Toronto Maple Leafs: 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.

In this piece, we will be focusing on the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs have a lot of star power on their roster, but also have been criticized at times for their depth. However, these two underrated players will be looking to help change that narrative this season. One is a center who had a strong postseason, while the other is a newcomer who could be very solid for the team.

Alexander Kerfoot C: Alexander Kerfoot may not be as dominant offensively as players like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, but he plays his role well. He works strongly on Toronto's penalty kill and the Leafs should be happy that the Kraken passed on him at the Expansion Draft. He also could be due for a bigger season offensively this year. In 56 regular season games last season, he scored eight goals and had 23 points. However, he notably had six points in Toronto's seven postseason games. Also, in his first two seasons in the league, he hit the 40-point plateau both times with the Avalanche. Therefore, he could very well do it again.

Nick Ritchie LW: Nick Ritchie is absolutely a player to watch this season. The 25-year-old winger could be given a great chance with the Leafs, as he may play on a line with Matthews. He also is coming off of a career season with the Boston Bruins. In 56 games, he scored a career-high 15 goals and recorded 26 points. At 6'2" and 230 pounds, he also plays a very physical game, which is something the Leafs should love about him. If he meshes well with the team, the Bruins could quickly regret not sending him a qualifying offer.