Columbus Blue Jackets: Cam Atkinson Most Underrated Player in NHL?
By William Espy
Cam Atkinson scored a hat trick for the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night in Carolina.
Cam Atkinson is a fan favorite for the Columbus Blue Jackets, he’s been one of the top scorers on the team for years however his respect doesn’t go far outside of Columbus.
Atkinson took control of the top goal scoring spot on the team with his hat trick and he’s currently sitting at 12 goals through 19 games.
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He’s currently on pace for nearly a 50 goal season and on top of that he’s also currently tied with some pretty elite company for fifth in the NHL for goals. Nathan MacKinnon, John Tavares, Patrick Kane…. Cam Atkinson?
At first it seems like an odd name to be in such an elite group of players, however he has produced at a high level before. Back in the 2016-2017 season, Atkinson scored 35 goals and had a total of 62 points which is a career high to date. This season is on pace to shatter that however, as nearly a quarter of the way through the season he’s over a point per game.
It’s unlikely that Atkinson will keep up this pace, however it’s definitely possible with his track record of consistently improving annually. It’s worth noting that his shooting percentage is currently 5.3% higher than his career total, meaning that it’ll likely go down as time passes.
Artemi Panarin still leads the team by one with a total of 21, but Atkinson is right behind him in second.
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Despite his underrated status currently, it may not be long before Cam Atkinson’s name is up there with some superstars as household names around the NHL. The former 6th round pick is lighting up the scoreboard for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and with a bargain of a deal for the foreseeable future he’ll continue to do so for quite a while.