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Colorado Avalanche Top Player Rankings in NHL 23

By Kyle Marshall |
DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 16: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche skates as he warms up before a game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Ball Arena on April 16, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 16: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche skates as he warms up before a game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Ball Arena on April 16, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
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TAMPA, FLORIDA – JUNE 26: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche and Joe Sakic chat following the series winning victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Six of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on June 26, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA – JUNE 26: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche and Joe Sakic chat following the series winning victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Six of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on June 26, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

It’s “CHEL” season baby, and four players for the Colorado Avalanche have made it among the Top 50 highest-rated players in the popular EA Sports NHL 23. Let’s take a look at which players made the list and break down some of the ratings EA placed on their skills.

Nathan MacKinnon
Top 50 Ranking: #3
Overall Rating: 94

Naturally, Nate had to crack the Top 5 for EA Sports NHL 23. It could be argued that coming off a Stanley Cup-winning season where he was a force to be reckoned even after missing time with COVID and injury and also becoming the highest-paid player in hockey, he should still be the highest-rated player in the game.

That honor went to Connor McDavid with an overall rating of 95 however and was followed by Auston Matthews at #2 with a rating of 94.

Overall though, I think EA did Nate justice. His top skills land are offensive awareness (duh) at 96, puck control at 95, and wrist shot accuracy at 94. These are all things we expect out of MacKinnon, and we’ve seen him perform at a high level for nearly 10 seasons in the league. Nate’s lowest rating is his fighting skill at a 70. We’ve all seen Nate scrap a time or two, but it’s not something I’d prefer the star player to be involved with so this rating is fair.

Jun 26, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) celebrates with the Stanley Cup after the Avalanche game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in game six of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) celebrates with the Stanley Cup after the Avalanche game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in game six of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Cale Makar
Top 50 Ranking: #4
Overall Rating 94

Again, this seems like a no-brainer. I made the argument that Nathan MacKinnon could have been ranked #1 after the season he had, but it goes double for Cale Makar.

I mean, the guy did win the Norris, Conn Smythe, and a Stanley Cup all in one season, and there’s certainly no better defender in real life, let alone a video game. Makar’s top skills are his puck control and deking, which are both at a 97, followed by his offensive awareness at a 96. Honorable mentions go to passing (96) and defensive awareness at 95.

To most it might seem odd that a defensive juggernaut like Cale Makar would rank lower in defensive awareness but when you watch how often he sets up an offensive play, or scores himself, this rating in EA Sports NHL 23 makes a ton of sense. Makar’s lowest skill is his faceoff ability which comes in at a rating of 60. If Makar is taking faceoffs then your team is in a bad spot, or you’re playing a video game.

Jun 26, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) celebrates with the Stanley Cup after the Avalanche game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in game six of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) celebrates with the Stanley Cup after the Avalanche game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in game six of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Mikko Rantanen
Top 50 Ranking:  #18
Overall Rating: 91

91 for the Big Moose isn’t bad. I have more of a problem that he fell all of the ways down to 18 and is not in the Top 15. Yes, I’m upset about a fictional video game ranking and you’ll see me say it again on the next player, but I digress.

Mikko’s a playmaker and a scary shot when perched in front of the net. For those reasons, it makes sense that his highest skill ratings are offensive awareness at 95, then passing, puck control, and wrist shot accuracy all coming in at 93. Like Cale Makar, Mikko’s worst rating is his faceoff ability coming in at a whopping 65. Let’s just keep the Big Moose off the dot, ok?

Last, but not least, and certainly way lower than he should be…

DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 20: Gabriel Landeskog #92 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the Los Angeles Kings during their preseason game at the Pepsi Center on September 20, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Kings 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 20: Gabriel Landeskog #92 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the Los Angeles Kings during their preseason game at the Pepsi Center on September 20, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Kings 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

Gabriel Landeskog
Top 50 Ranking: 36
Overall Rating: 89

The fact that Gabriel Landeskog wasn’t deserving of an overall rating of 90 is straight criminal. Landy is the heart and soul of the Avalanche, the fearless leader, and of course the handsome Swede. Looks alone should have been enough to at least garner that extra point in the ratings, right? I suppose it would if EA took into account Gabe’s dashing smile and strong beard game as special skills. Instead, Gabe’s highest rated skill come in the form of poise at 95, which is an odd skill, but maybe being a Captain did factor into his rating after all. After that, EA ranks him at 91 for offensive awareness, passing, and puck control. I still think his handsomeness should have been included as they’ve nailed it in video game form.

It should be noted that I also believe it’s a criminal act to leave Devon Toews off of the Top 50 Players list. His overall rating is 88 but in my opinion, he was a better player than Drew Doughty who was the last ranked Defensive player with an 89 overall. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all…well, unless you’re playing EA Sports NHL 23 on super easy mode.

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