The hardware keeps coming for Nikita Kucherov, and now the video-game ratings are following suit.
Fresh off winning the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player for the 2025-26 season, the Tampa Bay Lightning winger has been crowned the top right winger in EA Sports NHL 27, which is scheduled to hit shelves in September. Kucherov landed a 97 overall, the highest mark at his position.
The rest of the group trails a bit behind. Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak checked in at 95 overall, Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen got a 94, and Vegas Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner along with Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander each earned a 93.
This is the third straight year Kucherov has topped the game’s right-wing rankings. He was rated 96 overall last year, and 95 overall in NHL 25. Pastrnak, meanwhile, moved up after posting a 95 in NHL 24.
The rating fits what Kucherov just did on the ice. In 2025-26, he scored 44 goals and piled up 86 assists for 130 points, winning the Hart and finishing second to Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid in the race for the Art Ross Trophy.
At 33, Kucherov remains one of the league’s most dangerous creators. His vision and playmaking still separate him from the pack, and his 1,124 career points rank 11th among active NHL players. Among active Russian NHLers, only Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin sit ahead of him.
In Other News...
Lightning Pipeline Ranking Shows A Bigger Issue Behind Years Of Contention
The Lightnings prospect pool remains a talking point because it reflects how long the organization has stayed in win-now mode. Sam OReilly and Conor Geekie are among the more notable names in the system, with the article breaking down their draft backgrounds, skill sets and the roles they might one day fill in Tampa Bay. Even with those pieces in place, the bigger picture is still a thin one, and that is why the franchises draft work keeps drawing scrutiny.
The 2026 draft outlook underscores the problem, with Tampa Bay earning a C- grade largely because of limited pick capital and a shallow pipeline. For a team that has lived at the top of the standings for years, the question is no longer just whether the Lightning can identify a useful prospect or two, but whether they can keep restocking the organization at a level that supports the next wave of contention. [Read more 🡒]