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Paul Cotter

#47 · Left wing · Vancouver Canucks

Born Nov 16, 1999 in Canton, Michigan, USA (age 26) · 6'2", 213 lb · Shoots left · Drafted 115th overall in 2018 by VGK (round 4)

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Stanley Cup NHL Champion 2022-23

Compare with a similar player

The forwards closest to him in points in 2025-26. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Ondrej Palat NYI · 15 P in 80 GP Colin Blackwell DAL · 15 P in 70 GP Lars Eller OTT · 15 P in 68 GP Adam Henrique EDM · 15 P in 65 GP Cole Reinhardt FLA · 15 P in 59 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.

05101520252021-22: 2 points221-222022-23: 18 points1822-232023-24: 25 points2523-242024-25: 22 points2224-252025-26: 15 points1525-262026-27: 6 points626-27

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

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2021-22 VGK 7 2 0 2 1 6 11 17 0.29 $760K
2022-23 VGK 55 13 5 18 -5 15 76 168 0.33 $760K
2023-24 VGK 76 7 18 25 -11 41 100 233 0.33 $775K
2024-25 NJD 79 16 6 22 -14 62 90 245 0.28 $775K
2025-26 NJD 79 9 6 15 -24 19 61 192 0.19 $775K
2026-27 VAN 4 4 2 6 4 0 7 12 1.50 $2.15M
6 seasons Career 300 51 37 88 -49 143 345 867 0.29

Playoffs

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

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2024-25 NJD 5 0 1 1 -1 2 5 22 0.20
1 season Playoffs 5 0 1 1 -1 2 5 22 0.20

2025-26 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
79 9 6 15 -24 19 61 192 0.19 14.8 10:41

Contract

$775KCap hitends in 2026
$52KCap dollars per point15 points in 79 games
-$3.4MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$4.2MValueworth less cap hit

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 715 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Vegas Golden Knights on Aug 13, 2022, as an extension of the contract he was on: 3 years and $2.325M, beginning in 2023-24. It runs through 2025-26, so this is its last season.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2023-24 $775K $775K $0 $775K
2024-25 $775K $775K $0 $775K
2025-26 $775K $775K $0 $775K

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 1, 2026 Vancouver Canucks New contract 2026-27 to 2026-27 1 $2.15M $2.15M
Aug 13, 2022 Vegas Golden Knights Extension 2023-24 to 2025-26 3 $2.325M $775K
Dec 28, 2018 Vegas Golden Knights Entry-level 2020-21 to 2022-23 signed for 2018-19, slid 3 $2.55M $760K

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 2025-26 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.

2025-26 analytics

Rating

-4.9Goals above replacement706th of 715 skaters, 473rd of 476 forwards
-0.8Wins 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 476 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-6.1 1st percentileEven-strength defence-2.4 13th percentilePower play-0.2 38th percentilePenalty kill-0.1 23rd percentilePenalties+1.5 87th 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.

-6-4-20242021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-27Goals 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

44.7Corsi for %665 attempts for, 823 against
-8.2CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
40.8Expected goals for %25.8 expected for, 37.5 against
-9.8xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
43.4Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
26.8Goals for %15 for, 41 against
94.4PDO5.1% shooting + 89.2% saves
131Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 615 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
Nick Bjugstad · Paul Cotter · Maxim Tsyplakov16102:4346.542.52-5
Stefan Noesen · Luke Glendening · Paul Cotter1774:4244.433.11-2
Connor Brown · Cody Glass · Paul Cotter2165:5231.730.42-2
Paul Cotter · Marc McLaughlin · Brian Halonen637:1436.134.31-1

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.

9Goalsnot counting empty-netters
8.8Expected goalsfrom 106 unblocked attempts
+0.2Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.63 expected goals per 60 minutes23rd
Shot quality 8.3% chance per attempt51st
Finishing +0.2 goals above expected62ndOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 444 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

