NHL 22 ratings got rolling last week with some reveals looking at specific attributes, but it's cover athlete Auston Matthews who becomes the first overall rating revealed.
We've got all the details on Auston Matthews in NHL 22, his overall rating, and what else you need to know about him in this year's game.
NHL 22: Auston Matthews rating revealed
NHL 22 kicked off their ratings reveals last week with some top 10s featuring the players who held high ratings in particular attributes, but they didn't drop any overall ratings.
That's finally changing this week with the spotlight turning first to NHL 22 Cover Athlete Auston Matthews!
The star of the Toronto Maple Leafs will officially have a 92 OVR rating in NHL 22, putting him in the upper echelon but likely outside of the top spot.
Superstar X Factor: Shock and Awe
With the introduction of Superstar X Factors in NHL 22, it's no surprise that this year's cover athlete was among the elite 50 players who received one.
On top of getting an X Factor, the one chosen for Auston Matthews is unique to him, and no other player in NHL 22 at launch will have this X Factor ability.
Matthews has "Shock and Awe," which will allow him to boost shots after dekes, a potentially powerful weapon if paired with good deking in NHL 22.
The full description on the NHL 22 website states the X Factor Ability means your player will "get exceptional power and accuracy shooting out of, or shortly after, a successful deke."
HUT 22: Auston Matthews
While we're still waiting on more news about HUT 22, but a handful of cards were revealed not long after X Factor Abilities started to come out.
Auston Matthews received one of the first cards, which puts him with an 88 OVR rating in HUT 22, which is the same rating given to the initial Leon Draisaitl card in the preview, though Draisaitl's graphic noted his rating wasn't final.
Auston Matthews will of course bring his Shock and Awe ability into HUT 22, and it looks like that may not be locked into place.
As seen above, the reveal also noted "X-Factor Upgradeable Items" with the possibility to customize synergies and upgrade abilities.
We're not sure yet how that will play into HUT 22, but it's sure to be a crucial piece of the puzzle as players try to craft their ideal Ultimate Team this year.