Ryan Leonard is one of the brightest prospects in hockey, but according to an NHL 26 simulation, he’s set to become one of the greatest players in NHL history.
EA Sports released NHL 26, the latest version of their popular video game series, earlier this month, and recently used their in-game simulation engine to predict what Leonard and three other top rookies, Ivan Demidov, Michael Misa, and Matthew Schaefer, will accomplish in their careers.
The social media posts of their results went viral, as the game predicted that the four young talents would soon become NHL legends. The digital version of Leonard recorded 1,452 points (681g, 771a) in 1,523 career games, winning two Hart Trophies, one Conn Smythe Trophy, and two Stanley Cups along the way.
Leonard scoring 681 goals would put him just in front of Luc Robitaille (668) and just behind Teemu Selanne (684) for the 13th most goals in NHL history. The 20-year-old forward took the news of his apparent future well at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Wednesday, although he may be getting teased by his teammates for the digital results.
“Excuse my language, but I got enough s*** already,” Leonard joked. “If that’s my career, so be it, but that’s a long way to go. What was it, 1,500 games? I don’t know how old I’d be. Forget about all the goals and the assists, 1,500 games, that’s a lot of ice time.”
Leonard was then reminded that his captain, Alex Ovechkin, is just nine games away from becoming the 23rd player in league history to reach the 1,500-game mark.
“If I can play until I’m 40, good for me,” Leonard said.
Leonard has a long way to go to match the video game version of himself, scoring just one goal in nine regular-season games for the Capitals last year. The Massachusetts native is expected to play his first full NHL season this year, likely slotting somewhere within the Capitals’ top-six forward group.
And, while they may have caused him some unwanted locker room attention, the EA Sports NHL franchise still appears to remain in Leonard’s good books.
“I’m not very good when I play,” Leonard said. “I usually lose, but it’s fun.”
Leonard will likely get his first taste of the NHL preseason on Thursday, as he was part of the Capitals’ projected game group at training camp on Wednesday. The Capitals are traveling to Hershey, Pennsylvania, to play the Philadelphia Flyers at Hershey’s Giant Center.
