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Nikolaj Ehlers

#27 · Left wing · Carolina Hurricanes

Born Feb 14, 1996 in Aalborg, DNK (age 30) · 6'0", 168 lb · Shoots left · Drafted 9th overall in 2014 by WPG (round 1)

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Stanley Cup NHL Champion 2025-26

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.

Patrik Laine WPG · 64 P in 73 GP Eric Staal MIN · 65 P in 82 GP Jeff Skinner CAR · 63 P in 79 GP Jeff Carter LAK · 66 P in 82 GP Cam Atkinson CBJ · 62 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.

02040602015-16: 38 points3815-162016-17: 64 points6416-172017-18: 60 points6017-182018-19: 37 points3718-192019-20: 58 points5819-202020-21: 46 points4620-212021-22: 55 points5521-222022-23: 38 points3822-232023-24: 61 points6123-242024-25: 63 points6324-252025-26: 71 points7125-262026-27: 3 points326-27

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

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2015-16 WPG 72 15 23 38 3 21 167 29 0.53 $894K
2016-17 WPG 82 25 39 64 1 38 204 43 0.78 $894K
2017-18 WPG 82 29 31 60 14 26 231 39 0.73 $894K
2018-19 WPG 62 21 16 37 2 15 158 27 0.60 $6M
2019-20 WPG 71 25 33 58 14 30 203 36 0.82 $6M
2020-21 WPG 47 21 25 46 15 15 148 26 0.98 $6M
2021-22 WPG 62 28 27 55 18 20 245 32 0.89 $6M
2022-23 WPG 45 12 26 38 -2 11 132 36 0.84 $6M
2023-24 WPG 82 25 36 61 27 29 233 30 0.74 $6M
2024-25 WPG 69 24 39 63 14 17 174 38 0.91 $6M
2025-26 CAR 82 26 45 71 8 14 207 21 0.87 $8.5M
2026-27 CAR 6 0 3 3 -2 0 12 3 0.50 $8.5M
12 seasons Career 762 251 343 594 112 236 2114 360 0.78

Playoffs

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

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2017-18 WPG 15 0 7 7 4 2 26 7 0.47
2018-19 WPG 6 0 0 0 -2 0 16 2 0.00
2019-20 WPG 4 2 0 2 -2 2 14 8 0.50
2020-21 WPG 6 2 1 3 -5 2 17 12 0.50
2022-23 WPG 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
2023-24 WPG 5 0 2 2 -4 0 14 11 0.40
2024-25 WPG 8 5 2 7 1 4 31 12 0.88
2025-26 CAR 18 8 10 18 9 6 39 14 1.00
8 seasons Playoffs 63 17 22 39 1 16 157 66 0.62

2016-17 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
82 25 39 64 1 38 204 43 0.78 12.3 17:29

Contract

$894KCap hitends in 2018, then RFA
$14KCap dollars per point64 points in 82 games
$103KCap dollars per goal above replacement8.7 goals above replacement
$6.1MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
+$5.2MValueworth 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 664 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Winnipeg Jets on Sep 7, 2014, as an entry-level contract: 3 years and $4.875M, beginning in 2015-16. It runs through 2017-18, with 1 season left after this one, and he is then a restricted free agent.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2015-16 $894K $833K $93K $575K $925K
2016-17 $894K $833K $93K $675K $925K
2017-18 $894K $833K $0 $850K $833K

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
Jul 3, 2025 Carolina Hurricanes New contract 2025-26 to 2030-31 6 $51M $8.5M
Oct 4, 2017 Winnipeg Jets Extension 2018-19 to 2024-25 7 $42M $6M
Sep 7, 2014 Winnipeg Jets Entry-level 2015-16 to 2017-18 signed for 2014-15, slid 3 $4.875M $894K

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

Rating

+8.7Goals above replacement87th of 664 skaters, 63rd of 435 forwards
+1.4Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
+4.7Goals 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+4.7 90th percentileEven-strength defence-2.5 8th percentilePower play-1.2 2nd percentilePenalty kill0.0 40th percentilePenalties+3.7 99th 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.

