NHL 26 Ratings Update: The Biggest Risers and Fallers

As expected, EA pushed through a massive wave of ratings adjustments that hit every corner of the league. From explosive rookie surges to veteran slides, Season 2 is clearly arriving with a new competitive landscape. Full credit goes to the dev team — this update is big, detailed, and covers nearly every meaningful name in the game.

Biggest Risers

Some players didn’t just climb — they took the elevator straight to the top floor. Here are the most notable boosts:

+4 Club

• Leo Carlsson (84 → 88)
• Matthew Schaefer (80 → 84)
• Oliver Kapanen (76 → 80)
• Beckett Sennecke (76 → 80)
• Axel Sandin Pellikka (75 → 79)

+3 Standouts

• Will Smith (83 → 86)
• Simon Nemec (81 → 84)
• Matthew Wood (77 → 80)
• Fraser Minten (76 → 79)
• Benjamin Kindel (76 → 79)

Notable Star Boosts

• Connor Bedard jumps from 88 → 90 (+2)
• Macklin Celebrini jumps from 88 → 90 (+2)
• Bo Horvat rises +2 to 89
• Wyatt Johnston gets a +2 to 88
• Cutter Gauthier rises +2 to 86

Elite Tier Climbers (+1)

Rantanen, Marner, Nylander, Scheifele, Heiskanen, Morrissey, Adam Fox, Jason Robertson — all taking +1 steps into or further into elite territory.

Goalie Risers

Top Goalie Climbs

• Spencer Knight (+2 → 85)
• Scott Wedgewood (+2 → 84)
• Jesper Wallstedt (+2 → 84)
• Thatcher Demko (+1 → 89)
• Logan Thompson (+1 → 87)

Biggest Fallers

Some drops were expected. Others? Fans are already debating them online.

Major Drops

• Maxim Tsyplakov (84 → 81, –3)
• Brayden Point (92 → 90, –2)
• Steven Stamkos (86 → 84, –2)
• Brandon Saad (82 → 80, –2)
• Trent Frederic (82 → 80, –2)
• Zayne Parekh (80 → 78, –2)

Star-Level Fallers (–1)

Auston Matthews, Sam Reinhart, Jesper Bratt, Devon Toews, Tage Thompson, Drew Doughty, Colton Parayko, J.T. Miller — all see slight dips.

Goalie Fallers

Notable Drops

• Ilya Sorokin drops from 91 → 90
• Sergei Bobrovsky drops from 90 → 89
• Filip Gustavsson falls 89 → 88
• Linus Ullmark and Frederik Andersen also fall to 86

The biggest goalie fall belongs to:

• Calvin Pickard (79 → 77, –2)

Final Thoughts

The NHL 26 Season 2 update is one of the most wide-reaching ratings reshuffles yet. Rising stars get rewarded, elite players secure small boosts, and several big names take hits that are already sparking debate. With the new season approaching, these adjustments will meaningfully shift gameplay, roster building, and online competition — exactly the kind of shake-up fans expect heading into a new cycle.