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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 2023-24. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Nick Schmaltz ARI · 61 P in 79 GP Connor Bedard CHI · 61 P in 68 GP Kyle Connor WPG · 61 P in 65 GP Charlie Coyle BOS · 60 P in 82 GP Frank Vatrano ANA · 60 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 7 0 3 3 -2 0 15 3 0.43 $8.5M
12 seasons Career 763 251 343 594 112 236 2117 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

2023-24 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
82 25 36 61 27 29 233 30 0.74 10.7 15:52

Contract

$6MCap hitends in 2025, then UFA
$98KCap dollars per point61 points in 82 games
$551KCap dollars per goal above replacement10.9 goals above replacement
$8.9MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
+$2.9MValueworth 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 718 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 1 season 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 2023-24 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.

2023-24 analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+10.9Goals above replacement63rd of 721 skaters, 50th of 469 forwards
+1.8Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
+7.3Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 469 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+7.1 94th percentileEven-strength defence-0.3 38th percentilePower play-1.3 6th percentilePenalty kill0.0 36th percentilePenalties+1.8 90th 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.

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

54.6Corsi for %1200 attempts for, 996 against
+4.8CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
55.2Expected goals for %50.8 expected for, 41.2 against
+3.9xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
54.7Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
65.3Goals for %62 for, 33 against
103.5PDO10.1% shooting + 93.4% saves
388Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 616 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 · Gabriel Vilardi21206:4155.657.416-6
Vladislav Namestnikov · Nikolaj Ehlers · Cole Perfetti30193:1153.147.010-5
Mark Scheifele · Nikolaj Ehlers · Kyle Connor25141:1157.861.66-2
Tyler Toffoli · Sean Monahan · Nikolaj Ehlers12106:3057.558.611-4

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.

22Goalsnot counting empty-netters
18.6Expected goalsfrom 336 unblocked attempts
+3.4Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.86 expected goals per 60 minutes63rd
Shot quality 5.5% chance per attempt2nd
Finishing +3.4 goals above expected80thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 438 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

