Vancouver Canucks: Top 5 underrated players going into 2019-20

Everyone knows the stars on the Vancouver Canucks, but a lot of the time it’s the underrated players that make the difference between a pretender and a contender. Let’s count down the top five underrated players on the team.

I’ve always gravitated towards the underrated players on the Vancouver Canucks. They are usually the ones that work their tail off and don’t get the recognition that players like Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser get.

So I thought I would give them the recognition they deserve by counting down the top five underrated players that are currently on the team.

Before I get to the list, I want to share what people replied with when I put the question into the Twitterverse. The majority of people listed Troy Stecher, Alex Biega and Josh Leivo. As you can see these are not the most publicized players on the Canucks. Stecher is probably the most known out of the three around the NHL, but not as a top-rated defenceman.

They usually turn out to be the most important players on the team when the playoffs roll around. Without contributions from the underrated, a Stanley Cup is usually not in the cards. So without further ado, click below and let the countdown begin!

Before we get started, a note: Stats courtesy of Hockey Reference and NHL. com. Charts are from CJ Turtoro.

5. Josh Leivo

When Leivo was traded to the Canucks in December of last year, we did not know what to expect. Surprisingly, he was put on a line with Pettersson in his first game. He promptly scored his first goal as a Canuck. As the season progressed, Leivo shuffled up and down the lineup and became a useful forward for head coach Travis Green.

He was a player that could play in the top six with Pettersson and Horvat as well as the bottom six as an energy player. His underlying numbers were also solid, as he sported a 54.4 Corsi-For percentage, which ranked him first among Canucks regulars. More importantly, he also was a solid contributor — offensively scoring ten times following the trade.

Going into 2019-20, Leivo will be part of the log jam of forwards the Canucks currently have on the team. If he can continue to show the versatility, two-way prowess and offensive productivity he displayed last season, Leivo will be a very valuable, but still underrated part of the forward depth.

4. Tyler Motte

Tyler Motte was a forgotten man at the beginning of the season. Fighting for a bottom six job with a two-way contract is not an ideal place to be for a player. Throw in the one-way contracts and veterans on the roster, Motte had a mountain to climb.

But climb it he did. At the end of the pre-season, it was him, not Sam Gagner who made the team. Motte went on to play 74 games with the Canucks, scoring a career-high nine goals (16 points). Not bad for a player not expected to be on the team.

Motte showed throughout the year that he could be a useful forward in the bottom six. He led the team in hits with 200 and was second among forwards in blocked shots with 52, trailing only Bo Horvat’s 63. He was also a key member of the 11th ranked penalty-killing unit, racking up 126:27 minutes shorthanded, which was good for sixth on the team.

Going into 2019-20, Motte will have to continue to display the versatility and work ethic that won him the job out of training camp last season. The tables are flipped, however, as he will be the one fighting off the hoards, as there are plenty of forwards who would love to take his role in the lineup. But knowing him, he will probably fight them off to live another day.

3. Alex Biega

Biega is coming off a career season for the Canucks where he put up 16 points (two goals, 14 assists) in 41 games played. He also averaged 17:40 in ice time, which was also a career-high. Despite being the seventh or eighth defenceman at the beginning of the season, Biega was elevated at times to the top pairing when both Alex Edler and Chris Tanev were injured.

Over the past four seasons, Biega has done everything that has been asked of him, from being the seventh defenceman that doesn’t play for 20 games to playing as a fourth-line forward. There were times in a game where he even had to switch between the two.

Despite all this, Biega just kept grinding away, doing his job. This is why he has become such a valuable member of the Canucks, albeit an underrated one.

He even added a bit of an offensive side to his game this past season, as we saw flashes of speed and a willingness to jump into the play. This was in addition to his usual game of physicality and nastiness on the forecheck. It’s no surprise his nickname is the “Bull Dog”.

2. Antoine Roussel

Coming in at number two is the player teams love to hate, Antoine Roussel. Well known as an effective agitator, Roussel’s offensive abilities are widely underrated. This past season he was able to put up a career-high 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists), while also displaying his trademark personality and agitating style. His work ethic was also second to none.

I think his playmaking ability is one of the most underappreciated parts of his game. There were plenty of times last season where he would make an insane saucer pass to set up a goal. Below is one in particular that comes to mind. Keep in mind, this was also on the backhand which is very difficult to do without putting the sauce on it.

That pass was not the first time Canucks fans have seen this from Roussel. There are many other examples. This ability allows Roussel to be an effective all-around forward capable of playing with skilled players like Horvat and Pettersson as well as grinders like Motte and Jay Beagle.

Unfortunately, the package that is Roussel won’t be on the ice until November or December following a knee injury sustained at the end of the last season. Despite this, he is still one of the most underrated players on the Canucks right now. When he returns, Roussel will be welcomed back with open arms.