EA Sports releases 2026-27 simulated season ahead of Opening Night
Video game company simulates upcoming year on NHL 27, selects Oilers as champions
By NHL.com
Just in time for the start of the new NHL season, EA Sports released its 2026-27 season simulation on Monday.
The NHL 27 sim predicted an Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup championship, in seven games over the Buffalo Sabres.
According to the #NHL27 Season Simulation, Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are lifting the Stanley Cup after taking down Buffalo in 7. 🔮🏆See how the bracket played out, final season standings, and who took home the individual hardware below. 👇 (1/2) 🧵 pic.twitter.com/2caVPcgboI
View post on XEA Sports has the Oilers defeating the LA Kings in six games in the first round, before taking down the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 7 of the second round.
Edmonton is simulated to face off against the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final, a six-game victory for the Oilers to put them into the Stanley Cup Final.
In the East, the Sabres start their simulated playoff run with a seven-game win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, then another seven-game series victory over the Florida Panthers in the second round.
The Eastern Conference Final features yet another seven-game series for the Sabres, this time triumphing over the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes, setting up the Stanely Cup Final against the Oilers.
In addition to the Oilers’ Stanley Cup, the EA Sports simulation has Connor McDavid picking up a whole lot more hardware: the Hart Memorial Trophy as the League’s MVP, the Art Ross Trophy as the League’s scoring leader, the Ted Lindsay Award for most outstanding player, and the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs.
Teammate Leon Draisaitl is the simulated winner of the Maurice Richard Trophy as the League’s top goal scorer.
Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Gavin McKenna wins the simulated Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year, Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy earns the Vezina Trophy as goalie of the year, Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov earns the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the League’s best defensive forward and Avalanche coach Jared Bednar earns the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year.
In the simulation, Bednar leads the Avalanche to the Presidents' Trophy with the League’s best regular season record and Cale Makar earns the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the League’s best defenseman.
How close will this simulation be? We’ll find out starting on Tuesday at 5 p.m. during the NHL’s season-opening triple header on ESPN.
