NHL 19: Review of Elite Teams and Player Ratings Ahead of Release Date

With hockey season quickly approaching, the release of NHL 19 is a sign that the puck will soon drop to signify the start of the 2018-19 campaign.

NHL 19 will officially hit shelves for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on Friday, and there is already plenty of excitement regarding the video game's arrival to market because of the information EA Sports has released.

The developer recently provided a sneak peak at the 50 highest-rated players in the game, giving fans a good idea of which teams will be the most fun to use.

With NHL 19's highly anticipated release on the horizon, here is a rundown of the top players and teams you will want to control when you fire up the game for the first time.

Top 50 Player Ratings

1. Connor McDavid, C, EDM: 94

2. Sidney Crosby, C, PIT: 93

3. Alex Ovechkin, LW, WAS: 92

4. Drew Doughty, D, LA: 92

5. Carey Price, G, MTL: 92

6. Nikita Kucherov, RW, TB: 91

7. Victor Hedman, D, TB: 91

8. Patrick Kane, RW, CHI: 91

9. Evgeni Malkin, C, PIT: 91

10. Steven Stamkos, C, TB: 91

11. Sergei Bobrovsky, G, CLS: 91

12. Braden Holtby, G, WAS: 91

13. Nathan MacKinnon, C, COL: 90

14. Erik Karlsson, D, OTT: 90

15. Anze Kopitar, C, LA: 90

16. Taylor Hall, LW, NJ: 90

17. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, STL: 90

18. Patrice Bergeron, C, BOS: 90

19. John Tavares, C, TOR: 90

20. Johnny Gaudreau, LW, CGY: 90

21. Jamie Benn, LW, DAL: 90

22. Tyler Seguin, C, DAL: 90

23. Tuukka Rask, G, BOS: 90

24. Claude Giroux, C, PHI: 89

25. Patrik Laine, RW, WPG: 89

26. Auston Matthews, C, TOR: 89

27. Brent Burns, D, SJ: 89

28. Blake Wheeler, RW, WPG: 89

29. Phil Kessel, RW, PIT: 89

30. Mark Scheifele, C, WPG: 89

31. Alex Pietrangelo, D, STL: 89

32. Evgeny Kuznetsov, C, WAS: 89

33. Jonathan Quick, G, LA: 89

34. Devan Dubnyk, G, MIN: 89

35. Brad Marchand, LW, BOS: 88

36. Artemi Panarin, LW, CLS: 88

37. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, ARZ: 88

38. Roman Josi, D, NSH: 88

39. P.K. Subban, D, NSH: 88

40. Aleksander Barkov, C, FLA: 88

41. John Carlson, D, WAS: 88

42. Nicklas Backstrom, C, WAS: 88

43. Ryan Getzlaf, C, ANA: 88

44. Jakub Voracek, RW, PHI: 88

45. Ryan Suter, D, MIN: 88

46. Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, TB: 88

47. Pekka Rinne, G, NSH: 88

48. Matt Murray, G, PIT: 88

49. Frederik Andersen, G, TOR: 88

50. Jonathan Toews, C, CHI: 87

Via EASports.com.

Breaking Down Player Ratings

After leading the NHL in scoring last season with 108 points, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid stands as the uncontested highest-rated player in NHL 19 at 94 overall.

Arguments can be made for other players such as Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (93 overall) or Washington Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin (92 overall) because of their longevity, but it is difficult to go against the clear upward trajectory McDavid is riding.

An easier argument to make is that a few highly rated forwards deserve a bigger boost into the upper echelon.

New Jersey Devils left wing Taylor Hall, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar were the three finalists for the Hart Trophy last season, which is given to the NHL's MVP.

Hall won the award, but all three players were deserving of it. Despite that, they are all rated 90 overall, which places them outside the top 10.

The lack of respect likely has something to do with the fact that Hall and MacKinnon haven't put up huge numbers on a yearly basis, while Kopitar has traditionally bypassed gaudy numbers in favor of perhaps the best two-way game in the NHL.

Aside from that, things largely appear to be in order, with Drew Doughty of the Kings, Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators as the top defensemen.

On the goaltending side, Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens, Braden Holtby of the Caps and Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets lead the way.

Price is coming off an injury-plagued season, but while he may not have earned his 92 rating based on his 2017-18 performance, he has a long history of performing at an elite level.

Despite reaching the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season, the Vegas Golden Knights have no players in the top 50.

Among those who likely should have received spots are goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who finished third in the NHL with a 2.24 goals-against average, and forward William Karlsson, who was third in the NHL with 43 goals.

They should receive a boost during the season if they turn in repeat performances, while New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal, Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel and Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck could find their way into the mix too.

Elite Teams in NHL 19

Washington Capitals

There are plenty of great teams in the Western Conference, but the initial player ratings for NHL 19 suggest that the bulk of the top teams reside in the East this season.

Not surprisingly, the Stanley Cup champion Capitals lead the way, with five players rated inside the top 50.

Along with Ovechkin, Washington boasts Holtby (91), center Evgeny Kuznetsov (89), defenseman John Carlson (88) and center Nicklas Backstrom (88).

The Capitals have a tough road to a repeat, but they are stacked from top to bottom at every position, and they should be fun to use virtually—just as they have been every year for the past decade or so.

Add T.J. Oshie, Tom Wilson and Dmitry Orlov to the mix, and those who play as Washington in NHL 19 will essentially always have an excellent player on the ice.

Tampa Bay Lightning

After falling just short of the Stanley Cup Final last season, the Lightning are poised to get over the hump in 2018-19.

Tampa has four players inside the top 50 in the form of Hedman, right winger Nikita Kucherov, center Steven Stamkos and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.

All of them are top-flight players, but the Bolts also boast plenty of up-and-coming talent that could reach the next level during the upcoming season.

Forwards Brayden Point and Yanni Gourde, as well as defenseman Mikhail Sergachev are ideal examples of that.

To top it off, the Lightning are stacked, with talented veterans such as defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi and forwards J.T. Miller, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Ryan Callahan and Alex Killorn.

There is probably no deeper team in the NHL, and that should give the Lightning plenty of margin for error, even if they endure a significant injury or two.

Tampa has been knocking on the door of a Stanley Cup win in recent years, and the overall talent of its roster suggests 2018-19 could be the season they finally reclaim the silverware.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins' 2017-18 season ended in disappointment when they were ousted in the second round of the playoffs by the eventual Stanley Cup-winning Capitals.

Pittsburgh had always had Washington's number in the postseason before that, but the loss created some questions with regard to whether the Pens' Cup window is closing.

NHL 19 seems to disagree with that notion, as Crosby, center Evgeni Malkin, right winger Phil Kessel and goalie Matt Murray give the Penguins four top-50 players.

Perhaps there is some reason for concern when it comes to the supporting cast, but there should be enough there for another run.

Forward Jake Guentzel is ready to take the next step after a great playoff run, defenseman Kris Letang is elite when healthy and winger Patric Hornqvist is coming off a 29-goal season.

Pittsburgh will be in the Stanley Cup conversation for as long as Crosby and Malkin are playing at a high level, and their presence ensures a great gaming experience in NHL 19 as well.