02468Game 20Game 40Game 60Goals 9Expected 8.8

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 14, 2026 @ BOS L 0-4 0 0 0 -2 0 4 1 12:31
Apr 12, 2026 vs OTT W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 10:23
Apr 11, 2026 @ DET W 5-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 2 08:54
Apr 9, 2026 vs PIT L 2-5 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 10:49
Apr 7, 2026 vs PHI L 1-5 0 0 0 -1 0 0 5 11:55
Apr 5, 2026 @ MTL W 3-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 07:14
Apr 4, 2026 vs MTL L 3-4 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 06:27
Apr 2, 2026 vs WSH W 7-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 3 06:58
Mar 31, 2026 @ NYR L 1-4 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 08:05
Mar 29, 2026 vs CHI W 5-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 07:36
Mar 28, 2026 @ CAR L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 0 3 10:26
Mar 26, 2026 @ NSH W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 08:36
Mar 24, 2026 @ DAL W 6-4 0 0 0 -1 0 0 1 07:11
Mar 20, 2026 @ WSH L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 06:55
Mar 18, 2026 @ NYR W 6-3 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 08:57
Mar 16, 2026 vs BOS W 4-3 (OT) 2 0 2 1 0 2 3 09:18
Mar 14, 2026 vs LAK W 6-4 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 09:26
Mar 12, 2026 vs CGY L 4-5 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 11:07
Mar 8, 2026 vs DET L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 3 09:10
Mar 7, 2026 vs NYR W 6-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 2 06:11
Mar 4, 2026 vs TOR W 4-3 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 0 1 07:16
Mar 3, 2026 vs FLA W 5-1 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 09:26
Feb 28, 2026 @ STL W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 08:25
Feb 26, 2026 @ PIT L 1-4 1 0 1 1 0 2 2 10:05
Feb 25, 2026 vs BUF L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 07:45
Feb 5, 2026 vs NYI L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 4 08:37
Feb 3, 2026 vs CBJ L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 8 13:07
Jan 31, 2026 @ OTT L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 08:40
Jan 29, 2026 vs NSH W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 13:30
Jan 27, 2026 vs WPG L 3-4 0 0 0 -2 0 0 4 07:50
Jan 25, 2026 @ SEA L 2-4 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 06:31
Jan 23, 2026 @ VAN W 5-4 0 0 0 -1 0 1 3 10:12
Jan 20, 2026 @ EDM W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 09:11
Jan 19, 2026 @ CGY W 2-1 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 09:17
Jan 17, 2026 vs CAR L 1-4 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 09:47
Jan 14, 2026 vs SEA W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 09:12
Jan 12, 2026 @ MIN W 5-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 09:31
Jan 11, 2026 @ WPG L 3-4 0 0 0 -1 0 0 2 06:58
Jan 8, 2026 @ PIT L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 13:22
Dec 31, 2025 @ CBJ W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 06:54
Dec 30, 2025 @ TOR L 0-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 10:23
Dec 27, 2025 vs WSH L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 -2 0 0 4 09:18
Dec 23, 2025 @ NYI L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 09:47
Dec 21, 2025 vs BUF L 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 10:22
Dec 19, 2025 @ UTA W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 15:53
Dec 17, 2025 @ VGK W 2-1 (SO) 0 0 0 0 2 1 4 14:41
Dec 14, 2025 vs VAN L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 15:22
Dec 13, 2025 vs ANA W 4-1 1 0 1 2 0 2 1 16:24
Dec 11, 2025 vs TBL L 4-8 1 1 2 0 0 3 6 14:04
Dec 9, 2025 @ OTT W 4-3 1 0 1 1 0 3 0 07:41
Dec 6, 2025 @ BOS L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 11:13
Dec 5, 2025 vs VGK L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 10:58
Dec 3, 2025 vs DAL L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 4 13:49
Dec 1, 2025 vs CBJ L 3-5 0 0 0 0 5 0 6 10:47
Nov 29, 2025 vs PHI L 3-5 0 0 0 -2 0 0 3 12:06
Nov 28, 2025 @ BUF W 5-0 1 1 2 2 0 2 2 16:03
Nov 26, 2025 vs STL W 3-2 (OT) 0 1 1 -1 0 2 4 12:25
Nov 24, 2025 vs DET W 4-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 11:35
Nov 22, 2025 @ PHI L 3-6 0 0 0 -1 0 0 1 11:33
Nov 20, 2025 @ FLA L 0-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 12:29
Nov 18, 2025 @ TBL L 1-5 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 14:20
Nov 15, 2025 @ WSH W 3-2 (SO) 0 1 1 -1 0 1 1 16:58
Nov 12, 2025 @ CHI W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -2 0 0 3 11:15
Nov 10, 2025 vs NYI L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 09:41
Nov 8, 2025 vs PIT W 2-1 (SO) 0 0 0 1 0 0 7 13:43
Nov 6, 2025 vs MTL W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 09:06
Nov 2, 2025 @ ANA L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 12:25
Nov 1, 2025 @ LAK W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 11:39
Oct 30, 2025 @ SJS L 2-5 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 13:42
Oct 28, 2025 @ COL L 4-8 0 1 1 -1 0 0 6 13:40
Oct 26, 2025 vs COL W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 14:17
Oct 24, 2025 vs SJS W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 12:47
Oct 22, 2025 vs MIN W 4-1 1 0 1 2 0 2 2 14:14
Oct 21, 2025 @ TOR W 5-2 0 0 0 -1 0 3 3 11:51
Oct 18, 2025 vs EDM W 5-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 3 10:40
Oct 16, 2025 vs FLA W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 09:07
Oct 13, 2025 @ CBJ W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 08:37
Oct 11, 2025 @ TBL W 5-3 0 0 0 -2 0 0 3 12:59
Oct 9, 2025 @ CAR L 3-6 0 0 0 -1 4 1 3 11:54