Have you played the demo? My personal opinion is that the skating engine alone is worth the pick up. It has its own little quirks and what not, but it is MILES ahead of 12. Other things that might help- the BuildyourAI breathes new life into the game, and the default AI isn't too horrible.
If rosters are your concern, there are a bunch of different roster projects available for download, each geared on its own particular focus, but you gots options.
If you haven't played the demo, do so before making your decision. But there are a bunch of things that make this an upgrade over 12.