0510152015-162017-182019-202021-222023-242025-26Goals 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

50.4Corsi for %1076 attempts for, 1061 against
+1.6CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
50.6Expected goals for %47.4 expected for, 46.4 against
+0.5xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
50.2Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
51.3Goals for %60 for, 57 against
100.8PDO10.2% shooting + 90.6% saves
270Attempts 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
Mark Scheifele · Nikolaj Ehlers · Patrik Laine43259:3648.751.922-15
Blake Wheeler · Mark Scheifele · Nikolaj Ehlers40235:5455.456.09-12
Bryan Little · Nikolaj Ehlers · Patrik Laine25203:5545.445.79-6
Blake Wheeler · Bryan Little · Nikolaj Ehlers20109:3750.651.14-4

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.

22Goalsnot counting empty-netters
17.8Expected goalsfrom 292 unblocked attempts
+4.2Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.74 expected goals per 60 minutes59th
Shot quality 6.1% chance per attempt9th
Finishing +4.2 goals above expected86thOne 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.

05101520Game 20Game 40Game 60Game 80Goals 22Expected 17.8

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. 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 8, 2017 vs NSH W 2-1 0 0 0 0 2 5 0 16:29
Apr 6, 2017 @ CBJ W 5-4 0 0 0 -2 0 4 2 17:10
Apr 4, 2017 @ STL W 5-2 1 1 2 1 0 3 0 17:53
Apr 1, 2017 vs OTT W 4-2 1 0 1 2 2 3 0 18:48
Mar 30, 2017 vs ANA W 4-3 (OT) 0 2 2 2 0 6 0 20:19
Mar 28, 2017 @ NJD W 4-3 (SO) 1 0 1 2 0 5 0 17:33
Mar 26, 2017 vs VAN W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 17:28
Mar 24, 2017 @ ANA L 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 17:01
Mar 23, 2017 @ LAK L 2-5 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 17:52
Mar 21, 2017 vs PHI W 3-2 0 0 0 -1 2 3 1 18:07
Mar 19, 2017 vs MIN W 5-4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 15:44
Mar 16, 2017 @ NYI W 4-2 0 2 2 0 0 1 0 15:33
Mar 13, 2017 @ NSH L 4-5 (OT) 0 2 2 0 0 2 0 16:34
Mar 11, 2017 vs CGY L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 2 2 0 17:35
Mar 8, 2017 vs PIT L 4-7 1 0 1 2 2 4 0 15:46
Mar 6, 2017 vs SJS L 2-3 0 1 1 -2 0 0 1 19:45
Mar 4, 2017 vs COL W 6-1 1 2 3 4 0 1 0 12:50
Mar 3, 2017 vs STL W 3-0 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 15:52
Feb 28, 2017 vs MIN L 5-6 0 1 1 -2 0 2 0 18:38
Feb 21, 2017 @ TOR L 4-5 (OT) 1 0 1 1 2 3 2 16:14
Feb 19, 2017 @ OTT W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14:45
Feb 18, 2017 @ MTL W 3-1 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 14:19
Feb 16, 2017 @ PIT L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 5 1 20:17
Feb 14, 2017 vs DAL W 5-2 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 14:51
Feb 11, 2017 vs TBL L 1-4 0 0 0 -2 0 4 1 16:25
Feb 10, 2017 vs CHI L 2-5 0 0 0 -2 0 2 0 18:15
Feb 7, 2017 vs MIN L 2-4 0 0 0 -3 0 1 0 13:57
Feb 4, 2017 @ COL L 2-5 0 0 0 -2 0 2 0 19:01
Feb 2, 2017 @ DAL W 4-3 1 1 2 2 0 3 0 15:31
Jan 31, 2017 @ STL W 5-3 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 17:46
Jan 26, 2017 @ CHI W 5-3 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 18:24
