Josh
Dunne
C · WSH · Defensive · Around average
- PAL
- 46
- WAR
- -0.3
- Value
- 66
- PTS
- 4
2025-26№ 538 / 615
Josh Dunne (Washington Capitals) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Josh Dunne
#40CPlays: Centre · 47% of faceoffs
Washington Capitals
HEIGHT : 193 cm · WEIGHT : 94 kg · SHOOTS : L
Born : December 7, 1998 · O'Fallon, United States
Contract : $850,000 · 2026-27 → 2026-27 · Standard Contract · UFA
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Buffalo Sabres | 34 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 38 |
| 2024-25 | Buffalo Sabres | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2022-23 | Columbus Blue Jackets | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2020-21 | Columbus Blue Jackets | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| NHL totals | 50 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 53 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Buffalo Sabres | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Playoff totals | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Josh Dunne: our analysis
2025-26 season: 34 GP, 1 G, 3 A, 4 PTS, -7 +/-, 9:29 TOI. WAR -0.3 (538th of 615) · PAL 46, around average.
In 2025-26, Josh Dunne, 27, posts a PAL Rating of 46 out of 100 (around average), and his WAR of -0.3 ranks 538th among 615 regulars, in the bottom quarter.
His strengths: discipline (86, among the best in the league), defense (79, well above average) and creation (65, above average). On the other hand, offense (9, among the weakest in the league) and shooting (13, among the weakest in the league) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: penalties (+0.5); his biggest cost: finishing (-3.0).
His WAR went from -0.0 in 2024-25 to -0.3.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 66 (good value) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Josh Dunne's story
Watching hockey as a child pushed Josh Dunne onto wheels first: he began playing inline hockey at five and that early start gradually led him onto the ice, giving him extra reps with puck handling and positioning before he reached junior and collegiate levels. Those formative years shaped the way he reads the play and moves without the puck.
Dunne developed his game with the Clarkson Golden Knights in the NCAA, using the college route to grow physically and refine his details. Undrafted, he nevertheless earned an NHL opportunity when the Columbus Blue Jackets signed him as a free agent on March 14, 2021. The college-to-pro path allowed him to arrive in the pro ranks with a more mature skill set.
He began his professional career in the American Hockey League with the Cleveland Monsters during the 2020–21 season. After seven games in the AHL he was summoned by Columbus and made his NHL debut on April 15, 2021 in a 4–1 loss to the Dallas Stars. Following four seasons inside the Blue Jackets organization, he left once his term ended and agreed to a two-year, two-way deal with the Buffalo Sabres on July 1, 2024.
When that contract ran its course, Dunne signed a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Washington Capitals on July 1, 2026 for the 2026–27 season. His trajectory — NCAA to AHL to NHL and multiple contracts as a free agent — shows a player who has managed to stay in the conversation by adapting to different roles and expectations.
On the ice Dunne’s game is straightforward: he plays with compete-level intensity, provides reliable support when his team cycles the puck, and uses his physicality in tight areas to win board battles and create second-chance opportunities. He tends to contribute through effort, positioning and the kinds of plays that help teammates find space.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 9:29
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:02
- SH TOI/GP
- 0:06
- Pts/GP
- 0.12
- EV points
- 4
- Hits
- 40
- Blocks
- 16
- Takeaways
- 6
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 49.0 %
- Off. zone starts
- 10.9 %
- Faceoffs
- 54.1 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
3between 0 and 13 (80% range)
- Goals
- 1
- Assists
- 2
- Games
- 27
So far: 0 pts in 0 games. The team has played 15 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.11 pts per game (last season: 0.12).
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 29 %
66
Depth
- SK
- Skating
- 48
- Confidence 67 %
- ST
- Strength
- 80
- Confidence 33 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 50
- Confidence 50 %
- DU
- Durability
- 44
- Confidence 67 %
- CK
- Checking
- 80
- Confidence 33 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 87
- Confidence 22 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 80
- Confidence 33 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- 78
- Confidence 31 %
- PA
- Passing
- 71
- Confidence 29 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 71
- Confidence 29 %
- DF
- Defense
- 80
- Confidence 25 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 48
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating48
- Top speed (35 %)34.1 · 40
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)5.158 · 71
- Distance /60 (20 %)16.2 · 70
- Speed consistency (15 %)33.4 · 50
ST — Strength80
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)4.01 · 74
- Body mass (50 %)0.575 · 83
EN — Endurance50
- Ice time per game (45 %)12.3 · 58
- Total ice time (20 %)305 · 35
- Shift length (15 %)41.8 · 61
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)11.4 · 61
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)1.447 · 59
DU — Durability44
- Share of games played (100 %)0.561 · 44
CK — Checking80
- Hits /60 (70 %)5.85 · 80
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)5.966 · 85
- Season volume (10 %)3.714 · 68
FG — Fighting87
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)1.375 · 87
DI — Discipline80
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)0.046 · 83
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)1.034 · 56
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)1.303 · 97
FO — Faceoffs78
- Faceoff % (85 %)51.3 · 79
- Faceoffs /60 (15 %)33 · 70
PA — Passing71
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.547 · 67
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.468 · 74
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)0.034 · 74
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)4.716 · 79
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.35 · 67
SC — Scoring71
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.633 · 65
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.808 · 76
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)-0.595 · 67
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)1.218 · 74
- xG per shot (10 %)0.083 · 74
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)12.6 · 77
DF — Defense80
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.022 · 76
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.272 · 89
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.479 · 81
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)-0.025 · 75
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-1.587 · 69
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)55.8 · 86
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)2.905 · 79
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience48
- Career regular-season games (65 %)55
- Career playoff games (25 %)21
- NHL seasons (10 %)66
OV — Overall66
- SC · Scoring (20 %)71
- PA · Passing (20 %)71
- DF · Defense (20 %)80
- SK · Skating (12 %)48
- FO · Faceoffs (10 %)78
- EN · Endurance (8 %)50
- DI · Discipline (5 %)80
- ST · Strength (3 %)80
- CK · Checking (2 %)80
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
538 of 615
PAL Rating
46/ 100
Performance · Around average
241 of 476 at the position
Value Rating
66/ 100
Good value
0.78 M$ · expected PAL 32
ProfileDefensiveValue comes mostly from defense
- Offense
- 23
- Defense
- 71
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 9
- Creation
- 65
- Shooting
- 13
- Possession
- 50
- Defense
- 79
- Discipline
- 86
- Power play
- 38
- Penalty kill
- 54
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
21/ 100
Below average
better than 21% of forwards, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
92/ 100
Elite
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
4/ 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, 333 of 424 forwards.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 15
- Shot selection
- 49
- Penalties drawn
- 99
- Puck management
- 77
Defense
- Takeaways
- 69
- Discipline
- 3
- Safe zone exits
- 17
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.
