Jacob
Bernard-Docker
D · DET · Defensive · Below average
- PAL
- 30
- WAR
- -0.3
- Value
- 43
- PTS
- 5
2025-26№ 276 / 325
Jacob Bernard-Docker (Detroit Red Wings) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Jacob Bernard-Docker
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
NHL record
| 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 | |
Jacob Bernard-Docker: our analysis
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.
Jacob Bernard-Docker's story
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.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 14:49
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:01
- SH TOI/GP
- 1:25
- Pts/GP
- 0.08
- EV points
- 5
- Hits
- 66
- Blocks
- 87
- Takeaways
- 8
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 46.0 %
- Off. zone starts
- 32.2 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
4between 0 and 12 (80% range)
- Goals
- 1
- Assists
- 3
- Games
- 41
So far: 0 pts in 0 games. The team has played 18 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
- Points per game: 0.19 in 23-24, 0.08 in 25-26
- PAL Rating: 43 → 30
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.
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 74 %
56
Replacement or prospect
- SK
- Skating
- 59
- Confidence 73 %
- ST
- Strength
- 79
- Confidence 78 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 58
- Confidence 75 %
- DU
- Durability
- 63
- Confidence 77 %
- CK
- Checking
- 78
- Confidence 78 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 84
- Confidence 54 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 73
- Confidence 78 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 46
- Confidence 74 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 64
- Confidence 74 %
- DF
- Defense
- 80
- Confidence 70 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 56
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating59
- Top speed (35 %)34.2 · 60
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)0.964 · 58
- Distance /60 (20 %)14 · 71
- Speed consistency (15 %)33.6 · 63
ST — Strength79
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)7.093 · 89
- Body mass (50 %)-0.615 · 64
EN — Endurance58
- Ice time per game (45 %)15.9 · 54
- Total ice time (20 %)920 · 67
- Shift length (15 %)44.5 · 63
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)14.4 · 58
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)1.564 · 60
DU — Durability63
- Share of games played (100 %)0.716 · 63
CK — Checking78
- Hits /60 (70 %)3.831 · 78
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)3.305 · 78
- Season volume (10 %)4.205 · 77
FG — Fighting84
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)1.137 · 84
DI — Discipline73
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)-0.046 · 73
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.629 · 75
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.358 · 72
PA — Passing46
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.273 · 64
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.258 · 49
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)-0.186 · 45
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)4.219 · 78
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.052 · 45
SC — Scoring64
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.159 · 66
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.149 · 61
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)0.226 · 76
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)0.054 · 63
- xG per shot (10 %)0.033 · 68
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)8.559 · 66
DF — Defense80
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.073 · 80
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.093 · 80
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.621 · 75
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)0.017 · 78
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-1.917 · 77
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)58.4 · 74
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)5.765 · 89
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience56
- Career regular-season games (65 %)75
- Career playoff games (25 %)0
- NHL seasons (10 %)66
OV — Overall56
- DF · Defense (30 %)80
- PA · Passing (22 %)46
- SK · Skating (12 %)59
- SC · Scoring (12 %)64
- EN · Endurance (9 %)58
- ST · Strength (6 %)79
- DI · Discipline (5 %)73
- CK · Checking (4 %)78
| 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.
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
-0.3
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
- Offense
- 1
- Defense
- 69
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 4
- Creation
- 2
- Shooting
- 15
- Possession
- 19
- Defense
- 76
- Discipline
- 50
- Power play
- 57
- Penalty kill
- 67
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$ |
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
12/ 100
Low
better than 12% of defensemen, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
22/ 100
Below average
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
15/ 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, 197 of 225 defensemen.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 15
- Shot selection
- 25
- Penalties drawn
- 43
- Puck management
- 65
Defense
- Takeaways
- 15
- Discipline
- 30
- Safe zone exits
- 25
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.
| Season | Team | IQ | Off. | Def. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | DET | 12 | 22 | 15 |
| 2024-25 | BUF | 41 | 73 | 16 |
| 2023-24 | OTT | 22 | 17 | 38 |
| 2022-23 | OTT | 25 | 26 | 36 |
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →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 →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- -3.4
- EV defense
- +1.5
- Power play
- 0.0
- Penalty kill
- +0.1
- Shooting
- -0.7
- Penalties
- -0.7
- Average → replacement
- +1.9
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 |
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
- 141.0 km/h34th percentileleague avg. 143.1 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 33.4 km/h21st percentileleague avg. 34.7 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 933rd percentileleague avg. 31
- Offensive zone time
- 38.4 %5th percentileleague avg. 42.3 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 209.4 km48th percentileleague avg. 214.3 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 4.89 km35th percentileleague avg. 5.23 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 39.9 %8th percentileleague avg. 42.1 %
- Neutral zone time
- 16.7 %0th percentileleague avg. 16.8 %
- Defensive zone time
- 44.9 %1st percentileleague avg. 40.9 %
Shooting
| 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 |
Shots on goal by zone
2025-2026 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Game log, 2025-26
NJD
PHI
MIN
NYR
PIT
BUF
OTT
BOS
MTL
CGY
DAL
TBL
FLA
VGK
NSH
CAR
UTA
COL
WSH
LAK
WPG
TOR
SJS
VAN
NYI
CHI
SEA
CBJ
ANA
STL
EDMJacob Bernard-Docker: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Jacob Bernard-Docker have in 2025-26?
Jacob Bernard-Docker has 1 goal and 5 points (4 assists) in 63 games in 2025-26.
How old is Jacob Bernard-Docker?
Jacob Bernard-Docker is 26 years old: he was born on June 30, 2000.
How tall is Jacob Bernard-Docker, and how much does he weigh?
Jacob Bernard-Docker is 6'1" (185 cm) and weighs 190 lb (86 kg).
Where is Jacob Bernard-Docker from?
Canada: Jacob Bernard-Docker was born in Canmore, Alberta, Canada.
What team does Jacob Bernard-Docker play for?
Jacob Bernard-Docker plays for the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL, at D, wearing number 25.
Is Jacob Bernard-Docker injured?
No: Jacob Bernard-Docker is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Jacob Bernard-Docker?
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.
How much does Jacob Bernard-Docker make?
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.
When does Jacob Bernard-Docker's contract end?
Jacob Bernard-Docker's contract runs through the 2027-28 season; he will then be an unrestricted free agent.
Is Jacob Bernard-Docker overpaid?
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.
Is Jacob Bernard-Docker a top-10 player 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.
Is Jacob Bernard-Docker getting better?
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).
How has Jacob Bernard-Docker played lately?
Over his last 10 games, Jacob Bernard-Docker has 1 point (1 goal, 0 assists).
What are Jacob Bernard-Docker's career stats?
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.
Where was Jacob Bernard-Docker drafted?
Jacob Bernard-Docker was drafted 26th overall (round 1) by Ottawa Senators in 2018.
Is Jacob Bernard-Docker better at home or on the road?
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).
How does Jacob Bernard-Docker perform in the playoffs?
Jacob Bernard-Docker has not played in the NHL playoffs yet.
Which player is most similar to Jacob Bernard-Docker?
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 →Is Jacob Bernard-Docker a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 4 points in 2026-27, or 0.10 points per game.
What is Jacob Bernard-Docker's nationality?
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.
What awards has Jacob Bernard-Docker won?
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.
How many championships has Jacob Bernard-Docker won?
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.
Where did Jacob Bernard-Docker play before turning pro?
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.
How many points is Jacob Bernard-Docker projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 4 points in 41 games in 2026-27 (0 to 12 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his Detroit Red Wings teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)