Every single year, when a new edition of the EA Sports NHL franchise comes out, we try not to worry too much about our favourite players' ratings. But, in the end we'll still be buying this thing and have to deal with them being too underpowered or other rival players being too overpowered. Did they nail down the rating for Toronto Maple Leafs star winger William Nylander this time?
On Tuesday, the EA Sports NHL account on Twitter unveiled some of the ratings for the top 10 players in each position and among the top right wingers is our very own Nylander.
Kucherov edges Pastrnak at Right Wing in #NHL26.
— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) August 26, 2025
Who’s your #1 on the right side?
See more Winger Ratings: https://t.co/1ZOOUJeVAz pic.twitter.com/BCvsEDymlp
Coming in at 92 overall, Nylander has actually seen a bump up after his 45-goal, 84-point season last year -- up from 91 overall. Which, is perfectly reasonable and we will really argue with anyone who thinks otherwise.
In terms of where he ranks among his right wing peers, Nylander is tied for fifth overall, with Tampa Bay Lightning's Nikita Kucherov coming at the top with 96 overall, Boston Bruins and Nylander's own best bud David Pastrnak placing second with 94 overall, Mikko Rantanen in third with 93 overall, and then reigning Stanley Cup champion Sam Reinhart rounding out the group who are rated above Nylander.
While we can try to debate whether or not the player who plays for our favourite hockey team is actually better than any of those players who do not, it feels like a right rating when thinking about overall reputation and what has happened recently.
But what is truly the most interesting tidbit of this rating is that for the second consecutive year, Nylander is tied with now-former teammate Mitch Marner. When the two were both in Toronto, placing them in the same rating felt like an easy way to ease the tensions and not think about who was Team Marner and who was Team Nylander when it came to the two star wingers.
Well, now that they're on two different teams and Nylander is the player that decided to commit long-term to staying in Toronto -- and even recently brushed off the notion that it's difficult to play here. And Marner is the one that scurried away, going off to play for a team that will have no impact on the sport whatsoever in front of fans who didn't know hockey existed until five years ago.
Anyways, they're the same rating once again and that feels like the safe option, right now.