Best Base HUT Cards in NHL 25

Summary

• NHL 25’s HUT mode features events like Fantasy and Next-Gen, influencing player OVR numbers.
• Starting a HUT team requires base cards obtained from booster packs, competitions, and the Auction House.
• The best player suggestions for HUT include players from both the NHL and PWHL.

In NHL 25, players can collect various cards and build their dream team in the Hockey Ultimate Team (or HUT) game mode. EA has been adding event cards to HUT since release, with popular events returning. Those events include the Fantasy event, which follows real-life statistics and players from both the National Hockey Leage and the Professional Women’s Hockey League, and the Next-Gen event, which shines a light on the rookies and younger players in the game, with their OVR numbers being influenced by their ranking on the Calder Trophy ladder.

But if players want to start their Hockey Ultimate Team, they will have to play the game and get some of the base cards to start off their HUT career. Some ways to get those cards include ripping open booster packs in the store, competing in HUT Moments, and buying cards in the Auction House. Though some of the players in the Auction House, even the base ones, can go for quite a sum of Credits.

10 84 OVR Ann-Renee Desbiens

Montreal Victoire

• Height/Weight: 5′ 9″/161 lbs
• Synergy: Deking Boost
• Position: Goaltender

Desbiens is a great option for players looking to start their Hockey Ultimate Team. She has a great stat pool with well-balanced numbers in key stats for a goaltender, like Speed, Agility, and Positioning. The other key benchmark for goaltender success, particularly in the HUT Champs match made PvP game mode, is height.

Desbiens is not the tallest, but she has the stats that let her base card compete against most other base cards. Some alternatives include: Aerin Frankel, Klara Peslarova, and Abbey Levy.

9 84 OVR Connor Hellebuyck

Winnipeg Jets

• Height/Weight: 6’4″/207 lbs
• Synergy: Defensive Boost
• Position: Goaltender

Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets is a monster in net. His Speed, Agility, and Positioning are not the best overall, but he makes up for that with his height and Defensive Boost synergy. He has been a staple go-to goaltender when players begin their HUT journey, and as a result, his average price in the Auction House is quite inflated.

Now that some events in NHL 25 have come and gone, players have likely moved on to some of the better, higher OVR goalie cards in the game. Connor Hellebuyck also has an event Gamebreakers card with slightly boosted stats at an 85 OVR. Some alternates include: Jake Oettinger, Igor Shesterkin, and Sergei Bobrovsky.

8 84 OVR Natalie Buchbinder

Minnesota Frost

• Height/Weight: 5’8″/150 lbs
• Synergy: Two-Way Defenseman
• Position: Right Defense

With the PWHL cards being added, they have shaken up the status quo for the best base cards and best strategies in NHL 25. Her Defense stats are all in the 90s, pairing well with her Checking and Skating abilities. Her synergy of Two-Way Defenseman, once activated, boosts her Hands, Skating, and Defense just a little higher to compete with the other cards.

Her shot is borderline average in the offensive zone, so players shouldn’t expect to score very often from the blue-line with Buchbinder. Some alternate cards include: Cayla Barnes, Charlie McAvoy, and Drew Doughty.

7 84 OVR Cale Makar

Colorado Avalanche

• Height/Weight: 6’0″/187 lbs
• Synergy: Offensive Defenseman
• Position: Right Defense

Cale Makar, being the Cover Athlete for the previous NHL 24 game, is an excellent card. His Skating, Shooting, and Hands stats are all very top-notch for a defenseman. His Shooting stats are complemented by the Offensive Defenseman synergy, raising both Makar’s accuracy and power on wrist shots and slap shots to a lethal level.

Makar also has some event cards, such as the Star of the Month 87 OVR Makar and the Cover Athlete 85 OVR Makar card. Some alternate cards are Adam Fox and Erin Ambrose.

