Cale Makar is still the standard at defense in EA Sports’ latest NHL game, but now he has company at the very top.
The Colorado Avalanche star is rated 95 overall in NHL 27, which puts him in a three-way tie for the highest mark among defensemen. Zach Werenski and Quinn Hughes also come in at 95, with Hughes matching the same rating he held last year.
Makar’s number stands out even more when the ratings are split by handedness. Among right-shot defensemen, he is well ahead of the pack. Evan Bouchard is next at 91, while Charlie McAvoy, Noah Dobson, Moritz Seider and Adam Fox are all grouped at 89.
That rating lines up with another big season from Makar. He put up 20 goals, 59 assists and 79 points in 75 games during the 2025-26 regular season, finishing third in scoring among NHL defensemen. He also placed second in Norris Trophy voting behind Werenski, who won the award for the first time.
Makar’s resume keeps growing in that race, too. He has been a Norris finalist in six of his first seven full NHL seasons and has won the trophy twice.
His 2024-25 season brought his second Norris after he delivered 30 goals and 92 points. The only season he did not crack the finalist group was his rookie year, when he won the Calder Trophy.
Werenski’s rise to 95 is the biggest jump among the game’s top defensemen. He was a 92 in NHL 26 before posting 22 goals and 81 points in 75 games and becoming the first player in Blue Jackets history to win the Norris.
On the left side, Rasmus Dahlin and Miro Heiskanen are both rated 93, with Josh Morrissey and Lane Hutson finishing the top 10 left-shot defensemen at 90 overall.
The gap between the right and left side is notable, with only Makar and Bouchard reaching the 90s among right-shot defensemen.
For Colorado, Devon Toews is rated 87 overall in NHL 27. That is down one point from his 88 in NHL 26 and two points from the 89 he carried in each of the two previous editions. Toews had three goals and 24 points in 68 games last season, then saw his offense tick up in the playoffs.
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