I'll just get right into it:
- FULL Presentation. I know the NBC licensing is gone, but that was a hell of a feature. Bring back presentation and more cut scenes. I can barely shift strategies during cutscenes as they are. Make it more immersive.
- Minor for me, but customization seems to be what the entire CHEL stuff is centered around, so being able to chance the color of sticks and skates, like what we see players do, would be a cool touch. Fan service if anything.
- Franchise Mode upgrades. There are notices of retirements, expiring contracts, coach firings, and some trades (after the deadline). There should be notices for players on your roster who are considering retirement and coming up on career milestones. Also, years ago, after a Cup win, there would be a short banner-raising ceremony to start the next season. Bring it back. More options to decorate our arena rafters, too. Division championships, conference championships, retired numbers. I think this helps immersion. Controlling more than one franchise has been requested for forever, too.
- STORY MODE!!! I've been saying that Be A Pro needs this, but NHL needs a story mode. FIFA did so much with theirs, I can't see how a hockey story would lack in any capacity, especially with blueprints in films like Youngblood and the like. Spread it out over a couple games. The foundation is already there from other games. And now there's a PWHL to help promote.
- Be A Pro kind of lost me as soon as created rosters couldn't be used in the mode anymore. Bring that back. It was fun to create a bunch of players and see where they ended up while you carve out your career. Also, the mode needs more tracking of the player's actual career. Every season feels like the rookie season over and over again -- and BAP absolutely nails the rookie stuff. It just dies quickly thereafter and this isn't a recent issue. Making the mode replayable seems to be a challenge.
- Tracking awards and trophies was a great addition. I wish the record books were a little longer - maybe the top ten or twenty? Also, the stats track in season stat rankings. Why not franchise or league? That would be cool to see several years into a Franchise Mode and BAP.
- Practice mode in Franchise and BAP that actually impacts skill attributes.
- Bring back the Winter Classic (and all previous locales) and the All-Star Game. The skills competition should be included, too.
Custom leagues and tournaments. Having the World Championships was a cool addition, but I also want to be able to create a tournament again.
