Nils
Hoglander
L · NSH · Balanced · Very poor
- PAL
- 14
- WAR
- 0.0
- Value
- 11
- PTS
- 5
2025-26№ 360 / 615
Nils Hoglander (Nashville Predators) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Nils Hoglander
#21LPlays: Left wing · 1% of faceoffs
Nashville Predators
HEIGHT : 175 cm · WEIGHT : 84 kg · SHOOTS : L
Born : December 19, 2000 · Bockträsk, Sweden
Drafted : 2019 · VAN · round 2, pick #40
Contract : $3,000,000 · 2025-26 → 2027-28 · Standard Contract (Extension) · UFA · Signing bonus $1,000,000
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Nashville Predators | 17 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| 2025-26 | Vancouver Canucks | 38 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| 2024-25 | Vancouver Canucks | 72 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 30 |
| 2023-24 | Vancouver Canucks | 80 | 24 | 12 | 36 | 51 |
| 2022-23 | Vancouver Canucks | 25 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 6 |
| 2021-22 | Vancouver Canucks | 60 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 24 |
| 2020-21 | Vancouver Canucks | 56 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 16 |
| NHL totals | 348 | 63 | 62 | 125 | 141 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Vancouver Canucks | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Playoff totals | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
Nils Hoglander: our analysis
2025-26 season: 38 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 PTS, -4 +/-, 11:31 TOI. WAR 0.0 (360th of 615) · PAL 14, very poor.
In 2025-26, Nils Hoglander, 25, posts a PAL Rating of 14 out of 100 (very poor), and his WAR of 0.0 ranks 360th among 615 regulars, in the bottom half.
His strengths: discipline (66, above average). On the other hand, creation (7, among the weakest in the league) and offense (8, among the weakest in the league) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: EV defense (+0.6); his biggest cost: finishing (-2.0).
A marked decline: his PAL was 52 in 2024-25, against 14 now; his WAR went from 0.5 to 0.0.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 11 (very poor return) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Nils Hoglander's story
Growing up in the tiny community of Bockträsk, Nils Höglander learned to skate on local frozen lakes and developed quickly through nearby club systems. Early on he stood out for his mobility and puck skills, traits that have shaped him into a forward who relies on speed and creativity.
As a teenager he moved through the Swedish development ladder, representing youth teams such as Timrå IK and eventually playing senior hockey in Allsvenskan with AIK in 2016. At 17 he advanced to the SHL, joining Rögle BK in 2018 and testing his game against Sweden’s top professionals while improving his decision-making under pressure.
The Vancouver Canucks selected Höglander 40th overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and signed him to a three-year entry-level deal on 30 April 2020. With the 2020–21 North American season delayed, he began that campaign on loan back at Rögle until NHL training camps resumed. Höglander made his NHL debut on 13 January 2021 and scored in that first game. Over subsequent seasons he split time between Vancouver and their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford, gradually increasing his offensive output and setting new career highs in goals and points during the 2023–24 season.
Internationally, he has represented Sweden at junior levels. Fans acknowledged his entertaining presence by awarding him the Pavel Bure Most Exciting Player Award in 2021. Contractually, he re-signed with Vancouver in July 2023, later agreed to an extension in October 2024, and was traded to the Nashville Predators on 29 June 2026.
On the ice Höglander is defined by quickness and puck control: a winger who creates space with his skating and looks to generate chances both by carrying the puck and by finding soft spots in the defensive structure. His game emphasizes tempo and offensive instincts, allowing him to contribute in varied roles at the pro level.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 10:34
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:31
- SH TOI/GP
- 0:00
- Pts/GP
- 0.29
- EV points
- 4
- Hits
- 17
- Blocks
- 8
- Takeaways
- 3
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 44.4 %
- Off. zone starts
- 37.8 %
- Faceoffs
- 40.0 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
18between 6 and 30 (80% range)
- Goals
- 9
- Assists
- 9
- Games
- 65
So far: 5 pts in 17 games. The team has played 17 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.28 pts per game (last season: 0.13).
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: 0.45 in 23-24, 0.13 in 25-26
- PAL Rating: 52 → 14
Outlook, age included
↓ DecliningAge 25: 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 71 %
64
Depth
- SK
- Skating
- 73
- Confidence 73 %
- ST
- Strength
- 74
- Confidence 76 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 56
- Confidence 80 %
- DU
- Durability
- 65
- Confidence 77 %
- CK
- Checking
- 79
- Confidence 76 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 68
- Confidence 57 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 77
- Confidence 76 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 66
- Confidence 71 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 65
- Confidence 71 %
- DF
- Defense
- 80
- Confidence 67 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 72
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating73
- Top speed (35 %)35.5 · 66
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)5.753 · 76
- Distance /60 (20 %)16.5 · 84
- Speed consistency (15 %)34.6 · 64
ST — Strength74
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)4.945 · 85
- Body mass (50 %)-1.228 · 63
EN — Endurance56
- Ice time per game (45 %)12.6 · 61
- Total ice time (20 %)426 · 45
- Shift length (15 %)42.4 · 60
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)11.7 · 64
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)0.964 · 53
DU — Durability65
- Share of games played (100 %)0.733 · 65
CK — Checking79
- Hits /60 (70 %)5.871 · 79
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)5.295 · 80
- Season volume (10 %)3.97 · 70
FG — Fighting68
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)0.735 · 68
DI — Discipline77
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)0.033 · 78
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.811 · 68
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)1.004 · 84
PA — Passing66
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.587 · 68
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.381 · 66
