Chicago Blackhawks: 2 Underrated Players To Watch

The NHL has so many underrated players who deserve far more recognition. In this segment, we will be discussing two from every team in the league. Their overall roles and abilities may differ, but they all share the common theme that they are not as respected as they ought to be.

For full transparency, two teams will be randomly picked from a wheel each day. The winners will then be discussed.

Today's first piece will be on the Chicago Blackhawks. Some hockey fans see them as a potential playoff team again because of the moves they made this off-season. Although everyone will focus on their big stars, these two underrated players also should help them significantly this upcoming season.

Connor Murphy D: Connor Murphy has quietly become a top-of-the-line shutdown defenseman in this league. In 50 games this season with Chicago, he scored two goals and recorded 15 points. However, he is most effective in Chicago's own zone because of his overall dependability. This is what makes him such an integral part of their blueline. He also has blossomed into a good leader for the team and is rightfully an alternate captain. This is exactly why the Blackhawks already have signed him to a four-year extension. It starts during the 2022-23 season.

Tyler Johnson RW: The Blackhawks made two big-name additions in Seth Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury. However, even if Tyler Johnson is overpaid, he is still a very solid NHL player and fans should be excited to see how does. In 55 games this past season with the Lightning, he scored eight goals and recorded 22 points. With Chicago having less forward depth than the Lightning, Johnson should be given more opportunities to succeed. During the 2018-19 season, he had 29 goals and 49 points in 80 games, so he can be a very solid contributor if given a bigger role on his new team.