EA Sports has released the first forward group ratings for NHL 26 at the center position, and, to no one’s surprise, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is the highest-ranked player.
Considering what he has accomplished in just under a decade in the National Hockey League, his top-place finish was expected. His overall score is 97, which also happens to be his jersey number.
Tied for second with a 96 rating are Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon and Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, followed by Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov at 95.
Are Auston Matthews and Sidney Crosby Tied in NHL 26 Ratings for Centers?
After those four, there is a three-way tie between Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, and Vegas Golden Knights alternate captain Jack Eichel.
All three players were given an overall rating of 94. Not only has Crosby won the Stanley Cup three times in his career, but he’s firmly established himself as one of the greatest players in the sport. Eichel, who was taken one pick behind Connor McDavid in the 2015 NHL Draft, has since won the Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights after a highly publicized trade from the Buffalo Sabres.
McDavid sits alone at 97 OVR in #NHL26.
Matthews, MacKinnon, Draisaitl… who’s closing the gap?
See more Ratings: https://t.co/1ZOOUJeVAz pic.twitter.com/tTHi8pov5m— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) August 27, 2025
Rounding out the top 10 are New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (93), Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point (92), and Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele (91).
Matthews is only one season removed from scoring 69 goals for the Maple Leafs in 2023-24, the highest total by any active player since McDavid’s 64 in 2021-22.
It was also the most by any player in NHL history since former Penguins captain Mario Lemieux scored 69 in 1995-96, his second-to-last season before his first retirement from the league.
Meanwhile, Crosby continues to defy his age despite playing on a subpar Penguins team, now a shell of its former Stanley Cup-winning glory. In 80 games, Crosby notched 33 goals and 58 assists for 91 points. However, his minus-20 rating was the worst of his NHL career.
It reflects the current state of the Penguins, who most fans and pundits have predicted to finish at or near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings this season.
Meanwhile, Matthews and the Maple Leafs managed to win just their second postseason series since 2004 before losing to the Panthers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. To supplement the offensive load lost by Marner’s trade, Matthews is going to need a bounce-back season for Toronto after scoring just 33 goals this past season, though injries hampered him.
While Toronto may not be viewed as a bona fide Stanley Cup contender, especially after losing Mitch Marner, the Leafs are still expected to challenge for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, and they’ll need Matthews at the top of his game if they are to meet expectations in the second year of head coach Craig Berube behind their bench.
