So far this year Jesse McCullough and Colby Sherwin have taken a look at “Madden,” and “NBA 2K’s” ratings to see what each game got right and what each game got wrong. With the NHL exiting their all-star break, I wanted to hop on the ratings chain. I will take a look at all the positions to see what player’s overalls EA got right, and which are just wrong.
Overrated Center: Jesperi Kotkaniemi 83 overall
The former 3rd overall pick has been massively disappointing for both Montreal and Carolina. Everything about Kotkaniemi is overrated. His contract, his play, and his overall. Making 4.5 million dollars for the next six years to put up sub-45 points every season is just abysmal. Sure he may be good defensively but his defensive play does not come close to making him worth his contract or his overall. I would change Kotkaniemi to an 80 overall.
Underrated Center: Sam Reinhart 90 overall
Florida’s Sam Reinhart has been one of the most underrated players his whole career. A consistent 50-60 point scorer in Buffalo, Reinhart has exploded to a new level since joining the Florida Panthers. As of writing this article Reinhart already has scored his career-high in goals and is on pace to smash his career-high in points. His play this season is just as good as an elite talent. I would give Reinhart a 94 overall
Overrated Left Winger: Johnny Gaudreau 86 overall
Johnny Gaudreau, the savior of Columbus hockey, has turned out to be an awful investment for the Blue Jackets. He is having a terrible season on a terrible team, but as someone who was hyped up as the superstar Columbus has been looking for since Rick Nash, he has been more than disappointing. Gaudreau is currently on pace for 52 points which would be his lowest total in a full season. Gaudreau does not deserve this higher rating, and I would give him an 84 overall.
Underrated Left Winger: Nils Höglander 82 overall
Nils Höglander may not have the flashiest of stats, however, he has significantly improved his stats from his previous three seasons. He is close to breaking his career high in points, and he is beginning to form into the top six forward the Canucks drafted him to be. There is certainly a lot more room for him to grow, but his improvement deserves to be recognized with a boost overall. I would give Höglander an 84 overall.
Overrated Right Winger: Patrik Laine 85 overall
Oh Columbus, what is going on over there? Patrik Laine was once supposed to be the next Ovechkin, scoring 50 goals a season. He has since plummeted to one of the most streaky players in the league. He will go long stretches without scoring, and being a healthy scratch. This has been a common theme for the past few seasons and on top of his lack of scoring, Laine also makes an exorbitant amount of money. I would give Laine an 82 overall.
Underrated Right Winger: Jack Quinn 82 overall
Jack Quinn had a good rookie season last year, but unfortunately, his season was cut short with an injury. He also began this season on injured reserve, however since his return he has added a missing spark to the Buffalo Sabres’ offense. He was playing close to a point a game player before reinjuring himself earlier this season. Quinn has shown that he is a great talent and deserves more recognition than he gets. I would give Quinn an 84 overall.
Overrated Left Defenseman: Oliver Ekman-Larsson 84 overall
Oliver Ekman-Larsson had one of the worst stints in Vancouver the past two seasons. After being bought out he joined the Florida Panthers and has been much better than he was in Vancouver. However, Ekman-Larsson still is nowhere near his levels of play in Arizona which led him to have the inflated 84 overall he has today. He still is a defensive liability and his offensive production is not close to his prime. I would give Ekman-Larsson an 81 overall.
Underrated Left Defenseman: Vladislav Gavrikov 83 overall
Vladislav Gavrikov has been a solid offensive and defensive option his whole career. Since joining Los Angeles, Gavrikov has stepped up on both sides of the ice. His addition to Los Angeles’ blue line has made that core even more difficult to play against. His play as of late has taken a bit of a hit because of Los Angeles’ rough play as of late. That should not take away from Gavrikov’s accomplishments. I would give Gavrikov an 86 overall.
Overrated Right Defenseman: Seth Jones is 86 overall
What can I say about Chicago’s Seth Jones that has not already been said? One of the worst contracts in the league, paired with one of the worst defensive defensemen. Sure Jones plays an offensive style, but his offensive production has fizzled out in Chicago. Jones was getting Norris Trophy votes as best defenseman just a few seasons ago, but it seems as if he only benefited from being on a good team. Now that he is asked to be the star player for Chicago he can produce nearly close to his Columbus days. I would give Jones an 82 overall.
Underrated Right Defenseman: Troy Stecher 80 overall
Troy Stecher is not a flashy defenseman by any means. He will not put up a highlight reel goal or assist. What Arizona’s Stecher will do is lock you down on defense, he will crush you into the boards, and he will help lead your team to a successful penalty kill. I would give Troy Stecher an 83 overall.
Overrated Goalie: Andrei Vasilevskiy 93 overall
The backbone for many years in Tampa Bay has been Andrei Vasilevskiy. This season, however, Vasilevskiy has finally fallen from his “best goalie in the league” status. Vasilevskiy has still been a great goalie this year but his play has dipped down from elite to great. He is currently posting a sub .900 save percentage, and close to allowing three goals per game. That is a far cry from the Vasilevskiy we have seen over the last couple of seasons. I would give Vasilevskiy an 89 overall.
Underrated Goalie: Thatcher Demko 90 overall
Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko is the man who I think has usurped Vasilevskiy as the best goalie in the league. Demko has always played at a high level, but this season he has gone to an upper echelon that not many goalies have ever reached. Demko is one win behind first place in the whole league, he leads the league in shutouts, and he only has eight losses on the whole year. He is a Vezina Trophy favorite, and leading the Canucks to a first-place record. I would give Thatcher Demko a 95 overall.
