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Thomas Vanek

#26 · Left wing · Detroit Red Wings

Born Jan 19, 1984 in Vienna, AUT · 6'2", 214 lb · Shoots right · Drafted 5th overall in 2003 by BUF (round 1)

Compare with a similar player

The forwards closest to him in points in 2011-12. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Milan Lucic BOS · 61 P in 81 GP Chris Kunitz PIT · 61 P in 82 GP Erik Cole MTL · 61 P in 82 GP Joe Pavelski SJS · 61 P in 82 GP Olli Jokinen CGY · 61 P in 82 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.

0204060802005-06: 48 points4805-062006-07: 84 points8406-072007-08: 64 points6407-082008-09: 64 points6408-092009-10: 53 points5309-102010-11: 73 points7310-112011-12: 61 points6111-122012-13: 41 points4112-132013-14: 68 points6813-142014-15: 52 points5214-152015-16: 41 points4115-162016-17: 48 points4816-172017-18: 56 points5617-182018-19: 36 points3618-19

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

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2005-06 BUF 81 25 23 48 -11 72 204 22 0.59
2006-07 BUF 82 43 41 84 47 40 237 30 1.02
2007-08 BUF 82 36 28 64 -5 64 240 45 0.78 $7.143M
2008-09 BUF 73 40 24 64 -1 44 211 34 0.88 $7.143M
2009-10 BUF 71 28 25 53 9 42 182 46 0.75 $7.143M
2010-11 BUF 80 32 41 73 2 24 238 30 0.91 $7.143M
2011-12 BUF 78 26 35 61 -6 52 204 34 0.78 $7.143M
2012-13 BUF 38 20 21 41 -1 20 119 13 1.08 $7.143M
2013-14 BUF 13 4 5 9 -5 4 50 3 0.69 $7.143M
2013-14 NYI 47 17 27 44 4 36 137 17 0.94
2013-14 MTL 18 6 9 15 8 8 61 10 0.83
2014-15 MIN 80 21 31 52 -6 37 171 32 0.65 $6.5M
2015-16 MIN 74 18 23 41 -10 22 146 18 0.55 $6.5M
2016-17 DET 48 15 23 38 2 16 99 23 0.79 $2.6M
2016-17 FLA 20 2 8 10 -7 6 34 6 0.50
2017-18 VAN 61 17 24 41 -12 28 121 29 0.67 $2M
2017-18 CBJ 19 7 8 15 9 8 47 7 0.79
2018-19 DET 64 16 20 36 -12 26 108 38 0.56 $3M
14 seasons Career 1029 373 416 789 5 549 2609 437 0.77

Playoffs

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

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2005-06 BUF 10 2 0 2 -1 6 16 3 0.20
2006-07 BUF 16 6 4 10 2 10 36 4 0.63
2009-10 BUF 3 2 1 3 1 2 10 3 1.00
2010-11 BUF 7 5 0 5 -7 0 20 5 0.71
2013-14 MTL 17 5 5 10 -4 4 28 16 0.59
2014-15 MIN 10 0 4 4 -7 2 19 9 0.40
2017-18 CBJ 6 1 1 2 -1 2 13 2 0.33
7 seasons Playoffs 69 21 15 36 -17 26 142 42 0.52

2011-12 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
78 26 35 61 -6 52 204 34 0.78 12.7 16:56

Contract

$7.143MCap hitends in 2014, then UFA
$117KCap dollars per point61 points in 78 games
$1.686MCap dollars per goal above replacement4.2 goals above replacement
$2.4MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$4.7MValueworth 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 367 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 2013-14, with 2 seasons left after this one, and he is then an unrestricted free agent.

Season Cap hit
2011-12 $7.143M
2012-13 $7.143M
2013-14 $7.143M

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 2018-19 $3M
2017-18 to 2017-18 $2M
2016-17 to 2016-17 $2.6M
2014-15 to 2015-16 $6.5M
2012-13 to 2013-14 $7.143M
2007-08 to 2013-14 $7.143M

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 2011-12 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.

2011-12 analytics

Rating

+4.2Goals above replacement226th of 680 skaters, 161st of 445 forwards
+0.7Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
+0.6Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 445 ranked forwards: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile.

