NHL 27 Ratings Reveal Encouraging Bruins Trend Beyond David Pastrnak originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Bruins’ biggest star remains one of hockey’s undisputed elite players, but the team’s newly released NHL 27 ratings also spotlight a promising development below the top of the roster. EA Sports placed 10 Bruins among the game’s top 300 players ahead of its Sept. 11 release, according to Boston Hockey Now. David Pastrnak leads Boston with a 95 overall rating, good for seventh among all NHL players.
Pastrnak is the only Bruin inside the game’s top 50, yet the ratings suggest Boston may have more offensive support around its superstar than it did a year ago. Morgan Geekie made the Bruins’ biggest jump, Pavel Zacha earned an increase and newcomer JJ Peterka immediately became one of the roster’s five highest-rated players. Video game ratings carry no weight once the puck drops, of course. Still, they provide another reminder that the Bruins’ supporting cast made considerable progress around its franchise cornerstone.
David Pastrnak Remains In Elite NHL CompanyPastrnak’s placement should surprise no one after he produced his fourth consecutive 100-point season. The Bruins winger established a career high with 71 assists and climbed from ninth to seventh in EA’s overall player rankings. His 95 rating trails only Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov among right wings.
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— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) August 17, 2026Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Kucherov and Leon Draisaitl are the only forwards rated ahead of Pastrnak. That is extraordinary company, but it also illustrates how heavily Boston continues to lean on its premier offensive weapon. Pastrnak is the Bruins’ only skater rated above 89 and their only player in the top 50.
Jeremy Swayman and Charlie McAvoy are the next Bruins on the list. Both received 89 overall ratings, with Swayman sitting just outside the top 50 and McAvoy checking in at No. 53. Swayman is ranked as the game’s sixth-best goaltender after recording his first 30-win season. He finished 31-18-4 with a 2.71 goals-against average and .908 save percentage while placing third in Vezina Trophy voting.
McAvoy remained at an 89 despite registering the best offensive production of his NHL career. Pastrnak, Swayman and McAvoy were Boston’s only representatives inside the top 100.
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Morgan Geekie’s Rise Changes Bruins’ Offensive OutlookThe most revealing Bruins rating may belong to Geekie. EA elevated the forward from an 83 in NHL 26 to an 87 in NHL 27 following his breakout 39-goal season. The four-point increase moved him into the same rating tier as Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier, who scored 41 goals, and Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev, who scored 37.
Geekie is now Boston’s fourth-highest-rated player and the top Bruin outside the established trio of Pastrnak, Swayman and McAvoy. Peterka follows at 86 overall after joining Boston. He ranks 152nd overall and 47th among wingers, giving the Bruins another respected scoring threat near the top of their lineup.
Zacha also received recognition for his career-best season. His rating increased from 84 to 85 after he finished with 30 goals and 65 points. Those improvements matter because Boston cannot expect Pastrnak to generate nearly all of its offense. Geekie validating his breakout, Peterka settling into his new surroundings and Zacha sustaining his career-best production would give the Bruins a considerably deeper attack.
The ratings also reflect balance on defense. Nikita Zadorov, Mason Lohrei and Hampus Lindholm each received an 85, placing all three between Nos. 237 and 241. Elias Lindholm completed Boston’s top-300 group with an 84 rating.
EA’s assessment is hardly a season prediction, but it captures the Bruins’ central challenge. Pastrnak already is rated like a championship-level centerpiece. Boston’s ceiling will depend on whether its newly recognized supporting cast can play like one.
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