Shot Blocking Help

I personally like to play RD with a left handed shot for better one timers and interrupting the puck in the middle of the ice but I don't think there is any right or wrong way to play in this aspect.

From what I've seen, Hand Eye is mostly an offensive trait as it allows for much better tips and receiving hard and high passes though it stands to reason you could better snag saucer passes but most people don't use them much. On paper, it stands to reason you would start pumping stats into the dedicated shot block skill but from experience, I honestly don't think it really makes a noticeable difference - I personally remove as many points off of it as I can since I don't care about the different "types" of blocks you can do and its very rare to see a shot keep you down on the ice for too long. I don't really like the L1/LB pass block variant all that much either - It becomes slightly faster to initiate with a higher stat, sure, but overall I find it still slow and there are times your stick might not even touch the ice (or they can just saucer over); I think better line of sight and just planting your body is the better call.

The absolute most important stats for a dedicated D man, in my opinion, are stick checking and defensive awareness. The tensile strength of high stick checks makes it easy to sweep pucks and awareness affects loose puck pickups, interceptions, and I believe it helps plug any holes when making a block attempt.

Holding the stick out and sweeping to a side can help direct a puck but that is one of those high skill ceiling kinds of plays and can slow your player down quite a bit if you miss - I personally only go for the full extension when interrupting a slapshot

Hand-eye also helps react to saucer passes for interceptions.

Puck Control & Defensive awareness should be maxed as high as you can get them because they're controlled by the cpu, there is nothing you can do to create better reactions. Its my educated assumption that defensive awareness would also help react for block shots, maybe EA_Aljo​ could confirm this?

DA helps with interceptions and breaking up passes, but it doesn't directly help with blocked shots.

What does "directly" mean? It helps with reactions to the opposing teams, so it may not be "direct" but I can see that reaction helping them animate for a block.

i actaully dont agree with you for stick checking. i bottom out my stick checking for 2 reasons.
1 the stick checking skill imo doesnt add enough of a difference for it to remain entirely skill based of your irl timing and perception.
2 EA for some reason coded it to where you absolutely can not recieve a puck during a poke check or defensive positioning like your professional hockey player isnt smart enough to draw his stick back and grab the puck. Most poke checks that are even succesful regardless of your stat end up back in enemy possetions again anyway. 

im not saying i dont poke check i poke check plenty but the points in that category are to valuable to put into a skill that my half mentally challenged brain can handle on its own

also on the topic of the actual post, based off of the actual description of the skill and all the shots ive blocked in nhl26 shot blocking ONLY effects how bad you react to getting hit by the puck which is fairly important for a stay at home Dman. Everything else about blocking shots is ENTIRELY on the player, youre either in front of the puck or youre not. However ive never (in this game not in real life) had a deflection go directly off of me into the net and if i had its so rare i dont remember. you should focus being in the shooting lane vs not being in the shooting lane if youre just worried about deflections off your body) i keep mine at 90, with hand eye at 90, bottom out my strength and supplement strength with an xfactor(usually no contest because it also helps with puck pickups)

JG as far as what you see when the CPU is blocking shots in different ways its just because their lizard computer brain doesnt have to press buttons to do anything and can react perfectly under pressure. If you hold your poke check button you can defensively position your stick to help block the shooting lane but ive already said my piece on that in my other comment

Defensive Awareness doesn't affect the shot blocking attribute. It just helps fewer pucks reach the net.