Justin
Brazeau
R · PIT · Balanced · Very good
- PAL
- 77
- WAR
- 0.9
- Value
- 84
- PTS
- 34
2025-26№ 186 / 615
Justin Brazeau (Pittsburgh Penguins) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Justin Brazeau
#16RPlays: Right wing · 1% of faceoffs
Pittsburgh Penguins
HEIGHT : 201 cm · WEIGHT : 107 kg · SHOOTS : R
Born : February 1, 1998 · New Liskeard, Canada
Contract : $1,500,000 · 2025-26 → 2026-27 · Standard Contract · UFA
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025-26 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 64 | 17 | 17 | 34 | 14 |
| 2024-25 | Minnesota Wild | 19 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2024-25 | Boston Bruins | 57 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 16 |
| 2023-24 | Boston Bruins | 19 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
| NHL totals | 162 | 34 | 30 | 64 | 34 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | Minnesota Wild | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | Boston Bruins | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 |
| Playoff totals | 16 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | |
Justin Brazeau: our analysis
2025-26 season: 64 GP, 17 G, 17 A, 34 PTS, +5 +/-, 12:39 TOI. WAR 0.9 (186th of 615) · PAL 77, very good.
In 2025-26, Justin Brazeau, 28, posts a PAL Rating of 77 out of 100 (very good), and his WAR of 0.9 ranks 186th among 615 regulars, in the top half.
His strengths: creation (84, well above average), shooting (83, well above average) and offense (79, well above average). On the other hand, penalty kill (23, well below average) holds him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: EV offense (+0.9).
A clear step forward: his PAL went from 32 in 2024-25 to 77; his WAR went from 0.6 to 0.9.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 84 (very good contract) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Justin Brazeau's story
Raised in New Liskeard, Justin Brazeau developed as a goal scorer with the North Bay Battalion, culminating in a final junior season as captain in which he produced 61 goals and 53 assists. Despite that output he went unselected in the draft and instead became a prominent undrafted prospect on the open market.
He turned pro in 2019, signing an AHL deal with the Toronto Marlies on April 4, 2019, but spent most of 2019‑20 with the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL, where he compiled 27 goals and 55 points in 57 games before the season was paused on March 12, 2020. His rookie performance earned him a spot on the ECHL All‑Rookie Team announced April 2, 2020.
The jump to the AHL required adjustment. Brazeau made the Marlies for the delayed 2020‑21 campaign but managed only four goals and five points in 21 games. In 2021 he signed with the Providence Bruins; after beginning 2021‑22 with the Maine Mariners he was promoted after 18 games and finished the year with Providence, tallying 15 goals and 31 points. He helped the P‑Bruins claim the Atlantic Division in 2022‑23 and re-signed with Providence on July 4, 2023.
A breakthrough arrived in February 2024 when Boston signed him to a two‑year, two‑way contract on February 19 and called him up the same day. Brazeau made his NHL debut against the Dallas Stars and scored his first NHL goal in that game. He followed with a two‑goal performance on March 19, 2024, but later suffered an upper‑body injury that sidelined him for the rest of the regular season; he returned in Game 5 of the first round, recorded his first playoff point with an assist in Game 7 versus Toronto, and scored his first playoff goal in the second round against Florida.
Contract timing and team needs moved his career again: on March 6, 2025 he was traded to the Minnesota Wild for Marat Khusnutdinov, Jakub Lauko and a sixth‑round pick. He scored his first Wild goal on March 22, 2025, and added two assists in the opening‑round series loss to Vegas. On July 1, 2025 he signed a two‑year US$3,000,000 deal with Pittsburgh, where he put up career highs and recorded a hat‑trick on December 28, 2025, though he also experienced healthy scratches in the postseason. Brazeau's game is defined by his size, physical presence and willingness to play in front of the net.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 10:43
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:40
- SH TOI/GP
- 0:00
- Pts/GP
- 0.25
- EV points
- 1
- Hits
- 1
- Blocks
- 2
- Takeaways
- 0
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 52.3 %
- Off. zone starts
- 18.2 %
- Faceoffs
- 0.0 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
37between 17 and 56 (80% range)
- Goals
- 18
- Assists
- 19
- Games
- 77
So far: 1 pts in 4 games. The team has played 0 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.49 pts per game (last season: 0.53).