05101520Game 20Game 40Game 60Game 80Goals 22Expected 18.6

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 18, 2024 vs VAN W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 18:33
Apr 16, 2024 vs SEA W 4-3 1 1 2 -1 0 5 0 15:48
Apr 13, 2024 @ COL W 7-0 0 2 2 2 0 2 0 14:19
Apr 11, 2024 @ DAL W 3-0 1 0 1 1 0 2 0 13:00
Apr 9, 2024 @ NSH W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -2 0 2 0 09:37
Apr 6, 2024 @ MIN W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 14:18
Apr 4, 2024 vs CGY W 5-2 1 1 2 2 2 3 0 12:11
Apr 1, 2024 vs LAK W 4-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16:35
Mar 30, 2024 vs OTT L 2-3 1 0 1 1 0 5 2 15:45
Mar 28, 2024 vs VGK L 1-4 0 1 1 -2 0 5 1 18:07
Mar 26, 2024 vs EDM L 3-4 (OT) 0 1 1 1 4 3 2 16:28
Mar 24, 2024 @ WSH L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 17:00
Mar 23, 2024 @ NYI L 3-6 0 1 1 0 0 4 1 14:12
Mar 21, 2024 @ NJD L 1-4 1 0 1 0 0 3 0 14:57
Mar 19, 2024 @ NYR W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 13:32
Mar 17, 2024 @ CBJ W 6-1 1 1 2 3 0 3 0 13:57
Mar 15, 2024 vs ANA W 6-0 0 2 2 2 0 4 1 11:53
Mar 13, 2024 vs NSH L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 16:57
Mar 11, 2024 vs WSH W 3-0 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 17:43
Mar 9, 2024 @ VAN L 0-5 0 0 0 -1 2 1 0 16:10
Mar 8, 2024 @ SEA W 3-0 1 0 1 1 0 4 1 17:04
Mar 5, 2024 vs SEA L 3-4 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 17:27
Mar 3, 2024 @ BUF W 5-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 15:20
Mar 2, 2024 @ CAR W 5-3 0 1 1 1 0 3 0 17:22
Feb 29, 2024 @ DAL L 1-4 0 1 1 -1 0 4 0 16:30
Feb 27, 2024 vs STL W 4-2 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 13:09
Feb 25, 2024 vs ARI W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 13:34
Feb 23, 2024 @ CHI W 3-2 (OT) 2 0 2 1 0 3 0 14:51
Feb 20, 2024 vs MIN W 6-3 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 13:30
Feb 19, 2024 @ CGY L 3-6 0 0 0 -2 0 1 1 15:16
Feb 17, 2024 @ VAN W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 12:10
Feb 14, 2024 vs SJS W 1-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 16:45
Feb 10, 2024 vs PIT W 2-1 0 1 1 1 0 6 0 15:50
Feb 8, 2024 @ PHI L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 14:17
Feb 6, 2024 @ PIT L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 15:04
Jan 27, 2024 vs TOR L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 16:58
Jan 24, 2024 @ TOR L 0-1 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 19:38
Jan 22, 2024 @ BOS L 1-4 0 1 1 -1 0 4 1 17:12
Jan 20, 2024 @ OTT W 2-1 (OT) 1 0 1 0 0 4 0 16:45
Jan 16, 2024 vs NYI W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 14:48
Jan 13, 2024 vs PHI L 0-2 0 0 0 0 0 6 1 18:04
Jan 11, 2024 vs CHI W 2-1 1 0 1 1 0 5 1 17:14
Jan 9, 2024 vs CBJ W 5-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 14:43
Jan 7, 2024 @ ARI W 6-2 1 1 2 2 0 5 0 15:14
Jan 5, 2024 @ ANA W 3-1 1 0 1 0 0 4 1 16:40
Jan 4, 2024 @ SJS W 2-1 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 14:46
Jan 2, 2024 vs TBL W 4-2 1 0 1 1 0 5 0 16:43
Dec 31, 2023 @ MIN W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 18:12
Dec 30, 2023 vs MIN W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 16:35
Dec 27, 2023 @ CHI L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 21:44
Dec 22, 2023 vs BOS W 5-1 0 1 1 2 0 4 0 17:39
Dec 20, 2023 vs DET W 5-2 1 1 2 1 0 5 0 16:13
Dec 18, 2023 vs MTL L 2-3 (OT) 0 1 1 1 2 2 0 20:59
Dec 16, 2023 vs COL W 6-2 1 1 2 2 2 4 0 16:05
Dec 13, 2023 @ LAK W 5-2 2 2 4 5 0 5 0 16:03
Dec 12, 2023 @ SJS L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 19:46
Dec 10, 2023 @ ANA W 4-2 0 1 1 1 0 3 0 20:47
Dec 7, 2023 @ COL W 4-2 0 1 1 2 2 1 0 15:48
Dec 4, 2023 vs CAR W 2-1 1 1 2 2 0 4 1 17:03
Dec 2, 2023 vs CHI W 3-1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 19:57
Nov 30, 2023 vs EDM L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 19:07
Nov 28, 2023 vs DAL L 0-2 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 16:23
Nov 26, 2023 @ NSH L 2-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 16:49
Nov 24, 2023 @ FLA W 3-0 1 0 1 1 0 3 1 12:53
Nov 22, 2023 @ TBL W 3-2 (OT) 0 1 1 1 0 3 1 15:57
Nov 18, 2023 vs ARI W 5-2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 15:32
Nov 17, 2023 vs BUF W 3-2 1 0 1 2 2 2 0 15:12
Nov 14, 2023 vs NJD W 6-3 2 0 2 1 9 2 0 14:54
Nov 11, 2023 vs DAL L 2-3 0 1 1 1 0 4 0 14:59
Nov 9, 2023 vs NSH W 6-3 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 13:25
Nov 7, 2023 @ STL W 5-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 13:49
Nov 4, 2023 @ ARI W 5-3 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 13:57
Nov 2, 2023 @ VGK L 2-5 0 0 0 -2 0 2 0 13:33
Oct 30, 2023 vs NYR L 2-3 (OT) 1 0 1 1 0 5 0 13:49
Oct 28, 2023 @ MTL L 3-4 (SO) 0 0 0 -2 0 7 0 20:46
Oct 26, 2023 @ DET W 4-1 1 0 1 1 0 6 2 13:18
Oct 24, 2023 vs STL W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14:49
Oct 21, 2023 @ EDM W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 16:45
Oct 19, 2023 vs VGK L 3-5 0 2 2 -1 0 2 0 16:02
Oct 17, 2023 vs LAK L 1-5 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 16:13
Oct 14, 2023 vs FLA W 6-4 0 0 0 1 2 1 1 11:32
Oct 11, 2023 @ CGY L 3-5 0 0 0 -2 0 3 0 17:08