There are only a few weeks left until the official release of NHL 27. And just like every year, EA Sports is taking advantage of the game's imminent release to reveal the ratings for the top players.
Yesterday, for example, we learned that Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield were rated particularly highly. And that makes sense, considering the great seasons both players just had.
And today, it was the turn of the top defensemen and goaltenders to be revealed. It's worth noting that Jakub Dobes isn't among the league's top 10 (unlike in the NHL Network's rankings), but Noah Dobson (rated 89) is surpassed by only two right-handed defensemen across the league.
But what's really getting people talking is the case of Lane Hutson. The defenseman has a rating of 90, which is excellent… but it's worth noting that there are eight left-handed defensemen with higher ratings than him.
Seeing him ranked behind guys like Victor Hedman (who has really slowed down), Roman Josi (who has also lost a bit of his edge), and Matthew Schaefer (who doesn't have Hutson's track record) is… interesting.
Hockey's defensive and goaltending elite 95 OVR for Makar, Werenski, and Hughes. 94 OVR for Vasilevskiy in goal
SWIPE for the Top 10 at each position in #NHL27
NHL 27 Ratings Hub: https://t.co/DEa60O3Q2G pic.twitter.com/3EQJgYcXxQ
— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) August 19, 2026
It's worth noting that last year, only three defensemen (including two right-handed players, Evan Bouchard and Cale Makar) scored more points than Hutson across the league. The defenseman also greatly improved his defensive play, and his +36 plus-minus rating was one of the best in the league along the blue line.
So it's strange to see him ranked behind so many other players.
EA Sports also revealed the identities of the league's top 300-rated players, a list that includes no fewer than nine Canadiens players. In addition to Suzuki (93), Caufield (90), Hutson (90), and Dobson (89), the list also includes Ivan Demidov and Mike Matheson at 88, Juraj SlafkovskĂ˝ at 87, Jakub Dobes at 86, and Kaiden Guhle at 85.
This means Slaf is only the seventh-highest-ranked player in Montreal… and that, too, is a bit surprising: he just scored 30 goals and tallied 73 points, after all. Seeing him ranked behind Demidov and Matheson is quite unexpected.
Will Alex Newhook take the second-center spot this season?
He'll certainly be in the running during training camp, just like Oliver Kapanen and Kirby Dach.@DLCoulisses #GoHabsGo #Newhook #NHL pic.twitter.com/ZQLQ9wKb9x