Three Vegas Golden Knights stars landed among the top-rated players in EA Sports’ NHL 27, with Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Mark Stone all clearing the 90 mark.
EA Sports released its ratings for the game’s best players, and Eichel came in at 94, which made him the league’s seventh-best center. Marner checked in at 93, good for fourth among right wingers. Stone was right behind them, tied for eighth with Cole Caufield at 90.
The rankings also included a familiar name from the Golden Knights’ past. Nick Suzuki, now with the Montreal Canadiens, made the list after a big season in which he scored 29 goals and 72 assists for 101 points, finishing sixth in the NHL. Over seven NHL seasons, the former Vegas prospect has piled up 167 goals and 309 assists.
For Vegas, the takeaway is simple: the forward group looks loaded again. Eichel, Marner and Stone all being in the 90-or-better tier is a strong reflection of what they produced last season and what the Golden Knights are counting on again this year.
Eichel finished with 90 points, scoring 27 goals and adding 63 assists. Marner posted 80 points in his first season in Vegas, with 24 goals and 56 assists.
Stone added 73 points in 60 games, scoring 28 goals and dishing 45 assists. Those numbers helped push the Golden Knights to another Stanley Cup Final appearance.
The offense is only part of the equation, though. Vegas also needs its blue line to hold up, and the goaltending has to stay healthy and avoid soft goals. If that all comes together, the Golden Knights could have even more players joining the 90-or-higher club.
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