PuckSleuth
20Toronto Maple Leafs · Left wing · Shoots L
Nick Paul
Age 31 · 6'3" · 225 lb · Born in Mississauga, CAN
Cap hit
$3.15M
3.0% of $104M cap
Term
3 yrs
Through 2028-29, then UFA
Clause
None
Surplus value
+$1.082M
vs. $4.232M 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
15:38
PP 2:52 · PK 2:01
xGF%
37.6
5v5, -12.1 vs. last yr
Game Score
+0.02
per game, goals above average
Faceoff %
—
7 W · 8 L
Plus/minus
0
Blocks 2 · Hits 3
Game log
Last 5 games · NHL API
| Game | G | A | SOG | HIT | BLK | TOI | PP | PK | FO | OZS% | GV | TK | +/- | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30 vs NYI · W 2-1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15:43 | 3:09 | 2:38 | 4-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | +0.38 |
| Sep 29 vs MTL · L 3-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 15:32 | 2:34 | 1:24 | 3-6 | 50 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -0.34 |
| May 3 vs MTL · L 2-1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 12:38 | 0:55 | 0:00 | 10-12 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -0.40 |
| May 1 @ MTL · W 1-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 12:25 | 0:49 | 0:00 | 5-4 | 67 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -0.29 |
| Apr 26 @ MTL · W 3-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7:33 | 0:24 | 0:02 | 2-1 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | -0.06 |
GS = our Game Score, goals above average. 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 · 580 min · percentile vs. NHL forwards
55th percentile
15th percentile
69th percentile
71st percentile
22nd percentile
53rd percentile
14th percentile
39th percentile
88th percentile
53rd percentile
26th percentile
55th percentile
7th percentile
52nd 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 winger
Trait percentiles vs. NHL wingers · 2025-26
Nick Paul is a gritty, defense-first winger who excels at protecting the puck and shutting down opponents but lacks the offensive creativity to generate chances himself. He plays a physical, responsible game in the defensive zone and on the forecheck without putting much on net or setting up teammates.
- Shooting volume
- 42
- Playmaking
- 19
- Zone entries(est.)
- 33
- Forechecking
- 55
- Physicality
- 64
- Defensive impact
- 73
- Puck management
- 52
- Speed
- 59
Where he shoots from
Slot 57% · Mid-range 31% · Perimeter 12%(112 unblocked shots)
Strengths
- Strong defensive impact at 73rd percentile limits opponent chances
- Physicality at 64th percentile gives him presence on forecheck
- Solid puck management at 52nd percentile avoids turnovers
Watch-outs
- Playmaking at 19th percentile, very limited at generating assists
- Low shooting volume at 42nd percentile keeps him off scoreboard
- Rush chances at 33rd percentile shows difficulty entering zone cleanly
Similar style: Ondrej Palat (NYI), Rutger McGroarty
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 · 51 GP · goals above average
Season total -4.8 goals, or -0.09 per game.
- Even strength offense
- -0.8
- Even strength defense
- +0.7
- Power play
- -0.3
- Penalty kill
- -0.2
- Finishing
- -2.3
- Playmaking
- -2.6
- Penalties
- +0.2
- Faceoffs
- +0.4
Game Score adds up a player's impact in goals compared with an average player given the same ice time: his share of expected goals for and against at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill, plus finishing (goals minus expected goals), primary assists, penalties drawn and taken, and faceoffs. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.
By season
Regular season
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | SOG | TOI/GP | FO% | GS/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | TOR | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15:38 | — | +0.02 |
| 2025-26 | TBL | 51 | 7 | 8 | 15 | -15 | 68 | 13:41 | 53.9% | -0.09 |
| 2024-25 | TBL | 76 | 22 | 19 | 41 | +13 | 141 | 16:27 | 50.0% | +0.03 |
| 2023-24 | TBL | 82 | 24 | 22 | 46 | -16 | 153 | 17:16 | 54.3% | +0.05 |
| 2022-23 | TBL | 80 | 17 | 15 | 32 | +11 | 120 | 16:10 | 53.7% | -0.03 |
Latest news
Headlines from news outlets and team blogs
- Paul Bissonnette claims he is off Maple Leafs’ wagon for 2026-27 NHL season
Yahoo Sports · Oct 1
- The Maple Leafs have finally solved a massive problem
editorinleaf.com · Oct 1
- Nick Paul | Pre Game vs. New York Islanders | September 30, 2026
NHL.com · Sep 30
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 -0.22 per game over these 10.
Skating · NHL EDGE
2026-27, as of Oct 2
- Top speed
- 20.1 mph
- 30th pct
- 20+ mph bursts
- 1
- Hardest shot
- 49.8 mph
- 21st pct
- Distance
- 4.8 mi
- OZ time
- 44.6%
- 67th pct
- DZ time
- 38.7%
Age curve
NHL forwards · production index
At 31, forwards typically produce 80% of their peak (age 24). His contract runs through age 33, when the typical level is 69%.
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
3 seasons left
| Season | Team | Cap hit | % of cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | TOR | $3.15M | 3.0% |
| 2027-28 | TOR | $3.15M | 2.8% |
| 2028-29 | TOR | $3.15M | — |
UFA after 2028-29. $9.45M 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).