Electronic Arts gave fans an early look at NHL 27 player ratings on Tuesday, and the Washington Capitals came away with a couple of notable changes.
Tom Wilson is the big mover on the Capitals side. He jumped from an 86 overall to an 88, which puts him at No. 89 among all forwards. His top attributes are his slap shot power at 90 overall, along with acceleration at 87 and speed at 88.
Wilson’s rise comes after a strong season in which he posted 30 goals and 32 assists for 62 points, piled up 117 penalty minutes, and played in 72 games. He also earned a spot on Team Canada’s Olympics roster and finished with four points in six games in Milan.
Alex Ovechkin still sits ahead of Wilson in the team hierarchy, but his rating dipped from a 90 to an 89, dropping him below the 90 mark for the first time in years. His acceleration is 83, his speed is 84 and his deking is 83. His slap shot power and wrist shot power remain at 93, while his passing is rated at 87.
Ovechkin, who turns 41 in September, still led Washington in scoring last season with 32 goals and 32 assists for 64 points while appearing in all 82 games. He also reached 1,000 career combined goals between the regular season and playoffs, and sits 11 away from passing Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history.
Behind Ovechkin and Wilson, newcomer Alex Tuch checks in at 88 overall, with Dylan Strome at 87 and new additions Jordan Kyrou, Aliaksei Protas and Pierre-Luc Dubois all at 86.
Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers is the highest-rated player in the game at 99 overall. Defensemen and goaltender ratings will be unveiled later.
In Other News...
Capitals Ratings Spark Debate Over Ovechkin And Washingtons Blue Line
Electronic Arts latest NHL 27 ratings gave the Capitals a mixed but mostly flattering review, with Logan Thompson standing out as one of the biggest winners. The goalie jumped from an 86 to a 90 overall, which puts him fifth among netminders in the game and underscores how much his stock has risen. Jakob Chychrun also moved up, going from 87 to 89, while Washingtons blue line group picked up enough recognition to keep the conversation going around a defense that has been one of the teams more interesting storylines.
The part likely to draw the most debate, though, is Alex Ovechkin sliding to an 89, a reminder that even a franchise icon is no longer being rated as one of the games untouchables. Martin Fehervary, Rasmus Sandin and Matt Roy also landed with their own individual ratings, giving the Capitals a fairly complete snapshot across the roster. Whether the numbers feel generous or a little stingy depends on where you sit, but Washingtons place in the game has clearly become a conversation piece rather than a simple roster update. [Read more 🡒]