Another roster update from EA Canada came down just in time for the holiday season and saw the most changes yet for players in NHL 17. Here are some of the most interesting numbers after this late December patch.
Rookie sensation Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs saw a one-point bump up to an 86 overall, and Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid got a four-point bump up to an 92 after helping lead Edmonton to a comfortable position right now in third-place in the Pacific Division. Vancouver Canucks rookie defenseman Troy Stecher saw the biggest change in stats, though, going from a 72 overall to an 80 overall, a full eight-point boost in this patch. Stecher has 10 points in 29 games this season and notched his first career goal back on November 13th against the Dallas Stars. He’s seen a steady increase in ice time and all of these factors have led to a higher ranking.
On the other side of the puck, Auston Matthews’ boost up in Toronto was counteracted by defenseman Roman Polak’s slashing of his rating from an 85 to an 81, by far the biggest drop of any player hit with a negative to their rating this go around.
In terms of overall changes, the Arizona Coyotes, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets saw the most players have changes with seven each. After seeing Columbus’s 16-game winning streak and Toronto’s terrific Centennial Classic play, it’s no wonder these teams got a lot of boosts spread around. The Buffalo Sabers, Dallas Stars, Ottawa Senators, and San Jose Sharks saw the least changes of teams that had changes, with only two players being adjusted, included both Sharks and Senators players receiving only negative changes.
Overall, this update saw 122 players having their numbers adjusted, with 66 (54.1%) of those players getting a positive boost. The St. Louis Blues were the only team not to have a single player’s stats change, but we expect that to change in the next update after an epic 4-1 victory in the Winter Classic at Busch Stadium. If you’re curious to see how specific teams have changed before you head online with your favorite squad, check out the link.
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