New NHL 15 Roster Update Raises Rookie Ratings, Improves CHL

Feature Article

Submitted on: 12/11/2014 by Jayson Young

Electronic Arts has released a new roster update for NHL 15 to reflect recent player injuries, line changes, and team transactions. Five NHL rookies have also received slight ratings increases:

Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary) -- 76 overall to 81 overall
Victor Rask (Carolina) -- 69 overall to 74 overall
Aaron Ekblad (Florida) -- 75 overall to 81 overall
Filip Forsberg (Nashville) -- 77 overall to 81 overall
Jori Lehterä (St. Louis) -- 77 overall to 80 overall

EA's twitter account also states that there were "big changes to CHL rosters." PlayStation 4 and Xbox One owners, however, likely won't be thrilled by that announcement, since CHL teams can only compete in single-game exhibitions or best-of-seven tournaments, and cannot be used inside Be A GM, Be A Pro, or the still-missing Season mode.

At first glance, the five rookies' new ratings might seem like significant improvements, but compared to the rest of the NHL 15 roster, these rookies will still skate slow, shoot weak, play dumb, and feel unskilled on the ice.

Filip Forsberg's new 81 overall rating, for example, merely moves him up from being the worst forward on the Predators to the second-worst forward on the team in NHL 15, despite the fact that Forsberg leads the club in points and continues to excel on their first line in real life.

Jori Lehterä's 80 overall rating, likewise, leaves him as the third-worst forward on the St. Louis Blues, despite the fact that his "S-T-L" line has produced the first-, second-, and third-most points on the team.

Lehterä's linemate in St. Louis, Vladimir Tarasenko, whose 17 goals is currently tied for third-best in the NHL, still carries the same middling 85 overall rating that he's had since NHL 15's release day, as it does not appear that any veteran skaters have had their ratings adjusted in this update, just the handful of rookies listed above.

While Wednesday's update is better than nothing, it's also done nothing to change NHL 15's status -- and the NHL series' reputation -- for having some of the least accurate rosters in sports gaming. NHL 15 could offer a much better on-ice experience if it supported fan-made edits, yet on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, users still cannot alter any of the athletes' ratings, and are forced to rely on the halfhearted roster files that Electronic Arts continues to release.

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Member Comments

# 1 teebee @ 12/11/14 11:28 AM

So they updated and you are still complaining? TIRED ACT

# 2 TheKid40 @ 12/11/14 11:39 AM

Really wish if you updated the rosters that the rosters would be downloaded to your current GM Mode. What a bother.

# 3 snc237 @ 12/11/14 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teebee


	So they updated and you are still complaining? TIRED ACT

Well it was a pretty piss poor update considering this has been the only ratings changes this far and the rosters themselfs only get update once a month. Every other sports game has an update at least every week and they are pretty detailed. In NHLs case it's like they draw straws at the last minute and who ever loses gets the burden of updating the rosters. However we should have seen this coming, the NHL series has always been like this for roster update so I don't know why we are complaining. It's nothing new until they say otherwise.

# 4 AdamJones113 @ 12/11/14 12:10 PM

Well written. It seems as if this was an update for the sake of being able to say an update was released, rather than an update for the sake of an update. Would EA like to tell us what, in fact, they changed in the CHL? If anyone on OS can chime in with the CHL updates I'd appreciate that very much.

The ability to edit players would have made this game a lot different, and perhaps more importantly, would have affected the way it is publicly treated by customers and EA. Or, why not add a Revamped guy or two and get solid, consistent roster updates?

# 5 desperado462 @ 12/11/14 12:10 PM

Why won't they just allow roster sharing? AND, more importantly, ALLOW us to edit player attributes DURING a season in progress..what is the big deal? Then we can keep our current GM game updated...MLB The Show allows this..I don't get why EA is so anti-roster editing

# 6 Moose24x @ 12/11/14 01:05 PM

It's welcome for some guys to receive the boost but a ton of young players were ignored still and, worse in my opinion, since the young players will at least improve in a season or two, is that guys like Rene Bourque and Brendan Morrow and Olli Jokinen are still drastically overrated. Guys who are declining/flat out sucking need to receive ratings adjustments. Don't just raise the handful of popular 'name' rookies to appease the masses who aren't concerned with the less known players. Do an actual update to the ratings.

