The Capitals have a tough road to a repeat, but they are stacked from top to bottom at every position, and they should be fun to use virtually-just as they have been every year for the past decade or so.Īdd T.J. Not surprisingly, the Stanley Cup champion Capitals lead the way, with five players rated inside the top 50.Īlong with Ovechkin, Washington boasts Holtby (91), center Evgeny Kuznetsov (89), defenseman John Carlson (88) and center Nicklas Backstrom (88). There are plenty of great teams in the Western Conference, but the initial player ratings for NHL 19 suggest that the bulk of the top teams reside in the East this season. They should receive a boost during the season if they turn in repeat performances, while New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal, Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel and Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck could find their way into the mix too. Price is coming off an injury-plagued season, but while he may not have earned his 92 rating based on his 2017-18 performance, he has a long history of performing at an elite level.ĭespite reaching the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season, the Vegas Golden Knights have no players in the top 50.Īmong those who likely should have received spots are goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who finished third in the NHL with a 2.24 goals-against average, and forward William Karlsson, who was third in the NHL with 43 goals. On the goaltending side, Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens, Braden Holtby of the Caps and Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets lead the way. The lack of respect likely has something to do with the fact that Hall and MacKinnon haven't put up huge numbers on a yearly basis, while Kopitar has traditionally bypassed gaudy numbers in favor of perhaps the best two-way game in the NHL.Īside from that, things largely appear to be in order, with Drew Doughty of the Kings, Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators as the top defensemen. Despite that, they are all rated 90 overall, which places them outside the top 10. Hall won the award, but all three players were deserving of it. New Jersey Devils left wing Taylor Hall, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar were the three finalists for the Hart Trophy last season, which is given to the NHL's MVP. After leading the NHL in scoring last season with 108 points, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid stands as the uncontested highest-rated player in NHL 19 at 94 overall.Īrguments can be made for other players such as Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (93 overall) or Washington Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin (92 overall) because of their longevity, but it is difficult to go against the clear upward trajectory McDavid is riding.Īn easier argument to make is that a few highly rated forwards deserve a bigger boost into the upper echelon.