Connor McDavid leads NHL 26 with a 97 OVR, boosted by 98 in Passing, Speed, and Offensive Awareness. Nathan MacKinnon and Leon Draisaitl sit at 96 OVR, while Nikita Kucherov also lands at 96 but trails McDavid in key stats. The top 10 also features Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, Aleksander Barkov, Sidney Crosby, David Pastrnak and Connor Hellebuyck. The first batch of Heroes and Icons for Hockey Ultimate Team introduces players like Hemsky, Roenick, Tkachuk, Naslund, Blake, Chara, Chelios, Pronger, Lundqvist, Thornton, Fedorov and Selanne, with more to come during the season.

Fantasy players should map out cornerstone centers and elite defensemen early, leveraging McDavid as a season-long anchor while weighing the depth around Edmonton, Colorado, and Tampa Bay for stacking options. The Heroes and Icons boost HUT rosters across teams, offering fresh upside and new pairing possibilities as the season evolves.