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Carolina Hurricanes NHL 16 Player Ratings

By Brett Finger

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Apr 11, 2015; Raleigh, NC, USA; Carolina Hurricanes forward Staal (11) and forward Staal (12) during the game against the Detroit Red Wings at PNC Arena. The Red Wings defeated the Hurricanes 2-0. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Centers

  • Eric Staal – 88 overall (89 in NHL 15)
    • Staal had his lowest scoring output since his rookie season a year ago, but this wasn’t all of his fault. A lack of a supporting class and overall failure to meet expectations from a team standpoint was a big part of his fall off. With good players around him, Staal can return to his 60-70 point standard. The subtraction of 1 overall point from last year is fair.
  • Jordan Staal – 88 overall (88 in NHL 15)
    • The younger brother of Eric, Jordan Staal missed nearly half of the season due to a leg injury, but when he got in rhythm, he played some of his best hockey as a Hurricane. He was effective in many aspects, offense, defense, and faceoffs included. It’s fair to keep him as he was, but some will argue that 88 is still too high for him. His defensive awareness and stick checking ratings probably drive up his overall.
  • Victor Rask – 83 overall (69 in NHL 15)
    • Young Victor Rask had a great rookie year, tallying 33 points in 80 games played. He was the breakout player of the year in the Carolina Hurricanes organization, and he got a 14 point bump in his rating because of it. Rask looks poised to be a top-six forward for the Canes this season. The upgrade he got was huge, but it was warranted.
  • Jay McClement – 81 overall (82 in NHL 15)
    • McClement actually dropped an overall point from last season despite doubling his assist and point totals from the year before and being an incredibly effective faceoff taker. Overalls are rumored to be balanced differently in this year’s game, so that may have something to do with it, but it is still surprising to see him drop a point. I would have kept him at 82 like the year before, making him an above average fourth line center in the game.

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