It’s one of the most anticipated Hockey Ultimate Team events of the year. But Fantasy Hockey had a crazy launch in NHL 26. The event upset many fans and drove auction house prices up even more than usual. Still, there are great cards to be had — if you can afford them.
What Is Fantasy Hockey In NHL 26?
Fantasy Hockey is typically introduced into Ultimate Team right before the start of the NHL season. The cards are some of the most sought-after in NHL 26, as they upgrade throughout the season based on the player’s real-life performance. Upgrades are entirely based on goals scored. Here’s how they work:
- For defensemen: +2 OVR for every goal scored by the real-life player
- For forwards: +1 OVR for every goal scored by the real-life player
Because the upgrades are based solely on goals, defensemen receive 2 OVR points for each goal. You won’t find superstars like Connor McDavid or Cale Makar in Fantasy Hockey. They will score a ton and earn many special cards throughout the season anyway. This event is meant to give you a chance to have a 99-overall version of a player who would likely never have one otherwise. If the player has a good start to the season, their Fantasy Hockey card could quickly turn into one of the best in NHL 26 Ultimate Team.
Who Are The NHL 26 Fantasy Hockey Players?
Fantasy Hockey features 10 Master Set players and more than 20 Base players. Master Set players have good perks, but often aren’t the most expensive cards in the Fantasy Hockey event.
Master Set:
- Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues
- Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars
- Matthew Barzal, New York Islanders
- Devon Toews, Colorado Avalanche
- Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Taylor Hall, Carolina Hurricanes
- Brendan Gallagher, Montreal Canadiens
- Oliver Bjorkstrand, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Brady Skjel, Nashville Predators
- Jared Spurgeon, Minnesota Wild
Of these players, Barzal is probably the best pull if you can get him. Bjorkstrand is also poised to have a sneaky good season in Tampa Bay. Of the base cards, the best ones are:
- Dylan Cozens, Ottawa Senators
- Alexis Lafreniere, New York Rangers
- Filip Chytil, Vancouver Canucks
- Andrew Mangiapane, Edmonton Oilers
Cozens is already off to a strong start for the Senators, so he would be a great add for anyone with the coins. A lot of coins.
NHL 26 Fantasy Hockey Drama
Most players understand that at least some aspects of Ultimate Team are a money grab. As long as EA gives enough good value to make it fun, we players ignore the worst of it. Until it gets to be too egregious, that is. And EA Sports has crossed that line with the rollout of Fantasy Hockey in NHL 26.
In order to get one of the Master Set players, you need 40 Fantasy Hockey collectibles. That doesn’t sound so bad. But it takes one of these three options to get 40 collectibles:
- 600 80-OVR players
- 100 82-OVR and 100 81-OVR cards
- 39 84-OVR and 26 83-OVR cards
Those insane prices have driven costs up in the auction house, too. Fantasy Hockey cards are always expensive, but the aforementioned Dylan Cozens card is around 2 million coins in the store. There aren’t many better ways to drive players away from an event.
EA promised changes—hopefully, there will be a revamped addition to the event later in the season. For now, there are other events that fans will find a little more manageable.
