A new entry in EA’s NHL series, NHL 23, is upon us. As with most entries, the changes to the overall gameplay are minimal, although a few steps have been taken to make shooting and goaltending feel more realistic. What has changed are player rankings. With every new entry, EA updates their player rating based on that player’s performance in the prior regular season and playoffs.
There aren’t many positions in hockey more important than a center, although the argument could be made for goaltenders. Quality centers are essential players on any team’s roster because of their proximity to all aspects of the game. They need to be able to score, they need to win faceoffs, and more than any other forward they need to be competent at playing defensive hockey in their own end. These top centermen check all those boxes and would make a significant addition to any team NHL 23.
10/10 Patrice Bergeron – 89 Overall
For a guy who is now 37 years old, Patrice Bergeron hasn’t lost a set. In fact, the Boston Bruins’ captain is coming off one of the best offensive seasons of his career, and while Bruins’ fans may have been unsure if their leader would return for the ’22-’23 season, he’s back and looking as good. as ever.
The best two-way center in the history of the game, Bergeron makes a top-quality addition to any team. However, his age means that EA’s algorithm will start to drop his overall rating at a steady rate as the seasons progress, so players should make the most of his abilities while they can.
9/10 Sebastian Aho – 89 Overall
From the captain of the Bruins to the future captain of the Carolina Hurricanes, Sebastian Aho is also coming off one of the best offensive seasons of his career (and a better one than Bergeron has ever had). While he doesn’t possess the same two-way talent as Bergeron, few players do.
The major difference here is that Sebastian Aho is only 25 years old. There’s a very real chance that he’ll get better as his career progresses, and his 89 overall will increase into the low 90s to reflect that. Aho is more than capable of putting together a 100-point season with the right talent around him. Goalies beware.
8/10 Evgeni Malkin – 90 Overall
The player lovingly referred to as “Geno” by Pittsburgh Penguins fans would be a top-line center on almost any team in the NHL. Instead, he’s made his name as a second-line center on the Penguins only because he’s playing behind one of the best NHL players of all time.
Malkin may be getting on in age (he’s 36 years old), but that hasn’t stopped him from putting up a point-per-game in all but two of his sixteen NHL seasons. The big Russian is as reliable as any player around when it comes to putting up offensive numbers, and would be an elite addition to any NHL 23 team for the remainder of his career.
7/10 Steven Stamkos – 90 Overall
It’s tough not to root for Steven Stamkos. He came into the NHL as one of the most dynamic forwards of his generation, but a leg injury derailed his career. For most players, that would spell the beginning of the end, but Stamkos instead remodeled the way he plays hockey and he remains one of the best centers in the game today.
The now two-time Stanley Cup Champion and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning turned 32 years old last February. He’s still got plenty of game left to give, and that 90 overall rating is unlikely to drop for the next few seasons. He’s a powerplay specialist, and any team that picks him up would see a major boost to their special teams play on top of adding to their lineup a nightmare for opposing defenders.
6/10 Aleksander Barkov – 92 Overall
While Bergeron may be the best two-way center in the game right now, not far behind him and closing in quickly is Sasha Barkov. The captain of the Florida Panthers, who were the best regular season team in the NHL last year, Barkov is as creative a center as anyone in the league.
At 27 years old, Barkov is just hitting his prime. A few good seasons with him at the helm will likely see that 92 overall climb up a few more points. The added bonus of his elite defensive play to go along with his high-end offense makes him an invaluable addition to any team.
5/10 Sidney Crosby – 93 Overall
Once the undisputed best player in the NHL, Sid “The Kid” – now a 35-year-old man – being fifth on this list might suggest that he’s lost a step. The reality is simply that other players have surpassed him, but Crosby remains one of the most gifted hockey players in the world.
Crosby has already started out the ’22-’23 season with an offensive tear, which showcases just how good he continues to be. That 93 overall rating isn’t likely to increase much from one season to the next, but it’s also unlikely that it will drop until Sid is pushing 40 years old.
4/10 Leon Draisaitl – 93 Overall
Much like Evgeni Malkin, Leon Draisaitl would be a top-line center on almost any team in the NHL. It just so happens that he plays on the Edmonton Oilers behind the best player on the planet, so he gets to be the best second-line center in the league instead.
Draisaitl is arguably the best passer in hockey, and one of the best goalscorers in the game as well. At just 26 years old, his 93 overall rating will likely increase as players use him to put up absurd numbers of points, and in the new Last-Chance Puck Movement systems. NHL 23 will only help Draisaitl put the puck in the net on a regular basis.
3/10 Nathan MacKinnon – 94 Overall
Fresh off of winning his first Stanley Cup, Nathan MacKinnon signed a new contract to make him the highest-paid player in the NHL. That honor is well-deserved. There isn’t much that MacKinnon can’t do. He’s big, fast, can shoot, can pass, and he seems to just get better as the pressure ramps up.
At 27 years old, MacKinnon’s 94 overall rating is probably only going to fluctuate a little as his career progresses. That’s nothing to be upset about though, it’s tied for the second-best rating in the entire NHL 23 roster, and out of the top 3 centers listed here, MacKinnon is the only one who’s got his name on the Stanley Cup.
2/10 Auston Matthews – 94 Overall
Last season’s winner of the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player, Auston Matthews has established himself as the top goalscorer in the league. He became the first player in the 105-year history of the Toronto Maple Leafs to score 60 goals in a season, and he did it in 73 games, nine short of the full 82-game schedule.
What that means is that 60 goals is probably not the peak of his abilities. At 25 years old, Matthews is just going to get better, and his 94 overall rating will as well. Adding him to any team’s roster will instantly make that team better, especially if Matthews is surrounded by talented wingers. How could it not when it means they’ll score an extra 60 goals every season?
1/10 Connor McDavid – 95 Overall
What a surprise! Just kidding, anyone who’s watched Connor McDavid play would have expected him to rank at the top of this list. He is, quite simply, the best hockey player in the world. His astonishing combination of speed, control, and hockey IQ is not only unique in today’s NHL, there may not have ever been a player as gifted as McDavid.
McDavid’s 95 overall rating is already the best in the entire NHL 23 roster, but here’s the rub: he’s only 25 years old. That means the undisputed best player in hockey is only going to get better for the next few seasons. To put it simply, players should add him to their team. Don’t think about it, don’t question the asking price. Get McDavid. There is no better addition available in the game.
NHL 23was released on October 11th, 2022, and is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.