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Photo of Benoit Pouliot

Benoit Pouliot

#67 · Left wing · Buffalo Sabres

Born Sep 29, 1986 in Alfred, Ontario, CAN · 6'3", 200 lb · Shoots left · Drafted 4th overall in 2005 by MIN (round 1)

Compare with a similar player

The forwards closest to him in points in 2017-18. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Leo Komarov TOR · 19 P in 74 GP Zack Kassian EDM · 19 P in 74 GP Austin Watson NSH · 19 P in 76 GP Melker Karlsson SJS · 19 P in 71 GP Nick Cousins ARI · 19 P in 71 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.

01020302006-07: 0 points006-072007-08: 3 points307-082008-09: 11 points1108-092009-10: 28 points2809-102010-11: 30 points3010-112011-12: 32 points3211-122012-13: 20 points2012-132013-14: 36 points3613-142014-15: 34 points3414-152015-16: 36 points3615-162016-17: 14 points1416-172017-18: 19 points1917-18

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

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2006-07 MIN 3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 4 0.00
2007-08 MIN 11 2 1 3 -1 0 10 6 0.27
2008-09 MIN 37 5 6 11 1 18 34 21 0.30
2009-10 MIN 14 2 2 4 0 12 19 15 0.29 $803K
2009-10 MTL 39 15 9 24 8 31 92 46 0.62
2010-11 MTL 79 13 17 30 2 87 129 110 0.38 $1.35M
2011-12 BOS 74 16 16 32 18 38 107 97 0.43 $1.1M
2012-13 TBL 34 8 12 20 8 15 60 35 0.59 $1.8M
2013-14 NYR 80 15 21 36 10 56 141 141 0.45 $1.3M
2014-15 EDM 58 19 15 34 -1 28 105 71 0.59 $4M
2015-16 EDM 55 14 22 36 -6 30 109 35 0.65 $4M
2016-17 EDM 67 8 6 14 -5 34 77 39 0.21 $4M
2017-18 BUF 74 13 6 19 -8 22 83 69 0.26 $1.15M
12 seasons Career 625 130 133 263 25 371 967 689 0.42

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 MIN 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0.00
2009-10 MTL 18 0 2 2 -5 6 22 29 0.11
2010-11 MTL 3 0 0 0 0 7 0 3 0.00
2011-12 BOS 7 1 1 2 -1 6 6 15 0.29
2013-14 NYR 25 5 5 10 8 26 40 59 0.40
2016-17 EDM 13 0 0 0 -2 4 18 18 0.00
6 seasons Playoffs 67 6 8 14 1 49 88 125 0.21

2017-18 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
74 13 6 19 -8 22 83 69 0.26 15.7 13:41

Contract

$1.15MCap hit2017-18
$61KCap dollars per point19 points in 74 games
$62.526MCap dollars per goal above replacement0.0 goals above replacement
$624KWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$526KValueworth less cap hit

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 691 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Who signed him to it, and when, are not on record. When it ends is not known.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
2017-18 to 2017-18 $1.15M
2014-15 to 2016-17 $4M
2013-14 to 2013-14 $1.3M
2012-13 to 2012-13 $1.8M
2011-12 to 2011-12 $1.1M
2010-11 to 2010-11 $1.35M
2009-10 to 2009-10 $803K

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 2017-18 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.

2017-18 analytics

Rating

+0.0Goals above replacement522nd of 691 skaters, 355th of 451 forwards
+0.0Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
-2.8Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 451 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-1.8 24th percentileEven-strength defence-0.3 37th percentilePower play-0.6 16th percentilePenalty kill-0.1 29th percentilePenalties-0.1 36th 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.

-202462010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-172017-18Goals 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

46.0Corsi for %697 attempts for, 817 against
-1.4CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
43.0Expected goals for %25.2 expected for, 33.4 against
-2.6xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
45.6Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
39.3Goals for %22 for, 34 against
97.8PDO5.6% shooting + 92.2% saves
120Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 600 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
Benoit Pouliot · Kyle Okposo · Ryan O'Reilly19141:4845.437.75-9
Benoit Pouliot · Ryan O'Reilly · Sam Reinhart18105:1956.461.06-3
Jason Pominville · Benoit Pouliot · Jack Eichel1347:3650.059.21-1
Jason Pominville · Benoit Pouliot · Ryan O'Reilly646:5754.742.31-2

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.

