Tampa Bay Lightning has 6 players in NHL 18’s Team of the Year
The Tampa Bay Lightning are represented well in NHL 18’s multiple Teams of the Year with 6 total players across the different teams
It’s that time of year again in EA Sport’s NHL 18. The players with the best stats across multiple categories are all given a spot on one of the coveted Team of the Year.
This year, the Tampa Bay Lightning has players in the Young Gun, Defensive, and Offensive Teams of the Year. Six players represent the Bolts across these three teams.
Rookie defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and Sophmore sensation Brayden Point found their way onto the Young Gun team of the year. This team only included players who are still on their entry-level contracts.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Sergachev was guaranteed a spot on this team. He leads all rookie defenseman in goals and is currently second in points among the same. His Team of the Year card was a 95 overall and he was given a spot on the first line with Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov.
Point’s impressive performance landed him among the top of all forwards on their ELC. He has eclipsed 30 goals for the first time in his career in just his second season and is approaching 70 points on the season. This earned him a 99 overall card and spot on the second line with Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen and Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser.
The lone Bolt on the Defensive Team of the Year was Victor Hedman. Hedman has had a very productive year both offensively and defensively and has solidified his position as one of the best defensemen in the entirety of the NHL.
His defensive play has earned him a spot in the Norris Trophy race, as well as a position on the first pair of the Defensive Team of the Year with the Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty and a 99 overall rating.
It would be impossible to have an Offensive Team of the Year without both Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. Against the Buffalo Sabres, Kucherov hit 100 points for the first time in his career and is behind just Connor McDavid in league point totals. Naturally, Kucherov received a 99 overall card and was on the first line with Nathan Mackinnon and Alex Ovechkin.
Stamkos is knocking on the door of 90 points and is one of the most productive powerplay point producers in the league. Because of his lower point totals, Stamkos was on the third line with Phil Kessel and William Karlsson. Like Kucherov, Stamkos also received a 99 overall.
Goaltender Andrei Vasilevekiy was a shoo-in for a Team of the Year spot. He has led the league in wins all throughout the year and is currently tied with Pekka Rinne for most shutouts at 8. He, of course, received a 99 overall rating and was the starting goaltender for the Offensive Team of the Year.
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Of the six Lightning players on the multiple Teams of the Year, only one player did not receive a 99 overall rating. This is a testament to the dominance of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the regular season, and the positions are well earned. These cards have quickly become some of the most sought after in the game and will remain that way until NHL 19 is released in the fall.