NHL Playoffs: 5 sleeper players to watch

Given Williams’ previous success in the playoffs, he might not stand out as a traditional sleeper. However, Williams has sort of been lost in the shuffle on a tremendous Washington team, and is not getting quite the same amount of buzz as he did entering previous postseasons with the Kings.

Looking at how talented the Capitals roster is, it’s easy to see how even a very good player could get overlooked. Ovechkin is one of the faces of the league and scored 50 goals this season, Evgeny Kuznetsov emerged as a breakout star, and goaltender Braden Holtby had a historic year in net.

However, Williams deserves a lot more credit then he’s getting for Washington’s 120-point season. Williams totaled 52 points, his highest mark since 2011-2012 and fourth on the team ahead of some more well-known national names like T.J. Oshie.

Those are solid enough numbers, but the postseason is where Williams really shines. Williams has 30 goals in 115 career postseason games, and won the Conn Smythe trophy in 2014 with 25 playoff points.

There’s also the fact that Williams is 7-0 in his career in Game 7s with 14 total points. If the Capitals are going to break their playoff curse, Williams will surely be a big part of it.

While Williams is more productive than a typical sleeper player, he remains a nationally underrated factor on the league’s best team, and is poised for yet another huge playoff performance.

Next: 4. Jakob Silfverberg, RW, Anaheim Ducks