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Matt Niskanen

#15 · Defence · Philadelphia Flyers

Born Dec 6, 1986 in Virginia, Minnesota, USA · 6'1", 203 lb · Shoots right · Drafted 28th overall in 2005 by DAL (round 1)

Trophy case

Stanley Cup NHL Champion 2017-18

Compare with a similar player

The defencemen closest to him in points in 2010-11. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Deryk Engelland PIT · 10 P in 63 GP Nicklas Grossmann DAL · 10 P in 59 GP Ryan O'Byrne COL · 10 P in 67 GP Willie Mitchell LAK · 10 P in 57 GP Jay Harrison CAR · 10 P in 72 GP

Career

Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.

0102030402007-08: 26 points2607-082008-09: 35 points3508-092009-10: 15 points1509-102010-11: 10 points1010-112011-12: 21 points2111-122012-13: 14 points1412-132013-14: 46 points4613-142014-15: 31 points3114-152015-16: 32 points3215-162016-17: 39 points3916-172017-18: 29 points2917-182018-19: 25 points2518-192019-20: 33 points3319-20

Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2007-08 DAL 78 7 19 26 22 36 99 47 0.33
2008-09 DAL 80 6 29 35 -11 52 111 87 0.44
2009-10 DAL 74 3 12 15 -15 18 110 113 0.20
2010-11 DAL 45 0 6 6 -1 30 51 97 0.13 $1.5M
2010-11 PIT 18 1 3 4 -2 20 26 25 0.22
2011-12 PIT 75 4 17 21 9 47 118 105 0.28 $1.5M
2012-13 PIT 40 4 10 14 4 12 67 49 0.35 $2.3M
2013-14 PIT 81 10 36 46 33 51 162 124 0.57 $2.3M
2014-15 WSH 82 4 27 31 7 47 117 143 0.38 $5.75M
2015-16 WSH 82 5 27 32 10 38 150 157 0.39 $5.75M
2016-17 WSH 78 5 34 39 20 32 154 147 0.50 $5.75M
2017-18 WSH 68 7 22 29 24 36 120 117 0.43 $5.75M
2018-19 WSH 80 8 17 25 -3 41 143 167 0.31 $5.75M
2019-20 PHI 68 8 25 33 15 29 126 124 0.49 $5.75M
13 seasons Career 949 72 284 356 112 489 1554 1502 0.38

Playoffs

Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2007-08 DAL 16 0 3 3 -2 10 17 11 0.19
2010-11 PIT 7 0 1 1 -3 0 5 7 0.14
2011-12 PIT 4 1 2 3 2 6 8 5 0.75
2012-13 PIT 15 0 2 2 -4 11 17 16 0.13
2013-14 PIT 13 2 7 9 -2 8 24 29 0.69
2014-15 WSH 14 0 4 4 -2 0 22 35 0.29
2015-16 WSH 12 0 3 3 3 6 17 38 0.25
2016-17 WSH 13 1 3 4 0 19 24 45 0.31
2017-18 WSH 24 1 8 9 6 8 32 47 0.38
2018-19 WSH 7 0 2 2 0 0 7 21 0.29
2019-20 PHI 12 1 1 2 -4 4 11 26 0.17
11 seasons Playoffs 137 6 36 42 -6 72 184 280 0.31

2010-11 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
63 1 9 10 -3 50 77 122 0.16 1.3 16:32

Contract

$1.5MCap hitends in 2012, then RFA
$150KCap dollars per point10 points in 63 games
$4.105MCap dollars per goal above replacement0.4 goals above replacement
$654KWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$846KValueworth minus cap hit; below zero is overpaid

His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 315 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Who signed him to it, and when, are not on record. It runs through 2011-12, with 1 season left after this one, and he is then a restricted free agent.

Season Cap hit
2010-11 $1.5M
2011-12 $1.5M

Each season left on the contract. Only its cap hit and its end are known: how the pay is split by season, and any signing bonus, are not.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
2018-19 to 2020-21 $5.75M
2016-17 to 2017-18 $5.75M
2014-15 to 2020-21 $5.75M
2012-13 to 2013-14 $2.3M
2010-11 to 2011-12 $1.5M

Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2010-11 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.

2010-11 playoff analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

-0.9Goals above replacementsix goals are worth about one win
-0.1Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
-1.2Goals above averagethe five parts below added up
Even-strength offence-0.3Even-strength defence-0.8Power play-0.2Penalty kill+0.0Penalties+0.0

The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. A playoff run is too short to rank anyone on. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

024682010-112012-132014-152016-172018-19Goals above replacementGoals above replacement, by season

On the ice

What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean

53.6Corsi for %82 attempts for, 71 against
-8.1CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
38.3Expected goals for %2.1 expected for, 3.4 against
-19.9xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
49.5Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
37.5Goals for %3 for, 5 against
94.6PDO8.1% shooting + 86.5% saves
7Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

These are left plain: he has not been on the ice enough to be ranked. That takes at least 200 shot attempts with him out there, about six or seven games, and a quarter of what the busiest skater has. Over a game or two these numbers are mostly chance.

Who he played with

Defence pairGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Matt Niskanen · Ben Lovejoy756:3253.138.83-3
Paul Martin · Matt Niskanen68:1046.731.00-0
Brooks Orpik · Matt Niskanen58:0253.849.60-1
Zbynek Michalek · Matt Niskanen31:39100.0100.00-0

The pairs he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's pairs that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.

