Michael
Pezzetta
L · TOR · Balanced · Very poor
- PAL
- 6
- WAR
- -0.4
- Value
- 14
- PTS
- 12
2023-24№ 534 / 608
Michael Pezzetta (Toronto Maple Leafs) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Michael Pezzetta
#61LPlays: Left wing · 4% of faceoffs
Toronto Maple Leafs
HEIGHT : 185 cm · WEIGHT : 101 kg · SHOOTS : L
Born : March 12, 1998 · Toronto, Canada
Drafted : 2016 · MTL · round 6, pick #160
Contract : $812,500 · 2025-26 → 2026-27 · Standard Contract · UFA
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
| 2024-25 | Montréal Canadiens | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| 2023-24 | Montréal Canadiens | 61 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 59 |
| 2022-23 | Montréal Canadiens | 63 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 77 |
| 2021-22 | Montréal Canadiens | 51 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 81 |
| NHL totals | 209 | 15 | 23 | 38 | 276 | |
Michael Pezzetta: our analysis
2023-24 season: 61 GP, 3 G, 9 A, 12 PTS, +4 +/-, 7:48 TOI. WAR -0.4 (534th of 608) · PAL 6, very poor.
In 2023-24, Michael Pezzetta, 28, posts a PAL Rating of 6 out of 100 (very poor), and his WAR of -0.4 ranks 534th among 608 regulars, in the bottom quarter.
On the other hand, discipline (2, among the weakest in the league) and possession (3, among the weakest in the league) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: EV defense (+0.3); his biggest cost: EV offense (-2.1).
A marked decline: his PAL was 23 in 2022-23, against 6 now; his WAR went from 0.0 to -0.4.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 14 (very poor return) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Michael Pezzetta's story
Growing up in the Toronto area, Pezzetta spent his youth in the GTHL with the Toronto Nationals and Mississauga Senators and showcased at the OHL Cup before being taken 11th overall by the Sudbury Wolves in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection. Those early years set the foundation for a physical, hard-working approach to the game that followed him into his junior career.
He broke into the OHL in 2014–15 with Sudbury and gradually assumed larger roles, culminating in being named captain during his overage season. That campaign ended with a January 9, 2018 trade to the Sarnia Sting, a move that closed his junior chapter and paved the way for professional hockey.
Selected in the sixth round, 160th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Pezzetta signed a three-year entry-level deal with Montreal in March 2018. He began his pro career in 2018–19 with the Laval Rocket in the AHL. His NHL debut came on November 2, 2021, when Montréal recalled him and he dressed against the Detroit Red Wings. Over the next seasons he split time between the Canadiens and their AHL affiliate: a 51-game rookie season in 2021–22 (5 goals, 6 assists) and a 63-game follow-up in 2022–23 (7 goals, 8 assists) in which he led the team in hits and was among forwards with the most penalty minutes.
Internationally, Pezzetta represented Canada White at the 2014 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, finishing fifth. Montreal extended his contract with a two-year deal on June 2, 2023, and after becoming an unrestricted free agent he agreed to a two-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1, 2025. He spent most of the following season with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL, was recalled for nine scoreless NHL games in March 2026, and later helped the Marlies capture the Calder Cup on June 19, 2026.
On the ice, Pezzetta’s game is built around physicality and energy. He records a high number of hits and penalty minutes, plays with a confrontational edge, and has been noted for moments of visible passion that resonate with fans.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 6:28
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:04
- SH TOI/GP
- 0:00
- Pts/GP
- 0.00
- EV points
- 0
- Hits
- 30
- Blocks
- 3
- Takeaways
- 0
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 37.2 %
- Off. zone starts
- 12.8 %
- Faceoffs
- 0.0 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
1between 0 and 7 (80% range)
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 1
- Games
- 17
So far: 0 pts in 0 games. The team has played 19 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.07 pts per game (last season: 0.00).