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
Trending up
- Points per game: 0.29 in 24-25, 0.53 in 25-26
- PAL Rating: 32 → 77
Outlook, age included
↑ Trending upAge 28: 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 65 %
79
Established NHL
- SK
- Skating
- 56
- Confidence 67 %
- ST
- Strength
- 88
- Confidence 70 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 64
- Confidence 67 %
- DU
- Durability
- 67
- Confidence 67 %
- CK
- Checking
- 81
- Confidence 70 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 70
- Confidence 50 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 80
- Confidence 70 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 75
- Confidence 65 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 83
- Confidence 65 %
- DF
- Defense
- 78
- Confidence 61 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 65
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating56
- Top speed (35 %)34.8 · 54
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)3.64 · 64
- Distance /60 (20 %)15.7 · 63
- Speed consistency (15 %)34.4 · 62
ST — Strength88
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)3.841 · 74
- Body mass (50 %)2.278 · 95
EN — Endurance64
- Ice time per game (45 %)12.9 · 63
- Total ice time (20 %)789 · 67
- Shift length (15 %)44.2 · 67
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)12.4 · 68
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)1.417 · 63
DU — Durability67
- Share of games played (100 %)0.751 · 67
CK — Checking81
- Hits /60 (70 %)6.731 · 81
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)6.087 · 82
- Season volume (10 %)4.511 · 79
FG — Fighting70
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)0.752 · 70
DI — Discipline80
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)0.035 · 79
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.517 · 81
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.72 · 72
PA — Passing75
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.73 · 77
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.396 · 69
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)0.075 · 74
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)4.48 · 77
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.54 · 77
SC — Scoring83
- Goals /60 (25 %)1.08 · 81
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)1 · 82
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)0.205 · 77
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)1.945 · 87
- xG per shot (10 %)0.084 · 86
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)13.5 · 72
DF — Defense78
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.018 · 77
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.039 · 77
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.552 · 78
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)0.036 · 75
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-1.852 · 68
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)58.1 · 76
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)3.602 · 89
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience65
- Career regular-season games (65 %)72
- Career playoff games (25 %)53
- NHL seasons (10 %)47
OV — Overall79
- SC · Scoring (28 %)83
- PA · Passing (22 %)75
- DF · Defense (18 %)78
- SK · Skating (12 %)56
- EN · Endurance (8 %)64
- DI · Discipline (5 %)80
- ST · Strength (4 %)88
- CK · Checking (3 %)81
| Season | OV | SK | SC | DF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 79 | 56 | 83 | 78 |
| 2024-25 | 70 | 59 | 76 | 75 |
| 2023-24 | 82 | 65 | 81 | 85 |
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
0.9
wins above replacement
186 of 615
PAL Rating
77/ 100
Performance · Very good
98 of 476 at the position
Value Rating
84/ 100
Very good contract
1.50 M$ · expected PAL 44
ProfileBalancedNeither end dominates
- Offense
- 77
- Defense
- 58
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 79
- Creation
- 84
- Shooting
- 83
- Possession
- 62
- Defense
- 60
- Discipline
- 62
- Power play
- 56
- Penalty kill
- 23
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 | PIT | 0.9 | 77 | 84 | 1.50 M$ |
| 2024-25 | MIN | 0.6 | 32 | 54 | 0.78 M$ |
| 2023-24 | BOS | 0.4 | 84 | 94 | 0.78 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
88/ 100
Very good
better than 88% of forwards, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
86/ 100
Very good
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
63/ 100
Average
takeaways, discipline, own zone
Why 88, higher than both scores? Overall IQ isn't an average, it's a rank: 49 of 424 forwards. Few players are good at both ends at once; being so puts Justin Brazeau ahead of almost everyone else.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 80
- Shot selection
- 85
- Penalties drawn
- 59
- Puck management
- 48
Defense
- Takeaways
- 55
- Discipline
- 54
- Safe zone exits
- 63
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 | PIT | 88 | 86 | 63 |
