From EA Sports:
The EA SPORTS NHL 26 Player Ratings rollout is underway, one of the most anticipated (and hotly debated) moments for the Chel community. Fans can find out how their favorite player ranks among the best of the best.
This year, player attributes like shooting speed, skating speed and skating acceleration are informed by real-life NHL EDGE positional data (NHL Puck and Player Tracking) pulled from hundreds of NHL games, making in-game representation of athletes’ skills more accurate than ever. Additionally, a new arsenal of X-Factors (like Quick Release for Auston Matthews and Spark Plug for Matthew Tkachuk) breathe new life into superstars by highlighting their unique talents and what makes them dangerous on the ice.
The rollout kicked off yesterday with the Top 10 Left Defensemen and Right Defensemen. Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche) leads the way with a 95 OVR rating, followed by Adam Fox (New York Rangers) at 90 OVR. On the Left side, Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks) claims the top spot with a 95 OVR rating, while Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets), Roman Josi (Nashville Predators), Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres) share second place with a 92 OVR rating.
Today’s spotlight turns to the wingers. Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota Wild) heads the pack on the Left side with a 94 OVR rating, followed by NHL 26 cover star, Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers) at 93 OVR. Artemi Panarin (New York Rangers) and Kyle Connor (Winnipeg Jets) both come in next at 92 OVR. On the Right, Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning) claims the top spot with a 96 OVR rating, with David Pastrnak (Boston Bruins) close behind at 94 OVR. Mikko Rantanen (Dallas Stars) and Sam Reinhart (Florida Panthers) share the top three position at 93 OVR apiece.
Where did your favorite player land? Which rankings surprised you? And the most important question: who will be the NHL’s top-rated player this year?
The countdown continues on Thursday with the reveal of the Top 10 Overall Players, before rolling out additional position groups throughout the week, including centers, goalies, fastest players, and more. Check out the official list here.
