If you’re yet to learn how to deke in NHL 22, stick around as in this comprehensive guide, I’ll show you how to do all deke variations in this year’s national hockey league.
Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced NHL player, there’re dekes that will put your skills to the test.
Before we break down some of the most popular NHL 22 dekes, let’s take a look at the PS and Xbox controls for all dekes as well as the best players for the job.
All NHL 22 Deke Controls
| Deke | Xbox Controls | Playstation Controls |
| Backhand Toe Drag | R3 + R (Down) | R3 + R (Down) |
| Backhand Toe Drag Flip | R3 + R (Down) + R1 | R3 + R (Down) + RB |
| Backhand Toe Drag Shot | R3 + R (Down) + R (Forward) | R3 + R (Down) + R (Forward) |
| Backhand Toe Drag Pass | R3 + R (Down) + R2 | R3 + R (Down) + RT |
| Left-Handed One Hand Deke | Backhand + L1 + R (right-to-left) | Backhand + LB + R (Right to Left) |
| Right-Handed One Hand Deke | Backhand + L1 + R (Right to Left) | Backhand + LB + R (Right to Left) |
| One-Hand Tuck (Forsberg) | RS (left or right) LB + RB | RS (left or right) L1 + R1 |
| Between-the-Legs Shot | L1 + R3 + R (Up) | LB + R3 + R (Up) |
| Between-the-Legs Pass | L1 + R3 + X | LB + R3 + A |
| Between-the-Legs Saucer Pass | L1 + R3 + R1 | LB + R3 + RB |
| Slip Deke (Must be performed by boards) | Press LB (when near the boards) | Press L1 (when near the boards) |
| Drop Pass | R1 (without using LS) | RB (without using LS) |
| Board-bank Self-pass [Near boards] | Press LB + RT | Press L1 + R2 |
| Behind-the-Net Self–pass | Press LB + RT | Press L1 + R2 |
| Flip Deke | Forehand/Forehand + L1 + R2 | Forehand/Forehand + LB + RT |
| Lacrosse Deke (Michigan) | Aim R3 towards the dominant hand > Hold LB + R3 (press down) + R3 (clockwise from 3 to 9 o’clock) | Aim R3 towards the dominant hand > Hold L1 + R3 (press down) + R3 (clockwise from 3 to 9 o’clock) |
| Stride Deke | L1 + L (to any side) | LB + L (to any side) |
| Fake Deke (Kucherov) | Stride Deke (Forehand) + R (Backhand) | Stride Deke (Forehand) + R (Backhand) |
| Backhand Tap Back Deke | R (Right) + L1 + R (Left) + L (Right) + R (Right) | R (Right) + LB + R (Left) + L (Right) + R (Right) |
| Forehand Tap Back Deke | R (Left to Right) + L1 + R (To the Right) + L (To the Left) + R (To the Right) | R (Left to Right) + LB + R (To the Right) + L (To the Left) + R (To the Right) |
| Jump Deke | LB + Flick RS Up | L1 + Flick RS Up |
| Skate Kick Deke | LB + Press RS | LB + Press R3 |
| Through the Legs Deke | LB + RS (rotate stick down anticlockwise) | L1 + RS (rotate stick down anticlockwise) |
Best Deking Skaters in NHL 22
There’s no secret that besides knowledge of all the controls for the dekes and having perfect timing, you also need to be using a good deking skater if you want to increase your chances of successfully executing the various dekes available.
Below, in no particular order, you’ll find the top 10 best deking skaters in NHL 22.
| Player Name | Deking Score | Shoots | Overall Rating | Team Name |
| Patrick Kane | 97 | Left | 92 | Chicago Blackhawks |
| Connor McDavid | 97 | Left | 95 | Edmonton Oilers |
| Nikita Kucherov | 96 | Left | 92 | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| Artemi Panarin | 96 | Right | 91 | New York Rangers |
| David Pastrnak | 95 | Right | 91 | Boston Bruins |
| Johnny Gaudreau | 95 | Left | 87 | Calgary Flames |
| Mitchell Marner | 94 | Right | 90 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Mathew Barzal | 94 | Right | 89 | New York Islanders |
| Kirill Kaprizov | 93 | Left | 88 | Minnesota Wild |
| Nathan MacKinnon | 93 | Right | 93 | Colorado Avalanche |
If you’re playing NHL Ultimate Team, then it’s worth learning the best ways to get coins in NHL 22 in order to be able to afford one of the above-mentioned players soon.
How to Do the Lacrosse Deke (Michigan)
- Best to Use: Coming from behind to either side of the opponents net
- Xbox Controls: Aim R3 towards the dominant hand > Hold LB + R3 (press down) + R3 (clockwise from 3 to 9 o’clock)
- PS Controls: Aim R3 towards the dominant hand > Hold L1 + R3 (press down) + R3 (clockwise from 3 to 9 o’clock)
- Difficulty: 10/10
The Michigan deke, which is also widely known as the Lacrosse deke is the most rewarding and the most difficult deke to perform successfully in NHL 22.
With this deke, you definitely want to spend a few hours practising in the free skate mode to get the hang of the move as it’s so complex in execution and even more demanding in terms of timing.
To get started with the Lacrosse deke, face forward and stand still. Then, push your right analog stick to the right or the left (depending on whether your player is right or left-handed). Once your RS is aimed towards the dominant hand of your player, hold L1 (for PS) or LB (for Xbox) and press down RS at the same time while keeping it in position.
Your player will do a ducking motion. You can hold that and when you’re ready to execute the Michigan deke, turn the right stick from the right to the left in a clockwise motion.