| 2024-25 | MIN | 73 | 56 | 76 |
| 2023-24 | BOS | 63 | 61 | 57 |
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
0.9
wins above replacement
-0.3 to 2.3 — 90% interval
186 of 615 forwards
+4.5 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- +0.9
- EV defense
- +0.2
- Power play
- 0.0
- Penalty kill
- 0.0
- Shooting
- +0.8
- Penalties
- +0.5
- Average → replacement
- +2.1
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | PIT | 64 | 0.9 | -0.3 to 2.3 | 186/615 |
| 2024-25 | MIN | 74 | 0.6 | 0.0 to 1.3 | 213/596 |
| 2023-24 | BOS | 19 | 0.4 | 0.0 to 1.0 | 236/608 |
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
- 126.9 km/h31st percentileleague avg. 130.1 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 32.3 km/h2nd percentileleague avg. 35.2 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 12nd percentileleague avg. 21
- Offensive zone time
- 42.6 %56th percentileleague avg. 43.0 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 11.1 km12th percentileleague avg. 53.1 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 3.04 km10th percentileleague avg. 4.52 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 42.3 %73rd percentileleague avg. 41.4 %
- Neutral zone time
- 22.9 %100th percentileleague avg. 18.7 %
- Defensive zone time
- 34.6 %96th percentileleague avg. 38.3 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 620th percentile | 139th percentile | 16.7 %65th percentile |
| High danger | 327th percentile | 033rd percentile | 0.0 %10th percentile |
| Mid range | 227th percentile | 176th percentile | 50.0 %100th percentile |
| Long range | 030th percentile | 092nd percentile | 0.0 %0th 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
VGKJustin Brazeau: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Justin Brazeau have in 2026-27?
Justin Brazeau has 1 goal and 1 point (0 assists) in 4 games in 2026-27.
How old is Justin Brazeau?
Justin Brazeau is 28 years old: he was born on February 2, 1998.
How tall is Justin Brazeau, and how much does he weigh?
Justin Brazeau is 6'7" (201 cm) and weighs 236 lb (107 kg).
Where is Justin Brazeau from?
Canada: Justin Brazeau was born in New Liskeard, Ontario, Canada.
What team does Justin Brazeau play for?
Justin Brazeau plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL, at R, wearing number 16.
Is Justin Brazeau injured?
No: Justin Brazeau is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Justin Brazeau?
Justin Brazeau produced 0.9 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 186th of 615 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 77 out of 100: very good for his position.
How much does Justin Brazeau make?
Justin Brazeau earns $1.5M for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 84 out of 100 (very good contract): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Justin Brazeau's contract end?
Justin Brazeau's contract runs through the 2026-27 season; he will then be an unrestricted free agent.
Is Justin Brazeau overpaid?
No, he gives more than he costs. His Value rating is 84 out of 100 (very good contract), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Justin Brazeau a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 186th of 615 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
Is Justin Brazeau getting better?
Yes: his PAL rating went from 32 in 2024-25 to 77 in 2025-26 (out of 100, 50 = average player at his position).
How has Justin Brazeau played lately?
Over his last 4 games, Justin Brazeau has 1 point (1 goal, 0 assists).
What are Justin Brazeau's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Justin Brazeau has 162 games, 34 goals, 30 assists and 64 points. His best season: 2025-26, with 34 points in 64 games.
How does Justin Brazeau perform in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Justin Brazeau has 16 games and 4 points in his career. His pace (0.25 points per game) is lower than his regular-season pace (0.40).
Which player is most similar to Justin Brazeau?
Viktor Arvidsson: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Viktor Arvidsson's page →Is Justin Brazeau a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 37 points in 2026-27, or 0.48 points per game.
What is Justin Brazeau's nationality?
Justin Brazeau is Canadian.
What awards has Justin Brazeau won?
Named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team — 2 April 2020.
How many championships has Justin Brazeau won?
1: Atlantic Division winner with the Providence Bruins (AHL) — 2022–23 season.
Where did Justin Brazeau play before turning pro?
Four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the North Bay Battalion; served as captain in his final season; final season totals of 61 goals and 53 assists.
How many points is Justin Brazeau projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 37 points in 77 games in 2026-27 (17 to 56 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)