The clunkyness of modern NHL games..

I’d suggest actually going back and playing NHL 14. At first glance it feels smooth, sure but once you get your hands on it, you start to appreciate just how many layers of nuance have been added to the gameplay engine over the past 12 years.

NHL 26 is significantly more complex than ’14, and a lot of the perceived “downfall” of the series stems less from genuine gameplay failures and more from the increased responsibility the modern game places on players. That said, lingering bugs and a stale presentation certainly don’t help.

There are absolutely legitimate concerns out there, but there are also plenty of players who struggle with or simply don’t want to adapt to the added demands on both sides of the puck.