New York Rangers: 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.

This piece will focus on the New York Rangers. They have plenty of big-name players like Adam Fox, Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, but these two forwards also deserve some love. They may not be stars, but they should work well for the team this season.

Kevin Rooney C: Kevin Rooney was a very solid fourth-line center for the Rangers last season. That is exactly why they opted to protect him at the Expansion Draft. In 54 games, he scored eight goals and recorded 14 points. Although he does not dominate the scoresheet, but he plays defensively very well. As a result of this, he can be utilized on the penalty kill. He also had 110 hits on the year. Even if he's not known regarded as a tough forward like Ryan Reaves, he surely isn't afraid to shy away from the physical side of the sport.

Sammy Blais LW/RW: Sammy Blais is the victim of circumstance, as he was brought in as a part of the Pavel Buchnevich trade with the St. Louis Blues. However, he still should be a nice addition for the Rangers. He's capable of producing solid depth scoring, as evidenced by his eight goals and 15 points in 36 games last season. He also loves throwing hits and had 103 last season in just those 36 games. The season before, he had 155 as well, so it's a common theme with his game. Therefore, the Rangers are getting a guy who is tenacious and can be a solid bottom-six forward. That's certainly not a bad thing at all.