Kirill Kaprizov keeps his spot at the top of the left-wing rankings in EA Sports NHL 27, and the Minnesota Wild star is once again getting elite treatment in the virtual game.
EA Sports rolled out its forward ratings on Tuesday, and Kaprizov landed at No. 1 among left wings with a 94 overall. That makes it two straight years he’s held the top spot at the position. In NHL 25, he checked in at No. 2 among left wings, behind then-Colorado Avalanche scorer Mikko Rantanen.
Kaprizov’s 94 overall matches last year’s rating and puts him two points clear of Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson and Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor. Wild teammate Matt Boldy and Los Angeles Kings sniper Artemi Panarin are next at 91, followed by Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers, Brandon Hagel of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Jake Guentzel of the Lightning, Jesper Bratt of the New Jersey Devils and Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators to complete the top 10 at left wing.
Being the highest-rated player at his position doesn’t make Kaprizov the top forward in the game overall, though. He’s tied for 12th among front-facing players with Rantanen, Jack Eichel of the Vegas Golden Knights and Jack Hughes of the Devils.
The 29-year-old may not be matching the pace that fueled his 108-point season in 2021-22, but he’s still producing like one of the NHL’s best. Across six seasons, he has averaged a point per game in all but one of them.
In 2025-26, he posted 89 points in 78 games as Minnesota finished third in the Central Division. He then added 15 playoff points to help the Wild get to the second round before falling to the Avalanche.
Deluxe early access for NHL 27 is set for Sept. 4, and the standard edition arrives Sept. 11.
In Other News...
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There was some progress in the first round against Dallas, where Minnesota looked better and found ways to raise its level, but the next matchup exposed the gap between being competitive and being ready for a deep run. The Avalanche outplayed the Wild in the second round, and that is the standard Minnesota has to chase if it wants this to become a real postseason push. Fixing those weak spots is the obvious path, but the bigger question is whether the Wild can turn that regular-season ceiling into something sturdier when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Center Debate Just Got Real Around Danila Yurov
The Wilds search for a long-term answer at first-line center has brought the conversation back to a place Minnesota has been circling for a while, with Ryan Hartmans reliability and versatility keeping him in the mix and Danila Yurovs upside making the discussion harder to ignore. Hartman has already shown he can fill different roles and help stabilize a lineup, but the bigger question for the Wild is whether that safety net should be the default choice when the organization is still trying to find a more permanent fit up the middle.
Yurovs case is built less on what he has already done in the NHL and more on what his development suggests he could become, especially if the Wild are willing to let camp sort out how far his game has come. The underlying numbers around his profile point to a player worth a real look, and Minnesota may be better served by giving him a genuine chance to compete for the job before settling into a familiar solution. [Read more 🡒]
