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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 2015-16. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Ryan Ellis NSH · 32 P in 79 GP Dion Phaneuf OTT · 32 P in 71 GP Brian Campbell FLA · 31 P in 82 GP Seth Jones CBJ · 31 P in 81 GP Colton Parayko STL · 33 P in 79 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

2015-16 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
82 5 27 32 10 38 150 157 0.39 3.3 24:40

Contract

$5.75MCap hitends in 2021, then UFA
$180KCap dollars per point32 points in 82 games
$891KCap dollars per goal above replacement6.5 goals above replacement
$4.6MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$1.1MValueworth 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 668 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 2020-21, with 5 seasons left after this one, and he is then an unrestricted free agent.

Season Cap hit
2015-16 $5.75M
2016-17 $5.75M
2017-18 $5.75M
2018-19 $5.75M
2019-20 $5.75M
2020-21 $5.75M

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 2015-16 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.

2015-16 analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+6.5Goals above replacement157th of 675 skaters, 47th of 230 defencemen
+1.1Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
-0.3Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 230 ranked defencemen: 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-2.6 13th percentileEven-strength defence+4.0 96th percentilePower play-0.4 24th percentilePenalty kill+0.3 76th percentilePenalties-1.5 20th 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 defencemen. 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.

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

51.3Corsi for %1385 attempts for, 1315 against
+0.4CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
53.8Expected goals for %56.4 expected for, 48.5 against
+2.7xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
52.3Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
56.0Goals for %51 for, 40 against
100.9PDO6.9% shooting + 94.0% saves
252Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 561 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

Defence pairGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Matt Niskanen · Karl Alzner821290:0150.453.340-34
Matt Niskanen · Dmitry Orlov5665:3563.158.53-0
Matt Niskanen · Nate Schmidt3840:3657.356.93-2
Brooks Orpik · Matt Niskanen2526:5764.782.41-0

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.

4Goalsnot counting empty-netters
5.9Expected goalsfrom 219 unblocked attempts
-1.9Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.18 expected goals per 60 minutes46th
Shot quality 2.7% chance per attempt33rd
Finishing -1.9 goals above expected13thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of defencemen he is ahead of, among the 230 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

