PuckSleuth
2Not on an NHL roster · Defense · Shoots R
Artem Zub
Age 31 · 6'3" · 201 lb · Born in Khabarovsk, RUS
Cap hit
$4.6M
4.4% of $104M cap
Term
1 yr
Through 2026-27, then UFA
Clause
M-NTC
10-team no-trade list
Surplus value
+$960K
vs. $5.56M market estimate
Confirmed by the public signing announcement · source
2025-26 regular season
GP
81
Goals
5
5.4% shooting
Assists
25
13 primary
Points
30
0.37 per game
TOI/GP
20:48
PP 0:07 · PK 2:50
xGF%
54.6
5v5, -0.4 vs. last yr
Game Score
+0.39
per game
Faceoff %
—
Plus/minus
+22
Blocks 120 · Hits 66
Game log
Last 5 games · NHL API
| Game | G | A | SOG | HIT | BLK | TOI | PP | PK | FO | OZS% | GV | TK | +/- | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 18 @ CAR · L 2-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7:44 | 0:06 | 0:00 | — | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0.08 |
| Apr 15 vs TOR · W 3-1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 22:13 | 0:00 | 1:12 | — | 50 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +0.12 |
| Apr 12 @ NJD · OTL 4-3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26:28 | 0:45 | 4:20 | — | 50 | 0 | 2 | +2 | +1.08 |
| Apr 11 @ NYI · W 3-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 24:45 | 0:06 | 7:49 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | +0.09 |
| Apr 9 vs FLA · W 5-1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 22:32 | 0:00 | 2:00 | — | 33 | 0 | 0 | +2 | +1.57 |
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 · 1,365 min · percentile vs. NHL defensemen
85th percentile
32nd percentile
70th percentile
70th percentile
28th percentile
81st percentile
71st percentile
39th percentile
88th percentile
37th percentile
72nd percentile
88th percentile
45th percentile
6th 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 styleTwo-way playmaker
Trait percentiles vs. NHL defensemen · 2025-26
Zub is a mobile passer who orchestrates play from the backend with smart positioning and strong anticipation. He struggles to generate scoring chances himself and lacks the foot speed to chase down loose pucks or recover quickly.
- Shooting volume
- 49
- Playmaking
- 73
- Zone entries(est.)
- 18
- Forechecking
- 73
- Physicality
- 44
- Defensive impact
- 60
- Puck management
- 74
- Speed
- 17
Where he shoots from
Slot 3% · Mid-range 20% · Perimeter 77%(153 unblocked shots)
Strengths
- Playmaking in the 73rd percentile, contributing 25 assists over 81 games
- Puck management at 74th percentile keeps possession moving forward efficiently
- Forechecking at 73rd percentile despite modest physical engagement
Watch-outs
- Rush chances only at 18th percentile limits offensive entry creation
- Speed at 17th percentile constrains gap control and transition ability
- Shooting volume at 49th percentile reflects limited direct impact on scoring
Similar style: Charle-Edouard D'Astous (TBL), Filip Hronek (VAN)
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 · 81 GP
Season total +31.8, or +0.39 per game.
- Scoring
- +20.1
- Shooting
- +6.9
- 5-on-5 goals
- +1.1
- Defense
- +2.1
- Penalty kill
- +0.8
- Physical play
- +7.3
- Puck battles
- -2.6
- Penalties
- -3.8
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% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Ottawa Senators | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 22:36 | — |
| 2025-26 | Ottawa Senators | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 7:44 | — |
| Career | 2 seasons | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 20:29 | — |
Seasons traded mid-year show one row per team.
Latest news
Headlines from news outlets and team blogs
- Ottawa Senators still without Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub on defence as season opener nears
Ottawa Citizen · 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 +0.45 per game over these 10.
Skating · NHL EDGE
2025-26, as of Oct 2
- Top speed
- 20.9 mph
- 25th pct
- 20+ mph bursts
- 9
- Hardest shot
- 94.7 mph
- 77th pct
- Distance
- 226.1 mi
- OZ time
- 41.3%
- 46th pct
- DZ time
- 40.8%
Age curve
NHL defensemen · production index
At 31, defensemen typically produce 86% 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 | OTT | $4.6M | 4.4% |
UFA after 2026-27. M-NTC (10-team list). $4.6M 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).