Chicago Blackhawks
As a St. Louis Blues fan, adding the Blackhawks into this list was incredibly painful, but they definitely earned it. After winning the 2014-2015 Stanley Cup, the Blackhawks made changes to their team but essentially they’re still one the best in the league. The high-scoring combo of both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, the Blackhawks are hard to shutdown offensively.
Their weakest link is their goalie, Corey Crawford. Even though he’s an excellent goaltender in real life, his NHL 16 counterpart seems to let in easily handled goals. To counter this, make sure you’re playing a physical game with the Blackhawks’ excellent defensemen and making the most of your top lines when on the ice.
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers have some of the best stats in the game, but don’t get cocky when playing them in NHL 16. Just like any team in the game, they can easily be outmaneuvered on the ice. The best part of New York’s team is the extremely talented goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who will commonly stop whatever your opponent throws your way.
The Rangers also have a extremely talented left winger in Rick Nash, who seems to score every time the pucks get passed to him. Just keep in mind, some of the better players online in NHL 16 will try to contain him, so use other talented players on the ice such as Ryan Mcdonagh to snag those quick goals.
Washington Capitals
Washington arguably has the best NHL player on their team with Alexander Ovechkin, so with that in mind, be prepared for your opponent to stop him at whatever cost. You can use this to your advantage, as online opponents can be overzealous when it came to stopping Ovechkin, drawing penalties. You can apply the pressure if your opponent gives you a powerplay early; again, use this to your advantage.
Another member of Washington’s squad that you should take notice of is the newly acquired T.J. Oshie. Although he has the tendency to fall over in real NHL games, his character in NHL 16 seems to do just fine staying on his skates. Using him, along with the always dangerous Nicklas Backstrom, you can be sure to have high scoring games.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Even though they aren’t exactly blowing down the competition this year in the real NHL, the Penguins in NHL 16 are a might team. Obviously any team with Sydney Crosby will do wonderful and just like Ovechkin, players online will attempt to stop in at all costs.
What’s different about this year’s Penguins is the addition of Phil Kessel. It effectively added another top-tier goal scorer to an already talented team. He shoots incredibly hard in-game and seems to have pinpoint accuracy on the ice. With a balanced goalie in Fleury, the Penguins can easily frustrate even the most talented NHL 16 player.
Nashville Predators
Even though the game sets New York Rangers with the highest goalie level, I would argue that the Nashville Predators are the most talented in-between the net. Pekka Rinne is a complete brick wall for any shooter attempting to get a puck past him. Rinne’s speed and flexibility can easily stop top shooters like Ovechkin and Crosby.
They also have a great offensive weapons in Shea Webber and Fillip Forsberg, who can easily slap pucks into the net. Nashville is one of the most balanced teams in NHL 16, and with Rinne in goal, has to be one of the most frustrating to play against.
Keep in mind, any team in NHL 16 can be competitive. Don’t let stats keep you from playing as your favorite team if that’s what you want
Do you feel like any team in NHL 16 has a distinct advantage? Let us know in the comments below!
