Underrated players to keep an eye on as 2022 Free Agency looms

The 2022 NHL Free Agency period begins on July 13 at noon Eastern time, and surely this will be another crazy year. There are plenty of notable stars available including Evgeni Malkin, Patrice Bergeron, Johnny Gaudreau, Filip Forsberg, John Klingberg, and Claude Giroux. These are all appealing names but what about the rest of the class? Here is a list of underrated players that could give new teams an extra boost.

Ian Cole

Cole is a hard-nosed, in your face kind of defenseman that could surely be the missing piece of many playoff contenders. He may be 33 years old, but he uses his size and experience to kill penalties and clear traffic from the front of the net. Last season he averaged 17:09 TOI per game with the Carolina Hurricanes, while also blocking 104 shots and tallying 19 points.

Max Domi

Once a highly-touted prospect for the Arizona Coyotes, Domi hasn't quite panned out into a huge superstar, but he is a solid middle-sixer with the potential to possibly breakout. The 27-year-old can play both center and wing and would be a valuable depth piece on any team. Last season, he tallied 39 points (11 goals, 28 assists) in 72 games splitting time between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes.

Josh Manson

Manson is one of those defensemen that seems to fit in anywhere he goes. It appears that being traded to Colorado has been one of the best things to happen to him. Manson seems more well-known around the league playing on a much better team, and he fits the role of a second or third pairing defensive defenseman quite well. Last season with the Ducks and Avs he recorded 16 points (6 goals, 10 assists) in 67 games.

Mason Marchment

Marchment showed plenty of potential during his first NHL season, but he really cranked it up during his second campaign. The 26-year-old turned out to be an important checking forward who showed he could score as well tallying 47 points in 54 games. He missed 28 games due to injury and illness, but there is no doubt he could blossom even more in an expanded role.

Ilya Mikheyev

It seems inevitable that the Maple Leafs will be unable to re-sign Mikheyev after recording a career-best season. The 27-year-old scored 21 goals and dished out 11 assists in 53 games. He did suffer a broken thumb which caused him to miss 29 games. He is a solid two-way forward that could add great depth to a team's middle-six forward group.

Nicolas Paul

Paul was a bit of a nobody playing for the Ottawa Senators, but after being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, he made some noise. He scored just 11 goals and 18 points in 59 games with the Sens, but with the Lightning, he tallied 14 points in 21 games. Paul can play anywhere up and down the lineup, and he has the size and skill to be a useful physical forward for many contenders.

Frank Vatrano

The Florida Panthers traded Vatrano to the Rangers after four seasons with the team due to cap space complications. The 28-year-old is a decent middle-six forward who tallied 19 points in 49 games with the Panthers and 13 points in 22 games with the Rangers. He can play on either wing, so he is a versatile player that can also kill penalties as well.

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