Columbus Blue Jackets: 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.

In this piece, we will be looking at the Columbus Blue Jackets. With Columbus not getting the same attention as big-market teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, a lot of their top players do not get talked about enough. These two players are the biggest victims of this.

Oliver Bjorkstrand RW: Oliver Bjorkstrand has quietly turned into a very good player with the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 56 games this past season, the 26-year-old winger scored 18 goals and recorded 44 points. He also had 36 points in 49 games the season before. He should end up playing first-line minutes this season with Columbus, yet hockey fans do not give him as much love as he deserves. It's time for that to change. Expect a great season from the scoring winger.

Elvis Merzļikins G: Besides having a fantastic name, Elvis Merzļikins is a very solid goaltender for the Blue Jackets. In 23 games this season with the team, he sported an 8-12-5 record, but also had a .916 SV%. In his first season in the league, he had a .923%, while being on a better team. He has the ability to be a fantastic goalie in the NHL and people should pay closer attention to him. He also had a ton of success while playing in Switzerland, as he won the Jacques Plante Trophy as the league's best goaltender in 2016 and 2018. Perhaps the best has yet to come with the 27-year-old.