A few decades ago, Ron Francis got a lot of recognition for not getting a lot of recognition.
Francis, then a future Hall of Famer, was regularly cited as one of the most underrated players -- if not the most underrated one -- in the NHL.
That was, at least initially, a reasonable assessment, partly because Francis spent the early part of his career with a low-profile franchise in Hartford and partly because his efficient two-way game was as unspectacular as if was solid.
Francis was a consistent point-producer, although his goals rarely earned much air time on the highlights shows, a terrific faceoff man and routinely one of the league's top defensive forwards.
He not only did all of the big things well, but all of the little ones, too.
Francis' attention to detail was exceptional and the foundation of all he did. Perhaps he seemed to be more appreciated by people inside the game than many who followed it because his game was rooted as much in his cerebral approach as it was in pure skill.
Chances are that Francis wouldn't be operating largely under the radar if he were playing today, if only because so many more games are available on TV and there are so many more sources of information. Social media didn't exist when Francis was in his prime.
Because of that, it's fair to wonder s whether a player can be seriously underrated in today's NHL, playing a valuable role but still generally going unrecognized.
Even bottom-six forwards and second- and third-pairing defensemen -- and backup goalies, for that matter -- seem to get a share of the spotlight from one source or another on a fairly regular basis.
Which means the underrated player just might be going the way of the two-line pass.
YOUR TURN: Is there an underrated member of the 2020-21 Penguins (and if so, who is is?) and who is the most underrated player in franchise history?