It looks like they may have finally made some real improvements to year's game:
18 was the last one I bought and the last one I played with any regularity was 16. Honestly I can't tell the difference between those two versions, each other, and this one.
You're not alone with that. I know myself and I'm sure most other people couldn't tell the difference either. The one thing I found interesting is the new contextual shots. The awkward shot animations in certain conditions always bothered me in NHL. It would be nice if this new feature actually eliminated that.