I have the game and I'm really enjoying it so far.
Here’s a rambling, hodgepodge review of the game (played on Pro/Full SIM):

There are still some legacy issues facing the series (docile teammate’s, body checks that don’t result in a turnover of the puck, or the downed opponent is able to get up and recapture the puck without much resistance).
But overall, there are enough subtle changes in the game that I think this is the best hockey game EA has produced since NHL 2004 and NHL07 (my two previous favourite iterations in the series).

There is more player separation (finally!). Players, both human and CPU, can no longer stick handle in a phone booth if the player has weak puck control attributes.
The puck will go sailing off their stick if they try moves outside of what their DNA allows.

Teammate AI has gotten smarter too. They’ll fill open spaces to provide more passing lanes. My most recent game against Edmonton, if I weaved around the offensive zone, my wingers would fill the gaps and provide passing options.
And while I still think they’re too docile, I have noticed them hustling to hound puck carriers and covering open guys in the slot.
The new tie-up feature works pretty good and is a welcome addition to helping on the defensive side of the game.

Presentation hasn’t changed much, but they’ve added a few nice touches.
I traded for Jagr in my franchise mode and on a comment was made when he scored his first goal in a Senator uniform. It was also displayed on the score bug.
(BTW, Jagr looks exactly like his real life self. The likeness is insane).
I’m also relocating the Sens to Baltimore (my first choice was Milwaukee but I burned that bridge when I demanded too much), and Doc and Eddie have made comments about the upcoming move often during games.

The puck physics are improved as well. I’m seeing higher variety of goals. It’s still not as good as 2K’s IMO, but it’s much better than years past.

Overall, I’m very pleased with this year’s game. More so than I was with previous iterations.
To be honest, I loved – no, adored, NHL07. I thought that year’s game did a terrific job of creating different player types. Snipers felt different from playmakers, who felt different from grinders, etc.
But NHL08 took a step back in that regard, IMO. And I never really enjoyed any of the versions that followed.
In NHL17, I can see and feel a more exaggerated difference between player types. If I have the puck with Chris Neil, I want to pass it off to a someone with better puck control immediately. He’s great at skating in straight lines, checking and being a front-net presence and not much else (offensively speaking).
I hadn’t felt that in a hockey game since NHL2K10.

This could be the first time in a long time where I will be playing an EA hockey game for more than the first 2 weeks after purchase.