Avalanche’s Cale Makar named top rated right-handed defenseman in EA Sports NHL 26
EA Sports has begun to unveil their top ratings for each position for their upcoming NHL 26 game, with Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar being named the top right-shot defenseman in the game.
Cale Makar sits at 95 OVR in #NHL26.
Adam Fox trails at 90, too big of a gap? 🤔
See Defensive Ratings here: https://t.co/1ZOOUJeVAz pic.twitter.com/S004oecFDS
Makar takes the top spot among right-shot defensemen for the fourth straight season, having held the spot since NHL 23. He also sees his rating stay at 95 overall for the third straight year.
Makar had another excellent season, leading all defensemen in scoring with 30 goals and 62 assists for 92 points in 80 games and capturing the second Norris Trophy of his career. He was also the first defenseman to score 30 goals in a season since Mike Green did with the Washington Capitals in 2008-09.
Makar also had one goal and four assists for five points in seven playoff games.
Makar’s 95 rating also means that he ties with Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes for the top rating among all defensemen.
The New York Rangers‘ Adam Fox sits in second among right-shot defenseman with a 90 overall rating, which is five behind Makar and a much larger gap between first and second than NHL 25, which was only 95 to 92. The Boston Bruins‘ Charlie McAvoy sits in third with an 89 overall rating, while the Edmonton Oilers‘ Evan Bouchard, St. Louis Blues‘ Colton Parayko, Detroit Red Wings‘ Moritz Seider, New Jersey Devils‘ Dougie Hamilton, Capitals’ John Carlson, Montreal Canadiens‘ Noah Dobson and Los Angeles Kings‘ Drew Doughty are all tied for fourth at 88 overall. With the list only showing the top 10 players, there may also be more defensemen with an 88 rating.
EA Sports player ratings help determine the quality of each player in the league, which in turn effects both their skillset during on-ice gameplay as well as how well they simulate during modes like Season, Franchise and Be a Pro.
NHL 26 will be released on September 12th, 2025 on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.