# 7 jyoung @ 12/11/14 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheKid40


	Really wish if you updated the rosters that the rosters would be downloaded to your current GM Mode. What a bother.

Yep, I like the way that Konami does it in their Pro Yakyuu Spirits series:

After downloading a new roster in PYS, the game will ask you if you want to apply that roster to your existing season/franchise files or if you just want to leave your files alone and keep them as they were.

# 8 MizzouRah @ 12/11/14 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheKid40


	Really wish if you updated the rosters that the rosters would be downloaded to your current GM Mode. What a bother.

Agreed... this should be standard by now.

# 9 DBj386 @ 12/11/14 05:46 PM

These rosters continue to be thrown together once a month with zero care or attention detail. They updated a few rookies. But players like Brodie, lecavalier, and countless others stay at the same rating despite deserving increases/drops. They have removed Pens top prospect Derrick Pouliot from the game for some reason despite playing in the AHL all year. He was a 75 ovr with elite potential and had been in the game since launch.

# 10 Moose24x @ 12/11/14 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DBj386


	These rosters continue to be thrown together once a month with zero care or attention detail. They updated a few rookies. But players like Brodie, lecavalier, and countless others stay at the same rating despite deserving increases/drops. They have removed Pens top prospect Derrick Pouliot from the game for some reason despite playing in the AHL all year. He was a 75 ovr with elite potential and had been in the game since launch.

Exactly. It's great they increased the few hot names that everyone has been clamoring for but they didn't actually improve the overall rosters at all otherwise. So many guys like LeCavalier and Jokinen are insanely overrated for this point in their careers. And plenty of lesser known players are still deserving of upgrades.

# 11 ericromain @ 12/11/14 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MizzouRah


	Agreed... this should be standard by now.

This has been my main barrier that keeps me out of GM or season modes. I just want the rosters to reflect the real life current rosters.

Also, i wish EA would let the rosters be managed by the community. I understand they aren't resourced well enough to keep the day-to-day line up ready to go, but if reddit can post a game thread with the current line ups every game, surely the EA NHL fan community could. Just give us the ability.

# 12 TNKNGM @ 12/11/14 09:12 PM

Is David Pastrnak in the game yet?

# 13 canucksss @ 12/12/14 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desperado462


	I don't get why EA is so anti-roster editing

Several reasons I can think of:

1. No matter what numbers the put, ALL PLAYERS PLAY THE SAME WAY (line 4 Forwards/D3 Defense plays the same like L1 F and D1 Dmen.

2. Exposes their lack of attention to details - OS members are far better in creating rosters than EA.

3. Gameplay will not show you the difference even if they a higher attribute or not.

I am very sure many can still add their reasons why EA is not allowing us to edit rosters. Its already 2014 and we have now powerful consoles, still shocking why EA is not allowing this. There is/are reason/s whey they are not allowing us to have a complete control of the game we already bought.

# 14 jyoung @ 12/12/14 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TNKNGM


	Is David Pastrnak in the game yet?

He is not listed on Boston's roster.

# 15 gator3guy @ 12/13/14 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyoung


	He is not listed on Boston's roster.

He's on Providence.

# 16 tabulaRasa @ 12/13/14 07:06 AM

Top 20 player in nhl, leader of +\- by far, junior Word Champion star, top draft pic, in nhl 15 upgraded to 81. Wow, 81!

# 17 tabulaRasa @ 12/13/14 07:07 AM

World that is, stupid autocorrect

# 18 tabulaRasa @ 12/13/14 07:13 AM

Forsberg is Way better. Nashville wouldnt trade him for top elite players. Washington were morons trading him, everyone WHO watched juniors knew that.

# 19 headzapp @ 12/13/14 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheKid40


	Really wish if you updated the rosters that the rosters would be downloaded to your current GM Mode. What a bother.

I've always wanted that in every sports game. Have an option to have your franchise mode to update and match the real rosters. Also I wish, especially in NHL we could have our own set lines for online play. Even calling up players from the AHL. I glitched the system once a few years where Reaves from the Blues was in the AHL and I somehow got him on the NHL roster for online. I could never figure it out again.

# 20 stevendah @ 12/14/14 01:44 AM

Captains and player equipment is still wrong.

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