Chances and finishing

Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

0Goalsnot counting empty-netters
0.1Expected goalsfrom 6 unblocked attempts
-0.1Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.08 expected goals per 60 minutes2nd
Shot quality 2.0% chance per attempt2nd
Finishing -0.1 goals above expected52ndOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of defencemen he is ahead of, among the 50 who played at least a quarter as much as the busiest in these playoffs.

00.20.40.60.81Expected 0.1Goals 0

His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.

Where he shot from

Every attempt he took in these playoffs, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. There is a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. "Show as heat map" shades the ice by where the attempts came from. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Apr 10, 2011 @ ATL W 5-2 0 2 2 1 2 0 0 22:09
Apr 5, 2011 vs NJD W 4-2 0 0 0 -1 0 0 1 15:26
Apr 2, 2011 @ FLA W 4-2 0 0 0 -1 2 2 1 15:59
Mar 31, 2011 @ TBL L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 14:57
Mar 29, 2011 vs PHI L 2-5 0 0 0 -2 2 1 2 13:20
Mar 27, 2011 vs FLA W 2-1 (SO) 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 16:56
Mar 25, 2011 vs NJD W 1-0 (SO) 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 18:15
Mar 24, 2011 @ PHI W 2-1 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 2 0 0 14:35
Mar 21, 2011 @ DET W 5-4 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 2 0 4 19:27
Mar 20, 2011 vs NYR L 2-5 0 0 0 0 4 3 2 16:01
Mar 12, 2011 vs MTL L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 19:43
Mar 8, 2011 vs BUF W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 24:01
Mar 5, 2011 @ BOS W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 19:19
Mar 4, 2011 @ NJD L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 22:57
Mar 2, 2011 @ TOR L 2-3 (OT) 1 1 2 1 0 1 6 20:00
Feb 26, 2011 @ TOR W 6-5 (SO) 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 22:50
Feb 25, 2011 @ CAR L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 17:42
Feb 23, 2011 vs SJS L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 19:33
Feb 19, 2011 @ VAN L 2-5 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 18:46
Feb 16, 2011 @ CGY L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 11:39
Feb 15, 2011 @ EDM L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 15:12
Feb 5, 2011 @ PHI L 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 08:36
Feb 3, 2011 @ BOS L 3-6 0 0 0 -1 2 1 2 14:53
Feb 1, 2011 vs VAN L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 19:00
Jan 26, 2011 vs EDM W 3-1 0 0 0 0 5 1 2 12:19
Jan 24, 2011 @ VAN L 1-7 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 15:55
Jan 21, 2011 @ CGY L 4-7 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 13:01
Jan 5, 2011 @ CHI W 4-2 0 1 1 -1 0 2 2 11:39
Jan 2, 2011 @ STL W 4-2 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 13:54
Dec 28, 2010 @ NSH W 4-2 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 13:43
Dec 26, 2010 vs PHX L 0-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 12:35
Dec 23, 2010 vs CGY L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12:22
Dec 21, 2010 vs MTL W 5-2 0 1 1 -1 0 1 2 11:40
Dec 18, 2010 @ CBJ W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10:37
Dec 11, 2010 @ PHX L 2-5 0 0 0 1 0 3 1 19:45
Dec 10, 2010 vs CAR W 2-1 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 0 4 15:02
Dec 8, 2010 @ CHI L 3-5 0 0 0 -1 0 1 2 13:24
Dec 6, 2010 @ CBJ L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 17:40
Dec 4, 2010 vs MIN W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 2 3 0 17:48
Dec 2, 2010 vs WSH W 2-1 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 13:57
Nov 29, 2010 @ CAR W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 16:46
Nov 27, 2010 @ STL W 2-1 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 16:17
Nov 26, 2010 vs STL W 3-2 0 0 0 -1 0 1 9 10:57
Nov 24, 2010 @ OTT W 2-1 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 16:28
Nov 22, 2010 @ TOR L 1-4 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 17:28
Nov 20, 2010 vs COL L 3-4 (SO) 0 0 0 1 0 3 3 20:24
Nov 18, 2010 vs SJS W 5-4 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 16:49
Nov 16, 2010 vs ANA W 2-1 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 15:29
Nov 12, 2010 @ ANA L 2-4 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 19:09
Nov 11, 2010 @ LAK L 1-3 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 13:59
Nov 6, 2010 @ COL L 0-5 0 0 0 -2 0 2 2 15:35
Nov 5, 2010 vs PHX W 6-3 0 2 2 0 0 1 2 15:33
Nov 3, 2010 vs PIT W 5-2 0 0 0 -1 5 0 1 13:31
Oct 30, 2010 vs BUF W 4-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 15:32
Oct 28, 2010 vs LAK L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 0 6 20:23
Oct 26, 2010 vs ANA L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 5 1 17:34
Oct 23, 2010 vs NSH L 0-1 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 19:42
Oct 21, 2010 @ FLA W 4-1 0 0 0 0 2 3 4 18:34
Oct 18, 2010 @ TBL L 4-5 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 23:07
Oct 16, 2010 vs STL W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 1 0 4 2 19:23
Oct 14, 2010 vs DET W 4-1 0 1 1 0 0 1 5 14:42
Oct 9, 2010 @ NYI W 5-4 (SO) 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 17:45
Oct 8, 2010 @ NJD W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 2 0 1 2 19:32