Declan
Carlile
D · PIT · Balanced · Around average
- PAL
- 41
- WAR
- 0.0
- Value
- 54
- PTS
- 3
2025-26№ 175 / 325
Declan Carlile (Pittsburgh Penguins) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Declan Carlile
HEIGHT : 191 cm · WEIGHT : 87 kg · SHOOTS : L
Born : May 17, 2000 · Hartland, United States
Contract : $1,500,000 · 2026-27 → 2027-28 · Standard Contract · UFA
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 18 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 11 |
| 2025-26 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 42 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 40 |
| 2024-25 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NHL totals | 64 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 51 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Playoff totals | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Declan Carlile: our analysis
2025-26 season: 42 GP, 1 G, 2 A, 3 PTS, +5 +/-, 14:47 TOI. WAR 0.0 (175th of 325) · PAL 41, around average.
In 2025-26, Declan Carlile, 26, posts a PAL Rating of 41 out of 100 (around average), and his WAR of 0.0 ranks 175th among 325 regulars, in the bottom half.
His strengths: discipline (95, among the best in the league), power play (70, above average) and defense (62, above average). On the other hand, offense (3, among the weakest in the league) and possession (28, below average) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: EV defense (+0.2); his biggest cost: finishing (-0.8).
His WAR went from 0.2 in 2024-25 to 0.0.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 54 (fair value) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Declan Carlile's story
Born 18 May 2000, Declan Carlile developed into a blue-line player who generates offence as much as he defends. He made an immediate impact at Merrimack College, earning a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie team, being named his program’s rookie of the year and finishing as a finalist for the conference’s rookie award. His collegiate résumé was further highlighted by a Hobey Baker Award nomination on 1 February 2021, recognition that reflected his two-way contributions during his time with the Warriors.
Carlile turned pro after three seasons at Merrimack despite not being selected in the NHL Entry Draft. He left college with 13 goals and 56 points to his name, numbers that attracted NHL interest and led to his signing as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning on 16 March 2022. He had retained two years of NCAA eligibility when he chose to sign, electing the professional path over remaining at the collegiate level.
His early pro career included several key milestones. Carlile made his NHL debut on 4 January 2024, skating for Tampa Bay against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center in a game the Lightning won 4–1. The club extended his deal on 6 June 2024 with a two-year, two-way contract, affirming his place in the organization. He scored his first NHL goal on 14 December 2024 against Seattle’s Philipp Grubauer, helping Tampa Bay to a 5–1 victory.
After four seasons within the Lightning organization, Carlile entered free agency and signed a two-year, $3 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on 1 July 2026. Internationally, he represented the United States at the 2026 IIHF World Championship. On the ice he is best described as an offensive-minded defenceman who can join the rush and move the puck effectively while maintaining responsible positioning in his own zone.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 18:37
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:03
- SH TOI/GP
- 2:40
- Pts/GP
- 0.33
- EV points
- 6
- Hits
- 15
- Blocks
- 28
- Takeaways
- 4
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 55.4 %
- Off. zone starts
- 34.4 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
12between 6 and 18 (80% range)
- Goals
- 5
- Assists
- 7
- Games
- 60
So far: 6 pts in 18 games. The team has played 18 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.15 pts per game (last season: 0.07).
The projection follows last season's pace. Tested on 2,265 player seasons (2022-23 to 2025-26): average miss of 9 points over 82 games; for players at 0.9 points per game and up, it ran 5 points high on average.
This is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes; one player in five finishes outside the range.
