Everyone knows who the top players in the NHL are. They dominate the headlines and all the infrequent scatterings of promotion that the NHL marketing department has cut and pasted together.

Believe it or not, the league boasts some pretty substantial talent beyond Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. In fact, there is a whole Western Conference where they play hockey too! All kidding aside, with as much self-inflicted damage as the NHL has put upon itself, you would think they would really consider investing in a really, really good sales and marketing team.

My point is that the league is chock-full of elite players that you have probably never heard of. While the talent pool in other major sports seems to be getting watered down by the governing bodies that feed other them, the NHL gets the best from all corners of the globe. Elite leagues in a dozen other countries provide options and in some cases competition for NHL-caliber talent.

Expansion and the NCAA have crippled the parity in the NBA. Major League Baseball has the most structured feeder system to their sport but rare are the athletes that break through and make an immediate impact. The NFL is an exception, but every breakthrough athlete is matched by another dozen that fail to reach expectations. The marketing machine that pounds the NFL product down our throats at every corner ensures that no player can be anonymous, and that there will be very few surprises.

Sadly the NHL is full of amazing players that are far from household names even in the cities that they play in. Even for the casual NHL fan, these next five players might be names you have heard, but aren’t aware of just how good they really are.

Cody Hodgson, C/RW, Buffalo Sabres

Possibly the lone bright spot during a forgettable season in Buffalo, Hodgson represents the future of the franchise. The 23-year old center leads Buffalo in every offensive category and will be the centerpiece of the Sabres for years to come.

Kyle Turris, C, Ottawa Senators

On a star-studded roster, Turris receives fourth or fifth billing behind Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson, Bobby Ryan and Craig Anderson. Turris might be the more complete center as Ottawa’s second line faceoff specialist. With 18 points in the Senator’s first 17 games, Turris gives coach Paul MacLean another line of firepower beyond the Spezza line.

Josh Harding, G, Minnesota Wild

Harding’s numbers are off the charts so far this season before you even take into consideration that he is battling multiple sclerosis daily. Nicklas Backstrom was resigned to a one-year deal to return as the incumbent starter, but Harding has taken over that spot with amazing play particularly when Backstrom went down with injury. With a 9-2-2 record, .941 save percentage and 1.22 goals against average, Harding is one of the great stories in sports you have probably never heard of.

Frans Nielsen, C, New York Islanders

I listed Nielsen as one of my sleepers early in the season and he has been just that so far. The Islanders have been woeful over their past ten games and their newest sniper, Thomas Vanek has been underwhelming. Nielsen on the other hand has been spectacular with nine goals and 12 assists in New York’s first 19 games.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, Phoenix Coyotes

The next great Swedish defenseman may be residing in the Arizona desert. Ekman-Larsson was the Coyotes’ first round pick in 2009 and has slowly emerged as the top blue liner on the Phoenix roster. With his size, speed, shot and hockey sense, Ekman-Larsson is a dark horse for Norris Trophy consideration for years to come.