The player ratings for EA Sports' NHL 16 are in, and it's not surprising that Sidney Crosby is the king of the ice.
The Pittsburgh Penguins center and captain tops all player ratings at 96 for the highly-anticipated title, scheduled for a September 15 release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Edmonton Oilers forward and the 2015 NHL Draft's No. 1 pick, Connor McDavid, leads all rookies with a player rating of 82 in the upcoming game.
Interestingly enough, the 18-year-old McDavid has already been in the game as an OHL (Ontario Hockey League) player and thus had his rating revised. Since the second overall pick, Jack Eichel, played in the NCAA, he hasn't appeared in the game and has yet to receive a rating.
"We have a good grasp that Eichel and McDavid are going to be impact players," said Andy Agostini, an associate producer on the game, to the Canadian Press. "How much of an impact once they're playing against fully grown men who have been in the NHL for five to 10 years will be something that we're going to have to keep our eye on."
EA Sports built its player ratings scale using 20 skill rankings, done in conjunction with a pro scout.
"To add two or three points isn't an issue for us," Agostini added of the rookies. "It's more we don't want to overstate their importance [at the start of the season]."
McDavid had 47 goals and 76 assists in 47 games for the OHL Erie Otters last season, while Eichel recorded 26 goals and 45 assists in 40 games as a freshman for Boston University.
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