Note: If you do the turn too quickly, the player won’t pick up the puck and you’ll just do a fake Michigan deke (without the puck). On the flip side, if you go too slow, your player will just drag the puck and roll it on the ice. So, timing the swing is going to be one of the most difficult aspects of this deke that you need to master if you want to successfully execute it every time.
To boost your chances of successfully executing the Michigan deke, get your hands on a skater with a high deking rating. You can find suitable players further down in the best deking skaters in NHL 22 section.
How to Do the Slip Deke
- Best to Use: When an opponent is standing in your way near the boards
- Xbox Controls: LB (when near the boards)
- PS Controls: L1 (when near the boards)
- Difficulty: 2/10
The slip deke is one of the most useful and simple dekes on NHL 22. This deke in particular allows you to go past any defending players near the board by slipping against the boards and going past anyone in your way.
To execute this move, you need to be near the boards, and once there, simply press LB (for Xbox) or L1 (for PS). Then, the player will automatically slip across the boards and bounce off them to come back onto the ice with both feet.
Do note that executing this move isn’t the hardest part. What is more difficult is timing it right so that you can successfully overcome the opponent that is standing in your way.
This move works best when you’re going at full speed, which will give you a better chance of successfully going past your opponent as well as a larger margin for error in terms of timing the deke.
How to Do the Chip Deke (Jump Deke)
- Best to Use: When an opposing player dives at your feet
- Xbox Controls: LB + R (forwards)
- PS Controls: L1 + R (forwards)
- Difficulty: 1/10
The chip deke, which is also known as the ‘jump deke’ is a great maneuver to execute when a forward-facing opponent jumps at your feet. This technique will essentially allow you to jump over them and continue your run forward with minimal slow-down to your speed.
This particular deke is very easy to execute as you’ll only need to press either L1 + R (forwards) for PS or LB + R (forwards). What is more tricky with this deke is the timing. When an opposing player dives in your feet, you will have a very short window to press the necessary buttons and execute the chip deke to go over the player on the ice.
It will definitely take some practice to execute successfully on a consistent basis but once you do, it will be a nice little trick to have in your pocket in time of need.
How to Do the Board-Bank Self-Pass
- Best to Use: Near the boards
- Xbox Controls: LB + RT
- PS Controls: L1 + R2
- Difficulty: 2/10
Using the board-bank self-pass move is exceptionally useful when you have no one to pass the puck to – to distribute the play. This deke is quite similar to the slip deke, which we covered above, with the exception that this time around, you’ll push the skater towards the middle while the puck bounces off the boards to meet you.
This is a great way to go past a single defender and ultimately give yourself the opportunity for a 1v1 against the goaltender.
Executing this move is very simple and so useful, which makes it one of my personal favorites to use in those tricky and tight situations.
To perform the board-bank self-pass deke, simply press L1 + R2 (for PS) or LB + RT (for Xbox).
Note: It’s worth mentioning that your player will get push away quite far from the boards with this play (in order to eliminate and not bump into the incoming player), so it’s vital for you to push down L3 after executing the deke in order to get back possession of the puck.
You can practice this deke on your own in the Free Skate game mode and master it.
How to Do the One-Handed Tuck Deke
- Best to Use: When in 1v1 situations against the goaltender
- Xbox Controls: RS (left or right) + LB + RB
- PS Controls: RS (left or right) L1 + R1
- Difficulty: 8/10
The one-handed tuck deke is another super effective deke in NHL 22, especially when it comes to scoring on breakaways. This deke in particular is only useful when you’re in a 1v1 situation without any nearby defenders that can disrupt your play.
To execute this deke, simply move the right analog stick either to the left (for lefties) or the right (for righties) and then press and hold L1 + R1 (for PS) or LB + RB (for Xbox).
Do note that in order to successfully execute this deke, you need to drag the keeper to the opposite side of where you want to score the deke. The best way to do that is to just skate in that direction and the keeper will naturally follow you (as long as it is an AI goaltender of course).
The timing here is crucial. You can’t mess up dragging the keeper or the move itself, otherwise, it will either go out of play or the goaltender will catch it.
How to Do the Between-the-Legs Shot Deke
- Best to Use: When coming across the goalkeeper’s crease
- Xbox Controls: LB + R3 + R (forwards)
- PS Controls: L1 + R3 + R (forwards)
- Difficulty: 7.5/10
The between-the-legs shot deke is one of the flashiest ways to score a goal and leave the opposing goalkeeper feeling humiliated. While it’s not particularly difficult to execute, it’s certainly very difficult to score with it.
Over the last couple of seasons, we’ve seen many players in the likes of Connor McDavid and Sonny Milano use this deke, which is what has made it so popular amongst NHL 22 players.
To execute between-the-legs deke successfully, your player needs to be right in front of the goalie and ideally without any players around. This is why this deke is best used during breakaway opportunities or from rebounds/counterattacks.
When it actually comes to performing the deke, simply press L1+R3 (for PS) or LB+R3 (for Xbox) to get the puck between your player’s legs. For the final part, flick the right stick to the direction where you want to send the puck.
As this deke is naturally quite weak in terms of shot power, it’s best executed when the goaltender is baffled and unsure of where you’ll direct the shot.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know who the best players for deking in NHL 22 are and the controls to all of the available dekes, it’s time for you to memorize them and go to the free skate game mode to practice them.
Some are easier and will take you a few minutes to master while others – such as the Michigan deke can take you hours if not days and weeks to really get the hang of.
