Published , by Bill Lavoy
Published , by Bill Lavoy
NHL 20 is the best video game hockey has ever been. Yeah, I loved Ice Hockey and Blades of Steel too, but in terms of straight simulation, playing video game hockey has never been better. While a huge part of the credit goes to EA Canada for making the game, it helps that today’s NHL is full of superstars that push our understanding of what skill and high-level competition look like. Each year, EA Canada recognizes the best of the best with their Team of the Year, and each year we yell and scream about how they managed to get every single choice wrong, because that’s what we do.
Feast your eyes on NHL 20’s Team of the Year. I’ve got some bones to pick here, but I’ll keep that to myself because nobody wants to hear from a Leafs fan. I’m more curious about what you think of the list below:
Each of the winners will receive both in-game and out-of-game rewards. In-game, each player will receive their Team of the Year HUT item, which promises to be their highest rated item of the year. Out of game, players chosen will receive a trophy, custom Team of the Year skates from Bauer and CCM, and a custom Team of the Year mask for Jordan Binnington.
I thought I could keep my mouth shut, but I can’t. I’m just not feeling Jordan Binnington as the choice for goalie when it comes to Team of the Year. Even as a Leafs fan, I could see Rask having a better case with Boston. The guy has a better GAA (Goals Against Average) and SV% (Save Percentage) than Binnington, and he’s only lost four times in regulation over 26 starts. Tuukka Rask wasn’t even nominated. Carey Price was for Montreal, and he’s having a horrendous year, so I’m not sure what nomination criteria was used.
Beyond Binnington, my only other gripe is Burns. Carlson is a must, as is McDavid and Kucherov. If you want to argue against Ovechkin, fine, but it’s Ovi and he’s having a great year so I can deal with it. I just don’t see how Brent Burns beats out Roman Josi, Victor Hedman, Dougie Hamilton, or even Cale Makar. Burns isn’t in the top 10 for scoring among defensemen. He’s got that big beard, a bunch of tattoos and he’s missing teeth, so maybe that helped him?
It’s all in good fun, though. The point of these lists is to have a good time and tell everyone who will listen why their list sucks and yours is the definitive one. The other point is to try and pull these cards when you play NHL 20 HUT later.