NHL 21 Ratings: Fastest skaters revealed! Release date, pre-order & more

By Toby DurantHead of Content

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Speed kills in sports, and hockey is no different.

EA have revealed the fastest players in NHL 21.

Are there any surprises?

Top 3 Fastest Players in NHL 21

There's no surprise that Connor McDavid is atop the list of fastest skaters in the new game.

His electric speed is nothing new, and he could be at the top of this list for a long, long time!

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Let's break down the top 3.

Connor McDavid - 97 Speed

Connor McDavid is one of the brightest young prospects in the NHL, and this carries over into his NHL 21 ratings.

connor mcdavid cover star NHL 21 speed ratings
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FLASH: McDavid has been a cover star for the NHL series

At just 23-years-old, McDavid has made the NHL First All-Star Team three years straight and is captain of the Edmonton Oilers.

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While McDavid is a multi-faceted threat from the Center position, his speed stands out as the highest in NHL 21 by a very large margin at 97.

Matt Duchene - 94 Speed

Matt Duchene is a veteran NHL Center who's been an important part of many rosters over his career.

Matt Duchene NHL 21 fastest players
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BEEN AROUND THE BLOCK: Veteran Center Matt Duchene is no stranger to NHL success

Duchene signed a seven-year deal with the Nashville Predators in 2019, so we can expect him to be a consistent presence for the team for some time.

READ MORE:NHL 21: Gameplay Trailer Reveals New Features

Duchene enters NHL 21 as one of the fastest players in the game, and his talents shooting the puck round out a hard to defend skillset.

Taylor Hall - 94 Speed

Taylor Hall is beginning a new chapter in his career as a new member of the Arizona Coyotes.

Taylor Hall NHL 21 speed rating
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RESUME: Taylor Hall is ready to show he still has it as a member of the Arizona Coyotes

The Left Winger is a dangerous talent with All-Star level skills. As one of the top 3 fastest skaters in NHL 21, you'll have be careful giving him open ice.

Fastest Players in NHL 21

While the above players stand out as the top 3, these are the top 10 fastest skaters in NHL 21!

Player
Team
Speed
Connor McDavid
Edmonton Oilers
97
Matt Duchene
Nashville Predators
94
Taylor Hall
Arizona Coyotes
94
Nathan MacKinnon
Colorado Avalanche
94
Cale Makar
Colorado Avalanche
93
Dylan Larkin
Detroit Red Wings
93
Jack Hughes
New Jersey Devils
93
Johnny Gaudreau
Calgary Flames
93
Mathew Barzal
New York Islanders
93
Quinn Hughes
Vancouver Canucks
93

NHL 21 release date

NHL 21 will release on 16 October for all players, but some will hit the ice three days early.

You can get this 3-day early access with the Deluxe or Great Eight editions of the game, and of course there will be an EA Play trial too.

What about next-gen?

NHL 21 lands just a month before next-gen consoles do.

So should you wait for the Xbox Series X or PS5 before buying NHL 21?

Well, no. EA has said that this year's game has been designed with the current-gen consoles in mind, and that while it will benefit from next-gen load times, there aren't any special features or upgrades that will come with the new consoles.

READ MORE: NHL 21 - Revealed ratings & OVRs