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NHL 22 Roster Update bumps up six players’ overalls

By Frank Mueller

SUNRISE, FL - JANUARY 4: Goaltender Jacob Markstrom #25 of the Calgary Flames looks back as the shot by Jonathan Huberdeau #11 of the Florida Panthers hits the post at the FLA Live Arena on January 4, 2022 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FL - JANUARY 4: Goaltender Jacob Markstrom #25 of the Calgary Flames looks back as the shot by Jonathan Huberdeau #11 of the Florida Panthers hits the post at the FLA Live Arena on January 4, 2022 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images) /
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The fun of sports video games is that player ratings can change on the drop of a dime. This is usually dependent on how these players are performing in real life. EA Sports decided it was time for an NHL 22 Roster Update and improved the ratings of six NHL players. Every player that received a ratings bump was well deserving of it and has been playing at an exceptional level so far. Here are the six players that EA gave ratings bumps to:

  • Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils) – Was 84, Now 85
  • Jordan Kyrou (St. Louis Blues) – -Was 85, Now 87
  • Matt Boldy (Minnesota Wild) – Was 78, Now 81
  • Nazem Kadri (Colorado Avalanche) – Was 86, Now 88
  • Jonathan Huberdeau (Florida Panthers) – Was 90, Now 91
  • Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota Wild) – Was 88, Now 90

Every single one of these players that got a rating boost has made a major impact on their team so far during the 2021-2022 NHL regular season.

The New Jersey Devils have definitely had a disappointing season. Nothing has really been clicking with them in terms of stringing together wins, but lone bright spot for them has been Jack Hughes. Hughes has only played in 30 games so far this season, but in those 30 games he is a point per game player, recording 14 goals and 16 assists. Hughes may be an 85 overall for now, but as he continues to develop his game at an NHL level, I have no doubt we will see him climb into the high 80s in the near future.

The St. Louis Blues’ centerman Jordan Kyrou is no rookie but being as young as he is and performing at the level that he is currently performing at is a big part at why the Blues have been so competitive in the Central Division. Going from an 85 to an 87 overall is a nice bump to be given. As soon as you get to the mid-high 80s, it is hard for players to be given 2 overall point boosts and above. Kyrou is very deserving of it and is going to help the St. Louis Blues make a push for Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Interestingly enough, there are only two players on this list that share the same NHL team. Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov are both very new to the NHL. Matt Boldy is a rookie who has only played in 14 NHL games, while Kirill Kaprizov will be playing in his 100th NHL game this week when the Minnesota Wild host the Florida Panthers.

I think the reason EA gave Matt Boldy a ratings bump only 14 games into his career is because he is playing like he has been in the NHL for a decade. In the 14 games, he has scored 7 goals and 7 assists. That includes his first career hat trick that came in career game 13. The way Boldy has been performing, I agree that a 78 overall was way too low. The new 81 overall gives him plenty of room to improve during his young career while making a statement that this rookie deserves to be in the 80+ overall conversation.

Kirill Kaprizov is easily the most valuable player to the Minnesota Wild’s offense. Kaprizov already has 59 points in only 44 games played, so the move to a 90 overall was necessary. When you get to 90+ rating, a statement is being made that you are a top player in the league and a key piece to your overall team’s success.

That leaves us with two players remaining from the NHL 22 roster update. We have Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri, two players who play for two of the best teams in the NHL and two teams that very well may win the Stanley Cup this season.

We all know how good Jonathan Huberdeau is and he helps make an already great Florida Panthers team’s offense even better. Going from a 90 overall to a 91 overall may not be a big difference in the way he operates in NHL 22, but statistically speaking it is a big difference. The Florida Panthers are one of the best teams to use in NHL 22. When you give Jonathan Huberdeau a player overall increase, that surely makes playing with the Florida Panthers that much more fun.

Let’s not forget about the Colorado Avalanche and Nazem Kadri either. The Colorado Avalanche have a ton of firepower on both offense and defense. Something not a lot of people may have seen coming is with how well Nazem Kadri has been playing. Kadri has 62 points in 45 games played this season. That is the most points he has ever had in a season and it comes during his 13th NHL season. The second half of the 2021-2022 season is just getting started and he is already having his career best year. For that reason, going from an 86 overall to an 88 overall is very, very well deserving.

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That is the full, new, NHL 22 Roster Update. Some of the best teams in the NHL have gotten even better. This definitely won’t be the last Roster Update that we see in NHL 22, but what a good one it is. It is great to see NHL players be recognized for what they are doing in real life and transfer some of that success into the NHL video game.

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