<p>The final positional top 10 list for the player ratings in EA Sports’ <em>NHL 26</em> is out, with <a href="https://oilersnation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Edmonton Oilers</a> center Connor McDavid being named the top center in the game.</p>



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">McDavid sits alone at 97 OVR in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHL26?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHL26</a>.<br>Matthews, MacKinnon, Draisaitl… who’s closing the gap?<br>See more Ratings: <a href="https://t.co/1ZOOUJeVAz">https://t.co/1ZOOUJeVAz</a> <a href="https://t.co/tTHi8pov5m">pic.twitter.com/tTHi8pov5m</a></p>— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/EASPORTSNHL/status/1960749306035470436?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2025</a></blockquote><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>This is the eighth straight game that McDavid has been in sole position of the top center of the game, having done so since <em>NHL 19</em>, and it’s the ninth straight being in the top altogether, as he was tied with <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/pittsburgh-penguins/line-combinations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>‘ captain Sidney Crosby in <em>NHL 18</em>. It’s also the second straight season that McDavid has a 97 overall rating.</p>



<p>This comes after a slightly more human season from Connor McDavid by his lofty standards, as he had 26 goals and 74 assists for 100 points, albeit with 67 games played while dealing with injuries. However, health was not an issue come playoff time, as he had seven goals and 26 assists for 33 points in 22 playoff games.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="170"></div>



<p>McDavid’s 97 overall also means that he’s the top-rated player in the game. However, after the<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/colorado-avalanche/line-combinations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Colorado Avalanche</a>‘s Nathan MacKinnon was the sole player in second with a 96 overall rating in <em>NHL 25</em>, several players have caught up to him, including the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl and the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/tampa-bay-lightning/line-combinations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tampa Bay Lightning</a>‘s Nikita Kucherov.</p>



<p>After McDavid, MacKinnon and Draisaitl, <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/florida-panthers/line-combinations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida Panthers</a> captain Aleksander Barkov sits in fourth place at 95 overall after back-to-back Stanley Cup victories. Crosby, the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/vegas-golden-knights/line-combinations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vegas Golden Knights</a>‘ Jack Eichel and the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Toronto Maple Leafs</a>‘ Auston Matthews are tied for fifth at 94 overall, the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/new-jersey-devils/line-combinations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New Jersey Devils</a>‘ Jack Hughes is eighth at 93, and the Lightning’s Brayden Point is ninth at 92 overall. The <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/winnipeg-jets/line-combinations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Winnipeg Jets</a>‘ Mark Scheifele is the final center named in the top 10 at 91 overall, but there may also be other centers with the same rating not in the top 10.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="149"></div>



<p>EA Sports player ratings help determine the quality of each player in the league, which in turn effects both their skillset during on-ice gameplay as well as how well they simulate during modes like Season, Franchise and Be a Pro.</p>



<p><em>NHL 26</em>&nbsp;will be released on September 12th, 2025 on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.</p>
