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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 2016-17. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Luke Glendening DET · 14 P in 74 GP Tim Schaller BOS · 14 P in 59 GP Carl Soderberg COL · 14 P in 80 GP Nick Bjugstad FLA · 14 P in 54 GP David Desharnais EDM · 14 P in 49 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

2016-17 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
67 8 6 14 -5 34 77 39 0.21 10.4 14:03

Contract

$4MCap hit2016-17
$286KCap dollars per point14 points in 67 games
$17KWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$4MValueworth 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 664 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 2016-17 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.

2016-17 analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

-0.9Goals above replacement556th of 664 skaters, 371st of 435 forwards
-0.1Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
-3.5Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 435 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-3.0 10th percentileEven-strength defence+0.1 50th percentilePower play-0.7 12th percentilePenalty kill+0.4 86th percentilePenalties-0.2 31st 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

48.3Corsi for %680 attempts for, 727 against
-2.4CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
44.7Expected goals for %27.4 expected for, 33.9 against
-6.4xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
49.5Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
46.0Goals for %23 for, 27 against
99.3PDO6.2% shooting + 93.1% saves
121Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 565 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 · Jordan Eberle · Ryan Nugent-Hopkins20139:2246.446.16-3
Benoit Pouliot · David Desharnais · Zack Kassian15130:5344.742.76-4
Benoit Pouliot · Zack Kassian · Ryan Nugent-Hopkins19104:5651.349.54-2
Benoit Pouliot · Anton Slepyshev · Drake Caggiula635:3543.445.40-0

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.

8Goalsnot counting empty-netters
8.1Expected goalsfrom 112 unblocked attempts
-0.1Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.51 expected goals per 60 minutes16th
Shot quality 7.2% chance per attempt39th
Finishing -0.1 goals above expected54thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 421 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

02468Game 20Game 40Game 60Expected 8.1Goals 8

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 9, 2017 vs VAN W 5-2 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 17:05
Apr 8, 2017 @ VAN W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11:42
Apr 6, 2017 @ SJS W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 10:34
Apr 4, 2017 @ LAK L 4-6 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 11:13
Apr 1, 2017 vs ANA W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 11:33
Mar 30, 2017 vs SJS W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13:08
Mar 28, 2017 vs LAK W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 11:29
Mar 25, 2017 vs COL W 4-1 1 0 1 1 0 2 0 12:41
Mar 23, 2017 @ COL W 7-4 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 12:30
Mar 22, 2017 @ ANA L 3-4 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 14:07
Mar 20, 2017 vs LAK W 2-0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 12:49
Mar 18, 2017 vs VAN W 2-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13:32
Mar 16, 2017 vs BOS W 7-4 1 0 1 1 2 2 0 12:49
Mar 14, 2017 vs DAL W 7-1 1 0 1 2 0 3 0 14:59
Mar 12, 2017 vs MTL L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 2 3 2 12:51
Mar 10, 2017 vs PIT L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 12:14
Feb 11, 2017 vs CHI L 1-5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 13:07
Feb 5, 2017 @ MTL W 1-0 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10:20
Feb 3, 2017 @ CAR L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 10:39
Feb 2, 2017 @ NSH L 0-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 13:39
Jan 31, 2017 vs MIN L 2-5 0 0 0 -3 0 1 1 18:36
Jan 26, 2017 @ SJS W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 13:26
Jan 25, 2017 @ ANA W 4-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 13:38
Jan 21, 2017 @ CGY W 7-3 0 2 2 3 0 1 0 12:31
Jan 20, 2017 vs NSH L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 2 14:12
Jan 18, 2017 vs FLA W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 18:02
Jan 16, 2017 vs ARI W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 16:34
Jan 14, 2017 vs CGY W 2-1 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 14:03
Jan 12, 2017 vs NJD W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 16:11
Jan 10, 2017 vs SJS L 3-5 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 17:56
Jan 8, 2017 @ OTT L 3-5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 14:12
Jan 7, 2017 @ NJD W 2-1 (OT) 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 11:56
Jan 5, 2017 @ BOS W 4-3 0 0 0 -1 2 0 1 14:12
Jan 3, 2017 @ CBJ L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 12:41
Dec 31, 2016 vs VAN L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 11:10
Dec 29, 2016 vs LAK W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 13:17
Dec 23, 2016 @ SJS L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11:02
Dec 21, 2016 @ ARI W 3-2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 09:51
Dec 19, 2016 @ STL W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 11:24
Dec 13, 2016 vs CBJ L 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 11:15
Dec 11, 2016 vs WPG W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 13:55
Dec 9, 2016 @ MIN L 2-3 (SO) 0 1 1 1 0 2 2 13:32
Dec 8, 2016 @ PHI L 5-6 1 0 1 1 0 3 0 13:45
Dec 4, 2016 vs MIN L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 15:23
Dec 3, 2016 vs ANA W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 16:34
Dec 1, 2016 @ WPG W 6-3 1 0 1 1 2 2 0 13:31
Nov 29, 2016 vs TOR L 2-4 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 18:22
Nov 27, 2016 vs ARI L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 14:24
Nov 25, 2016 @ ARI L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14:28
Nov 17, 2016 @ LAK L 2-4 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 18:29
Nov 15, 2016 @ ANA L 1-4 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 13:33
Nov 13, 2016 vs NYR L 1-3 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 16:40
Nov 11, 2016 vs DAL L 2-3 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 16:46
Nov 8, 2016 @ PIT L 3-4 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 15:12
Nov 6, 2016 @ DET W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15:53
Nov 5, 2016 @ NYI W 4-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 18:55
Nov 3, 2016 @ NYR L 3-5 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 15:15
Nov 1, 2016 @ TOR L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 15:33
Oct 30, 2016 vs OTT L 0-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 16:46
Oct 28, 2016 @ VAN W 2-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 15:44
Oct 26, 2016 vs WSH W 4-1 2 0 2 1 4 3 1 16:24
Oct 23, 2016 @ WPG W 3-0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 16:47
Oct 20, 2016 vs STL W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 18:04
Oct 18, 2016 vs CAR W 3-2 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 15:02
Oct 16, 2016 vs BUF L 2-6 1 0 1 1 4 1 0 04:34
Oct 14, 2016 @ CGY W 5-3 0 0 0 -1 6 2 0 12:14
Oct 12, 2016 vs CGY W 7-4 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 16:42