NHL Hockey IQ 2025-26

Who makes the best decisions on the ice? Our hockey IQ rates every skater from 0 to 100 on offense, on defense and overall, against regulars at the same position (50 = average). It judges how a player plays; PAL judges what the player produces.

Include under 400 min

Columns424 players · tick two to compare them

#	Player
1	Josh DoanBUF · F	100	99	100	93	82	52	25	27	15.3	1.9	25.3	54.4	50.9	46	64	78	39	—
2	Brayden PointTBL · F	100	100	74	75	63	50	18	32	17.6	0.2	22.4	51.9	49.6	13	41	8	26	45.8
3	Mark StoneVGK · F	99	90	99	100	61	73	28	45	18.2	3.5	22.5	60.1	54.8	28	70	31	53	—
4	Ryan O'ReillyNSH · F	99	96	98	87	81	74	25	49	19.5	2.2	24.5	51.8	48.4	50	49	17	82	55.1
5	Zach HymanEDM · F	99	100	53	94	58	52	31	21	19.0	1.3	30.2	55.2	51.5	8	27	56	34	—
6	Charlie CoyleCBJ · F	99	97	86	66	82	58	20	38	17.3	0.7	20.8	52.3	50.7	34	53	111	68	50.7
7	Seth JarvisCAR · F	98	82	99	98	71	66	32	34	18.1	1.6	29.2	54.9	54.6	41	57	81	35	—
8	Noah CatesPHI · F	98	95	92	97	82	47	18	29	15.8	1.2	20.1	50.7	49.9	26	38	102	63	45.3
9	Tomas HertlVGK · F	98	98	79	96	83	58	24	34	16.1	-0.2	35.6	53.8	50.9	17	52	114	73	57.8
10	Braeden BowmanVGK · F	98	98	85	54	54	26	8	18	13.8	-0.8	14.2	53.4	50.0	16	22	19	28	—
11	Wyatt JohnstonDAL · F	97	98	72	92	82	86	45	41	19.2	3.2	36.5	50.4	48.6	23	62	56	65	47.6
12	Nick SchmaltzUTA · F	97	80	98	89	82	74	33	41	19.0	2.6	29.0	54.2	52.1	45	94	23	60	46.0
13	Troy TerryANA · F	97	81	97	91	61	57	19	38	17.5	1.1	20.9	53.1	52.8	25	49	2	19	—
14	Logan StankovenCAR · F	97	85	96	83	81	44	21	23	15.1	1.0	24.3	57.8	52.6	28	46	50	32	44.3
15	Alex DeBrincatDET · F	96	49	100	99	82	85	41	44	17.6	3.5	35.0	52.2	54.3	43	87	38	44	—
16	Lucas RaymondDET · F	96	66	99	82	80	76	25	51	17.8	2.9	18.7	50.2	50.9	31	76	43	33	—
17	Jake GuentzelTBL · F	96	99	42	94	81	88	38	50	19.4	2.7	32.8	53.3	49.7	23	73	39	55	47.8
18	Leo CarlssonANA · F	96	76	97	89	70	67	29	38	18.3	2.4	22.9	51.9	52.4	34	78	14	36	44.4
19	Artturi LehkonenCOL · F	96	95	83	88	70	48	21	27	17.8	0.9	24.6	56.7	50.3	13	45	45	53	—
20	Cole CaufieldMTL · F	95	79	93	97	81	88	51	37	17.4	4.8	34.6	52.9	53.8	22	56	50	30	—
21	Kailer YamamotoUTA · F	95	92	87	90	59	23	13	10	11.7	2.1	8.1	56.4	52.0	17	24	47	25	—
22	Justin HryckowianDAL · F	95	88	92	71	81	30	14	16	13.0	1.2	11.8	52.7	51.6	26	25	119	55	55.1
23	Brady TkachukOTT · F	95	99	48	99	60	59	22	37	16.1	1.1	26.9	59.4	55.1	14	40	162	31	57.6
24	Rickard RakellPIT · F	94	92	78	95	60	48	24	24	18.1	1.7	24.3	51.0	49.3	24	49	71	54	36.0
25	Zach BensonBUF · F	94	96	55	86	65	43	13	30	15.3	0.8	15.5	53.8	51.7	25	46	40	32	—
26	Ross ColtonCOL · F	94	64	96	79	73	24	9	15	12.3	0.1	17.0	59.3	54.9	19	51	159	35	47.2
27	Matthew KniesTOR · F	94	98	45	30	79	66	23	43	17.8	-0.4	20.8	42.4	46.6	26	68	152	53	—
28	Collin GrafSJS · F	93	58	95	67	81	46	21	25	16.0	1.6	15.8	48.9	47.5	34	55	88	53	—
29	Jordan KyrouSTL · F	93	39	99	91	72	46	18	28	15.2	1.5	18.3	58.3	51.7	22	53	14	28	—
30	Valeri NichushkinCOL · F	93	80	89	83	72	49	17	32	17.1	0.7	20.4	58.7	52.3	23	59	55	47	—
31	Mathieu JosephLAK · F	93	46	98	73	51	11	2	9	11.9	0.2	5.5	50.3	50.5	14	25	115	34	—
32	Nick SuzukiMTL · F	92	59	94	97	82	101	29	72	19.7	2.8	24.9	52.4	53.7	29	72	62	73	50.4
33	Nico HischierNJD · F	92	87	77	94	82	66	28	38	19.5	2.8	30.0	53.6	50.4	27	72	58	68	55.8
34	Clayton KellerUTA · F	92	83	80	85	82	88	26	62	18.3	1.1	25.8	55.5	52.6	26	105	8	33	—
35	Linus KarlssonVAN · F	92	92	67	77	79	35	15	20	12.1	0.9	16.6	49.7	50.6	15	49	83	37	—
36	Ryan WintertonSEA · F	92	71	89	48	68	18	4	14	11.9	-0.2	9.3	48.4	48.0	21	37	74	37	—
37	Auston MatthewsTOR · F	91	46	96	86	60	53	27	26	19.8	2.3	25.0	46.6	49.6	30	51	42	88	59.7
38	Marcus JohanssonMIN · F	91	49	96	64	75	49	15	34	15.0	1.6	12.1	54.5	50.8	22	53	34	27	—
39	Pierre-Luc DuboisWSH · F	91	97	33	72	29	19	5	14	16.0	0.8	6.1	49.6	51.7	5	28	23	16	47.3
40	Fabian ZetterlundOTT · F	91	74	85	49	83	33	17	16	12.5	0.7	15.8	54.7	52.5	20	36	155	52	—
41	Brandon HagelTBL · F	90	97	33	98	71	74	36	38	18.9	3.5	26.4	59.8	52.8	35	75	42	45	—
42	Luke EvangelistaNSH · F	90	62	93	91	81	56	12	44	16.1	1.2	17.6	55.5	50.2	25	58	21	38	—
43	Ethen FrankWSH · F	90	83	72	50	62	24	12	12	12.1	0.3	12.1	50.1	50.7	8	29	53	51	—
44	Matt SavoieEDM · F	90	44	97	40	82	37	18	19	14.6	0.3	17.6	50.3	51.1	32	52	14	42	—
45	Connor McDavidEDM · F	89	95	44	100	82	138	48	90	22.0	6.1	38.4	56.3	52.1	32	134	40	34	49.5
46	Fraser MintenBOS · F	89	44	96	44	82	35	17	18	15.3	0.9	14.8	49.2	50.6	27	40	142	59	49.3
47	Gavin BrindleyCOL · F	89	63	91	21	56	13	6	7	9.3	0.1	7.2	49.3	50.2	5	20	37	16	—
48	Radek FaksaDAL · F	89	83	71	62	58	17	2	15	11.5	-0.3	4.9	46.9	48.8	14	18	78	49	53.3
49	Drake BathersonOTT · F	88	60	91	94	79	71	33	38	16.6	3.6	23.2	54.8	51.3	22	63	122	31	—
50	Gabriel VilardiWPG · F	88	93	52	81	82	69	30	39	18.0	3.0	23.4	47.1	49.0	14	63	20	47	42.0

