spurgeon by 24 blocks. However, he’s good for more than just blocked shots as well.Â
He’s not the fastest skater or best hands on the team, but he has more skill than most give him credit for. He has shown he has the skill to outskate and outmaneuver some when given the chance. However, one of the best parts of his game, outside of his blocked shots, is his willingness to take shots, especially from the point. He was third third-highest amongst Wild defenseman when it came to shots taken.Â
Jake Middleton, Minnesota Wild (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
Middleton is easily the Wild’s most underrated defenseman outside of Brodin. While some could argue that Faber is underrated, everyone knows who Faber is and the type of game he plays. Middleton often gets overlooked with his high-powered teammates, but he’s earned some credit.Â
Hartman’s Value Underrated
Ryan Hartman is a tricky player to be considered underrated. He’s known around the NHL for his suspensions, especially the big one he earned last season that essentially forced him to clean up his act or potentially find a new team. He’s shown he has the ability to score goals, but the consistency part has eluded him, which is why he can be considered underrated. Not many realize how skilled he is in the scoring department, but he has great hands.Â
This past postseason, he showed more of his value as he was easily the Wild’s best player aside from Kirill Kaprizov. He showed his speed and the grittiness of his game that is hard to replicate or learn; players just have that skill in their game. That gritty style is likely the most underrated part of his game because it’s not flash and goals, it’s about board battles and hard hits that create puck possession.Â
He’s also not shy on the defensive side, and that’s something most people don’t notice about him. He doesn’t block the most shots among the forwards on the team, but he still has respectable numbers with 41 last season. His game is known, but certain parts of his game aren’t noticed, and that’s why he’s considered an underrated player on the Wild.Â
Hinostroza In & Out of Lineup
The hardest part about Vinnie Hinostroza is knowing if he’ll be on the roster or not. Currently, he’s not listed, but he was mostly a fill-in last season. When he did play, most didn’t notice his game, but there were times he showed a lot of potential. He had small bursts of speed and finesse that got him around the defense, but unfortunately, he got stopped shortly after.Â
He didn’t have a lot of blocked shots, but for a smaller player, he wasn’t afraid to throw his weight around, and that is something that didn’t go unnoticed. He contributes a lot more to the lineup than given credit for, and his style is a lot like his friend Hartman’s, with a bit of grit to it.Â
Related: Wild’s Middleton a Hidden Asset to Their Defensive Core
It’s hard to say if he’ll make the lineup or not this coming season, but if he does, fans need to pay attention to his game. He’s a hard-working player with a lot of skill that goes unnoticed, but he also makes an impact away from the puck. Hopefully, he’ll get some time in the lineup and become less of an underrated player and valued for what he brings to the game. The Wild don’t have a lot of underrated players, but these three bring more to the lineup than given credit for, and they’ll need to continue to do that if the Wild want to win games this season.
