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Vegas Golden Knights: Guessing who will have the best rating on NHL 20

By Andrew Steele-Davis

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 19: Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs speaks after being revealed as the cover athlete for EA Sports' "NHL 20" video game during the 2019 NHL Awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on June 19, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 19: Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs speaks after being revealed as the cover athlete for EA Sports' "NHL 20" video game during the 2019 NHL Awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on June 19, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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SAN JOSE, CA – APRIL 23: Shea Theodore #27 of the Vegas Golden Knights warms up prior to Game Seven of the Western Conference First Round against the San Jose Sharks during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on April 23, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CA – APRIL 23: Shea Theodore #27 of the Vegas Golden Knights warms up prior to Game Seven of the Western Conference First Round against the San Jose Sharks during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on April 23, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images) /

The Blueline

There is no doubt that Shea Theodore should receive the biggest upgrade in ratings among Vegas Golden Knights defensemen in NHL 20. The blueliner enjoyed a career year in 2018-19 and he’s quickly establishing himself as one of the best young defenseman in the game.

Finishing the year with career-highs in goals (12), assists (25) and points (37), Theodore still has plenty of room to further develop and hone his craft, thus making him one of the most exciting and intriguing players to watch in a Golden Knights uniform this year.

As a result, his rating of 83 in NHL 19 should jump to an 85 or 86 OVR in NHL 20 and, given that ratings are updated every month based on real-life performances, that rating could continue to grow as 2019-20 progresses.

Nate Schmidt should also see his rating spike based on his dominant play last year despite missing the first 20 games due to suspension, while Deryk Engelland could drop a rating or two given his age and the fact that he endured a down year in 2018-19.

The Golden Knights boast a wealth of talent on the blueline in the farm system, and the likes of Nic Hague, Jimmy Schuldt, Jake Bischoff and Zach Whitecloud will have the opportunity to win a roster spot for opening night. As a result, their ratings could all be slightly higher in this year’s edition of the popular video game.

We’ve taken a crack at trying to figure out the NHL 20 ratings for the defensemen…

Shea Theodore – 85 OVR

Nate Schmidt – 84 OVR

Brayden McNabb – 82 OVR

Jon Merrill – 82 OVR

Deryk Engelland – 79 OVR

Nick Holden – 78 OVR

Jimmy Schuldt – 72 OVR

Nic Hague – 70 OVR

Jake Bischoff – 68 OVR

Zach Whitecloud – 68 OVR

Dylan Coghlan – 66 OVR

Finally, let’s move on to the goalies…

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