A season simulation from EA SPORTS™ NHL® 16 predicts that the Anaheim Ducks will take down the Montreal Canadiens and become 2016 Stanley Cup® Champions, earning their second championship in nine years. They will also become the ninth team in NHL history to win both the Presidents’ Trophy and the Cup in the same season. The Ducks will be led to victory by captain Ryan Getzlaf and alternate captain Corey Perry, with the 2016 Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player to his team in the Stanley Cup Playoffs also going to Perry.
Watch the season play out in this
NHL 16 Season Simulation video. For more details, visit the
NHL 16 Season Simulation blog.
Other key storylines from the 2015/16 season include:
- The Anaheim Ducks will defeat the Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference Final. The Montreal Canadiens will defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final.
- After missing the Playoffs last season, the Los Angeles Kings will return to the postseason in a bid to win their third Stanley Cup® Championship in five years. The Kings’ Playoff run will end in the first round, losing in seven games to the Calgary Flames.
- After finishing last in the NHL standings in 2015, the Buffalo Sabres put together a solid season and just miss out on the Eastern Conference Playoffs by a mere two points.
A number of individual players also made the spotlight in the NHL 16 simulation:
- With 55 goals under his belt, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will take home the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy.
- In addition to closing the season in the Top 15 in scoring, Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid will establish himself as the league’s top rookie by taking home the Calder Memorial Trophy.
- Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby will pile up the awards, including the Hart Memorial Trophy, Art Ross Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award.
- Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price continues his dominance in the crease and will take home his second consecutive Vezina Trophy honor. Price joins legends like Martin Brodeur, Dominik Hasek and Patrick Roy as goalies who have won the Vezina in consecutive years.
A simulation is conducted by artificial intelligence or logic of the videogame that uses real-life data from each player. Results are extrapolated by the videogame when two teams match up based on player ratings, line combinations, and include variances such as injuries and hot streaks to give a realistic outcome of a game or series.
What do you think? Does NHL 16 have it right, or is another team going to win the Stanley Cup this season? Sound off with your predictions in the comments!