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
Declining
- Points per game: 0.20 in 23-24, 0.00 in 24-25
- PAL Rating: 23 → 6
Outlook, age included
↓ DecliningAge 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, 2023-24
All ratings →Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 51 %
66
Depth
- SK
- Skating
- 83
- Confidence 67 %
- ST
- Strength
- 87
- Confidence 57 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 37
- Confidence 67 %
- DU
- Durability
- 69
- Confidence 67 %
- CK
- Checking
- 98
- Confidence 57 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 96
- Confidence 44 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 48
- Confidence 57 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 75
- Confidence 51 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 64
- Confidence 51 %
- DF
- Defense
- 76
- Confidence 47 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 85
- Confidence 14 %
- EX
- Experience
- 52
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating83
- Top speed (35 %)36.2 · 80
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)6.839 · 82
- Distance /60 (20 %)16.1 · 82
- Speed consistency (15 %)35.9 · 83
ST — Strength87
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)5.63 · 82
- Body mass (50 %)1.034 · 86
EN — Endurance37
- Ice time per game (45 %)10.2 · 37
- Total ice time (20 %)467 · 50
- Shift length (15 %)43.6 · 68
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)9.774 · 37
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)0.91 · 50
DU — Durability69
- Share of games played (100 %)0.76 · 69
CK — Checking98
- Hits /60 (70 %)18.2 · 98
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)18.2 · 97
- Season volume (10 %)5.493 · 93
FG — Fighting96
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)2.947 · 96
DI — Discipline48
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)-0.063 · 49
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)1.2 · 55
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.827 · 77
PA — Passing75
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.774 · 80
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.355 · 63
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)-0.086 · 57
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)4.761 · 81
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.705 · 82
SC — Scoring64
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.721 · 65
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.703 · 60
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)0.057 · 76
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)1.108 · 67
- xG per shot (10 %)0.077 · 67
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)13.4 · 70
DF — Defense76
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.025 · 77
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.234 · 87
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.743 · 72
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)-0.018 · 64
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-0.852 · 49
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)59.1 · 77
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)3.096 · 86
PS — Penalty shot85
- Shootouts (60 %)32.8 · 86
- Penalty shots (40 %)30.9 · 76
EX — Experience52
- Career regular-season games (65 %)73
- Career playoff games (25 %)0
- NHL seasons (10 %)47
OV — Overall66
- SC · Scoring (28 %)64
- PA · Passing (22 %)75
- DF · Defense (18 %)76
- SK · Skating (12 %)83
- EN · Endurance (8 %)37
- DI · Discipline (5 %)48
- ST · Strength (4 %)87
- CK · Checking (3 %)98
| Season | OV | SK | SC | DF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 66 | 83 | 64 | 76 |
| 2022-23 | 73 | 84 | 73 | 75 |
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
WAR and PAL ratings, 2023-24
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.
PAL Rating
6/ 100
Performance · Very poor
436 of 464 at the position
Value Rating
14/ 100
Very poor return
0.81 M$ · expected PAL 32
ProfileBalancedNeither end dominates
- Offense
- 8
- Defense
- 33
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 38
- Creation
- 5
- Shooting
- 11
- Possession
- 3
- Defense
- 57
- Discipline
- 2
- Power play
- 38
- Penalty kill
- 11
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
| Season | Team | WAR | PAL | Value | Cap hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | MTL | -0.4 | 6 | 14 | 0.81 M$ |
| 2022-23 | MTL | 0.0 | 23 | 39 | 0.75 M$ |
Hockey IQ, 2023-24
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
0/ 100
Low
better than 0% of forwards, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
11/ 100
Low
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
1/ 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, 408 of 410 forwards.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 78
- Shot selection
- 1
- Penalties drawn
- 46
- Puck management
- 55
Defense
- Takeaways
- 0
- Discipline
- 6
- Safe zone exits
- 14
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | MTL | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| 2022-23 | MTL | 6 | 80 | 0 |
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
-0.2
wins above replacement
-0.3 to -0.0 — 90% interval
508 of 615 forwards
-1.0 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- -0.2
- EV defense
- +0.1
- Power play
- 0.0
- Penalty kill
- 0.0
- Shooting
- -0.3
- Penalties
- -0.7
- Average → replacement
- +0.2
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | TOR | 9 | -0.2 | -0.3 to -0.0 | 508/615 |
| 2024-25 | MTL | 22 | -0.5 | -0.6 to -0.3 | 548/596 |
| 2023-24 | MTL | 61 | -0.4 | -0.8 to 0.1 | 534/608 |
| 2022-23 | MTL | 63 | 0.0 | -0.5 to 0.9 | 340/617 |
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
- 126.4 km/h16th percentileleague avg. 134.6 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 35.1 km/h31st percentileleague avg. 35.7 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 1017th percentileleague avg. 75
- Offensive zone time
- 38.4 %10th percentileleague avg. 43.1 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 15.9 km13th percentileleague avg. 198.8 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 2.63 km4th percentileleague avg. 4.70 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 38.2 %3rd percentileleague avg. 42.0 %
- Neutral zone time
- 19.0 %99th percentileleague avg. 16.8 %
- Defensive zone time
- 42.5 %18th percentileleague avg. 40.1 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 25th percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| High danger | 18th percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Mid range | 00th percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Long range | 00th 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
OTT
FLA
NYI
LAK
ANA
STL
BOS
BUFMichael Pezzetta: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Michael Pezzetta have in 2025-26?
