EA Sports is just a few weeks away from releasing NHL 19. As a way to promote the game, the company released a list of the Top 50 Rated Players in the game. A handful of Dallas Stars rightfully made it, but there are some that might have been snubbed.
Every NHL team has their superstar(s), and the Dallas Stars are no exception.
Whether it’s a team that recently won the Stanley Cup thanks to their top-tier talents or a rebuilding team with one or two young studs that were picked high in the draft, you can almost always find a superstar-level player on each of the 31 rosters.
But there’s also a chance that you find more than one. In fact, with the evolution of today’s game and the heightened skill of the athletes playing, it’s more common to find multiple superstars on each roster.
Take the 2018 Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals for instance. The offensive trio of Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom, the defensive play of John Carlson, and the goaltending of Braden Holtby largely helped Washington not only win their division, but also the Cup. All of the names above can be considered superstars in their own way.
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Fortunately for Dallas, they aren’t one of the few teams that relies on one superstar talent alone. Instead, there’s an argument to be made that they have three superstars to share the load.
Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin help make up one of the NHL’s most dangerous offensive duos. On defense, John Klingberg has consistently proven his talents as a top defender in the league. These three look to be the hopeful future of the Stars for the next few years and give Dallas a viable edge.
EA Sports knows this. Or, they should at least, right?
With their newest video game NHL 19 set to release on Sep. 14, they’ve spent the past few months promoting its debut through trailers and the unveiling of new features. They have also released the ratings of various players over the past few weeks ranging from NHL skaters down to minor league players as well. Many of those players have taken to social media to comment on their rating and share them with their followers.
EA Sports also released a list of the Top 50 Ranked Players in the game. At no. 1 is Connor McDavid with a 94 overall rating, with Sidney Crosby trailing close behind at 93.
As you continue to cycle through the top 10, it becomes quickly apparent that no Dallas Stars are present. And when you flip the page and look at nos. 11-20, the lack of Stars players becomes all the more confusing.
Here we go! #HairGame #Goater @easportsnhl #NHL19Ratings pic.twitter.com/JjLWFVp29v
— Jamie Benn (@jamiebenn14) August 27, 2018
But upon arriving at nos. 21 and 22, Benn and Seguin finally make their appearances. Both earned a rating of 90 overall to start the season with. And while it could be argued that the dynamic duo is tied for 13th due to the eight players in front of them also boasting the 90 overall rating, they are sitting in 21st and 22nd.
Some of the players found just above them include Johnny Gaudreau, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Nathan MacKinnon while some of the players just below them include Claude Giroux, Patrik Laine, and Phil Kessel. Whether you agree with their spot or not, it’s where they were plotted by EA Sports. The detailed ratings for each player seem fairly accurate, so there’s a certain level of truth to the ratings.
Culturess
But as you round out the Top 50, one Dallas Stars superstar isn’t on the list.
John Klingberg did not crack the list, which may be a bit shocking. The 50th player in the rankings is Jonathan Toews with an 87 overall, meaning Klingberg will start the year off with an 87 at best.
Ryan Suter, John Carlson, P.K. Subban, Roman Josi, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Alex Pietrangelo, Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, Victor Hedman, and Drew Doughty are all in the Top 50 and therefore ranked above no. 3 for Dallas.
Klingberg was recently picked as the tenth best defender in the league right now on the NHL’s Top 20 Defenders list. He also finished sixth in the voting for the Norris Trophy this past season after turning in the best year of his NHL campaign with eight goals and 67 points in 82 games. He can skate heavy minutes, put up impressive offensive numbers, quarterback a power play and contribute on the penalty kill, and serve as an elite no. 1 defender.
It’s interesting to see him not included in the Top 50. But it should be even more interesting to see where his play lands him by the end of the season.
Regardless of the rankings, it’s clear that the Dallas Stars have a handful of elite talent on their roster. The skill is there and gives the Stars something to look forward to and build on.
NHL 19 should be yet another enjoyable adventure.