Cardiac Cane
Fansided

Carolina Hurricanes: A Look at NHL 20 Player Ratings

By Ollie Miller

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 19: EA Sports NHL 20 cover athlete Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs speaks onstage during the 2019 NHL Awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on June 19, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 19: EA Sports NHL 20 cover athlete Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs speaks onstage during the 2019 NHL Awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on June 19, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
RALEIGH, NC – MAY 14: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) defends a shot by Boston Bruins right wing Chris Wagner (14) during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Carolina Hurricanes on May 14, 2019 at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC. (Photo by Greg Thompson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC – MAY 14: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) defends a shot by Boston Bruins right wing Chris Wagner (14) during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Carolina Hurricanes on May 14, 2019 at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC. (Photo by Greg Thompson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Jaccob Slavin – Predicted OVR 86

Jaccob Slavin was the Carolina Hurricanes best defenseman in the 2018-19 season. There’s no question about that whatsoever. His all round play as a two-way defenseman has been superb. His OVR rating has remained the same throughout NHL 19 and it’s surely time for an upgrade.

An 86 OVR in NHL 19 would put Slavin in the company of players such as Torey Krug, Aaron Ekblad and Tyson Barrie to name a few. Good company for Slavin, especially considering that you’d chose him over Torey Krug in your team.

Stat wise, I don’t think it would be unfair to ask for an improvement in Def. Awareness and Stick Checking. A rating of 90 in both categories would suffice. Slavin has played every game possible for the last three seasons so I expect to see a small boost to his Durability and Endurance too.

In two games against the New York Rangers this season, Slavin bailed out his goaltender with two incredible goal line saves. He uses his stick very well defensively. This is why I would expect to see his stick checking as his highest stat at the start of NHL 20.

During the Carolina Hurricanes amazing playoff run, Slavin finished 2nd in points with 11 assists in 15 games played. I’d like to see a small increase in Passing and Off. Awareness. He didn’t post groundbreaking numbers in the regular season, but he did show that he has the ability to make the plays offensively.

In order to get him up to an 86 OVR rated player, there will need to be other minor tweaks to his stats. An extra one on Slap Shot Accuracy and Wrist Shot Accuracy keeps it balanced. A current rating of 80 seems a little unfair. I’d imagine we’ll see a few upgrades to all physical stats, with the exception being Fighting.

Overall, I think Slavin is deserving of an 86 OVR rating. In my opinion, this season he placed himself among the best defensemen in the league. He’s also proved to be a perfect example of a gem in the late rounds of the draft, drafted 120th overall in the 4th round.

Home/Analysis