EA Sports has unveiled the player ratings for NHL 27, revealing a three-way tie for the highest-rated defenseman in the game. Zach Werenski, Cale Makar, and Quinn Hughes all enter the new season with a 95 overall rating.
Zach Werenski's three-point leap to 95
The most significant movement among the elite tier is the rise of Zach Werenski. According to the report, Werenski saw his rating climb from a 92 in NHL 26 to a 95 in NHL 27. This jump is a direct result of his dominant 2025-26 campaign, where he secured the Norris Trophy by recording 22 goals and 59 assists for a total of 81 points across 75 games.
Werenski's ascent reflects a broader trend in professional hockey where the role of the defenseman has evolved into a primary offensive engine. by rewarding Werenski with a three-point bump, EA Sports is acknowledging a shift in the league's power dynamics, placing him on equal footing with the established gold standards of the position.
The 92-point career peaks of Makar and Hughes
While Zach Werenski is the newcomer to the 95 club , Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes maintain their status as the game's premier defenders . as the report notes, both players held a 95 rating in NHL 26 and have retained that score despite slightly lower statistical outputs in their most recent seasons compared to their career highs.
Cale Makar posted 20 goals and 59 assists for 79 points in 75 games, which represents a 13-point dip from his previous career peak of 92 points. Similarly, Quinn Hughes recorded seven goals and 69 assists for 76 points in 74 games, falling 16 points short of his 92-point peak from the 2023-24 season. The decision to keep them at 95 suggests that EA Sports values consistent elite performance over single-season volatility.
Makar's solo hold on the right-side top spot
The deadlock at the top is broken when analyzing specific positional roles. Cale Makar stands alone as the highest-rated right defenseman in NHL 27. In contrast,the left-side vacancy is shared, with both Quinn Hughes and Zach Werenski deadlocked as the top-rated left defensemen.
This distinction highlights the scarcity of elite right-handed offensive defenders in the modern NHL. Makar's singular position at the top of the right side reinforces his unique value to his team and his standing in the virtual simulation, where positional versatility often dictates strategic gameplay.
Quinn Hughes's mid-season move to the Wild
One of the more complex elements of these ratings is the context surrounding Quinn Hughes, who split his last season between two different teams due to an in-season trade that landed him with the Minnesota Wild. despite the upheaval of a mid-year trade , Hughes managed to maintain his 95 rating, though his goal-scoring dipped to just seven during that span.
This leaves a few specific questions unanswered by the current ratings release. It remains unclear how the developers at EA Sports weighted the impact of the trade on Hughes's chemistry and overall efficiency. Furthermore, the report does not specify if any other rising stars are on the verge of breaking into the 95-rated tier, or if the ceiling for defensemen will remain capped at this number for the duration of the NHL 27 cycle.
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