Hughes, Makar, Werenski named top-rated defensemen in EA Sports NHL 27

Every NHL fan knows which defensemen are in the conversation for being the best in the game, but it’s hard to find a true consensus as to which defenseman stands above the rest.

It appears the folks over at EA Sports can’t make the call either. The player ratings for the EA Sports NHL 27 video game have been released, and there is a three-way tie for the highest rated defenseman in the game, with the Minnesota Wild‘s Quinn Hughes, the Colorado Avalanche‘s Cale Makar, and the Columbus Blue Jackets‘ Zach Werenski all receiving a rating of 95 out of 100.

If we want to differentiate between sides, Makar stands alone as the top rated right defenseman, while Hughes and Werenski sit deadlocked atop the list of left defensemen.

The ratings for Makar and Hughes saw no change from NHL 26, in which they were tied as the highest rated defensemen at 95. Werenski’s NHL 26 rating was 92, but was given the three-point bump for NHL 27 thanks to his Norris Trophy-winning 2025-26 campaign, in which he scored 22 goals and added 59 assists for 81 points in 75 games played.

Makar and Hughes are coming off typically elite seasons, though maybe just a touch below their career peaks. Makar posted 20 goals and 59 assists for 79 points in 75 games, representing a 13-point drop from his career high of 92 points the year prior. Hughes, who split last season between the Vancouver Canucks and the Wild thanks to an in-season trade, notched seven goals and a whopping 69 assists for 76 points in 74 games, which fell 16 points shy of his peak of 92 points from the 2023-24 season.

It will be fascinating to see which of these three defenseman, if any, can seperate themselves from the pack next season, or if a new face can jump up and join their ranks.