Speaking for the offline experience and at a high difficulty a lot of these issue don't persist. Goaltending is actually a bit better then last year, is it perfect, no it is not. There is still some weird animations but at least this year at high difficulty goalies make you work for goals (user controlled teams and AI). Most of my games are close in average shots (24-20 as an example) and scores reflect that style of game (depending on how each goalie plays), average scores are 3-2, 2-1, 4-3. The boost by a defenseman and cross crease goal is not frequent at all, the spin in the corner and in front of the net is still there but defense will cover it better so its not guaranteed either.
The green Tee one timers in offline were never OP to start with and with the last nerf they are even more rare. Now I can go 4-5 games without one going in even if I green it. I need to make sure there is some kind of screen in front of the net to have a chance on most.
The skater movement is better overall, allowing more movement and helping to set up actual powerplay in zone plays.
AI is still hit or miss but overall is better then NHL 24. I find that if there is a player alone it usually comes down to my mistake or placement or going for a hit instead of playing the puck.
There isn't much to anything for super speed offline - higher speed players can beat some defense men but they catch up 90% of the time if you go behind the net. Also, its more common if you use stamina strategically (which was something that was non existent in NHL 23 and 24 - where speed and stamina were OP and non realistic).
I'd say the graphics are better and worse at the same time. Some of the player models and faces look better but other parts have not changed or worse (missing the ice show while skating and to some degree show build up).
NBA isn't a great comparable as it does offer a lot more but also monetizes 1000 times more. So you said paying $70 but if this had the same format of 2K it would $70 + upwards to $50 to $200+ depending on which modes you play online ( I do agree that competition would be ideal for NHL as a whole)