Player ratings, 2025-26
All ratings →Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 40 %
70
Established NHL
- SK
- Skating
- 74
- Confidence 67 %
- ST
- Strength
- 78
- Confidence 45 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 61
- Confidence 50 %
- DU
- Durability
- 39
- Confidence 67 %
- CK
- Checking
- 79
- Confidence 45 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 85
- Confidence 22 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 85
- Confidence 45 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 61
- Confidence 40 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 72
- Confidence 40 %
- DF
- Defense
- 79
- Confidence 36 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 45
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating74
- Top speed (35 %)35.1 · 71
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)2.075 · 78
- Distance /60 (20 %)14.1 · 71
- Speed consistency (15 %)34.8 · 78
ST — Strength78
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)6.64 · 87
- Body mass (50 %)-0.334 · 67
EN — Endurance61
- Ice time per game (45 %)16.8 · 63
- Total ice time (20 %)617 · 61
- Shift length (15 %)46.5 · 71
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)16.1 · 67
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)1.784 · 65
DU — Durability39
- Share of games played (100 %)0.549 · 39
CK — Checking79
- Hits /60 (70 %)4.163 · 79
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)4.01 · 81
- Season volume (10 %)3.951 · 75
FG — Fighting85
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)1.218 · 85
DI — Discipline85
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)-0.011 · 85
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.796 · 66
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.732 · 91
PA — Passing61
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.203 · 52
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.323 · 63
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)-0.033 · 70
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)4.354 · 83
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.131 · 61
SC — Scoring72
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.194 · 72
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.199 · 75
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)0.18 · 74
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)0.061 · 66
- xG per shot (10 %)0.035 · 77
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)9.972 · 77
DF — Defense79
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.023 · 76
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.091 · 80
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.476 · 83
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)0.005 · 76
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-1.784 · 80
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)57.2 · 79
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)4.107 · 70
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience45
- Career regular-season games (65 %)54
- Career playoff games (25 %)21
- NHL seasons (10 %)47
OV — Overall70
- DF · Defense (30 %)79
- PA · Passing (22 %)61
- SK · Skating (12 %)74
- SC · Scoring (12 %)72
- EN · Endurance (9 %)61
- ST · Strength (6 %)78
- DI · Discipline (5 %)85
- CK · Checking (4 %)79
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
WAR and PAL ratings, 2025-26
How we rate →PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against players at the same position (50 = average player), starting from the player's strength, offensive or defensive. Value Rating compares that performance with what the player costs: 50 means paid what the play is worth.
WAR
0.0
wins above replacement
175 of 325
PAL Rating
41/ 100
Performance · Around average
146 of 250 at the position
Value Rating
54/ 100
Fair value
0.78 M$ · expected PAL 36
ProfileBalancedNeither end dominates
- Offense
- 19
- Defense
- 49
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 3
- Creation
- 42
- Shooting
- 49
- Possession
- 28
- Defense
- 62
- Discipline
- 95
- Power play
- 70
- Penalty kill
- 46
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
Hockey IQ, 2025-26
Rankings and method →The quality of the player's decisions with and against the puck at 5-on-5, against regulars at the same position (50 = average). PAL measures output; IQ measures how the player plays.
Overall IQ
56/ 100
Average
better than 56% of defensemen, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
89/ 100
Very good
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
16/ 100
Low
takeaways, discipline, own zone
Overall IQ isn't an average of the two scores: it's the player's rank with offense and defense combined, 98 of 225 defensemen.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 1
- Shot selection
- 62
- Penalties drawn
- 99
- Puck management
- 83
Defense
- Takeaways
- 19
- Discipline
- 9
- Safe zone exits
- 73
Percentiles: 80 means better than 80% of regulars at the same position. Play without the puck (positioning, coverage) isn't measured: the NHL doesn't publish that data.
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
0.0
wins above replacement
-0.2 to 0.5 — 90% interval
175 of 325 defensemen
+0.2 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- -0.7
- EV defense
- +0.2
- Power play
- 0.0
- Penalty kill
- +0.0
- Shooting
- -0.8
- Penalties
- +0.2
- Average → replacement
- +1.3
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | TBL | 42 | 0.0 | -0.2 to 0.5 | 175/325 |
| 2024-25 | TBL | 3 | 0.2 | 0.0 to 0.5 | 147/314 |
| 2023-24 | TBL | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 to 0.0 | 186/316 |
Player tracking (NHL EDGE)
League EDGE leaderboards →Speed, shot power, distance covered, time by zone: measured by chips in the puck and shoulder pads. 90th percentile = better than 90% of players.
