Dekes are very important in NHL 23, fulfilling various functions like faking out opponents and creating space. There are numerous different kinds, but they can be tough to execute. Practice each of them first before engaging in competition against the AI or real players.
In terms of controls, there are two things to keep in mind. Moving the puck to the forehand requires pressing right on the right stick for right-handed shots and left for left-handed shots. Moving the puck to the backhand, you need to shift the right stick to the left for shooting from the right hand. When shooting, move the right stick to the right to shoot from the left hand.
Here are the controls for all the dekes for Xbox and PlayStation, respectively:
- Backhand/Forehand – Right Stick (Backhand control) + Right Stick (Forehand control)
- Forehand/Backhand – Right Stick (Forehand control) + Right Stick (Backhand control)
- Backhand Toe Drag – Press Right Stick/R3 + Down on Right Stick
- Backhand Toe Drag Flip – Press Right Stick/R3 + Down on Right Stick + RB
- Backhand Toe Drag Shot – Press Right Stick/R3 + Down on Right Stick + Up on Right Stick
- Backhand Toe Drag Pass – Press Right Stick/R3 + Down on Right Stick + RT/R2
- Left-Handed One Hand Deke Backhand + LB/L1 + Up and rotate to left on Right Stick.
- Right-Handed One-Hand Deke – Backhand + LB/L1 + Up and rotate to the right on Right Stick.
- One-Hand Tuck (Forsberg) – Forehand/Backhand + LB/L1 (Hold) + RB/R1
- Between-the-Legs Shot – LB/L1 + Press Right Stick/R3 + Up on Right Stick
- Between-the-Legs Pass – LB/L1 + Press Right Stick/R3 + RT/R2
- Between-the-Legs Saucer Pass – LB/L1 + Press Right Stick/R3 + RB/R1
- Slip Deke (Must be performed by boards) – LB/L1
- Touch Deke (Loose Puck Deke) – LB/L1
- Chip Deke – LB/L1 + RT/R2
- Windmill Deke – LB/L1 + Right Stick (Left/Right)
- Toe Drag – Down and rotate to the left on the Right Stick.
- Spin-o-Rama – LT/L2 + Forehand/Backhand
- Drop Pass -RB/R1
- Board-Bank Self-Pass (when near the boards) – LB/L1 + RT/R2
- Behind-The-Net Self–Pass – LB/L1 + RT/R2
- Flip Deke – Backhand/Forehand + LB/L1 + RT/R2
- Lacrosse Deke (Michigan) – Forehand + LB/L1 (Hold) + Right Stick + Down and rotate to the right on Right Stick
- Lacrosse Flip Pass Forehand + LB/L1 (Hold) + Press Right Stick/R3 (Hold) + RB/R2 (Hold) + Right Stick (Counter-Clockwise)
- Stride Deke – LB/L1 + Left Stick (Left)/Left Stick (Right)
- Fake Deke (Kucherov) – Stride Deke (Forehand) + Right Stick (Backhand)
- Backhand Tap Back Deke – Right Stick (Right) + LB/L1 + Right Stick (Left) + Left Stick (Right) + Right Stick (Right)
- Forehand Tap Back Deke – Down and rotate to the right on Right Stick + LB/L1 + Right Stick (Right) + Left Stick (Left) + Right Stick (Left)
- Jump Deke – LB/L1 + Press up on Right Stick
- Flip Shot – Press Right Stick/R3 + Right Stick (Down) + RB/R1
- Skate Kick Deke – LB/L1 + Right Stick (Down)
- Through the Legs Deke – LB/L1 + Down and rotate right on the Right Stick.
Through the Legs Dekes and Flip Shots are good against real players, while Slip Dekes, Touch Dekes, Windmills, and One-Hand Dekes are good against all kinds of opponents. Make sure there’s enough space around when performing a deke since it leaves you quite open.
How to Qualify for HUT Champions
Much like previous titles, qualifying for HUT Champions requires playing HUT Rivals. You must earn 2,000 Points, which are earnable through weekly and daily bonuses. You’ll also get points on the field in a match, and consecutive wins provide even more. Playing more Rivals matches earns more points. Division ranking and a Rival’s rank when the week concludes also determine the number of Points received.
NHL 23 is out now for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5. Check out our official review here.