Even-strength offence+4.0 84th percentileEven-strength defence-4.0 2nd percentilePower play+2.4 97th percentilePenalty kill-0.1 22nd percentilePenalties-1.8 4th percentile

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, and the rank beside it is among forwards. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. 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.

-50510152010-112012-132014-152016-172018-19Goals 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

47.2Corsi for %856 attempts for, 958 against
-2.1CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
47.6Expected goals for %37.9 expected for, 41.7 against
-1.7xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
46.6Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
52.7Goals for %48 for, 43 against
102.4PDO10.3% shooting + 92.2% saves
207Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 557 skaters who played enough to be ranked: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile. PDO and attempts taken are left plain, since neither is good or bad on its own.

Who he played with

Forward lineGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Derek Roy · Jason Pominville · Thomas Vanek37253:3649.051.37-10
Jochen Hecht · Jason Pominville · Thomas Vanek21196:3850.349.28-6
Jason Pominville · Thomas Vanek · Luke Adam22168:2147.149.010-8
Thomas Vanek · Corey Tropp · Cody Hodgson991:3655.550.75-3

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.

25Goalsnot counting empty-netters
23.0Expected goalsfrom 256 unblocked attempts
+2.0Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 1.05 expected goals per 60 minutes92nd
Shot quality 9.0% chance per attempt90th
Finishing +2.0 goals above expected73rdOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 410 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

