NHL 17: Review of Elite Teams and Player Ratings Ahead of Release Date

Before the 2016 NHL season begins, hockey fans can get a taste of the action with NHL 17.

The latest video game advances an already popular franchise, featuring enjoyable gameplay, a variety of modes and a realistic look that should keep fans excited.

As Brian Mazique of Forbes argued, "From a visual standpoint, NHL continues to be one of the most attractive sports games available."

Of course, one thing that will remain a point of contention in any game is the ratings given out to the players and teams. This year's version is no exception, with hockey fans likely ready to argue for their favorites and against Sidney Crosby.

Here is an early look at the ratings for the top players and teams around the NHL before the game is released on Tuesday.

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Overall Rating
1	Sidney Crosby	C	Pittsburgh Penguins	95
2	Jamie Benn	LW	Dallas Stars	94
3	Patrick Kane	RW	Chicago Blackhawks	94
4	Drew Doughty	D	Los Angeles Kings	94
5	Alex Ovechkin	LW	Washington Capitals	94
6	Jonathan Toews	C	Chicago Blackhawks	94
7	Shea Weber	D	Montreal Canadiens	94
8	Steven Stamkos	C	Tampa Bay Lightning	94
9	Carey Price	G	Montreal Canadiens	93
10	Anze Kopitar	C	Los Angeles Kings	93
11	Vladimir Tarasenko	RW	St. Louis Blues	93
12	Duncan Keith	D	Chicago Blackhawks	93
13	John Tavares	C	New York Islanders	93
14	Evgeni Malkin	C	Pittsburgh Penguins	93
15	Ryan Suter	D	Nashville Predators	93
16	Jonathan Quick	G	Los Angeles Kings	93
17	Erik Karlsson	D	Ottawa Senators	92
18	Braden Holtby	G	Washington Capitals	92
19	Brent Burns	D	Minnesota Wild	92
20	Victor Hedman	D	Tampa Bay Lightning	92
21	Tyler Seguin	C	Boston Bruins	92
22	Henrik Lundqvist	G	New York Rangers	92
23	Joe Pavelski	RW	San Jose Sharks	91
24	Ryan Getzlaf	C	Anaheim Ducks	91
25	Nicklas Backstrom	C	Washington Capitals	91

Not everyone will be happy to see Crosby listed as the top player, but he continues to prove himself at a high level.

After a slow start to the 2015-16 season, he was outstanding down the stretch with 44 points in 33 games after the All-Star break. The year eventually ended with him and the Pittsburgh Penguins lifting the Stanley Cup.

The 29-year-old center recently explained his effort to avoid a performance like the start of last season, per Sports Illustrated:

"

I won’t rest on my laurels. I just can’t. Winning is special. If last season taught me anything, it was how thin the line is between being “washed up” and lifting the Stanley Cup. I don’t want to struggle like that again. That October to December stretch was awful; the lowest point of my career outside of injury. I’ll put in any amount of work I have to so I don’t have to go through that again.

"

His effort and offensive play clearly make him the top player in hockey at the moment.

Patrick Kane, Jamie Benn and Alex Ovechkin also represent the top offensive players in the sport and are adequately rated by the game.

Among the forwards who might deserve some more credit, look no further than the San Jose Sharks. Both Joe Pavelski (91) and Joe Thornton (90) are coming off strong years where they finished in the top six of the league in points and helped lead their team to the Stanley Cup Final.

Even though they're on the wrong side of 30 years old, they each could easily be among the top 10 or 15 players in the sport.

There will likely also be plenty of debate among the best goaltenders listed. Although not a lot of points separate them, Carey Price is listed as the top goalie with a rating of 93, tied with Jonathan Quick (93) and ahead of Braden Holtby (92) and Henrik Lundqvist (92).

Price was outstanding in his last full season, leading the NHL in save percentage and goals-against average in 2014-15, but he missed most of last year with a knee injury. Quick has obviously proved himself in the past, although consistency has been an issue for him.

NHL Network (via NHL.com) listed Holtby as the top goalie in the league and No. 5 player overall in its ratings, although he is helped by playing behind one of the most talented teams in hockey.

Debate is always fun, but there are plenty of question marks around the individual ratings.

Team	Offense	Defense	Goal
Anaheim Ducks	90	91	88
Arizona Coyotes	86	87	86
Boston Bruins	88	89	93
Buffalo Sabres	89	89	85
Calgary Flames	86	92	86
Carolina Hurricanes	84	87	87
Chicago Blackhawks	92	87	90
Colorado Avalanche	90	90	90
Columbus Blue Jackets	87	91	90
Dallas Stars	92	90	86
Detroit Red Wings	91	93	88
Edmonton Oilers	91	88	85
Florida Panthers	88	88	89
Los Angeles Kings	90	91	94
Minnesota Wild	92	89	89
Montreal Canadiens	87	91	94
Nashville Predators	89	90	94
New Jersey Devils	87	89	91
New York Islanders	90	90	88
New York Rangers	90	93	95
Ottawa Senators	90	89	90
Philadelphia Flyers	90	88	87
Pittsburgh Penguins	90	89	79
San Jose Sharks	90	94	83
St. Louis Blues	92	91	86
Tampa Bay Lightning	93	92	90
Toronto Maple Leafs	89	81	85
Vancouver Canucks	88	90	88
Washington Capitals	91	90	93
Winnipeg Jets	88	91	87

The programmers got a lot right, separating the top teams in the league from the rest. However, there are always places to nitpick.

One area for complaint could be the Dallas Stars, who are accurately portrayed as having one of the best offenses in the NHL (92) while also rating highly defensively (90). The latter is a big question mark, though, because it was the defense that held the team back in the postseason a year ago.

As Rob Vollman of ESPN Insider explained, this problem could be an even bigger hindrance next year:

"

The Stars have the NHL's best offense, but their D may keep them out of the playoffs. @robvollmanNHL: https://t.co/hgBhdweAyp [In]

— ESPN Insider (@ESPNInsider) August 10, 2016"

After losing Alex Goligoski and Jason Demers, the defense provides reason for doubt.

Not to continue praising the Penguins, but they might have a legitimate beef when it comes to the goalie rating. When healthy, Marc-Andre Fleury is solid in net, while 22-year-old Matt Murray was truly the breakout star of the postseason with a 2.08 goals-against average while leading Pittsburgh to the title.

There are likely bigger snubs from your favorite team, but these only give you the chance to take control and improve the weaknesses yourself. 

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.