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Jun 4, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) reacts after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime against the Florida Panthers in game one of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images

Draisaitl, Hughes & Tkachuk Are the NHL’s Overlooked Stars

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Mike Fink | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 8:45 AM ET

This week’s episode of Ice Time had the second annual Nucleus Draft. The goal of the draft is to build a Stanley Cup-winning team with active players where every roster has one forward, one defenseman, one goaltender, one head coach, and one wild card (which everyone used to take another forward). The cores at the end of the podcast looked like this.

Justin Giampietro: Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov, Rasmus Dahlin, Igor Shesterkin, and Paul Maurice

Matthew Zator: Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Zach Werenski, Connor Hellebuyck, and Rod Brind’Amour

Mike Fink: Leon Draisaitl, Matthew Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Kris Knoblauch

Zach Martin: David Pastrnak, Sidney Crosby, Cale Makar, Darcy Kuemper, and Jon Cooper

It’s easy to look at the stars or the well-known talents and declare some teams better than others. The goal, however, isn’t to be the most skilled or most exciting team. The goal is to build a team that can win the Cup. There are some stars who were overlooked, yet they check all the boxes to build around them. As someone who drafted three overlooked stars, it’s become my obligation to defend them all as the three skaters who can win a team the Cup yet aren’t often recognized as such.

Leon Draisaitl: The Overlooked Elite Two-Way Center

McDavid often garners most, if not all, of the spotlight, which is understandable considering he’s the best player in the NHL. He also distracts the public from recognizing how valuable Draisaitl is to the Edmonton Oilers. Draisaitl is the center who does it all, and while he’s not an explosive skater like McDavid, he’s the player that every Cup contender needs and gives the Oilers an edge.

Draisaitl demonstrated his value both in the regular season, coming in second place in Hart Trophy voting, and in the playoffs. He scored 52 goals and added 54 assists at the center and wing positions while contributing 11 goals and 22 assists in the playoff run. On top of that, he scored four overtime goals, including two game-winners in the Stanley Cup Final, in the only two wins for the Oilers in the series. If they win that series, there’s a good chance he ends up with the Conn Smythe Trophy.

He’s also proven to be a great defensive forward. Draisaitl finished last season sixth in the Selke Trophy vote, and in the playoffs, he was the key player when the Oilers needed someone to limit the top-line skater on the other team. McDavid is the leader of the Oilers. That said, Draisaitl also plays a pivotal role in getting the Oilers to the Final, especially in the past two playoff runs.

Matthew Tkachuk: The True X-Factor in the Playoffs

Tkachuk changed the dynamics of the Florida Panthers. Sure, they have star power throughout the lineup, but he was the forward who was acquired in the 2022 offseason to change the complexion of the team. Tkachuk sets the tone when he’s on the ice, and he gave the Panthers that tough identity that makes them a great team in the playoffs.

He creates offense in multiple ways, from finding open skaters with centering passes to scoring with his shot or by powering his way to the net. Tkachuk, along with providing offense, brings a physical presence and establishes the forecheck when he doesn’t have the puck. It’s why he’s arguably the toughest skater to prepare for.

While Tkachuk plays on the wing and isn’t a center, there isn’t another player a team would want for a playoff run other than him. Tkachuk is built for the big games, from the 4 Nations Face-Off to the playoffs, and it’s helped the Panthers become the team to beat in the NHL.

Quinn Hughes: The Bang for Your Buck Defenseman

There’s a debate that’s surfaced in recent seasons about whether Hughes or Makar is the best defenseman in the NHL. They’ve won three of the past four Norris Trophies, with Makar winning it in 2025 for the second time in his career (putting him ahead of Hughes, at least for now).

Makar is probably the better defenseman. However, Hughes proved in recent seasons that when he’s on the ice, there’s nobody better than him on the blue line. Last season, for example, Hughes was limited to only 68 games yet had 16 goals and 60 assists, putting him on pace for a 90-point or better season if he stayed healthy.

It’s not just the points per game that stand out for Hughes. The Canucks were a borderline playoff team with him on the ice, and without him, they looked like a last-place team. Hughes is one of the few defensemen in the league that a team can lean on, and he’s the biggest reason the Canucks have high hopes (probably the only reason).

Other Notes From the Nucleus Draft

If the goal is to win the Cup, it makes sense to build around Bobrovsky as the goaltender. He won’t put together great regular seasons and can be seen as a below-average goaltender at times. However, in a big game, he’s the goaltender to have in the net, the one who can take over a game and blank any offense.

Another thing to keep in mind is the type of coach behind the bench. In the Nucleus Draft, everyone chose a coach who won the Cup previously or at least had a great track record. Knoblauch only has two seasons in the NHL, but he’s proven to be one of the next great coaches, especially in the playoffs when he can make the right adjustments and manage the goaltending.

For more insight from the Nucleus Draft, listen to the full podcast here.