By default, regulars: 400 minutes played or more. IQ is published from 200 minutes. xG% and CF%: the team's share with the player on the ice, at 5-on-5.

How we calculate hockey IQ

Everything is counted at 5-on-5, per 60 minutes at even strength, from every NHL game. Each measure is pulled toward the average based on ice time (a small sample doesn't make a genius), compared with players at the same position, then weighted by its stability: its correlation from one season to the next for the same players. A measure that doesn't repeat is mostly luck, so it counts for little.

Offensive IQ

Playmaking passes — primary assists at 5-on-5, per 60 minutes (stability 0.36)
Shot selection — average value of the player’s shots (xG per shot) (stability 0.73)
Penalties drawn — at 5-on-5, per 60 minutes (stability 0.54)
Puck management — few giveaways outside the defensive zone, per puck play (stability 0.40)

Defensive IQ

Takeaways — per 60 minutes, adjusted for the rink (stability 0.42)
Discipline — few penalties taken at 5-on-5 (stability 0.65)
Safe zone exits — few giveaways in the defensive zone, per puck play (stability 0.44)

Overall IQ isn't the average of the two: it's a rank, offense and defense combined. 95 means better than 95% of players at the position overall. It can therefore be higher than both of a player's scores: few players are good at both ends at once (among forwards, the two IQs are barely related), and those who are rank ahead of almost everyone. Takeaways and giveaways are adjusted for the rink: some official scorers record 15% more than average. Giveaways are counted per puck play, not per minute: otherwise the best puck handlers, who touch the puck most, would be penalized.

Overall IQ repeats from season to season (0.61 correlation among skaters with 500+ minutes in 2024-25 and 2025-26): it's a skill, not luck. It deliberately excludes on-ice impact, already at the heart of the PAL: with it, IQ would have tracked PAL at 0.84.

Frequently asked questions

What is hockey IQ?

Hockey sense: making the right play at the right time, with or without the puck. Our hockey IQ measures it from the decisions visible in NHL data, from 0 to 100 against regulars at the same position.

Who has the best hockey IQ in the NHL in 2025-26?

Among forwards, Josh Doan (BUF), with an IQ of 100. Among defensemen, Lane Hutson (MTL), with 100.

Why can overall IQ be higher than both offensive and defensive IQ?

Because it isn't an average, it's a rank. Clayton Keller has 83 on offense and 80 on defense, but an overall IQ of 92: very few forwards are that good at both ends at once, so the combination puts the player ahead of 92% of them. It's like the decathlon: you can finish near the top overall without winning a single event.

How is hockey IQ calculated?

At 5-on-5, per 60 minutes: on offense, primary assists, shot selection, penalties drawn and puck management; on defense, takeaways, discipline and giveaways avoided in the defensive zone. Each measure is weighted by how stable it is from one season to the next.

How is it different from PAL?

PAL measures what a player produces, including on-ice impact on goals and chances. IQ removes that impact and keeps only decisions: the two only half track each other (0.55 correlation). A high IQ with an average PAL is a player making the right plays before it shows on the scoresheet.

What doesn't hockey IQ measure?

Play without the puck: positioning, coverage, reading the play in the defensive zone. The NHL doesn't publish that tracking data per player. Our IQ is therefore an estimate built on what can be counted.