Marner and Nylander, each earning a 91 overall, also share the same rating as Sam Reinhart who is ranked fourth.
Ahead of the 2024-25 NHL season and the highly anticipated release of EA Sports’ NHL 25, the top 10 right wingers were unveiled on Monday. Among them are Toronto Maple Leafs star forwards Mitch Marner and William Nylander, who secured the fifth and sixth spots, respectively, with an overall rating of 91.
EA Sports released these rankings ahead of the October 4 release (the normal version) of NHL 25. Notably, Marner and Nylander’s 91 rating ties them with Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, who placed fourth.
The top 10 right wingers list is as follows:
1. Nikita Kucherov (95 overall - 44G, 100A, 144P)
2. David Pastrnak (95 overall - 47G, 63A, 110P)
3. Mikko Rantanen (93 overall - 42G, 62A, 88P)
4. Sam Reinhart (91 overall - 57G, 37A, 94P)
5. Mitch Marner (91 overall - 26G, 59A, 85P)
6. William Nylander (91 overall - 40G, 58A, 98P)
7. Clayton Keller (89 overall - 33G, 43A, 76P)
8. Mark Stone (89 overall - 16G, 37A, 53P)
9. Lucas Raymond (88 overall - 31G, 41A, 72P)
10. Andrei Svechnikov (88 overall - 19G, 33A, 52P)
For Marner, this year’s 91 rating is a slight dip from his 92 overall at the start of the 2023-24 season but still reflects his status as a reliable two-way winger. In 2022-23, Marner posted a career-high 99 points (30G, 69A) in the regular season and added 14 points (3G, 11A) in the playoffs.
It’s important to remember these rankings accumulate on an annual basis.
Although his 2023-24 totals were slightly lower at 85 points (26G, 59A) in 11 fewer games and his lowest since the 2020-21 shortened season, the drop seemingly resulted in a small decrease to his rating – earning him a 91, for the time being.
Nylander, on the other hand, received a well-earned upgrade to a 91 overall rating after beginning the 2023-24 season with an 89 overall rating. He’s coming off a career-best season in which he tallied 40 goals for the second consecutive year, alongside 58 assists and 98 points. In the postseason, he only appeared in four games but was a significant presence scoring three goals across Game 6 and 7.
The Leafs rewarded the Swede for his strong play, signing him to an eight-year, $92 million contract extension with an average annual value of $11.5 million per season, solidifying his place in Toronto’s long-term plans. It’s safe to say he was bound to earn an overall bump, but the ratings fluctuate as anticipated annually.
Comparing the Leafs' duo to others on the list, it's clear they could potentially move higher based on point production alone. Besides, the two ranked among the top 10 overall in the NHL Network’s top 20 wingers (combined both left and right wingers) in August, placing eighth (Nylander) and tenth (Marner).
In those rankings, Nylander placed ahead of Reinhart (ninth), and both outperformed:
- Kyle Connor (91 overall EA rating for left wingers, 15th NHL Network)
- Filip Forsberg (90 overall EA rating for left wingers, 14th NHL Network)
- Jake Guentzel (90 overall EA rating for left wingers, 16th NHL Network)
- Brady Tkachuk (89 overall EA rating for left wingers, 12th NHL Network)
- Alex Ovechkin (89 overall EA rating for left wingers, 19th NHL Network)
There has been speculation that the Leafs may try Nylander up the middle to fill the void at center in 2024-25, but it would certainly take away from the Leafs boasting one of the strongest right-winger duos in the game.