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

Top 10 left wings

EA used the same six categories for their top 10 left wings as compared to the defensemen, and the result is a bit more of a drop off from top to bottom but a cluster of similarly talented players in the middle.

1. Alex Ovechkin, 92 – Defense is the only ratings category in which Ovechkin hasn’t been given five stars, and all but seven of his individual skill ratings in the other five categories are at least 90. Gamers using the Washington Capitals should get the puck to Ovi as often as possible.
2. Jamie Benn, 90 – The Dallas Stars’ best scoring option is rated five stars in puck skills, senses and shooting. While most of his individual skills aren’t rated as highly as Ovechkin’s, Benn is still a wing that opponents must account for at all times when on the attack.
3. Taylor Hall, 87 – Hall is the focus of opponents’ attention when the New Jersey Devils are in the offensive zone, and for good reason. Hall is rated five stars in shooting and skating. His 89 rating in Passing is the only reason he isn’t five-star rated in puck skills as well. Gamers should feel confident with Hall in scoring position.
4. Brad Marchand, 87 – Five-star rated in shooting, Marchand’s Wrist Shot Accuracy is on par with Benn’s and better than Hall’s. When playing with the Boston Bruins, gamers should get Marchand a good angle and wait for the siren to sound yet another goal.
5. Johnny Gaudreau, 87 – One of the smallest and least-experienced members of this group, Gaudreau makes up for that with five-star rated puck skills, skating and senses. Calgary Flames fans have watched him use his athleticism to avoid defenders and score the puck. Gamers should use him the some way.
6. Max Pacioretty, 87 – The Montreal Canadiens captain isn’t five-star rated in any categories, but he has five individual skills which are rated at 90. Most of them are in the shooting category, so gamers should feed the puck to him as often as possible when his line is on the ice.
7. Artemi Panarin, 86 – The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired Panarin to upgrade their offense, and Panarin is well equipped to do that for gamers as well. He is five-star rated in puck skills and shooting, with four 90-plus ratings in other categories as well.
8. Filip Forsberg, 86 – Gamers using the Nashville Predators who are able to get control of the puck with Roman Josi should look to feed it to Forsberg streaking up the ice. With 90-plus ratings in Deking, Hand Eye, Puck Control and Wrist Shot Accuracy, he’s a threat to opponents.
9. Eric Staal, 85 – Staal gives the Minnesota Wild a great front-line option to pair with defenseman Ryan Suter. Staal doesn’t have any 90-plus ratings,
   but his defensive and offensive awareness are both set at 89. That makes him a valuable asset for any game player.
10. Gabriel Landeskog, 85 – Landeskog might be the polar opposite of Gaudreau on this list, using his physicality to get himself into and maintain his positioning on the ice. While like Staal, he doesn’t possess any 90-plus ratings, he is still on this list due to several high 80s in many categories.