13Goalsnot counting empty-netters
8.4Expected goalsfrom 117 unblocked attempts
+4.6Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.50 expected goals per 60 minutes10th
Shot quality 7.2% chance per attempt41st
Finishing +4.6 goals above expected86thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 423 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

0510Game 20Game 40Game 60Goals 13Expected 8.4

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. 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 2, 2018 @ TOR L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 05:41
Mar 31, 2018 @ NSH W 7-4 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 10:50
Mar 26, 2018 @ TOR W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 11:05
Mar 24, 2018 @ NYR L 1-5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 12:47
Mar 23, 2018 vs MTL L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 10:08
Mar 21, 2018 vs ARI L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 13:45
Mar 19, 2018 vs NSH L 0-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 13:43
Mar 17, 2018 vs CHI W 5-3 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 14:09
Mar 15, 2018 vs TOR L 2-5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 13:00
Mar 10, 2018 vs VGK L 1-2 (SO) 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 12:14
Mar 8, 2018 @ OTT W 4-3 (SO) 0 1 1 1 2 3 1 16:13
Mar 7, 2018 vs CGY L 1-5 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 10:29
Mar 5, 2018 vs TOR W 5-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 06:24
Mar 2, 2018 @ FLA L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14:03
Feb 28, 2018 @ TBL W 2-1 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 12:58
Feb 25, 2018 vs BOS W 4-1 1 0 1 2 2 1 0 16:15
Feb 24, 2018 @ WSH L 1-5 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 17:29
Feb 22, 2018 @ DET W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 13:50
Feb 19, 2018 vs WSH L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10:09
Feb 17, 2018 vs LAK L 2-4 0 0 0 -2 2 1 0 11:32
Feb 15, 2018 @ OTT L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 16:44
Feb 13, 2018 vs TBL W 5-3 0 0 0 1 0 3 2 17:19
Feb 11, 2018 vs COL L 4-5 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 12:39
Feb 10, 2018 @ BOS W 4-2 1 0 1 2 0 3 0 12:49
Feb 8, 2018 vs NYI W 4-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 12:04
Feb 6, 2018 vs ANA L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 11:28
Feb 3, 2018 vs STL L 0-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 10:03
Jan 30, 2018 vs NJD L 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 09:40
Jan 25, 2018 @ VAN W 4-0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 10:06
Jan 23, 2018 @ EDM W 5-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 13:14
Jan 20, 2018 vs DAL L 1-7 0 0 0 -2 2 0 1 11:45
Jan 18, 2018 @ NYR L 3-4 0 0 0 -3 0 0 0 14:06
Jan 11, 2018 vs CBJ W 3-1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 17:44
Jan 7, 2018 @ PHI L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 11:40
Jan 4, 2018 @ MIN L 2-6 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 12:18
Jan 1, 2018 vs NYR L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 0 2 11:19
Dec 29, 2017 @ NJD W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 12:09
Dec 27, 2017 @ NYI L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 09:23
Dec 23, 2017 @ CAR L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 12:28
Dec 22, 2017 vs PHI W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 13:25
Dec 19, 2017 vs BOS L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15:44
Dec 15, 2017 vs CAR L 4-5 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 14:17
Dec 14, 2017 @ PHI L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16:31
Dec 12, 2017 vs OTT W 3-2 1 0 1 0 2 3 1 16:16
Dec 10, 2017 @ STL L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15:13
Dec 8, 2017 @ CHI L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 16:02
Dec 5, 2017 @ COL W 4-2 1 1 2 3 0 2 0 16:49
Dec 2, 2017 @ PIT L 1-5 0 0 0 -1 2 1 1 14:13
Dec 1, 2017 vs PIT L 0-4 0 0 0 -1 0 5 2 14:52
Nov 28, 2017 vs TBL L 0-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 12:06
Nov 25, 2017 @ MTL L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 14:37
Nov 24, 2017 vs EDM W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17:21
Nov 22, 2017 vs MIN L 4-5 0 0 0 -1 2 1 1 17:54
Nov 20, 2017 vs CBJ L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 16:00
Nov 18, 2017 vs CAR L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 0 4 1 15:15
Nov 17, 2017 @ DET L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 1 17:48
Nov 14, 2017 @ PIT L 4-5 (OT) 1 0 1 -1 2 2 2 16:57
Nov 11, 2017 @ MTL L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 17:37
Nov 10, 2017 vs FLA L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 1 2 17:05
Nov 7, 2017 vs WSH W 3-1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 16:45
Nov 4, 2017 @ DAL L 1-5 0 0 0 -2 0 1 1 16:17
Nov 2, 2017 @ ARI W 5-4 2 1 3 2 0 3 3 17:04
Oct 28, 2017 vs SJS L 2-3 0 0 0 -1 0 2 2 17:09
Oct 25, 2017 @ CBJ L 1-5 0 0 0 -1 0 0 1 12:40
Oct 24, 2017 vs DET W 1-0 1 0 1 1 0 3 3 15:22
Oct 21, 2017 @ BOS W 5-4 (OT) 1 0 1 2 0 5 3 15:42
Oct 20, 2017 vs VAN L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 13:14
Oct 17, 2017 @ VGK L 4-5 (OT) 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 10:41
Oct 15, 2017 @ ANA W 3-1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 12:59
Oct 14, 2017 @ LAK L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10:43
Oct 12, 2017 @ SJS L 2-3 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 12:05
Oct 9, 2017 vs NJD L 2-6 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 12:00
Oct 7, 2017 @ NYI L 3-6 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 14:03
Oct 5, 2017 vs MTL L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 2 2 14:03