- Hardest shot
- 145.8 km/h66th percentileleague avg. 139.7 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 35.4 km/h81st percentileleague avg. 34.0 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 1480th percentileleague avg. 8
- Offensive zone time
- 39.4 %24th percentileleague avg. 42.4 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 70.8 km60th percentileleague avg. 56.1 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 4.89 km45th percentileleague avg. 4.98 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 42.4 %58th percentileleague avg. 42.8 %
- Neutral zone time
- 17.9 %38th percentileleague avg. 16.9 %
- Defensive zone time
- 42.7 %21st percentileleague avg. 40.8 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 2380th percentile | 395th percentile | 13.0 %90th percentile |
| High danger | 394th percentile | 198th percentile | 33.3 %80th percentile |
| Mid range | 787th percentile | 297th percentile | 28.6 %90th percentile |
| Long range | 651st percentile | 077th percentile | 0.0 %67th percentile |
Shots on goal by zone
2026-2027 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Game log, 2026-27
ANA
LAK
BOS
VGK
MTL
UTA
NSH
FLA
COL
CHI
DAL
CBJ
WSH
WPG
PHIDeclan Carlile: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Declan Carlile have in 2026-27?
Declan Carlile has 3 goals and 6 points (3 assists) in 18 games in 2026-27.
How old is Declan Carlile?
Declan Carlile is 26 years old: he was born on May 18, 2000.
How tall is Declan Carlile, and how much does he weigh?
Declan Carlile is 6'3" (191 cm) and weighs 192 lb (87 kg).
Where is Declan Carlile from?
United States: Declan Carlile was born in Hartland, Michigan, United States.
What team does Declan Carlile play for?
Declan Carlile plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL, at D, wearing number 72.
Is Declan Carlile injured?
No: Declan Carlile is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Declan Carlile?
Declan Carlile produced 0.0 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 175th of 325 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 41 out of 100: around average for his position.
How much does Declan Carlile make?
Declan Carlile earns $775K for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 54 out of 100 (fair value): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Declan Carlile's contract end?
Declan Carlile's contract runs through the 2027-28 season; he will then be an unrestricted free agent.
Is Declan Carlile overpaid?
Neither: he delivers about what his salary should buy. His Value rating is 54 out of 100 (fair value), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Declan Carlile a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 175th of 325 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
How has Declan Carlile played lately?
Over his last 10 games, Declan Carlile has 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist).
What are Declan Carlile's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Declan Carlile has 64 games, 5 goals, 5 assists and 10 points. His best season: 2026-27, with 6 points in 18 games.
Is Declan Carlile better at home or on the road?
No real difference: in 2026-27, he averages 0.38 points per game at home (3 in 8 games) and 0.30 on the road (3 in 10 games).
How does Declan Carlile perform in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Declan Carlile has 2 games and 0 points in his career. His pace (0.00 points per game) is lower than his regular-season pace (0.16).
Which player is most similar to Declan Carlile?
Hunter Brzustewicz: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Hunter Brzustewicz's page →Is Declan Carlile a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 12 points in 2026-27, or 0.20 points per game.
What is Declan Carlile's nationality?
Declan Carlile is American. Internationally: represented the United States at the 2026 IIHF World Championship.
What awards has Declan Carlile won?
Named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team ; Finalist for the Hockey East Rookie of the Year award ; Named Merrimack Rookie of the Year ; Hobey Baker Award nominee (named February 1, 2021).
Where did Declan Carlile play before turning pro?
Merrimack College — three seasons at the collegiate level.
How many points is Declan Carlile projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 12 points in 60 games in 2026-27 (6 to 18 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)