Michael Pezzetta has 0 goals and 0 points (0 assists) in 9 games in 2025-26.
How old is Michael Pezzetta?
Michael Pezzetta is 28 years old: he was born on March 13, 1998.
How tall is Michael Pezzetta, and how much does he weigh?
Michael Pezzetta is 6'1" (185 cm) and weighs 223 lb (101 kg).
Where is Michael Pezzetta from?
Canada: Michael Pezzetta was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
What team does Michael Pezzetta play for?
Michael Pezzetta plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL, at L, wearing number 61.
Is Michael Pezzetta injured?
No: Michael Pezzetta is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Michael Pezzetta?
Michael Pezzetta produced -0.2 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 508th of 615 players at his position in the NHL.
How much does Michael Pezzetta make?
Michael Pezzetta carries a cap hit of $813K per season, on a contract worth $1.6M in total over 2 years.
When does Michael Pezzetta's contract end?
Michael Pezzetta's contract runs through the 2026-27 season; he will then be an unrestricted free agent.
Is Michael Pezzetta a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 508th 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 Michael Pezzetta getting better?
No, he is slipping: his PAL rating went from 23 in 2022-23 to 6 in 2023-24 (out of 100, 50 = average player at his position).
How has Michael Pezzetta played lately?
Over his last 9 games, Michael Pezzetta has 0 points (0 goals, 0 assists).
What are Michael Pezzetta's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Michael Pezzetta has 209 games, 15 goals, 23 assists and 38 points. His best season: 2022-23, with 15 points in 63 games.
Where was Michael Pezzetta drafted?
Michael Pezzetta was drafted 160th overall (round 6) by Montreal Canadiens in 2016.
How does Michael Pezzetta perform in the playoffs?
Michael Pezzetta has not played in the NHL playoffs yet.
Is Michael Pezzetta a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 1 points in 2026-27, or 0.06 points per game.
Does Michael Pezzetta have siblings?
Yes: his brother Stefano.
Is Michael Pezzetta related to anyone famous?
Yes: Lino (father, fire captain for Toronto Fire Services).
What is Michael Pezzetta's nationality?
Michael Pezzetta is Canadian. Internationally: Represented Hockey Canada as part of team Canada White at the 2014 World U-17 Hockey Challenge — finished 5th.
How many championships has Michael Pezzetta won?
1: Calder Cup 2026 with the Toronto Marlies (defeated the Chicago Wolves in five games).
Where did Michael Pezzetta play before turning pro?
Played in the GTHL with the Toronto Nationals and Mississauga Senators; selected 11th overall by the Sudbury Wolves in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection; made his OHL debut in 2014–15 with the Sudbury Wolves; named captain in his overage season and traded to the Sarnia Sting on January 9, 2018..
How many points is Michael Pezzetta projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 1 points in 17 games in 2026-27 (0 to 7 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his Toronto Maple Leafs teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)