6 84 OVR Kendall Coyne

Minnesota Frost

• Height/Weight: 5’5″/126 lbs
• Synergy: Two-Way Forward
• Position: Left Wing

With Minnesota Frost being the inaugural Walter Cup champions, they have the bulk of the better players that have been added to the NHL 25 roster so far. Coyne has a solid shot, good Hands stats, and great endurance. She can score goals for players’ HUT teams with the Two-Way Forward synergy, giving her some boosts in not only offensive stats but defensive stats, too.

Unfortunately, with her smaller stature, she can be body-checked off of the puck easily, but her skating and defensive stats let her back-check effectively. Some alternate cards include Brad Marchand and Emma Maltais.

5 83 OVR Kirill Kaprizov

Minnesota Wild

• Height/Weight: 5’10″/202 lbs
• Synergy: Sniper Forward
• Position: Left Wing

Kirill Kaprizov is a goalscorer for any HUT lineup. His shooting accuracy and power is already stellar, but with his Sniper Forward synergy active, it becomes one of the highest shooting stats on a base card in the game. However, the drawbacks of having one of the most lethal shots is that Kaprizov’s checking and defense is sub-par at best.

He’s on the shorter side, too, which means that bigger bodied skaters can knock him over frequently. Kaprizov also has a Next Gen 87 OVR event card. Some alternate base cards include Filip Forsberg and Alex Ovechkin.

4 84 OVR Hilary Knight

Boston Fleet

• Height/Weight: 5’11″/172 lbs
• Synergy: Power Forward
• Position: Right Wing

Hilary Knight’s base card is a very good option for the Right Wing. She has some well-balanced stats before adding the Power Forward synergy into the mix, with great endurance, hands, and checking. Overall, the Power Forward synergy is one of the weaker options, adding only 1–2 points to each affected stat.

Despite that, she is a competitive card for the base set of HUT cards that can be found for cheaper at the Auction House than other options at this OVR. Alternate cards include Natalie Spooner and Grace Zumwinkle.

3 84 OVR David Pastrnak

Boston Bruins

• Height/Weight: 6’0″/196 lbs
• Synergy: Sniper Forward
• Position: Right Wing

Pastrnak’s base card is the best option for the Right Wing with the Sniper Forward synergy active. It boosts his shot accuracy to the low 90s, making him the best pure RW Sniper in the game. Pastrnak also isn’t a complete liability on defense, with his defensive stats being mediocre at best. However, as he isn’t the tallest or the heaviest, Pastrnak can be countered with a big checking body.

Pastrnak has an Off the Charts upgradable card, finishing with an 86 OVR. Some other great Right Wingers include Nikita Kucherov and Mitchell Marner.

2 85 OVR Hannah Bilka

Minnesota Frost

• Height/Weight: 5’5″/140 lbs
• Synergy: Two-Way Forward
• Position: Center

In NHL 25 Hockey Ultimate Team, most of the forward cards in the game are Centers. They are responsible for taking the face-offs for the team in order to get possession of the puck first. Bilka’s Face-Off stat sits at 79 with her Two-Way Forward synergy active, making her okay at face-offs.

Despite her face-offs, Bilka has great, well-rounded stats to back her up as a first or second line center for any budding HUT player. Some alternates include Brianne Jenner and Marie-Philip Poulin.

1 85 OVR Connor McDavid

Edmonton Oilers

• Height/Weight: 6’1″/194 lbs
• Synergy: Playmaking Forward
• Position: Center

For a base card, Connor McDavid stands alone as the most sought after base card in Hockey Ultimate Team. His synergy of Playmaking Forward only complements his ludicrous Skating and Hands stats. He can go end-to-end with ease, skating past most player cards in the game without breaking a sweat. His face-off stat, though, is average.

As a result of these best in position stats, his price at the Auction House is very, very high. McDavid also has three event cards, being an 89 OVR Frozen Forces, 87 OVR Milestones, and a Season 1 upgradeable X-Factor card up to an 89 OVR.