About a month ago, I wrote an article predicting the Ottawa Senators’ ratings in EA Sports’ NHL 24. Now that the game has been recently released to the public on PlayStation and Xbox, it’s time to take a look at the players’ ratings and compare them to my predictions.
To give some context for the ratings, I’ll use the same two player ratings as I did in my previous article. Connor McDavid, the highest-rated player in the game, is a 97 in NHL 24. To give a lower benchmark, former Senator Mika Zibanejad is rated as a 90.
Jake Sanderson
NHL 23 rating: 80
My original NHL 24 prediction: 83
NHL 24 actual rating: 85
While I believed Jake Sanderson would have a better rating than he did in NHL 23, I didn’t expect him to be rated five points higher. The 21-year-old is entering his sophomore season and is looking to build off his solid four goals and 28 assists in 32 games. If he continues to improve, he could very well surpass that 85 rating in the next edition. However, the eight-year, $64.4 million extension he signed this offseason likely played a part in the rating.
Joonas Korpisalo
NHL 23 rating: 81
My original NHL 24 prediction: 83
NHL 24 actual rating: 84
My prediction for Joonas Korpisalo was one point off, but I was correct to predict him as the highest-rated goalie for the Senators in NHL 24. He’s set to lead the Senators in net this season with Anton Forsberg, who himself has a solid rating of 82, making them an interesting tandem to look at throughout the season. Hopefully, the Senators don’t experience as many injuries in the net as they did last season.
Josh Norris
NHL 23 rating: 85
My original NHL 24 prediction: 84
NHL 24 actual rating: 85
EA Sports took a safe route by giving Josh Norris the same rating as he had last season given he only played eight games due to his complicated injury situation. Hopefully, Norris, who had 35 goals and 55 points in 66 games in the 2021-22 season, can remain healthy and an important player for the team to improve his rating for the next season.
Vladimir Tarasenko
NHL 23 rating: 88
My original NHL 24 prediction: 85
NHL 24 actual rating: 86
As I mentioned in my previous article, Vladimir Tarasenko had the highest NHL 23 rating out of any player on this list. This season, he’s been bumped down to 86 overall, which was close to what I imagined.
Despite his age and injury history, the former NHL video game cover player can still be an exciting player for the Senators and has the chance to start fresh on an offensively gifted team. He could also be a sneaky good player to use in-game.
Drake Batherson
NHL 23 rating: 86
My original NHL 24 prediction: 86
NHL 24 actual rating: 85
Drake Batherson’s rating dipped by one point between NHL 23 and NHL 24, which probably has a lot to do with the points I made in my previous article. While Batherson might have set a career-high in all offensive categories with 22 goals, 40 assists, and 62 points in 82 games, his EA Sports rating dipped due to his performance without the puck. While many don’t believe in the plus/minus statistic, it is certainly a determining factor in a player’s rating in the game. An improvement in his defensive play could bring it up next season.
Thomas Chabot
NHL 23 rating: 87
My original NHL 24 prediction: 86
NHL 24 actual rating: 88
Related: Senators Continue to Mismanage Assets With Latest Waivers
My original prediction didn’t have Thomas Chabot as the team’s highest-rated defenceman in NHL 24. While he’s still a highly effective top-pairing defenceman on most NHL teams, he didn’t seem to play with as much swagger and confidence last season as he did in the past. He’ll be a great bounce-back candidate this season for the team, and maybe this rating is the start of his confidence boost.
Claude Giroux
NHL 23 rating: 87
My original NHL 24 prediction: 87
NHL 24 actual rating: 86
Claude Giroux is showing us that age is just a number, and his rating reflects that. Yet, I am surprised the 35-year-old was bumped down a point after putting up 35 goals and 78 points in 82 games for the Senators. The former NHL video game cover player played a pivotal role not only as an offensive threat but also as a mentor for the younger players on the team.
Jakob Chychrun
NHL 23 rating: 85
My original NHL 24 prediction: 87
NHL 24 actual rating: 86
As mentioned earlier in the article, my prediction for the team’s highest-rated defenseman in Jakob Chychrun was off, with Chabot getting that title. Nonetheless, Chychrun will still enjoy his 86 overall rating as the second-best on the team. It’ll be interesting to see what a full season with the Senators will have in store and how it will impact his future ratings.
Brady Tkachuk
NHL 23 rating: 86
My original NHL 24 prediction: 88
NHL 24 actual rating: 89
While I’m not surprised by the rating itself, I’m surprised that EA Sports gave Brady Tkachuk the same rating as Tim Stutzle. However, I wouldn’t call it generous at all though, as the captain deserves this rating after taking his game up a notch last season by setting a career high in all offensive categories with 35 goals and 83 points in 82 games. Could we see him hit 90 in the next edition?
Tim Stutzle
NHL 23 rating: 85
My original NHL 24 prediction: 90
NHL 24 actual rating: 89
Alongside Tkachuk, the best-rated player on the Senators is Stutzle. I’m surprised to see this is his rating when using the comparison point of Zibanejad, but this could be his year to prove EA Sports wrong. He’ll look to follow up on last season’s 39 goals and 90 points in 78 games. Despite the rating not being in the 90 overall range, he’ll be an electrifying player to watch this season 一 and to use in the game, of course.
The Senators in NHL 24
This team built under general manager Pierre Dorion could be the one of most exciting for fans to use in this year’s edition of the game. While they’ll likely be able to get wins within the game’s simulation engine, the real test takes place on the ice.
