NHL 13 Player Ratings: Best Grades from EA's Latest Edition

EA Sports released its player ratings for its hit hockey game, NHL 13, and naturally, it has hockey fans buzzing for its release date of September 11 (September 7 via EA Season Pass).

EA's latest version has improved graphics, true performance skating, active and intelligent goalies and much more.

Sidney Crosby and Pavel Datsyuk earn the game's top honor of highest ranked players at 95 overall. While those ratings are debatable, here are three that I think EA nailed:

Ryan Miller: 92 overall

EA made Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller the highest-rated goalie in the game, awarding him with 91 speed, 91 vision, 90 glove high, 91 glove low, 90 stick high and 92 stick low.

The nine-year veteran posted a 2.54 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage and six shutouts, making him deserving of the best overall rating for a goalie.

The thing about EA and NHL 13 is that the developers didn't just base their ratings off of last season's statistics, but rather the individual aspects of each players game, as evident by Miller's glove and stick handling.

Say what you want, but EA got this one right.

Evgeni Malkin: 91 overall

Pittsburgh Penguins stud Evgeni Malkin is known for his scoring abilities and laser slap shot, which EA properly attributes in NHL 13.

A 90 slap shot accuracy, 91 slap shot power, 92 wrist shot accuracy and 90 wrist shot power are what the developers at EA came up with, and it's hard to disagree.

Malkin posted 109 points during the 2011-2012 regular season, including 50 goals, while he carried the load offensively for the Penguins while Sidney Crosby rehabbed from injury.

The '11-'12 season marked the third time in his career that Malkin has surpassed the 100-point mark in a season.

Given both Malkin and Crosby's rankings, players may want to consider starting a franchise with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Zdeno Chara: 91 overall

Every team needs that big, burly defenseman who can limit the offensive production of the opponent's wingers, and that's exactly how EA built Zdeno Chara.

Chara comes equipped with a 95 body check, 90 fighting skill and a 95 slap shot power, as he has one of the hardest clappers in the NHL.

The 6'9", 255-pound defenseman ranked No. 4 in the NHL last season in points among defenseman and played exceptionally well on the power play.

Chara is one of the rare combinations of a bruiser and a scorer, and EA paid tribute to his skills in NHL 13.

You can find out more rankings at ESPN.

Follow me on Twitter. EA gave me a 99 rating: Follow @Pete_Schauer