You and everyone else have the option to opt out.
You can wait until next year, and go next-gen.
Me, I'll pay my $
90 (I'm not from the US).
That's the way it is, and you either roll with it, or you don't.
NHL could (should!) be on a 2-3 year cycle, with full support in terms of roster updates in the meantime.
But since you won't be paying for roster updates, there's no incentive for EA to change the way it works.
So this is what we get, a yearly game, with all the problems
that gives you. A yearly cycle with a fixed release date is always going to cause problems. That's why goalie contact was removed, broken glass or whatnot. They're in production, and something that doesn't worked get pulled, whereas another game would get delayed.
Anyway, I like what I'm seeing, but in fear of repating myself, I'm saying that every year. I think I even said that last year.