EA has begun releasing its first set of ratings for players in NHL 15. The five best goalies in the game are now known, and you can read EA's blog about it here. Some familiar faces on the list, but a couple of other notables as well.

(5) Pekka Rinne — 91 rating
 

It's a bit odd seeing Rinne make the list, as he's been battling injuries the last two seasons. His stats over those two seasons, obviously, have been a far cry from what we're used to seeing out of the big Finnish netminder, and that makes you wonder just where he'll land when he comes back to fully duty for Nashville this year.

His NHL totals are certainly buoyed by his sparkling two years of dominant output (2010-11, 2011-12), but there are too many goalies who've had shaky returns from long-term injuries to lock in this year's performance with absolute confidence. I certainly have no quarrel with Rinne being a 90 goalie at least, but putting him in the top 5 might be a bit strong considering what he's been through. For reference, he was a 90 goalie in NHL 14, so it's a bit odd to see him go up in rating after an injury-plagued season. His glove high rating and three overall category ratings (5 stars) appear unchanged.

(4) Tuukka Rask — 92 rating
 

Rask has quietly put up awesome numbers in a back-up capacity for Boston for some time now, but last year proved that he can carry the starter mantle and continue to put up great numbers. His eye-popping .930 save percentage and excellent 2.04 GAA are great indicators, and seven shutouts is nothing to scoff at either. About the only thing to take issue with is the fact that he hasn't been tested over multiple seasons in a starting capacity, but his numbers in the games he has played have been tremendous.

As a playoff performer, Rask has also proved more than capable, putting up even better averages and totals than his season numbers, even in losing post-season campaigns. As a comparison, Rask was an 87 overall in NHL 14, so he's received a considerable boost up to a 92. EA has obviously buffed his reflex and athleticism numbers in order to make up this gap.

(3) Carey Price — 92 rating
 

While he only got a bump of one point from NHL 14, Carey Price is certainly one of the most deserving to be in this top five. There's no doubt that his stats were good — 2.32 GAA, .927 save percentage, six shutouts — but this rating also seems motivated by Price's stellar Olympic performance for Canada as well as his very strong showing in Montreal's three-round playoff run.

Price's GAA numbers have been pretty mediocre over the years in Montreal, but last year was definitely a re-emergence for him. With youth on his side (he's only 26), it seems like the sky is the limit for Price. A top-five spot and a 92 rating seems quite fair, especially considering his impressive body of work last season.

(2) Jonathan Quick — 93 rating
 

The top two spots for the NHL 15 goalie ratings aren't going to be much of a mystery, as they both involve the two Stanley Cup finalists as well as arguably the league's best overall stoppers. Jonathan Quick didn't put up the same numbers in last year's playoffs that he did in LA's previous Stanley Cup run, but he still made the saves he needed to make and he got wins (and his numbers were just fine). Similarly, his season totals this year also weren't as high, but they were hardly anything to quarrel with.

Some goalies are just winners, and Quick is one of those guys. He certainly has the benefit of playing on a dynamic offensive team that has an absurd cocktail of youth, speed and skill, but he also knows how to support that team with consistency and very strong overall numbers. His NHL 14 rating was a 91, but a bump up to share the top spot (93 rating) seems more than appropriate for a guy who has two Stanley Cup rings in three years.

(1) Henrik Lundqvist — 93 rating
 

Sharing top honours with Jonathan Quick is his counterpart from the Stanley Cup finals of 2014, Henrik Lundqvist. The King was busy being being kingly once again last year, piling up more impressive season stats, an awesome playoff run and another great Olympics. He's certainly not showing any signs of slowing down either, even though he's the oldest of this top-five group (32 years old).

Like Quick, King Henrik received a two-point bump to get to 93 this year, and EA made a note of saying that his three overall ratings were five stars (which makes me wonder if they're adjusting some of the other top guys who had five stars last year). I think this is a proper recognition of a goalie who has been good for so long, and it splits the difference between Lundqvist's raw goaltending ability and Quick's strong play that's supported by a better offense. Either way, a deserving top dog.
 

It's hard to really disagree with too much of EA's thinking here, as these guys generally are the best of the best. About the only goalies I could see an argument for in this top five would be Sergei Bobrovsky, Corey Crawford or Cory Schneider. Bobrovsky seems like the biggest possible snub, but clearly his body of work is much smaller than the others. Still, the guy has put up great numbers so far, including some Olympic and World Championship appearances. Then again, all of these guys will likely fall in the 88-91 range for ratings, so it's not really that much of a snub.

What do you think, OS? Are these guys the deserving top five? Any other omissions?