NHL 24 gives players the chance to live the life of an NHL star by creating their own player and dominating the World of Chel. Scorers get the glory, so you’ll want to make sure you have the best winger build for your skater when you hit the ice for your club.
The Best Winger Archetype in NHL 24
A lot of factors and attributes go into determining your skater’s strengths and weaknesses in NHL 24. The biggest one of these is your player’s archetype. Think of this as your skater’s overall play style. You can choose to be a dangler like Pavel Datsyuk or a pure sniper like Artemi Panarin or Alex Ovechkin. If you’re more of a Sidney Crosby type of player, maybe the Playmaker archetype is the best one for you.
Left and right wingers are relied upon for scoring in hockey, while the center often racks up higher numbers of assists. There are exceptions to this, of course, but most players playing wing in NHL 24 will want to choose an archetype that fits that mold. Two archetypes tend to be stronger choices for the wing positions.
The first is the Dangler archetype. Danglers are strong at deking and puck control and can weave their way through traffic effectively with a lot of creativity. If you like deking around defenders before making the goaltender look like a fool, the Dangler archetype is probably for you. Their weakness is their strength and durability, so while they have great puck control, they are susceptible to the physical game.
The second great option is the Sniper archetype. Snipers have excellent shot power and accuracy and are absolutely lethal when they get a good one-timer off. If you don’t like to play with a lot of deking but want to score some goals, this archetype is probably a good fit for you. Snipers are very weak defensively, though, and tend to be a liability in the defensive zone, so you had better produce on the other end.
The Best Winger Zone Abilities
Archetypes aren’t all, though. There’s a lot more that goes into building your skater, starting with Zone Abilities. Zone Abilities are special skills that help differentiate your player from the many others with the same archetype. As with archetypes, some are better than others, and you’ll need to find the ones that best accentuate your play style.
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Danglers need to have a lot of mobility, so the Elite Edges ability makes a huge difference. It enables you to have great maneuverability even when at top speed. Another great option is the Ankle Breaker ability, which enables you to deke other players while at top speed. Speed kills in NHL 24, so enabling one of those abilities at top speed gives you an advantage.
If you’re a sniper, it’s all about getting that lethal shot away. The One Tee ability, unlocked at level 50, increases the effectiveness of one-timers. It also allows you to get the shot away when the pass is less than perfect. Heatseeker and Close Quarters are also good choices, as they increase shot power and accuracy from distance or in-close, respectively.
The Best Goalie Superstar Abilities in NHL 24
You’ll find a much bigger selection in Superstar Abilities than you did in Zone Abilities, but there’s a catch. These abilities offer a specific trait for your skater, but they’re unlocked randomly. You’ll find them in the gear bags you earn from leveling up your pro. There’s a few you’ll want to be on the lookout for, though.
Superstar Abilities are split up into three categories: Offensive, Defensive, and Athleticism. It’s a smart move to always put one of them into something in the Athleticism category, especially if it boosts your acceleration or speed. Once you’ve earned them, you’ll want to equip the following superstar abilities:
- Shock and Awe – Advanced power and accuracy shooting out of, or shortly after a deke.
- Send It – Increased pass assist with advanced ability to auto saucer long passes.
- Close Quarters – Advanced power and accuracy when taking wrist/slap shots in close proximity to the net.
- Elite Edges – Advanced maneuverability with the ability to turn tight corners while retaining high speed.
NHL 24 Winger Boosts
Finally, boosts give your player attribute boosts in the categories you assign them for. There are over 30 boosts to earn across the following categories: Technique, Power, Playstyle, Tenacity, and Tactics.
You can only assign two boosts, so you’ll have to be pretty selective. Here are some we recommend once you’ve unlocked them:
- Unbreakable Strides – Adds +2 to your Acceleration attribute.
- Power Skating – Adds +2 to your Speed attribute.
- Controlled Wrister – Adds +2 to your Wrist Shot Accuracy attribute.
- Power Wrister – Adds +2 to your Wrist Shot Power attribute.
Here’s hoping you dominate the ice and help lead your EASHL team to championship glory this year in NHL 24 with this pick for the best winger build.
If you’re looking for more coverage of the game, check out all our NHL 24 articles.
