NHL 18: Top 10 highest-rated players at each position

Top 10 defensemen

EA explained that they considered the puck skills, shooting, skating, senses, physical abilities and of course, defense when they rated defensemen. With those elements taken into account, here is the list by overall rating:

1. Erik Karlsson, 91 – No other defensemen sets up the offense in the NHL right now as well as Karlsson, and he excels at making life easy for the Ottawa Senators’ netminders as well.
2. Drew Doughty, 91 – Doughty appears to have a sixth sense of sorts, always putting himself in the correct position to not only frustrate opponents’ scoring chances but set up the Los Angeles Kings’ forwards when he gets possession of the puck as well.
3. Brent Burns, 90 – It’s hard to top a season in which a player leads the league in shots, scores over 20 goals and wins the Norris Trophy. That’s exactly what Burns will look to do for the San Jose Sharks this year, however.
4. Victor Hedman, 90 – For gamers who prefer to play with defensemen who are capable of using physicality to derail opponents’ attacks, Hedman is ideal. The Tampa Bay Lightning have benefitted from Hedman’s strength, so game players should as well.
5. Duncan Keith, 90 – Consistency is crucial to a long and successful career in the NHL, and there is no better example of that for defensemen than Keith. The Chicago Blackhawks continue to compete because of the 2002 draft pick’s performances.
6. Ryan Suter, 89 – Suter is best suited at limiting opponent’s scoring chances simply by always being in the right place at the right time. He’s a big part of the reason why the Minnesota Wild were a playoff team last season.
7. Shea Weber, 89 – Weber starts this season with the highest-rated slap shot power ranking among all defensemen. Gamers using the Montreal Canadiens would be wise to use his physicality to set him up with the puck, move his teammates out of the way and let it fly.
8. Kris Letang, 88 – Letang has the goods where it counts for defensemen, as his marks come for passing, puck control, stick checking, awareness and poise all reside in the 90s. Playing with the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins is a good idea, and Letang is a big reason why.
9. Roman Josi, 88 – An alternate captain for the Western Conference champion Nashville Predators, it isn’t hard to see why he has earned that distinction. Josi is rated in the 90s for passing, puck control, slap shot power, offensive awareness, defensive awareness, shot blocking and stick checking.
10. Alex Pietrangelo, 88 – As long as the St. Louis Blues have players like Pietrangelo on the ice, they will be considered a contender in the Western Conference. He is capable of turning an opponent’s scoring chance into an attack for his own team at any time.