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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 2018-19. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Patric Hornqvist PIT · 37 P in 69 GP Artem Anisimov CHI · 37 P in 78 GP Jordan Eberle NYI · 37 P in 78 GP Joonas Donskoi SJS · 37 P in 80 GP Andrei Svechnikov CAR · 37 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

2018-19 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
62 21 16 37 2 15 158 27 0.60 13.3 15:46

Contract

$6MCap hitends in 2025, then UFA
$162KCap dollars per point37 points in 62 games
$815KCap dollars per goal above replacement7.4 goals above replacement
$5.7MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$326KValueworth 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 696 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Winnipeg Jets on Oct 4, 2017, as an extension of the contract he was on: 7 years and $42M, beginning in 2018-19. It runs through 2024-25, with 6 seasons left after this one, and he is then an unrestricted free agent.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2018-19 $6M $6.25M $0 $6.25M
2019-20 $6M $6.5M $0 $6.5M
2020-21 $6M $4.75M $0 $4.75M
2021-22 $6M $6.5M $0 $6.5M
2022-23 $6M $4.75M $0 $4.75M M-NTC
2023-24 $6M $6.5M $0 $6.5M M-NTC
2024-25 $6M $6.75M $0 $6.75M M-NTC

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 2018-19 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.

2018-19 analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+7.4Goals above replacement123rd of 699 skaters, 96th of 455 forwards
+1.2Wins 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 455 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+2.1 72nd percentileEven-strength defence-0.6 34th percentilePower play+0.2 76th percentilePenalty kill+0.0 50th percentilePenalties+3.1 97th 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

52.5Corsi for %867 attempts for, 785 against
+3.8CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
51.0Expected goals for %37.5 expected for, 36.1 against
+3.7xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
52.2Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
51.4Goals for %36 for, 34 against
99.8PDO7.6% shooting + 92.2% saves
233Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 591 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
Blake Wheeler · Mark Scheifele · Nikolaj Ehlers35391:2552.951.620-11
Bryan Little · Nikolaj Ehlers · Patrik Laine20110:1645.045.83-6
Kevin Hayes · Nikolaj Ehlers · Kyle Connor12107:0051.352.06-5
Bryan Little · Nikolaj Ehlers · Kyle Connor536:4159.263.32-3

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.

19Goalsnot counting empty-netters
13.2Expected goalsfrom 205 unblocked attempts
+5.8Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.81 expected goals per 60 minutes59th
Shot quality 6.4% chance per attempt7th
Finishing +5.8 goals above expected90thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 426 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

051015Game 20Game 40Game 60Goals 19Expected 13.2

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 6, 2019 @ ARI W 4-2 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 16:06
Apr 4, 2019 @ COL L 2-3 (OT) 1 0 1 1 0 3 0 11:58
Apr 2, 2019 @ MIN L 1-5 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 13:53
Apr 1, 2019 @ CHI W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 5 0 14:09
Mar 30, 2019 vs MTL L 1-3 0 0 0 -2 2 2 0 15:21
Mar 28, 2019 vs NYI L 4-5 0 0 0 -1 0 4 2 14:38
Mar 25, 2019 vs DAL L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 14:30
Mar 23, 2019 vs NSH W 5-0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 16:37
Mar 21, 2019 @ VGK L 0-5 0 0 0 -3 0 1 1 14:45
Mar 20, 2019 @ ANA W 3-0 1 0 1 2 0 2 0 12:56
Mar 18, 2019 @ LAK W 3-2 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 15:46
Mar 16, 2019 vs CGY W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 16:03
Mar 14, 2019 vs BOS W 4-3 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 13:26
Mar 12, 2019 vs SJS L 4-5 0 0 0 -4 0 1 0 14:19
Mar 10, 2019 @ WSH L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 16:21
Mar 8, 2019 @ CAR W 8-1 1 2 3 3 0 2 0 12:25
Mar 5, 2019 @ TBL L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 6 1 14:49
Mar 3, 2019 @ CBJ W 5-2 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 15:21
Mar 1, 2019 vs NSH W 5-3 0 1 1 1 0 6 2 14:12
Feb 26, 2019 vs MIN L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 15:53
Feb 24, 2019 @ ARI L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 0 2 17:26
Feb 22, 2019 @ VGK W 6-3 1 0 1 1 0 2 1 14:07
Jan 4, 2019 @ PIT L 0-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 01:28
Dec 31, 2018 @ EDM W 4-3 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 18:52
Dec 29, 2018 vs MIN L 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 15:13
Dec 27, 2018 vs CGY L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 2 2 0 17:51
Dec 22, 2018 @ VAN W 1-0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 17:49
Dec 20, 2018 @ SJS W 5-3 3 0 3 3 0 5 0 14:52
Dec 18, 2018 @ LAK L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 21:13
Dec 16, 2018 vs TBL W 5-4 (OT) 2 1 3 1 0 5 1 19:58
Dec 14, 2018 @ CHI W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 14:02
Dec 13, 2018 vs EDM W 5-4 (OT) 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 20:30
Dec 11, 2018 vs CHI W 6-3 0 1 1 0 0 5 0 14:29
Dec 9, 2018 vs PHI W 7-1 0 2 2 0 0 1 0 15:50
Dec 7, 2018 vs STL L 0-1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 14:36
Dec 4, 2018 @ NYI W 3-1 1 0 1 1 0 2 0 22:17
Dec 2, 2018 @ NYR W 4-3 (SO) 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 21:07
Dec 1, 2018 @ NJD W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18:47
Nov 29, 2018 vs CHI W 6-5 3 0 3 4 0 5 0 19:25
Nov 27, 2018 vs PIT L 3-4 0 2 2 0 0 2 0 16:51
Nov 24, 2018 @ STL W 8-4 0 0 0 1 0 6 0 16:56
Nov 23, 2018 @ MIN L 2-4 1 0 1 -1 0 2 0 14:07
Nov 21, 2018 @ CGY L 3-6 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 16:20
Nov 19, 2018 @ VAN W 6-3 0 1 1 1 0 4 0 18:03
Nov 16, 2018 vs BUF L 1-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 16:35
Nov 14, 2018 vs WSH W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 17:51
Nov 11, 2018 vs NJD W 5-2 1 1 2 2 0 1 0 14:45
Nov 9, 2018 vs COL W 5-2 1 0 1 2 0 1 0 16:49
Nov 2, 2018 vs FLA L 2-4 1 0 1 0 0 5 0 18:54
Nov 1, 2018 @ FLA W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 16:24
Oct 27, 2018 @ TOR L 2-3 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 17:10
Oct 26, 2018 @ DET W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 18:41
Oct 24, 2018 vs TOR L 2-4 1 0 1 0 0 8 0 17:53
Oct 22, 2018 vs STL W 5-4 (OT) 0 0 0 -2 0 2 0 16:12
Oct 20, 2018 vs ARI W 5-3 0 0 0 -2 0 4 1 12:41
Oct 18, 2018 vs VAN W 4-1 0 2 2 0 0 1 1 15:03
Oct 16, 2018 vs EDM L 4-5 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 1 2 18:17
Oct 14, 2018 vs CAR W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 14:19
Oct 11, 2018 @ NSH L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 7 2 0 13:41
Oct 9, 2018 vs LAK W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 11:25
Oct 6, 2018 @ DAL L 1-5 0 0 0 -1 0 1 2 14:24
Oct 4, 2018 @ STL W 5-1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 10:31