Jon
Merrill
D · Defensive · Below average
- PAL
- 22
- WAR
- -0.4
- PTS
- 6
2024-25№ 278 / 314
Jon Merrill stats, profile and latest news: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats and headlines.
Jon Merrill
Retired 2025#4D
HEIGHT : 191 cm · WEIGHT : 93 kg · SHOOTS : L
Born : February 2, 1992 · Oklahoma City, United States
Drafted : 2010 · NJD · round 2, pick #38
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Minnesota Wild | 70 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 20 |
| 2023-24 | Minnesota Wild | 65 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 30 |
| 2022-23 | Minnesota Wild | 73 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 38 |
| 2021-22 | Minnesota Wild | 69 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 22 |
| 2020-21 | Montréal Canadiens | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2020-21 | Detroit Red Wings | 36 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 12 |
| 2019-20 | Vegas Golden Knights | 49 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 32 |
| 2018-19 | Vegas Golden Knights | 57 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 53 |
| 2017-18 | Vegas Golden Knights | 34 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 22 |
| 2016-17 | New Jersey Devils | 51 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 24 |
| 2015-16 | New Jersey Devils | 47 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 28 |
| 2014-15 | New Jersey Devils | 66 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 24 |
| 2013-14 | New Jersey Devils | 52 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 12 |
| NHL totals | 682 | 24 | 91 | 115 | 321 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Minnesota Wild | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | Minnesota Wild | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021-22 | Minnesota Wild | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | Montréal Canadiens | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | Vegas Golden Knights | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | Vegas Golden Knights | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | Vegas Golden Knights | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Playoff totals | 39 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | |
Jon Merrill: our analysis
2024-25 season: 70 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 6 PTS, -8 +/-, 14:06 TOI. WAR -0.4 (278th of 314) · PAL 22, below average.
In 2024-25, Jon Merrill, 34, posts a PAL Rating of 22 out of 100 (below average), and his WAR of -0.4 ranks 278th among 314 regulars, in the bottom quarter.
His strengths: defense (66, above average). On the other hand, offense (6, among the weakest in the league) and shooting (18, well below average) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: EV defense (+0.9); his biggest cost: EV offense (-3.9).
A slight dip from 2023-24, when his PAL was 28; his WAR went from -0.3 to -0.4.
Jon Merrill's story
Born in Oklahoma City and raised in Grand Blanc from age three, Jon Merrill began skating at four and climbed the youth ranks with Detroit Little Caesars, appearing at the 2004 Quebec Pee-Wee Tournament. A childhood supporter of the Detroit Red Wings, he later spent two seasons with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, logging regular minutes and contributing offensively during the 2009–10 NTDP campaign.
Selected 38th overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Merrill opted to continue his development in college hockey with the Michigan Wolverines. His time in Ann Arbor included on-ice contributions for the Wolverines and a 12-game suspension to open the 2011–12 season after a breach of team rules.
Merrill turned pro after signing an entry-level deal with New Jersey on March 27, 2013, beginning in the AHL with Albany before making his NHL debut on November 3, 2013, against the Minnesota Wild — a game marked early by significant facial lacerations and a concussion. He recorded his first NHL goal on February 7, 2014, an overtime winner that doubled as the first overtime first-goal in franchise history for a Devil.
Taken by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 expansion draft, Merrill stayed with Vegas and signed a two-year extension in January 2018. He joined the Detroit Red Wings on a one-year deal in October 2020, was traded to the Montreal Canadiens at the 2021 deadline, and appeared in the 2021 playoff run that reached the Stanley Cup Final. As a free agent, he signed with the Minnesota Wild in July 2021 and earned a multi-year extension in January 2022.
A left-side defenseman by trade, Merrill's game centres on steady play along the blueline: he contributes through outlet passes and defensive positioning, providing reliable minutes as a depth defenceman rather than through prolific scoring.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 14:06
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:01
- SH TOI/GP
- 0:52
- Pts/GP
- 0.09
- EV points
- 6
- Hits
- 41
- Blocks
- 85
- Takeaways
- 14
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 44.8 %
- Off. zone starts
- 27.3 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
Player ratings, 2024-25
All ratings →Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 74 %
54
Replacement or prospect
- SK
- Skating
- 51
- Confidence 73 %
- ST
- Strength
- 80
- Confidence 78 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 55
- Confidence 75 %
- DU
- Durability
- 75
- Confidence 73 %
- CK
- Checking
- 70
- Confidence 78 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 66
- Confidence 56 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 61
- Confidence 78 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 46
- Confidence 74 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 71
- Confidence 74 %
- DF
- Defense
- 79
- Confidence 70 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 86
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating51
- Top speed (35 %)33.9 · 55
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)0.753 · 53
- Distance /60 (20 %)13.8 · 61
- Speed consistency (15 %)33.2 · 61
ST — Strength80
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)6.031 · 82
- Body mass (50 %)0.261 · 75
EN — Endurance55
- Ice time per game (45 %)15 · 46
- Total ice time (20 %)928 · 68
- Shift length (15 %)48.1 · 78
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)13.8 · 48
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)1.203 · 51
DU — Durability75
- Share of games played (100 %)0.823 · 75
CK — Checking70
- Hits /60 (70 %)2.877 · 70
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)2.712 · 72
- Season volume (10 %)3.664 · 69
FG — Fighting66
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)0.7 · 66
DI — Discipline61
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)-0.075 · 62
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.78 · 67
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.341 · 71
PA — Passing46
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.254 · 62
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.255 · 51
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)-0.196 · 45
