Raw Talent: Shayne Gostisbehere Review

Shayne Gostisbehere, or GhostBear for those who want an easier way to spell his name, is one of the most exciting young defensmen to burst on the scene last year. He has tremendous offensive talent that he balances with responsible defensive play, which will make him a great denfensemen for years to come. Despite his size, he has made noise in the league, but has he earned a spot on your HUT team?

Skating 8.9: One of Ghost’s most notable attributes in real life and in HUT is his ability to get up and down the ice. His agility(87) and size make him hard to hit, but if he is clipped by a bigger player he will often lose the puck. He can use his speed(87) and acceleration(87) well in both ends of the ice and in transition to: create turnovers, get back into position, blow by defenders on the rush, and work the points in the offensive zone. His skating ability often makes up for his lack of size and physicality. He is a threat to create something with his feet every time he steps on the ice.

Shooting 8.6: Ghost is also known for scoring big goals for the Flyers. His shooting rating is above average and can be a weapon, especially on the powerplay. If your opponent does not cover the point, Ghost can make him pay with a Slap shot power(88) rating, but his accuracy can be a little disappointing at times which is reflected in an Slapshot Accuracy(82) rating. When pinching or playing aggressively with Ghost he can also be a good offensive asset with a wrist shot power of 87, but once again be careful because he can miss the net with WS accuracy of 82. A missed shot with an overcommitted defenseman can be an odd man rush the other way. While he has good power on his shots, I felt EA did not give his accuracy the justice deserved. IMO he could have had at least 84-85 accuracy for both WS and SS.

Hands 8.7: GhostBear has a pretty slick pair of hands to combine with his skating and shooting. Ghost is pretty reliable when using “loose puck dekes” and toe drags. He does not excel with the between the legs deke due to the fact that he needs to maintain higher speeds to avoid being hit. His hands are useful for making a quick move and throwing up a pass for a breakout. His deking(85) ability feels much better than the 85 EA gave him on his base card. His passing(87) can really help whip the puck around the zone. D to D passes and up and down the boards to the wingers are accurate and quick. He really shines on the breakout because of his ability to skate with the puck as well as dish it. His hands, when used effectively, can really help you catch the opponent on their heels.

Checking 6.0: Ghost just does not have the strength(81) or aggression(75) to be an effective hitter. His checking rating(77) is accurate when considering his small frame. He does not really have very many guys smaller than him to knock off the puck, so hits should be used sparingly. His hip check can be used as a way to body block opponents from the puck, but overall you should stick...to stick checking…awful pun

Defense 8.4: This rating was probably the hardest to determine. When looking only at defensive oriented stats:Def. Awareness(85), Stick Checking(85), Discipline(80), Shot Blocking(82) he can be seen as average defensively, but given his speed, I would say he is trending upward. He can be really useful to have on the ice to catch up to opponents on the rush. If you misstep on defense, he can often recover pretty well using his speed, and he can knock down saucers flying through the slot pretty effectively. His agility also makes him very good against dangling opponents because you can often stay with even the most slippery of players. Ghost can get the job done on defense, but he should not be expected to be your shut down guy.

Overall 8.3
Overall Ghost is a good player, but not a well rounded player. I feel he will see niche play and lower division play at defense, but do not be surprised to see him on the wing of some 4th lines because he does have decent speed and offensive upside. Something to keep in mind is that his durability rating at (80) makes him susceptible to injury which would leave you down a dman, so be careful and slippery with him. He is an ok value, but he may be hyped a little because of his fast rise to fame. Stats are messed up this year, but he was a pretty consistent point getter. I played him on D pairing 1 with various partners, PP1, and on the wing for fun. I would say that he could second pairing or third pairing play, as you really want to keep his endurance(83) to make his speed more effective. Depending on where you are in the divisions I would encourage you to try him, but in the end his base card is, in my opinion, not well-rounded enough for the reliability against highly skilled opponents. In the end Ghost's talent is a little to raw and unrefined, but he can still be a weapon if not respected.

Next Review: G Tuukka Rask(88)

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