Jacob
Bernard-Docker
D · DET · Defensive · Below average
2025-26№ 276 / 325
Jacob Bernard-Docker (Detroit Red Wings) stats, profile and latest news: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats and headlines.
HEIGHT : 185 cm · WEIGHT : 86 kg · SHOOTS : R
Born : June 29, 2000 · Canmore, Canada
Drafted : 2018 · OTT · round 1, pick #26
Contract : $1,600,000 · 2026-27 → 2027-28 · Standard Contract (Extension) · UFA
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Detroit Red Wings | 63 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 25 |
| 2024-25 | Buffalo Sabres | 15 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 |
| 2024-25 | Ottawa Senators | 25 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 2023-24 | Ottawa Senators | 72 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 25 |
| 2022-23 | Ottawa Senators | 19 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| 2021-22 | Ottawa Senators | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2020-21 | Ottawa Senators | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NHL totals | 207 | 7 | 22 | 29 | 82 | |
2025-26 season: 63 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 5 PTS, 0 +/-, 14:49 TOI. WAR -0.3 (276th of 325) · PAL 30, below average.
In 2025-26, Jacob Bernard-Docker, 26, posts a PAL Rating of 30 out of 100 (below average), and his WAR of -0.3 ranks 276th among 325 regulars, in the bottom quarter.
His strengths: defense (76, well above average) and penalty kill (67, above average). On the other hand, creation (2, among the weakest in the league) and offense (4, among the weakest in the league) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: EV defense (+1.5); his biggest cost: EV offense (-3.4).
A marked decline: his PAL was 43 in 2024-25, against 30 now; his WAR went from 0.0 to -0.3.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 43 (poor return) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Growing up in Canmore with summers spent in Pictou County, Jacob Bernard‑Docker came through local minor programs before moving to the Edge School for Athletes with his younger siblings. Early on he showed the kind of offensive instincts from the back end that drew attention during bantam and led to a WHL bantam selection; he chose instead the AJHL path to preserve NCAA eligibility.
With the Okotoks Oilers Bernard‑Docker developed quickly. After a rookie year of steady minutes he broke out in 2017–18 with 20 goals and 41 points in 49 games, earning CJHL recognition as a top defenceman and the W. G. Scott Memorial Trophy in the AJHL. That jump in production helped him climb the draft charts and be taken 26th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, while maintaining his commitment to the University of North Dakota.
At North Dakota he combined on‑ice growth with academic work in kinesiology, earning conference weekly honours and academic awards as he became a driving force at the blue line. After two strong collegiate seasons he ended his NCAA career by signing an entry‑level contract with Ottawa on April 1, 2021, and made his NHL debut within weeks.
Professionally he has moved between Ottawa and their AHL affiliate in Belleville while carving out NHL opportunities. He recorded his first NHL point in the 2021–22 season and scored his first NHL goal on December 7, 2023 — a slapshot against Joseph Woll. His 2023–24 campaign included 72 NHL games with Ottawa. On March 7, 2025 he was traded to Buffalo, where he picked up a goal and several assists in the final stretch, then signed as a free agent with Detroit on July 1, 2025 and established himself primarily on the third defensive pairing alongside Albert Johansson before signing a two‑year extension.
Internationally Bernard‑Docker first attended Canada’s junior camp in 2019 but did not make the final roster; he returned for the 2020 World Juniors, skating on Canada’s top defensive pairing and assisting the game‑winner against Russia to capture gold. He also joined Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Championship as a replacement and won gold. On the ice he presents as a modern two‑way defenceman: capable of moving the puck out of his zone, joining the attack, and chipping in with occasional goals from the point.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
Projected points
5between 1 and 13 (80% range)
So far: 0 pts in 0 games. The team has played 8 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.09 pts per game (last season: 0.08).
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.
Trend
Slight decline
Outlook, age included
↘ Slight declineAge 26: prime years
This is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes; one player in five finishes outside the range.
Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 74 %
56
Replacement or prospect
SK — Skating59
ST — Strength79
EN — Endurance58
DU — Durability63
CK — Checking78
FG — Fighting84
DI — Discipline73
PA — Passing46
SC — Scoring64
DF — Defense80
PS — Penalty shot76
EX — Experience56
OV — Overall56
| Season | OV | SK | SC | DF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 56 | 59 | 64 | 80 |
| 2024-25 | 65 | 59 | 75 | 79 |
| 2023-24 | 56 | 55 | 73 | 74 |
| 2022-23 | 66 | 58 | 75 | 79 |
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
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
-0.3
wins above replacement
276 of 325
PAL Rating
30/ 100
Performance · Below average
175 of 250 at the position
Value Rating
43/ 100
Poor return
0.88 M$ · expected PAL 38
ProfileDefensiveValue comes mostly from defense
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
| Season | Team | WAR | PAL | Value | Cap hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | DET | -0.3 | 30 | 43 | 0.88 M$ |
| 2024-25 | BUF | 0.0 | 43 | 67 | 0.81 M$ |
| 2023-24 | OTT | -0.1 | 21 | 37 | 0.81 M$ |
| 2022-23 | OTT | -0.2 | 36 | 44 | 0.93 M$ |
Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
-0.3
wins above replacement
-0.6 to 0.2 — 90% interval
276 of 325 defensemen
-1.4 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | DET | 63 | -0.3 | -0.6 to 0.2 | 276/325 |
| 2024-25 | BUF | 36 | 0.0 | -0.3 to 0.5 | 184/314 |
| 2023-24 | OTT | 72 | -0.1 | -0.7 to 0.7 | 233/316 |
| 2022-23 | OTT | 19 | -0.2 | -0.4 to -0.0 | 267/334 |
Speed, shot power, distance covered, time by zone: measured by chips in the puck and shoulder pads. 90th percentile = better than 90% of players.
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 4143rd percentile | 129th percentile | 2.4 %11th percentile |
| High danger | 130th percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Mid range | 743rd percentile | 149th percentile | 14.3 %73rd percentile |
| Long range | 3358th percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
2025-2026 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Injury
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings will be without Jacob Bernard-Docker, listed day-to-day with an upper-body injury, while Dylan Larkin will miss the club’s final preseason game with a similar issue.
· Daily Faceoff
Jacob Bernard-Docker has 1 goal and 5 points (4 assists) in 63 games in 2025-26.
Jacob Bernard-Docker is 26 years old: he was born on June 30, 2000.
Jacob Bernard-Docker is 6'1" (185 cm) and weighs 190 lb (86 kg).
Canada: Jacob Bernard-Docker was born in Canmore, Alberta, Canada.
Jacob Bernard-Docker plays for the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL, at D, wearing number 25.
No: Jacob Bernard-Docker is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
Jacob Bernard-Docker produced -0.3 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 276th of 325 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 30 out of 100: below average for his position.
Jacob Bernard-Docker earns $875K for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 43 out of 100 (poor return): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
Jacob Bernard-Docker's contract runs through the 2027-28 season; he will then be an unrestricted free agent.
Yes, his output falls short of what his salary should buy. His Value rating is 43 out of 100 (poor return), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
No: by WAR, he ranks 276th of 325 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
No, he is slipping: his PAL rating went from 43 in 2024-25 to 30 in 2025-26 (out of 100, 50 = average player at his position).
Over his last 10 games, Jacob Bernard-Docker has 1 point (1 goal, 0 assists).
Over his NHL career, Jacob Bernard-Docker has 207 games, 7 goals, 22 assists and 29 points. His best season: 2023-24, with 14 points in 72 games.
Jacob Bernard-Docker was drafted 26th overall (round 1) by Ottawa Senators in 2018.
On the road: in 2025-26, he averages 0.03 points per game at home (1 in 33 games) and 0.13 on the road (4 in 30 games).
Jacob Bernard-Docker has not played in the NHL playoffs yet.
Nikolas Matinpalo: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Nikolas Matinpalo's page →Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 5 points in 2026-27, or 0.10 points per game.
Jacob Bernard-Docker is Canadian. Internationally: Team Canada : gold medallist at the 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and gold medallist at the 2021 IIHF World Championship.
CJHL Top Defenceman and W. G. (Bill) Scott Memorial Trophy (2017–18 season) ; NCHC Defenseman of the Week (period ending November 26, 2018) ; NCHC Defenseman of the Week (week ending January 14, 2019) ; AHCA Krampade Division I All‑American Scholar (2018–19 academic year) ; NCHC Distinguished Scholar‑Athlete (2019–20 season) ; Member of the NCHC All‑Academic Team (2019–20 season) ; Selected to the 2020 NCHC Preseason All‑Conference Team.
2: Gold medal with Team Canada at the 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships; Gold medal with Team Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Championship.
Peewee AA in Cochrane; bantam AAA Airdrie Extreme (captain); Edge School for Athletes; Okotoks Oilers (AJHL) 2016–17 and 2017–18; University of North Dakota (Fighting Hawks) 2018–2021.
Our projection has him at 5 points in 51 games in 2026-27 (1 to 13 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
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