3 underrated players the Golden Knights must pursue

Does the daunting price tag of Mitch Marner scare the Golden Knights? Here are three underrated alternatives to the superstar.
St Louis Blues v Colorado Avalanche
St Louis Blues v Colorado Avalanche | Matthew Stockman/GettyImages

Let's be honest. The buzz surrounding Mitch Marner and the Vegas Golden Knights is intoxicating. The winger stated his interest in joining the team, causing a range of emotions.

Some people are on board. The Golden Knights need a top-line player to accompany Jack Eichel.

Some aren't so keen. They've seen the recent chokes from Marner on the Maple Leafs, inciting concern. Plus, would you want a player with a less-than-satisfactory attitude on your team?

It's almost as controversial as the "pineapple on pizza" debate. The only difference? Facebook headquarters were on fire from the "pineapple on pizza" debate (along with nearly every other social media headquarters).

But let's say Kelly McCrimmon decides to pass on Marner. Perhaps he's uninspired by his playoff performances of old. Who knows? It might've been the stink of the Maple Leafs in the postseason.

And that price tag?

You're looking at some cap hits moved, which will be a tall order. Yeah, it's doable. But you're gutting a lot of depth.

If McCrimmon DOES pass on Marner? There are three underrated alternatives that can serve as viable players. Again, it's time to use ScotiaStats to project some contracts and see what the fuss is about. Let's meet the three contestants!

1.) Jonathan Drouin

Drouin got a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Colorado Avalanche last summer. He proved himself more than worthy, scoring 11 goals and 26 assists. The forward is projected to get a deal worth roughly $5.5 million for four seasons.

If the Golden Knights don't get Mitch Marner for depth reasons, it wouldn't hurt to get another scoring forward. After all, he has proven himself worthy with goals, scoring 30 in the past two seasons.

2.) Matt Duchene

ScotiaStats has Matt Duchene at a surprisingly friendly deal. His next deal will be estimated at two years for $5.1 million. That's shocking considering he scored 30 goals and 52 assists with the Dallas Stars this season. In fact, his 52 assists and 82 points were the most for the Stars this season.

That includes eight goals and 19 assists on the power play, along with a shooting percentage of 19.7. That's not even considering how good he is in other areas (stats provided by MoneyPuck).

Player

Goals

Assists

Goals Above Expected

Expected Goals

Corsi

Fenwick

Matt Duchene

30

52

8.8

21.2

55%

54%

Whether that price jumps because of this season's production remains to be seen. But the Golden Knights could get a player with a diet version of Mitch Marner's production at more than half the price.

3.) Brock Boeser

Now, Boeser is a solid player. He scored 25 goals and 25 assists on a middling Vancouver Canucks team this season. Also, remember that he scored 40 goals and 33 assists the year before. That included 16 goals and nine assists on the power play.

Player

Goals

Assists

Goals Above Expected

Expected Goals

Corsi

Fenwick

Brock Boeser

25

25

5.9

19.1

56%

56%

But he's also overshadowed by Marner's larger-than-life presence. Even with a projected deal of six years and over $8 million, that's peanuts compared to what the Maple Leafs winger will get. That's enough for the Golden Knights to consider adding him, especially if he leans towards a more team-friendly deal.