PuckSleuth
26Cap hit
$3M
2.9% of $104M cap
Term
1 yr
Through 2026-27, then UFA
Clause
None
Surplus value
+$798K
vs. $3.798M market estimate
Confirmed by the public signing announcement · source
2026-27 regular season
GP
2
Goals
0
0.0% shooting
Assists
1
1 primary
Points
1
0.50 per game
TOI/GP
10:31
PP 0:01 · PK 1:27
xGF%
33.5
5v5, -12.7 vs. last yr
Game Score
+0.31
per game
Faceoff %
—
9 W · 12 L
Plus/minus
-1
Blocks 0 · Hits 4
Game log
Last 5 games · NHL API
| Game | G | A | SOG | HIT | BLK | TOI | PP | PK | FO | OZS% | GV | TK | +/- | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2 vs ANA · L 4-3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8:24 | 0:00 | 1:39 | 1-5 | 50 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -0.04 |
| Sep 29 vs CHI · W 5-2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12:37 | 0:01 | 1:15 | 8-7 | 50 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +0.65 |
| Jun 14 vs CAR · L 3-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 11:29 | 0:00 | 1:14 | 2-4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +0.21 |
| Jun 11 @ CAR · L 4-2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 15:05 | 0:00 | 3:51 | 5-7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0.21 |
| Jun 9 vs CAR · L 5-3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10:33 | 0:00 | 0:51 | 4-4 | 33 | 1 | 0 | +1 | -0.01 |
GS = our Game Score (credit for everything he did; goals and assists count most). FO = faceoffs won-lost. OZS% = share of his 5v5 offensive and defensive zone faceoff starts that were in the offensive zone. GV/TK = giveaways/takeaways.
Advanced metrics
5v5 unless noted · 2025-26 · 883 min · percentile vs. NHL forwards
26th percentile
9th percentile
7th percentile
50th percentile
20th percentile
53rd percentile
24th percentile
42nd percentile
62nd percentile
7th percentile
23rd percentile
86th percentile
34th percentile
3rd percentile
xGF% is his team's share of 5v5 expected goals while he was on the ice, from our own expected goals model; HDCF% counts only high-danger chances (xG of 0.15 or more). IPP is the share of his team's 5v5 goals while he was on the ice that he scored or assisted on. Relative stats compare him with his team when he was off the ice. Goals above expected and ixG/60 use his own shots at all strengths. PDO and OZS% describe luck and deployment, so their bars are grey.
Play styleDefensive-minded depth center
Trait percentiles vs. NHL centers · 2025-26
Dowd wins pucks with relentless forechecking and physicality while generating chances through rush attacks, but offers little offensive creation or shooting threat. He's a reliable defensive presence who limits scoring chances against more than he generates for.
- Shooting volume
- 6
- Playmaking
- 11
- Zone entries(est.)
- 79
- Forechecking
- 76
- Physicality
- 75
- Defensive impact
- 73
- Puck management
- 73
- Speed
- 33
Where he shoots from
Slot 56% · Mid-range 28% · Perimeter 16%(106 unblocked shots)
Strengths
- Excellent rush chances creation at 79th percentile shows transition speed efficiency
- Strong forechecking and physicality (76th and 75th) drive possession advantages
- Solid defensive impact at 73rd percentile limits opponent chances
Watch-outs
- Shooting volume at just 6th percentile means minimal scoring punch
- Playmaking ranks 11th, constraining offensive setup ability for linemates
- Speed at 33rd percentile limits his individual pace relative to peers
Similar style: Barclay Goodrow (SJS), Jack Finley
Built from play-by-play, shift data, and NHL EDGE tracking. Zone entries is an estimate (rush chances while he is on the ice) until tracking data is added.
Where his Game Score comes from
2025-26 · 75 GP
Season total +19.8, or +0.26 per game.
- Scoring
- +13.8
- Shooting
- +5.0
- 5-on-5 goals
- -1.1
- Defense
- +0.6
- Penalty kill
- -0.7
- Physical play
- +5.3
- Puck battles
- -1.2
- Penalties
- -1.7
- Faceoffs
- -0.2
Game Score gives credit for everything a player does in a game. Goals (1.0) and assists (0.7 primary, 0.5 secondary) count most; shots, blocks, hits, takeaways, penalties drawn, faceoff wins, killing penalties, and holding down the other team's chances add to it. Only mistakes subtract: goals against at 5-on-5, giveaways, penalties taken, faceoff losses, and allowing more chances than an average player would. A player who is there to defend or kill penalties is not marked down for not scoring. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.
Career stats
From the NHL's player records
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PPG | PPP | SHG | GWG | SOG | S% | TOI | FO% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | Washington Capitals | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 16.7 | 10:10 | 57.4 |
| 2019-20 | Washington Capitals | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0.0 | 12:43 | 56.3 |
| 2020-21 | Washington Capitals | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | +1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 33.3 | 15:56 | 48.1 |
| 2021-22 | Washington Capitals | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 12.5 | 12:10 | 51.4 |
| 2023-24 | Washington Capitals | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 13:57 | 48.3 |
| 2024-25 | Washington Capitals | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.0 | 15:08 | 49.7 |
| 2025-26 | Vegas Golden Knights | 22 | 3 | 1 | 4 | -2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 12.0 | 13:30 | 51.0 |
| Career | 7 seasons | 62 | 7 | 3 | 10 | -12 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 64 | 10.9 | 13:23 | — |
Seasons traded mid-year show one row per team.
Usage
Last game: vs ANA, Oct 2
Line 4 with Marc Gatcomb and Braeden Bowman (4:24 together at 5-on-5)
From the NHL's shift chart.
Latest news
Headlines from news outlets and team blogs
No news about him in the last 30 days.
Sentiment & chatter
Fans
—
Beat writers
—
Media
—
Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.
Recent Game Scores
Last 10 games · goals above average
Average +0.24 per game over these 10.
Skating · NHL EDGE
2026-27, as of Oct 2
- Top speed
- 20.4 mph
- 41st pct
- 20+ mph bursts
- 1
- Hardest shot
- —
- Distance
- 2.1 mi
- OZ time
- 34.9%
- 7th pct
- DZ time
- 48.0%
Age curve
NHL forwards · production index
At 36, forwards typically produce 49% of their peak (age 24).
From 24 seasons of NHL results, adjusted for league scoring and save percentage in each era. Shaded bars are the seasons left on his contract.
Contract by season
1 season left
| Season | Team | Cap hit | % of cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | VGK | $3M | 2.9% |
UFA after 2026-27. $3M in cap hits left. % of cap uses each season's ceiling where the league has set one ($104M this season, $113.5M in 2027-28).