EA Sports has begun releasing player ratings in preparation for NHL 18’s release on September 15th. In the Top 10 ratings of each position, Tampa Bay Lightning players rank in the Top 5 in three positions.
EA Sports has been building hype for the September release of NHL 18 for some time now. Just recently, players were allowed to release their own ratings on social media. The first thing apparently obvious was that there’s been an overhaul of the rating system. The first Lightning player to release their own rating was forward J.T. Brown, who received a meager 77.
Unless you read the ratings deep dive that EA Sports published the day before, this probably didn’t make much sense. You can find the full explanation of the new ratings here, and I suggest reading through it so the rest of the ratings presented make more sense. To put things in perspective, breakout rookie Auston Matthews earned an 87 and Canadian goal scorer Brendan Gallagher received a meager 82.
Released first, the Top 10 defenseman features none other than Victor Hedman at spot number four. Receiving a 90 overall rating, EA sports cited his shot blocking, body checking, and stick checking as their reasoning behind his placement.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Above him, are Brent Burns with a 90, Drew Doughty with a 91, and of course, Erik Karlsson with a 91. Directly below Hedman are Duncan Keith with a 90, and Ryan Suter with an 89. This rating seems mostly fair, as Hedman has proven himself to be one of the best in the league in seasons past. I do think, however, he would be in the Top 3 had the Lightning made the playoffs last season.
Next to be released was EA’s list of their Top 10 Right Wings. Every Lightning fan’s Russian, Nikita Kucherov, broke the top 3 with his 89 overall rating. It’s worth noting that the RIght Wing position has less depth than other positions, as the list starts with an overall rating of 86.
In the absence of Steven Stamkos last season, Kucherov stepped into the spotlight. He scored the second most goals in the league of any player, regardless of position. Finishing 5th overall on the league’s point list, Kucherov proved to be an elite player and one of the best at his position.
While his rating may seem a bit low, it’s worth noting that the player at the top of this list, Patrick Kane, is rated only 2 points higher than Kucherov.
Finishing 5th overall on the league’s point list, Kucherov proved to be an elite player and one of the best at his position. While his rating may seem a bit low, it’s worth noting that the player at the top of this list, Patrick Kane, is rated only 2 points higher than Kucherov.
Rounding out the Lightning’s appearances in the Top 10s is their Captain, Steven Stamkos. Despite his injury-filled past and playing less than 20 games last season, Stamkos was given an overall rating of 91 and took home the 4th spot on the list of the game’s Top 10 Centers.
In their explanation for this, EA reminded the world that when healthy, Stamkos is one of the “best pure goal scorers in the league”. Because three of his last four seasons were ended prematurely due to injury, it may seem to some that Stamkos is overrated.
However, when he has played, the reason for this rating is clear to see. Stamkos is a prolific goal scorer with a sense of the game most could only dream of.
With 20 points in the 17 games he played last year, it seemed to be a bounce back season for the Bolts captain, until an unfortunate injury ended the season for him once again. We find ourselves once again hoping for the same thing this season.
Next: Tampa Bay Lightning Fan Fest announced for September 16
As of now, no other Tampa Bay Lightning player ratings have been released yet. However, as they aren’t on the Top 10 lists, their ratings can safely be assumed to be between 85 and J.T. Brown’s 77. Regardless of rating, you can play as all of your favorite Lightning players on September 15th, when the full game is released.