Jan 24, 2017 vs SJS L 3-4 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 22:53
Jan 23, 2017 vs ANA L 2-3 1 0 1 1 0 6 0 20:42
Jan 21, 2017 vs STL W 5-3 1 1 2 1 0 2 0 16:42
Jan 18, 2017 vs ARI W 6-3 1 0 1 1 2 6 1 14:12
Jan 16, 2017 @ SJS L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 0 2 16:29
Jan 14, 2017 @ LAK L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -2 0 4 1 19:36
Jan 13, 2017 @ ARI L 3-4 0 1 1 -2 0 3 2 20:12
Jan 11, 2017 vs MTL L 4-7 0 1 1 1 0 2 2 19:07
Jan 9, 2017 vs CGY W 2-0 0 1 1 1 0 3 0 17:40
Jan 7, 2017 @ BUF L 3-4 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 17:13
Jan 4, 2017 @ FLA W 4-1 1 0 1 2 0 3 0 15:31
Jan 3, 2017 @ TBL W 6-4 2 1 3 3 2 3 0 16:52
Dec 31, 2016 vs NYI L 2-6 1 0 1 -3 0 2 0 17:11
Dec 29, 2016 vs CBJ L 3-5 0 0 0 0 2 5 0 18:16
Dec 27, 2016 @ CHI W 3-1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 17:50
Dec 22, 2016 @ VAN W 4-1 2 1 3 2 0 3 0 16:58
Dec 20, 2016 @ VAN L 1-4 0 0 0 -2 0 3 0 17:05
Dec 18, 2016 vs COL W 4-1 2 0 2 3 0 4 0 15:46
Dec 15, 2016 vs FLA W 4-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 2 6 1 19:25
Dec 11, 2016 @ EDM L 2-3 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 19:01
Dec 10, 2016 @ CGY L 2-6 1 0 1 -3 0 1 0 15:58
Dec 8, 2016 vs NYR L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 16:35
Dec 6, 2016 vs DET L 3-4 (SO) 0 1 1 1 0 6 1 20:11
Dec 4, 2016 @ CHI W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 16:38
Dec 3, 2016 @ STL W 3-2 (OT) 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 14:40
Dec 1, 2016 vs EDM L 3-6 0 1 1 -2 0 2 0 17:46
Nov 29, 2016 vs NJD W 3-2 0 1 1 1 0 2 1 17:49
Nov 27, 2016 vs NSH W 3-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 16:26
Nov 25, 2016 @ NSH L 1-5 0 1 1 0 2 1 1 14:33
Nov 23, 2016 @ MIN L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 2 2 0 19:44
Nov 20, 2016 @ CAR L 1-3 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 18:56
Nov 19, 2016 @ BOS L 1-4 0 0 0 -3 0 1 0 15:11
Nov 17, 2016 @ PHI L 2-5 0 1 1 -2 0 4 1 20:14
Nov 15, 2016 vs CHI W 4-0 0 2 2 2 0 1 1 18:31
Nov 13, 2016 vs LAK W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 18:28
Nov 11, 2016 @ COL L 2-3 (OT) 0 2 2 -1 0 1 0 17:44
Nov 10, 2016 @ ARI W 3-2 1 0 1 0 0 3 2 17:03
Nov 8, 2016 vs DAL W 8-2 0 2 2 3 0 2 0 16:14
Nov 6, 2016 @ NYR L 2-5 0 1 1 1 0 5 0 20:56
Nov 4, 2016 @ DET W 5-3 1 3 4 3 0 2 0 17:48
Nov 3, 2016 @ WSH L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 0 4 1 2 19:27
Nov 1, 2016 vs WSH L 2-3 0 0 0 -1 0 8 0 20:52
Oct 30, 2016 vs BUF L 1-3 1 0 1 0 0 4 0 22:18
Oct 28, 2016 @ COL W 1-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 12:40
Oct 27, 2016 vs DAL W 4-1 0 1 1 1 2 0 1 13:52
Oct 25, 2016 @ DAL L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 16:41
Oct 23, 2016 vs EDM L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 0 5 1 21:31
Oct 19, 2016 vs TOR W 5-4 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 14:41
Oct 17, 2016 vs BOS L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 16:56
Oct 15, 2016 @ MIN L 3-4 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 18:59
Oct 13, 2016 vs CAR W 5-4 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 19:07