-0.3
wins above replacement
-0.9 to 0.2 — 90% interval
538 of 615 forwards
-1.5 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- -0.1
- EV defense
- +0.2
- Power play
- 0.0
- Penalty kill
- 0.0
- Shooting
- -3.0
- Penalties
- +0.5
- Average → replacement
- +0.8
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | BUF | 34 | -0.3 | -0.9 to 0.2 | 538/615 |
| 2024-25 | BUF | 2 | -0.0 | -0.1 to 0.0 | 392/596 |
| 2022-23 | CBJ | 8 | -0.1 | -0.2 to 0.0 | 460/617 |
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
- 128.9 km/h21st percentileleague avg. 134.6 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 33.9 km/h10th percentileleague avg. 35.7 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 1320th percentileleague avg. 75
- Offensive zone time
- 42.1 %51st percentileleague avg. 43.1 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 80.6 km28th percentileleague avg. 198.8 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 3.46 km16th percentileleague avg. 4.70 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 42.3 %75th percentileleague avg. 42.0 %
- Neutral zone time
- 17.7 %41st percentileleague avg. 16.8 %
- Defensive zone time
- 40.2 %48th percentileleague avg. 40.1 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 2927th percentile | 116th percentile | 3.5 %0th percentile |
| High danger | 1229th percentile | 120th percentile | 8.3 %1st percentile |
| Mid range | 420th percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Long range | 543rd 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
DAL
TBL
OTT
PIT
FLA
NJD
CBJ
STL
BOS
NYI
VAN
EDM
PHI
MIN
CAR
CGY
DET
COL
UTA
TOR
MTLJosh Dunne: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Josh Dunne have in 2025-26?
Josh Dunne has 1 goal and 4 points (3 assists) in 34 games in 2025-26.
How old is Josh Dunne?
Josh Dunne is 27 years old: he was born on December 8, 1998.
How tall is Josh Dunne, and how much does he weigh?
Josh Dunne is 6'4" (193 cm) and weighs 207 lb (94 kg).
Where is Josh Dunne from?
United States: Josh Dunne was born in O'Fallon, Missouri, United States.
What team does Josh Dunne play for?
Josh Dunne plays for the Washington Capitals in the NHL, at C, wearing number 40.
Is Josh Dunne injured?
No: Josh Dunne is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Josh Dunne?
Josh Dunne produced -0.3 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 538th of 615 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 46 out of 100: around average for his position.
How much does Josh Dunne make?
Josh Dunne earns $775K for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 66 out of 100 (good value): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Josh Dunne's contract end?
Josh Dunne's contract runs through the 2026-27 season; he will then be an unrestricted free agent.
Is Josh Dunne overpaid?
No, he gives more than he costs. His Value rating is 66 out of 100 (good value), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Josh Dunne a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 538th of 615 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
How has Josh Dunne played lately?
Over his last 10 games, Josh Dunne has 0 points (0 goals, 0 assists).
What are Josh Dunne's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Josh Dunne has 50 games, 1 goal, 3 assists and 4 points. His best season: 2025-26, with 4 points in 34 games.
Is Josh Dunne better at home or on the road?
No real difference: in 2025-26, he averages 0.15 points per game at home (2 in 13 games) and 0.10 on the road (2 in 21 games).
How does Josh Dunne perform in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Josh Dunne has 2 games and 0 points in his career. His pace (0.00 points per game) is lower than his regular-season pace (0.08).
Which player is most similar to Josh Dunne?
Ryan Winterton: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Ryan Winterton's page →Is Josh Dunne a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 3 points in 2026-27, or 0.11 points per game.
Does Josh Dunne have siblings?
Yes: his elder sister Jincy (plays for the Minnesota Frost), his younger sister Joy (plays for Ohio State; member of Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics), his older sister Jessica (previously played for Ohio State), his younger brother James (plays ACHA level hockey at Oklahoma State), his younger sister Josey (played two seasons at Lindenwood University after three years at the University of Minnesota).
What is Josh Dunne's nationality?
Josh Dunne is American.
Where did Josh Dunne play before turning pro?
played collegiate hockey for the Clarkson Golden Knights (NCAA).
How many points is Josh Dunne projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 3 points in 27 games in 2026-27 (0 to 13 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his Washington Capitals teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)