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

Top 10 goalies

EA used the ratings for a goalies’ reflexes, puck control and athleticism when deciding who would appear on this list as well as what spots in the ranking they would occupy.

1. Carey Price, 92 – Only five of Price’s 13 individual skills are rated below a 90, and the lowest mark among those is still an 86. If an opponent is able to get a shot off past Shea Weber, Price is more than capable of handling it.
2. Braden Holtby, 90 – A big part of the reason that the real Washington Capitals have been such a force in the Eastern Conference for years is Holtby. With five-star ratings in all three categories, he’s an ultimate stopper.
3. Sergie Bobrovsky, 89 – It’s a really fun name to say, and Bobrovksy’s name was most recently featured in announcement for the Vezina Trophy. Five-star rated in all categories, he may contend for the title of gamers’ favorite netminder to play with this year.
4. Cory Schneider, 89 – With Angles and Vision ratings that are second only to Price’s, it will be a rare occasion in gameplay when Schneider is caught out of place for gamers rolling with the New Jersey Devils.
5. Matt Murray, 88 – He’s the best goalie in the game at stopping shots coming in high on the net, and despite the fact that his athleticism and puck control are rated 4.5 stars instead of five, his presence on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ roster will definitely be felt.
6. Henrik Lundqvist, 88 – He’s on the opposite end of the age spectrum from Murray, but his experience more than makes up for the step that he may have lost because of his age. Lundqvist won’t have to work so hard in the game as other goalies to recover because he knows how to get into and stay in the proper position.
7. Devan Dubnyk, 88 – It’s hard to get the puck past Dubnyk because his massive frame occupies almost the entire open space between the ice and the pipes. Dubnyk is much more than a wall of humanity for the Minnesota Wild, however, with five stars in both puck control and reflexes.
8. Tuukka Rask, 88 – Rask seems to be everywhere at once, moving to stop pucks with “The Matrix”-style precision thanks to five star athleticism and puck control. His reflexes are great as well, rated at 4.5 stars.
9. Corey Crawford, 87 – Crawford has come up big on the real ice time and time again for the Chicago Blackhawks, and gamers should expect no less from his electronic version. His Vision rating is only surpassed by Price, and his Angles rating is the third-best among all goalies.
10. Cam Talbot, 87 – Last season, he showed what he was capable of as the Edmonton Oilers’ top netminder, and now his ratings reflect that demonstrated potential. Rated 4.5 stars in all three categories, gamers should feel confident with him in the net.

Next: 27 greatest American players of all-time

Gamers will have a lot of choices to make when NHL 18 drops on Sept. 15, and the depth of stellar talent represented in these lists means that almost no matter what team a player chooses, there is the potential for highlight reel plays.