Carolina Hurricanes' forward Andrei Svechnikov scores with the Michigan move in NHL 21
(Screenshot: EASportsNHL (Youtube).

NHL 21 is coming soon. The latest installment of the EA Sports NHL franchise is set to release on October 16th 2020 on Xbox One and Playstation 4.

It’s already been announced that Washington Capitals’ captain Alex Ovechkin will be the NHL 21 cover athlete, and now we’re getting an idea of all the new features that will be coming to the game.

One particular area that the producers have really focused on improving is creative dekes. NHL 21 will feature several unique moves that have developed in popularity across the NHL over recent years.

Here’s a look at the confirmed moves coming to NHL 21:

1. Andrei Svechnikov “The Michigan”

The famous lacrosse goal or the “Michigan Move” as many like to call it will be coming to NHL 21. This is a goal scored by placing the puck on your stick blade behind the net and controlling it in the air before tucking it in the upstairs corner of the net.

There was some concern that this could become a “glitch goal” and would be abused by online players, but it appears that the move is going to be very difficult to pull off. Carolina Hurricanes’ forward Andrei Svechnikov is the only NHL player to successfully pull off the move in a game, so it’s good to hear that the move will be just as difficult to execute in the video game.

According to Nasher, the move can be executed by holding the puck on the forehand + holding LB + holding in the right analog stick + swinging the right analog stick from 8 o’clock to 4 o’clock.

Here’s a look at how the move will look in the game:

Here’s the move being pulled off by Svechnikov in an actual NHL game:

2. Nikita Kucherov “No Move”

Nikita Kucherov’s famous “No Move” will be coming to NHL 21. This is a move done in a breakaway scenario in which the player makes it seem as if he going to shoot or deke, but instead simply does nothing at all with the hopes that that goalie will be tricked. Players often wave their stick over the travelling puck in hopes it will add to the trickery.

According to Nasher, the move can be executed by holding LB, pushing the left sick to 3 o’clock (to initiate stride deke), then moving the right stick to 9 o’clock (to leave the puck).

Here’s a look at how the move will look in the game:

Here’s Kucherov pulling off the move in an actual game:

Here’s Auston Matthews attempting the move in an actual game:

3. Sidney Crosby “Off the Net” Move

Sidney Crosby’s famous move where he passes the puck off the net to himself will be coming to NHL 21. This is a move done when a forward skates around the opposing net before chipping it off the net to himself and reversing — in hopes it will evade the pressuring defender.

This move certainly isn’t exclusive to Crosby, but he’s become one of the best at executing it to perfection. One of the best examples of that was in a game against the Minnesota Wild in the 2019-20 regular season:

The ever-so-crafty Johnny Gaudreau of the Calgary Flames is also very good at using the net to his advantage in the offensive zone.

Here’s a clip of how the move will look in the game:

 

UPDATE:

For step-by-step instructions of the Kucherov deke, click here.

For Step-by-step instructions of the Michigan deke, click here.