0510152025Game 20Game 40Game 60Goals 25Expected 23.0

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 this season, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. Darker red means more attempts from that spot, and each dot is a goal. "Show every shot" switches to a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Apr 7, 2012 @ BOS L 3-4 (SO) 0 2 2 1 0 1 1 16:20
Apr 5, 2012 @ PHI L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 15:37
Apr 3, 2012 vs TOR W 6-5 (OT) 0 2 2 -1 0 5 1 18:51
Mar 31, 2012 @ TOR L 3-4 0 0 0 -2 2 0 0 16:44
Mar 30, 2012 vs PIT L 3-5 1 0 1 -1 0 3 0 18:45
Mar 27, 2012 @ WSH W 5-1 1 0 1 1 0 6 0 14:36
Mar 24, 2012 vs MIN W 3-1 1 1 2 1 0 3 0 15:54
Mar 23, 2012 @ NYR W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 15:49
Mar 21, 2012 vs MTL W 3-0 0 1 1 1 2 1 0 16:50
Mar 19, 2012 @ TBL W 7-3 0 2 2 0 0 1 0 15:25
Mar 17, 2012 @ FLA L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 16:58
Mar 14, 2012 vs COL L 4-5 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 17:25
Mar 12, 2012 vs MTL W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 16:02
Mar 8, 2012 @ BOS L 1-3 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 12:43
Mar 7, 2012 vs CAR W 3-2 (OT) 1 1 2 0 0 9 0 19:47
Mar 5, 2012 @ WPG L 1-3 0 0 0 -2 0 2 1 16:20
Mar 3, 2012 @ VAN W 5-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 12:09
Mar 1, 2012 @ SJS W 1-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 17:45
Feb 29, 2012 @ ANA W 2-0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 17:41
Feb 25, 2012 @ NYR L 2-3 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 4 1 18:45
Feb 24, 2012 vs BOS W 2-1 (SO) 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 17:47
Feb 21, 2012 vs NYI W 2-1 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 17:37
Feb 19, 2012 vs PIT W 6-2 0 1 1 3 0 1 0 14:54
Feb 17, 2012 vs MTL L 3-4 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 2 4 0 17:27
Feb 16, 2012 @ PHI L 2-7 1 0 1 0 2 4 2 16:51
Feb 14, 2012 vs NJD L 1-4 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 17:05
Feb 11, 2012 vs TBL L 1-2 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 16:41
Feb 10, 2012 vs DAL W 3-2 (SO) 1 0 1 0 0 4 2 16:01
Jan 31, 2012 @ MTL W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 05:19
Jan 24, 2012 @ NJD W 2-1 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 18:51
Jan 21, 2012 @ STL L 2-4 0 0 0 -3 2 1 1 15:41
Jan 19, 2012 @ WPG L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 17:34
Jan 18, 2012 @ CHI L 2-6 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 19:50
Jan 16, 2012 @ DET L 0-5 0 0 0 -2 0 2 1 17:00
Jan 14, 2012 @ NYI L 2-4 0 0 0 -1 0 2 2 13:09
Jan 13, 2012 vs TOR W 3-2 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 13:43
Jan 10, 2012 @ TOR L 0-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 04:00
Jan 7, 2012 vs WPG L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 2 3 0 13:31
Jan 6, 2012 @ CAR L 2-4 1 0 1 1 0 3 0 22:55
Jan 3, 2012 vs EDM W 4-3 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 15:18
Dec 31, 2011 vs OTT L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 20:43
Dec 30, 2011 @ WSH L 1-3 0 1 1 1 0 3 0 17:02
Dec 28, 2011 @ NJD L 1-3 1 0 1 -2 0 2 0 18:23
Dec 26, 2011 vs WSH W 4-2 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 18:30
Dec 22, 2011 @ TOR L 2-3 0 1 1 -1 2 0 0 10:50
Dec 20, 2011 @ OTT L 1-4 0 1 1 -1 2 0 0 16:30
Dec 17, 2011 @ PIT L 3-8 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 16:14
Dec 16, 2011 vs TOR W 5-4 2 2 4 0 0 5 1 19:16
Dec 13, 2011 vs OTT L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 18:42
Dec 10, 2011 vs NYR L 1-4 1 0 1 0 2 5 0 19:04
Dec 9, 2011 vs FLA W 2-1 (OT) 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 18:45
Dec 7, 2011 vs PHI L 4-5 (OT) 1 0 1 1 0 3 1 20:57
Dec 3, 2011 @ NSH W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19:55
Dec 2, 2011 vs DET L 1-4 0 0 0 -2 2 4 0 19:59
Nov 29, 2011 vs NYI L 1-2 0 1 1 1 0 4 1 20:42
Nov 26, 2011 vs WSH W 5-1 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 17:20
Nov 25, 2011 @ CBJ L 1-5 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 16:34
Nov 23, 2011 vs BOS L 3-4 (SO) 1 0 1 1 0 3 1 20:02
Nov 19, 2011 vs PHX L 2-4 0 0 0 -2 0 5 0 14:04
Nov 18, 2011 @ CAR W 1-0 0 1 1 0 0 4 1 15:48
Nov 16, 2011 vs NJD L 3-5 0 1 1 -2 2 1 0 19:43
Nov 14, 2011 @ MTL W 3-2 (SO) 0 2 2 2 2 5 0 17:47
Nov 12, 2011 @ BOS L 2-6 1 0 1 -1 0 2 1 15:55
Nov 11, 2011 vs OTT W 5-1 0 1 1 1 4 0 0 17:26
Nov 8, 2011 vs WPG W 6-5 (OT) 2 0 2 -1 0 5 0 23:47
Nov 5, 2011 @ OTT W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 16:16
Nov 4, 2011 vs CGY W 2-1 0 0 0 -1 0 4 1 17:07
Nov 2, 2011 vs PHI L 2-3 0 1 1 2 0 2 1 14:51
Oct 29, 2011 vs FLA L 2-3 1 0 1 1 0 2 0 19:54
Oct 27, 2011 vs CBJ W 4-2 0 3 3 0 0 3 0 17:54
Oct 25, 2011 vs TBL L 3-4 1 0 1 0 2 4 0 19:00
Oct 22, 2011 @ TBL L 0-3 0 0 0 -2 0 3 0 22:33
Oct 20, 2011 @ FLA W 3-0 2 0 2 2 0 5 2 16:04
Oct 18, 2011 @ MTL W 3-1 1 0 1 2 4 2 0 16:42
Oct 15, 2011 @ PIT W 3-2 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 14:19
Oct 14, 2011 vs CAR L 3-4 1 0 1 -1 2 8 1 18:35
Oct 8, 2011 @ LAK W 4-2 0 2 2 1 2 1 0 16:02
Oct 7, 2011 vs ANA W 4-1 2 1 3 1 0 9 0 16:01