MVN: Most Valuable Network

I know it's a bit surprising that this list happens to be chock full of players from the best team in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Bruins. However, most of the attention in the town tends to get placed on well-traveled names like Marc Savard or Tim Thomas, not the people you see here, a lot of whom are overshadowed by a teammate at the same position.

Dennis Wideman
There has been a lot of talk in Boston about Zdeno Chara getting very serious consideration for the Norris trophy as the league's best defenseman this season. Chara has been the main competition for Niklas Lidstrom in this category recently, but unfairly so. Wideman is better across the board, including more total points, more power play points, a better plus/minus, and only five penalties so far this season. If anyone should be talking Norris, it's this guy.

Duncan Keith
Keith is in a similar situation to Wideman. After the seasons he had in Buffalo, all of the talk this offseason was about the Blackhawks signing defenseman Brian Campbell, who has since been named an All-Star. Campbell has certainly earned that distinction, but Keith is very close behind him, in pace for 50+ points and a +/- well over 40. Getting Campbell was big for the Blackhawks, but having Keith right beside him has been just as important.

Phil Kessel
Kessel isn't exactly an unknown name, but it could certainly be argued that he doesn't get the respect he deserves when you consider that a man who is on pace for nearly 60 goals couldn't even get voted into the starting lineup for the All-Star game. Kessel has really found the game and the flow to let his ridiculous wrist shot speak for itself, though he may fade even further now that the Bruins have been forced to place him on injured reserve because of a bout with mononucleosis.

Kyle Wellwood
You're right, how can I put a Vancouver Canuck as undervalued when I was just rambling about how their offense needed Sundin's talents? Look a little closer. Wellwood might not be a world beater, but he is certainly someone any coach would love to have. Wellwood is the league leader in shooting percentage among players who have tallied at least 20 games, as he has scored 14 goals in the Canucks' first 40 games despite having taken only 51 shots in that span, including eight goals with the man advantage. Just the kind of compliment a quality second or third line needs.

Patrick Marleau
Marleau is not a new name, nor is the Sharks success exactly sudden or shocking. However, in seasons past, the Sharks' success has been in spite of Marleau to an extent. Now he has removed himself from the problem and is contributing to the success. His is much more of a leader and less of a defensive liability, as he is currently on pace for easily his best ever +/- rating (36) along with a new low in penalty minutes and possibly as many as half a dozen shorthanded goals. If the Sharks take the Cup this year, his improved play will likely be the primary reason.

Thomas Vanek
Vanek gets a bad rap because he is well known as an absolutely brilliant puckhandler who isn't all he could be because his skating skills lag behind. I'm sure Sabres coach Lindy Ruff is perfectly happy with those criticisms, since Vanek is on pace for "only" 55 goals in spite of his deficiencies. He is a dangerous special teams player (12 PP goals) and has greatly improved his defensive skills.

Tomas Holmstrom
An undervalued Red Wing? Hard to fathom. It's true, though, that most people think of Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Hossa, Lidstrom and Franzen (and maybe even Hudler) before Holmstrom comes to mind. He earns hiis keep creating traffic and capitalizing garbage goals while in front of the net, but that type of player is indispensable to a contender. Holmstrom averages almost a point per game and could see the clean side of 30 goals this season despite only playing 15 minutes a night and getting a minimal amount of shots (49 in 34 games).

Loui Eriksson
Like Wellwood, Eriksson is a highly efficient player. He is on pace to crack 40 goals in only his third season in the league, and he currently leads his team in that category by a wide margin. The Stars have to love a guy who scores without really taking shots away from the players on the ice who "need" them. Of the ten other players on pace to reach that plateau, only San Jose's Devin Setoguchi has taken as few penalties, only Philly's Jeff Carter has blocked more shots, and none have nearly as few shots on goal as Eriksson's 95.

David Krejci
A big part of the Bruins' success has been a sudden arrival of numerous young players, as evidenced by the fact that nearly one-third of their roster is age 23 or younger. Perhaps the most impressive has been Krejci, 22, who is in the top three on the team in nearly every offensive category despite being ninth on the team in average ice time. He'll have to continue his impressive play with Kessel going down, but if I'm a Bruin fan I'm not worried about it.

Mike Green
I could be wrong, but to my knowledge, very few people outside of Washington know Capitals players whose names end in anything other than Ovechkin, Semin, or Backstrom. It's a shame, because Green is an incredibly talented player. Sheldon Souray is well known, both with the Oilers and previously with the Canadiens, for his offensive prowess - especially manning the point on the power play - and for good if not great defense. Green has put up offensive numbers identical to Souray (30 points, half on the PP) while posting a +/- 14 points higher - all while playing ten fewer games thus far. He is arguably a better player than the All-Star level of Souray.