024Game 20Game 40Game 60Game 80Expected 5.9Goals 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. 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 10, 2016 vs ANA L 0-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 22:43
Apr 9, 2016 @ STL W 5-1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 23:51
Apr 7, 2016 vs PIT L 3-4 (OT) 0 1 1 -1 2 2 4 27:37
Apr 5, 2016 vs NYI L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 22:23
Apr 2, 2016 @ ARI L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 3 24:19
Apr 1, 2016 @ COL W 4-2 0 0 0 -1 2 0 1 24:34
Mar 30, 2016 @ PHI L 1-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 26:42
Mar 28, 2016 vs CBJ W 4-1 0 2 2 2 0 5 0 25:14
Mar 26, 2016 vs STL L 0-4 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 21:46
Mar 25, 2016 @ NJD W 1-0 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 24:14
Mar 22, 2016 @ OTT W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 4 3 24:22
Mar 20, 2016 @ PIT L 2-6 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 28:00
Mar 18, 2016 vs NSH W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 24:21
Mar 15, 2016 vs CAR W 2-1 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 25:27
Mar 12, 2016 @ SJS L 2-5 0 0 0 -2 0 1 2 25:30
Mar 9, 2016 @ LAK L 3-4 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 28:22
Mar 7, 2016 @ ANA W 2-1 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 27:05
Mar 5, 2016 @ BOS W 2-1 (OT) 1 0 1 2 0 1 0 26:48
Mar 4, 2016 vs NYR L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 25:01
Mar 2, 2016 vs TOR W 3-2 1 0 1 0 2 1 2 24:44
Mar 1, 2016 vs PIT W 3-2 0 1 1 -1 0 2 4 24:26
Feb 28, 2016 @ CHI L 2-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 5 24:34
Feb 26, 2016 vs MIN W 3-2 0 1 1 0 2 3 5 22:23
Feb 24, 2016 vs MTL L 3-4 0 0 0 -1 2 0 3 20:37
Feb 22, 2016 vs ARI W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 23:25
Feb 20, 2016 vs NJD W 4-3 0 0 0 -3 0 1 3 19:54
Feb 18, 2016 @ NYI W 3-2 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 3 1 26:37
Feb 16, 2016 vs LAK W 3-1 0 0 0 1 0 0 6 22:40
Feb 13, 2016 @ DAL L 3-4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 24:23
Feb 11, 2016 @ MIN W 4-3 0 0 0 -1 2 0 1 23:11
Feb 9, 2016 @ NSH W 5-3 0 0 0 2 2 3 4 26:11
Feb 7, 2016 vs PHI W 3-2 1 0 1 0 2 7 1 24:51
Feb 6, 2016 @ NJD W 3-2 (SO) 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 28:04
Feb 4, 2016 vs NYI W 3-2 0 0 0 2 0 1 2 23:21
Feb 2, 2016 vs FLA L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 5 3 28:07
Jan 27, 2016 vs PHI L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 2 1 0 25:17
Jan 19, 2016 @ CBJ W 6-3 0 2 2 2 0 4 3 28:31
Jan 17, 2016 vs NYR W 5-2 0 1 1 -1 2 3 2 25:16
Jan 16, 2016 @ BUF L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 26:53
Jan 14, 2016 vs VAN W 4-1 0 0 0 2 0 2 5 28:27
Jan 10, 2016 vs OTT W 7-1 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 21:47
Jan 9, 2016 @ NYR W 4-3 (OT) 0 1 1 1 0 1 5 28:34
Jan 7, 2016 @ NYI W 4-1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 25:50
Jan 5, 2016 @ BOS W 3-2 0 1 1 -1 2 3 1 27:19
Jan 2, 2016 @ CBJ L 4-5 (SO) 0 1 1 0 0 4 0 32:04
Dec 31, 2015 @ CAR L 2-4 0 1 1 1 0 2 5 28:25
Dec 30, 2015 vs BUF W 5-2 0 1 1 2 0 2 1 25:40
Dec 28, 2015 @ BUF W 2-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 27:25
Dec 26, 2015 vs MTL W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 26:17
Dec 21, 2015 @ CAR W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 22:10
Dec 20, 2015 @ NYR W 7-3 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 21:27
Dec 18, 2015 vs TBL W 5-3 0 0 0 -1 2 0 1 20:58
Dec 16, 2015 vs OTT W 2-1 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 23:53
Dec 14, 2015 @ PIT W 4-1 0 0 0 2 0 2 3 24:13
Dec 12, 2015 @ TBL W 2-1 0 0 0 0 4 2 3 24:28
Dec 10, 2015 @ FLA L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 23:01
Dec 8, 2015 vs DET W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 25:51
Dec 5, 2015 @ WPG L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 27:38
Dec 3, 2015 @ MTL W 3-2 0 1 1 1 2 1 2 25:59
Nov 28, 2015 @ TOR W 4-2 0 1 1 1 0 1 3 23:29
Nov 27, 2015 vs TBL W 4-2 0 1 1 0 0 3 3 22:49
Nov 25, 2015 vs WPG W 5-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 5 21:56
Nov 23, 2015 vs EDM W 1-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 26:18
Nov 21, 2015 vs COL W 7-3 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 23:38
Nov 19, 2015 vs DAL L 2-3 0 0 0 -2 0 2 0 22:38
Nov 18, 2015 @ DET W 2-1 (OT) 0 2 2 1 0 3 2 23:51
Nov 13, 2015 vs CGY L 2-3 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 1 2 25:06
Nov 12, 2015 @ PHI W 5-2 0 1 1 2 2 4 3 25:12
Nov 10, 2015 @ DET L 0-1 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 25:35
Nov 7, 2015 vs TOR W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 23:16
Nov 5, 2015 vs BOS W 4-1 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 19:09
Nov 3, 2015 @ NYR L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 4 2 22:56
Oct 31, 2015 @ FLA W 2-1 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 23:37
Oct 30, 2015 vs CBJ W 2-1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 20:19
Oct 28, 2015 vs PIT L 1-3 0 0 0 -2 0 2 1 24:36
Oct 23, 2015 @ EDM W 7-4 0 1 1 2 0 0 2 22:10
Oct 22, 2015 @ VAN W 3-2 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 25:11
Oct 20, 2015 @ CGY W 6-2 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 23:02
Oct 17, 2015 vs CAR W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 22:00
Oct 15, 2015 vs CHI W 4-1 1 0 1 1 0 1 2 22:43
Oct 13, 2015 vs SJS L 0-5 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 24:50
Oct 10, 2015 vs NJD W 5-3 1 1 2 0 0 2 0 24:44