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)4.291 · 76
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.167 · 64
SC — Scoring71
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.185 · 71
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.165 · 66
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)0.142 · 78
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)0.083 · 74
- xG per shot (10 %)0.034 · 75
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)7.581 · 57
DF — Defense79
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.03 · 76
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.078 · 78
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.488 · 82
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)0.132 · 86
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-1.742 · 72
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)57 · 84
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)5.079 · 79
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)29.3 · 76
EX — Experience86
- Career regular-season games (65 %)92
- Career playoff games (25 %)70
- NHL seasons (10 %)87
OV — Overall54
- DF · Defense (30 %)79
- PA · Passing (22 %)46
- SK · Skating (12 %)51
- SC · Scoring (12 %)71
- EN · Endurance (9 %)55
- ST · Strength (6 %)80
- DI · Discipline (5 %)61
- CK · Checking (4 %)70
| Season | OV | SK | SC | DF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 54 | 51 | 71 | 79 |
| 2023-24 | 57 | 57 | 75 | 77 |
| 2022-23 | 58 | 58 | 60 | 75 |
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
WAR and PAL ratings, 2024-25
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
-0.4
wins above replacement
278 of 314
PAL Rating
22/ 100
Performance · Below average
194 of 253 at the position
Value Rating
—/ 100
Season cap hit unknown
ProfileDefensiveValue comes mostly from defense
- Offense
- 7
- Defense
- 50
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 6
- Creation
- 21
- Shooting
- 18
- Possession
- 19
- Defense
- 66
- Discipline
- 25
- Power play
- 55
- Penalty kill
- 60
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
| Season | Team | WAR | PAL | Value | Cap hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | MIN | -0.4 | 22 | — | — |
| 2023-24 | MIN | -0.3 | 28 | — | — |
| 2022-23 | MIN | -0.7 | 16 | — | — |
WAR, 2024-25
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
-0.4
wins above replacement
-0.9 to 0.1 — 90% interval
278 of 314 defensemen
-1.8 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- -3.9
- EV defense
- +0.9
- Power play
- 0.0
- Penalty kill
- +0.3
- Shooting
- -0.0
- Penalties
- -1.1
- Average → replacement
- +2.0
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | MIN | 67 | -0.4 | -0.9 to 0.1 | 278/314 |
| 2023-24 | MIN | 65 | -0.3 | -1.0 to 0.4 | 262/316 |
| 2022-23 | MIN | 73 | -0.7 | -1.6 to -0.0 | 313/334 |
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
- 140.7 km/h31st percentileleague avg. 144.3 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 32.9 km/h12th percentileleague avg. 34.7 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 521st percentileleague avg. 29
- Offensive zone time
- 41.3 %45th percentileleague avg. 41.9 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 216.5 km47th percentileleague avg. 218.7 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 4.50 km20th percentileleague avg. 5.32 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 41.9 %45th percentileleague avg. 42.2 %
- Neutral zone time
- 17.5 %23rd percentileleague avg. 17.9 %
- Defensive zone time
- 41.3 %37th percentileleague avg. 40.3 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 4743rd percentile | 241st percentile | 4.3 %24th percentile |
| High danger | 125th percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Mid range | 428th percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Long range | 2746th percentile | 269th percentile | 7.4 %94th percentile |
Shots on goal by zone
2024-2025 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Last 5 games
| Date | Opponent | G | A | PTS | +/- | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2025 | vs VGK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:52 |
| April 29, 2025 | @VGK | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 12:47 |
| April 15, 2025 | vs ANA | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 10:38 |
| April 12, 2025 | @ VAN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:01 |
| April 11, 2025 | @ CGY | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 13:44 |
Jon Merrill: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Jon Merrill have in 2024-25?
Jon Merrill has 2 goals and 6 points (4 assists) in 70 games in 2024-25.
How old is Jon Merrill?
Jon Merrill is 34 years old: he was born on February 3, 1992.
How tall is Jon Merrill, and how much does he weigh?
Jon Merrill is 6'3" (191 cm) and weighs 205 lb (93 kg).
Where is Jon Merrill from?
United States: Jon Merrill was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States.
How good is Jon Merrill?
Jon Merrill produced -0.4 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2024-25, 278th of 314 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 22 out of 100: below average for his position.
Is Jon Merrill a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 278th of 314 players at his position in the NHL in 2024-25. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
Is Jon Merrill getting better?
No, he is slipping: his PAL rating went from 28 in 2023-24 to 22 in 2024-25 (out of 100, 50 = average player at his position).
What are Jon Merrill's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Jon Merrill has 682 games, 24 goals, 91 assists and 115 points. His best season: 2021-22, with 20 points in 69 games.
Where was Jon Merrill drafted?
Jon Merrill was drafted 38th overall (round 2) by New Jersey Devils in 2010.
How does Jon Merrill perform in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Jon Merrill has 39 games and 2 points in his career. His pace (0.05 points per game) is lower than his regular-season pace (0.17).
Is Jon Merrill married?
Yes, married to Jessica Merrill.
What is Jon Merrill's nationality?
Jon Merrill is American. Internationally: United States: gold medal at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships; gold medal at the 2010 IIHF World U18 Championships (named one of Team USA's top three players in 2010).
What awards has Jon Merrill won?
Named one of Team USA's top three players at the 2010 IIHF World U18 Championships ; Twin Cities Pride "Allies of the Year" (2024), with Jessica Merrill.
How many championships has Jon Merrill won?
2: Gold medal, 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships (United States); Gold medal, 2010 IIHF World U18 Championships (United States).
Where did Jon Merrill play before turning pro?
Minor and development teams: Detroit Little Caesars (youth; appeared at the 2004 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament), USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP, two years including the 2009–10 season); college hockey: Michigan Wolverines (NCAA).
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)