A baseball player was recently accused of sabotaging a $240 million real estate project in Hawaii. This player allegedly forced people out by flexing on the developers. First, gambling accusations and now using his status as a mega-popular baseball star. What a world we live in.
But in all seriousness, he isn't doing that anytime soon. Instead, he'll be doing his two-way thing and hitting home runs in the process. But that's the point of today's article: two-way players. We're specifically talking about the Vegas Golden Knights.
In the NHL, they're flying up and down the ice, setting up scoring opportunities for their teammates. On the other end, they're backchecking and forechecking, doing whatever it takes to get puck possession back.
It's not an easy job, especially when you're playing in the NHL. You must stop Connor McDavid and other superstars from doing their things, after all. That's especially true with the Golden Knights, who look to dominate the league and win the Stanley Cup with this philosophy.
With that, here are three underrated two-way players you're not thinking about. Names like Mark Stone and Mitch Marner will come to mind. But what about these three superstars that fly up and down the ice?
1.) William Karlsson
Yes, hockey fans know who William Karlsson is. Some have even said he was washed after an underwhelming 2024-25 season (nine goals and 20 assists). But that goes back to a broader point: Karlsson can score and make defensive plays.
For one, the Swedish center is excellent on special teams, scoring power play goals and killing penalties. He can also neutralize the best offensive players in the game, taking away their game by sticking onto them at every turn. I think it's time for everyone to give him more love, whether it's podcasters or the 31 other fan bases.
Therefore, he falls under the "underappreciated" category.
2.) Colton Sissons
Aside from being an excellent center on the lower lines, Sissons also wins key face-offs. He has a career face-off win percentage of 53.7%, making him valuable in late-game situations.
He also does his due dilligence in hitting people with 1,140 career hits. The former Nashville Predators star even received some love in the Selke Trophy voting in 2017-18, receiving a third-place vote and a fifth-place vote.
3.) Keegan Kolesar
Last season was a banner year for the native of Brandon, Manitoba. He had career-highs in goals (12), assists (18), and points (30), fetching him a three-year contract extension in the process.
Part of how he earned his extension was from an aggressive forechecking style and physical play. Kolesar does an excellent job stripping the puck from opponents and finishing checks, making him invaluable to the lower lines.