Toxic community?

There's a pretty straightforward way they could fix the ragging problem, but I don't think they'd ever implement it:  make puck control more realistic.

There's a reason why real NHL players don't try to dipsy-doodle the puck behind and around their own net if they can avoid it.  It's way too risky.  It's so easy for even a single forechecker to strip a player of the puck.  But in EA NHL you can twist and turn and skate right into opponents and never really have to worry about losing the puck.  Heck you can skate right into the boards and not lose the puck ( and I'm not talking about pinning either ) with full ability to spin out in either direction quickly while maintaining complete control of the puck.

Ragging would end pretty quickly if players could lose control of the puck on the boards or the net.  Or if the forechecker had a more realistic chance of separating the puck carrier from the puck.  Or even if sticks would no longer be able to phase through players and other sticks.

But I don't expect this to ever make it into the game.  People have become used to a certain unrealistic level of puck control, and given the limits to how much control we have over our player's stick some unrealistic things are probably a necessary evil.  I would imagine making these type of changes would end up being unpopular in general.