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Nick Cousins

#21 · Centre · Ottawa Senators

Born Jul 20, 1993 in Belleville, Ontario, CAN (age 33) · 5'11", 191 lb · Shoots left · Drafted 68th overall in 2011 by PHI (round 3)

Trophy case

Stanley Cup NHL Champion 2023-24

Compare with a similar player

The forwards closest to him in points in 2020-21. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Tanner Pearson VAN · 18 P in 51 GP Patrick Maroon TBL · 18 P in 55 GP Eric Robinson CBJ · 18 P in 56 GP Garnet Hathaway WSH · 18 P in 56 GP J.T. Compher COL · 18 P in 48 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.

010202014-15: 0 points014-152015-16: 11 points1115-162016-17: 16 points1616-172017-18: 19 points1917-182018-19: 27 points2718-192019-20: 25 points2519-202020-21: 18 points1820-212021-22: 22 points2221-222022-23: 27 points2722-232023-24: 15 points1523-242024-25: 15 points1524-252025-26: 23 points2325-262026-27: 2 points226-27

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

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2014-15 PHI 11 0 0 0 1 2 6 13 0.00 $843K
2015-16 PHI 36 6 5 11 5 4 41 38 0.31 $843K
2016-17 PHI 60 6 10 16 -6 31 99 61 0.27 $840K
2017-18 ARI 71 12 7 19 -7 31 119 117 0.27 $1M
2018-19 ARI 81 7 20 27 -8 35 144 115 0.33 $1M
2019-20 MTL 58 9 13 22 1 33 105 77 0.38 $1M
2019-20 VGK 7 1 2 3 -1 2 10 14 0.43
2020-21 NSH 52 5 13 18 4 41 60 48 0.35 $1.5M
2021-22 NSH 68 9 13 22 -8 31 103 66 0.32 $1.5M
2022-23 FLA 79 9 18 27 -1 38 102 87 0.34 $1.1M
2023-24 FLA 69 7 8 15 1 64 111 130 0.22 $1.1M
2024-25 OTT 50 6 9 15 -1 41 68 85 0.30 $800K
2025-26 OTT 81 9 14 23 8 92 79 169 0.28 $825K
2026-27 OTT 5 1 1 2 -2 12 3 11 0.40 $1.588M
13 seasons Career 728 87 133 220 -14 457 1050 1031 0.30

Playoffs

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

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2015-16 PHI 6 0 0 0 0 2 4 8 0.00
2019-20 VGK 14 0 2 2 1 22 21 18 0.14
2020-21 NSH 4 2 0 2 -1 2 8 7 0.50
2021-22 NSH 3 0 0 0 -4 0 0 7 0.00
2022-23 FLA 21 2 5 7 0 16 26 56 0.33
2023-24 FLA 12 0 1 1 -1 20 9 18 0.08
2024-25 OTT 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 14 0.00
2025-26 OTT 4 0 1 1 -1 2 2 16 0.25
8 seasons Playoffs 69 4 9 13 -6 64 72 144 0.19

2020-21 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
52 5 13 18 4 41 60 48 0.35 8.3 13:22

Contract

$1.5MCap hitends in 2022, then UFA
$83KCap dollars per point18 points in 52 games
$205KWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$1.3MValueworth 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. He rated at or below a spare-part player, so there is no cost per goal to show. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 633 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Nashville Predators on Oct 9, 2020, as a new contract: 2 years and $3M, beginning in 2020-21. It runs through 2021-22, with 1 season left after this one, and he is then an unrestricted free agent. His next contract is already signed: a new contract with the Ottawa Senators, 1 year and $800K at $800K a season, beginning in 2024-25.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2020-21 $1.5M $1M $0 $1M
2021-22 $1.5M $2M $0 $2M

Each season of the contract, with this one marked. The cap hit is the same every year; what he is paid is not. The pay is as written when the contract was recorded in October 2024, so a later change, such as the rise in the lowest salary for 2026-27, is not shown.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
Jun 30, 2026 Ottawa Senators Extension 2026-27 to 2027-28 2 $3.175M $1.588M
2025-26 to 2025-26 $825K
Ottawa Senators New contract not begun 2024-25 to 2024-25 1 $800K $800K
Jul 13, 2022 Florida Panthers New contract 2022-23 to 2023-24 2 $2.2M $1.1M
Oct 9, 2020 Nashville Predators New contract 2020-21 to 2021-22 2 $3M $1.5M
Jul 5, 2019 Montreal Canadiens New contract 2019-20 to 2019-20 1 $1M $1M
Jul 1, 2017 Arizona Coyotes New contract 2017-18 to 2018-19 2 $2M $1M
Jul 14, 2016 Philadelphia Flyers New contract 2016-17 to 2016-17 1 $840K $840K
Mar 27, 2013 Philadelphia Flyers Entry-level 2013-14 to 2015-16 signed for 2012-13, slid 3 $2.775M $843K

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 2020-21 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.

2020-21 playoff analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+0.4Goals above replacementsix goals are worth about one win
+0.1Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
+0.2Goals above averagethe five parts below added up
Even-strength offence-0.3Even-strength defence+0.4Power play+0.1Penalty kill0.0Penalties+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.

