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Toronto Maple Leafs: Predicting Player Ratings for EA Sports NHL 21

By Eric Cruikshank

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 19: Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs speaks after being revealed as the cover athlete for EA Sports' "NHL 20" video game during the 2019 NHL Awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on June 19, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 19: Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs speaks after being revealed as the cover athlete for EA Sports' "NHL 20" video game during the 2019 NHL Awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on June 19, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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SUNRISE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: The Toronto Maple Leafs celebrate with Zach Hyman #11 of the Toronto Maple Leafs after he scored a goal against the Florida Panthers during the first period at BB&T Center on February 27, 2020 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: The Toronto Maple Leafs  (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

EA Sports has the Toronto Maple Leafs rated as one of the best teams in the NHL

As Toronto Maple Leafs fans continue to find different ways to get their hockey fix during the absence of our favourite game, many people, like myself, have found themselves spending hours in front of their televisions playing the most recent instalment from EA Sports’s hockey series, NHL 20.

At the NHL awards in early 2019,  former video game cover star P.K Subban revealed that EA chose Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews to be the next face of their franchise, making him the cover athlete for their upcoming release.

I’m sure 20 years ago being on the cover of a video game was definitely not number one every NHL player’s bucket list, but as the game has become a more influential part of the young fans and players who drive hockey culture, being the prime representative of the NHL on that large of a scale is an honour that a lot of players should be proud to have.

Auston Matthews was given a 90 overall rating this year, making him #15 on the top 50 players list for their game, and is one of five Toronto Maple Leafs to make this list. This includes Frederik Andersen (88 overall, 49th), Morgan Rielly (88 overall, 45th), Mitch Marner (89 overall, 39th), and John Tavares (90 overall, 18th).

It’s safe to say that a lot of players around the NHL will fluctuate in and out of the top 50 for this upcoming game, but there’s a strong case to be made for a lot of Maple Leafs players to have their ratings altered after their performances this season, whether it be higher or lower.

Let’s look at some of the notable player ratings that I can see changing in the upcoming release this year. (Stats courtesy of NaturalStattrick).

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