Every year terelease of the newest edition of EA Sports' NHL player database brings forth a bit of a heated debate, reviews, reactions among gamers, fans, and analysts. Video game ratings are inherently forced to boil down complex, multi-dimensional athletic performances down to a single score created by the developers algorithms. While there are some disagreements about the algorithims, some may believe that these developers are getting better while others believe they are getting worse in grading their teams respective players.
In the latest EA Sports NHL 27 ratings, nine members of the St. Louis Blues have found their way into the top 300 overall. Looking at both a macro and micro point of view of these ratings, EA is showing patterns in their ranking philosophy.
The game's engine has begun to heavily prioritize raw physical traits like a players straight-line speed and shot power, while penalizing those who are classified more as a pass-first playmaker and even those players who play a "vanilla" style of defensive game. The developers have also begun pushing a bit more of a "prospect inflation" to their rankings, elevating some of the newer, flashier young talents who may have lesser runway in the professional ranks than the veterans who have been around and proven their worth over multiple seasons.
That being said, here's a look to every Blues skater and netminder included in the top 300 database.
Centers
Connor McMichael - 84 overall | #76 C | Top 300 Rank: 294
Just cracking the top-80 centers and in the top 300 players in the NHL, McMichael's 84 overall has him positioned comfortably as a middle-six forward in NHL27. His 89 acceleration and speed should make him a dynamic option on the rush for the Blues, while his 85 deking and 84 -rated wrist shot power could limit his overall offensive production behind higher top-six playmakers. McMichael is in the bottom 10% of the top-300 alongside veterans like Chandler Stephenson and Josh Norris. He will need to transition well in St. Louis to hopefully see a bump in his in-game ratings.
Mason McTavish - 85 overall | #62 C | Top 300 Rank: 214
The Blues' newest power-forward will start the season ranked as a borderline high-end second-line center and a top-tier third-line center option. His power-forward shooting (89 slap shot power, wrist shot power, and passing), along with 88 deking, should give him fairly strong puck control. While it may not surprise many, he will have slightly lower mobility with an 86 acceleration rating and 85 speed, keeping him grouped around players like Tomas Hertl and Marco Rossi. Overall, an 85 sounds about right for a physical, 200-foot threat with upside.
Robert Thomas - 88 overall | #25 C | Top 300 Rank: 78
Thomas will start the game as the Blues' highest-rated player in the database. His 93 passing, 91 deking, and 89 wrist shot accuracy make him a standout option offensively. However, with the EA developers weighing shoot-first, over pass-first players, Thomas' overall rating appears a little lower than they maybe should be. The center's 200-foot playmaking abilities are capped at an 88 overall rating despite carrying an 87 acceleration and 89 speed as well. This puts a proven top-line center and difference-maker who routinely racks up an 80 or more point pace in the same tier as younger players like Logan Cooley and Leo Carlsson. The comparison and company here are not inherently bad, just not as proven.
Left Defensemen
Philip Broberg - 85 overall | #47 LD | Top 300 Rank: 221
With ratings like 90 speed, 89 acceleration, and 89 deking, Broberg's skating traits rank among the upper echelon of top-four defensemen in the game. However, his lower shooting attributes bring him down a peg with an 84 wrist shot power and slap shot power, with an 85 passing rating. These ratings keep him hovering at the 85 overall mark and the 47th of 68 left defensemen included in the top 300. Broberg finds himself ranked around former teammate Darnell Nurse and has plenty of runway for growth as the season unfolds.
Right Defensemen
Brandon Carlo - 85 overall | #29 RD | Top 300 Rank: 229
85 overall and the #29 right defenseman in the NHL, according to EA Sports. The newest Blues defenseman carries average to below-average skating (82 speed and acceleration) and offensive ratings (81 deking, 82 passing and wrist shot power, and 83 slap shot power). His 85 overall could mean that his defensive game is truly raising the bar. Carlo finds himself in the 67th percentile of top-300 right defensemen grouped with players like Adam Larsson.
Colton Parayko - 86 overall | #22 RD | Top 300 Rank: 167
Sitting in the upper half of right defensemen, Parayko finds himself classified as a legitimate top-pairing option in EA's NHL. The game has him listed with a 90-overall speed rating with 89 acceleration, modeling him more as a dynamic transition skater, instead of a minute-munching shutdown defender. Though his 88 slap shot power, 86 wrist shot power, and 86 deking have Parayko behind players like Filip Hronek and John Carlson, his 86 overall gives him at least one more season with top-pairing potential before possibly dropping off in the simulation.
Left Wingers
Pavel Buchnevich - 84 overall | #32 LW | Top 300 Rank: 271
Buchnevich continues his decline on both the ice and in EA's model as he transitions from a top-six player option into a middle-six supporting role. With yet another season in the books and an offensive regression, his 84 overall ranking is more about his trajectory than anything. EA's model has awarded the Russian forward an 84 speed and 85 acceleration, along with an 83 wrist shot and 85 slap shot power. His offensive game appears all but average now, with his 89 passing really his only true difference-making offensive trait displayed at this point.
Dylan Holloway - 85 overall | #26 LW | Top 300 Rank: 196
Holloway is a player who fits in quite well with EA's system as a player who is benefiting from both his physical style of play and his growing top-six offensive game. The speedy winger has been given an 88 speed rating, 89 acceleration, 89 deking, 86 passing, 91 wrist shot power, and 88 slap shot power. Holloway should be a fun player to utilize in transition and should simulate well on the top line or on a stacked top-six.
Right Wingers
Jimmy Snuggerud - 85 overall | #30 RW | Top 300 Rank: 197
The 85 overall ranking looks like the developers have opted to grant Snuggerud a favorable start to the game. After a standout rookie season, he starts the game with an 89 wrist shot power, 88 slap shot power, 87 deking, 87 acceleration, 86 speed, and passing, setting up Snuggerud to be a top-line goal scorer for years to come in the simulation.
Goalies
Joel Hofer - 85 overall | #21 G | Top 300 Rank: 211
Goalies make up less than 10 percent of EA's NHL 27 top 300 player list. With just 28 goaltenders making the cut, Hofer's 85 overall score appears to be a fairly high compliment for the Blues goaltender. Hofer starts the season in the 75th percentile of the top-300, seemingly placing him as a top tandem option, flirting with starter potential. Hofer has always shown strong puck-possessing skills and has been given a 90 passing rating with an 87 speed rating. However, giving him an 85 overall rating ties him with the likes of Linus Ullmark and Sergei Bobrovsky, shows maybe more about the compression of goaltender tiers than his actual overall rating.
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