-202462014-152016-172018-192020-212022-232024-252026-27Goals 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

44.0Corsi for %55 attempts for, 70 against
+1.8CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
42.2Expected goals for %1.7 expected for, 2.3 against
-4.1xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
44.2Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
33.3Goals for %1 for, 2 against
96.7PDO3.6% shooting + 93.1% saves
10Attempts 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

Forward lineGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Erik Haula · Calle Jarnkrok · Nick Cousins229:0640.731.60-1
Erik Haula · Nick Cousins · Eeli Tolvanen29:1241.249.30-0
Brad Richardson · Erik Haula · Nick Cousins18:4342.337.21-1
Mikael Granlund · Nick Cousins · Luke Kunin11:1333.331.40-0

The lines 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 lines 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.

2Goalsnot counting empty-netters
0.7Expected goalsfrom 11 unblocked attempts
+1.3Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.61 expected goals per 60 minutes23rd
Shot quality 6.4% chance per attempt8th
Finishing +1.3 goals above expected81stOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 78 who played at least a quarter as much as the busiest in these playoffs.

00.511.52Goals 2Expected 0.7

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
May 10, 2021 vs CAR W 5-0 0 1 1 1 0 2 4 15:20
May 3, 2021 @ CBJ W 4-3 (OT) 0 1 1 -1 0 0 1 10:55
Apr 27, 2021 vs FLA L 4-7 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 12:24
Apr 26, 2021 vs FLA W 4-1 1 0 1 2 0 4 1 10:04
Apr 23, 2021 @ CHI W 3-1 0 1 1 1 0 0 4 11:45
Apr 21, 2021 @ CHI L 4-5 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 12:18
Apr 19, 2021 vs CHI W 5-2 0 0 0 1 12 1 1 12:46
Apr 17, 2021 @ CAR L 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 12:45
Apr 15, 2021 @ CAR L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 13:50
Apr 13, 2021 vs TBL W 7-2 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 14:19
Apr 11, 2021 vs DAL W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 12:37
Apr 10, 2021 vs TBL L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 2 0 2 14:46
Apr 8, 2021 @ DET W 7-1 1 1 2 3 0 4 1 14:23
Apr 6, 2021 @ DET W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12:59
Apr 3, 2021 vs CHI W 3-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 13:36
Apr 1, 2021 vs DAL L 1-4 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 13:47
Mar 30, 2021 vs DAL W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 12:57
Mar 28, 2021 @ CHI W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 11:34
Mar 27, 2021 @ CHI W 3-1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 12:35
Mar 25, 2021 vs DET W 7-1 0 1 1 4 0 0 1 14:43
Mar 23, 2021 vs DET W 2-0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 11:35
Mar 21, 2021 @ DAL W 4-3 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 12:00
Mar 20, 2021 @ FLA L 0-2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 14:25
Mar 18, 2021 @ FLA W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 11:17
Mar 15, 2021 @ TBL W 4-1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 1 13:10
Mar 13, 2021 @ TBL L 3-6 0 1 1 -1 0 3 1 16:06
Mar 11, 2021 @ CAR L 1-5 1 0 1 0 2 1 1 12:02
Mar 9, 2021 @ CAR L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 11:24
Mar 7, 2021 @ DAL W 4-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 11:35
Mar 6, 2021 vs FLA L 2-6 0 0 0 0 7 1 2 10:49
Mar 4, 2021 vs FLA L 4-5 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 10:27
Mar 2, 2021 vs CAR L 2-4 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 16:26
Feb 28, 2021 vs CBJ W 3-1 1 0 1 1 0 2 2 14:00
Feb 27, 2021 vs CBJ W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 13:08
Feb 25, 2021 @ DET L 2-5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 11:47
Feb 23, 2021 @ DET W 2-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 12:05
Feb 20, 2021 @ CBJ W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 16:23
Feb 18, 2021 @ CBJ L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 13:35
Feb 13, 2021 vs DET L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 13:00
Feb 11, 2021 vs DET W 3-2 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 14:21
Feb 8, 2021 vs TBL L 1-4 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 15:12
Feb 5, 2021 @ FLA L 1-2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 11:37
Feb 4, 2021 @ FLA W 6-5 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 3 3 15:34
Feb 1, 2021 @ TBL L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 2 1 0 13:11
Jan 30, 2021 @ TBL L 3-4 0 1 1 -1 0 0 1 14:51
Jan 27, 2021 vs CHI W 2-1 (SO) 1 0 1 0 2 4 1 17:57
Jan 26, 2021 vs CHI W 3-2 (OT) 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 14:28
Jan 24, 2021 @ DAL L 2-3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 12:07
Jan 22, 2021 @ DAL L 0-7 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 13:42
Jan 18, 2021 vs CAR L 2-4 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 12:49
Jan 16, 2021 vs CBJ W 5-2 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 16:29
Jan 14, 2021 vs CBJ W 3-1 0 0 0 -1 2 3 1 16:51