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)0.061 · 73
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)3.448 · 58
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.34 · 66
SC — Scoring65
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.787 · 66
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.764 · 67
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)0.114 · 74
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)1.009 · 59
- xG per shot (10 %)0.079 · 72
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)12.9 · 69
DF — Defense80
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.049 · 80
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.097 · 80
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.495 · 81
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)0.036 · 77
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-1.446 · 77
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)57.3 · 79
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)1.896 · 66
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience72
- Career regular-season games (65 %)82
- Career playoff games (25 %)47
- NHL seasons (10 %)66
OV — Overall64
- SC · Scoring (28 %)65
- PA · Passing (22 %)66
- DF · Defense (18 %)80
- SK · Skating (12 %)73
- EN · Endurance (8 %)56
- DI · Discipline (5 %)77
- ST · Strength (4 %)74
- CK · Checking (3 %)79
| Season | OV | SK | SC | DF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 64 | 73 | 65 | 80 |
| 2024-25 | 76 | 78 | 74 | 82 |
| 2023-24 | 81 | 77 | 85 | 79 |
| 2022-23 | 69 | 76 | 72 | 68 |
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
0.0
wins above replacement
360 of 615
PAL Rating
14/ 100
Performance · Very poor
405 of 476 at the position
Value Rating
11/ 100
Very poor return
3.00 M$ · expected PAL 54
ProfileBalancedNeither end dominates
- Offense
- 5
- Defense
- 41
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 8
- Creation
- 7
- Shooting
- 12
- Possession
- 25
- Defense
- 53
- Discipline
- 66
- Power play
- 19
- Penalty kill
- 30
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 | VAN | 0.0 | 14 | 11 | 3.00 M$ |
| 2024-25 | VAN | 0.5 | 52 | 64 | 1.10 M$ |
| 2023-24 | VAN | 2.5 | 75 | 82 | 1.10 M$ |
| 2022-23 | VAN | 0.2 | 20 | 31 | 0.89 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
21/ 100
Below average
better than 21% of forwards, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
4/ 100
Low
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
64/ 100
Average
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
- 19
- Shot selection
- 8
- Penalties drawn
- 54
- Puck management
- 14
Defense
- Takeaways
- 30
- Discipline
- 62
- Safe zone exits
- 80
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 | VAN | 21 | 4 | 64 |
| 2024-25 | VAN | 51 | 90 | 17 |
| 2023-24 | VAN | 75 | 85 | 44 |
| 2022-23 | VAN | 25 | 37 | 24 |
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
0.0
wins above replacement
-0.4 to 0.5 — 90% interval
360 of 615 forwards
+0.2 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- +0.2
- EV defense
- +0.6
- Power play
- -0.0
- Penalty kill
- 0.0
- Shooting
- -2.0
- Penalties
- +0.3
- Average → replacement
- +1.1
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | VAN | 38 | 0.0 | -0.4 to 0.5 | 360/615 |
| 2024-25 | VAN | 68 | 0.5 | -0.3 to 1.2 | 230/596 |
| 2023-24 | VAN | 80 | 2.5 | 0.8 to 4.3 | 47/608 |
| 2022-23 | VAN | 25 | 0.2 | -0.3 to 0.8 | 271/617 |
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
- 121.8 km/h16th percentileleague avg. 130.1 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 34.5 km/h30th percentileleague avg. 35.2 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 1646th percentileleague avg. 21
- Offensive zone time
- 40.4 %31st percentileleague avg. 43.1 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 48.7 km38th percentileleague avg. 52.2 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 3.53 km19th percentileleague avg. 4.52 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 39.8 %26th percentileleague avg. 42.4 %
- Neutral zone time
- 17.9 %40th percentileleague avg. 16.8 %
- Defensive zone time
- 41.7 %28th percentileleague avg. 40.1 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 2153rd percentile | 366th percentile | 14.3 %57th percentile |
| High danger | 963rd percentile | 386th percentile | 33.3 %85th percentile |
| Mid range | 442nd percentile | 054th percentile | 0.0 %32nd percentile |
| Long range | 272nd percentile | 092nd percentile | 0.0 %87th 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
STL
COL
CAR
TBL
WSH
NYI
PIT
BOS
SJS
VGK
OTT
MTL
TOR
DAL
MINNils Hoglander: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Nils Hoglander have in 2026-27?
Nils Hoglander has 3 goals and 5 points (2 assists) in 17 games in 2026-27.
How old is Nils Hoglander?
Nils Hoglander is 25 years old: he was born on December 20, 2000.
How tall is Nils Hoglander, and how much does he weigh?
Nils Hoglander is 5'9" (175 cm) and weighs 185 lb (84 kg).
Where is Nils Hoglander from?
Sweden: Nils Hoglander was born in Bockträsk, Sweden.
What team does Nils Hoglander play for?
Nils Hoglander plays for the Nashville Predators in the NHL, at L, wearing number 21.
Is Nils Hoglander injured?
No: Nils Hoglander is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Nils Hoglander?
Nils Hoglander produced 0.0 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 360th of 615 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 14 out of 100: very poor for his position.
How much does Nils Hoglander make?
Nils Hoglander earns $3.0M for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 11 out of 100 (very poor return): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Nils Hoglander's contract end?
Nils Hoglander's contract runs through the 2027-28 season; he will then be an unrestricted free agent.
Is Nils Hoglander overpaid?
Yes, his output falls short of what his salary should buy. His Value rating is 11 out of 100 (very poor return), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Nils Hoglander a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 360th 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 Nils Hoglander getting better?
No, he is slipping: his PAL rating went from 52 in 2024-25 to 14 in 2025-26 (out of 100, 50 = average player at his position).
How has Nils Hoglander played lately?
Over his last 10 games, Nils Hoglander has 2 points (0 goals, 2 assists).
What are Nils Hoglander's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Nils Hoglander has 348 games, 63 goals, 62 assists and 125 points. His best season: 2023-24, with 36 points in 80 games.
Where was Nils Hoglander drafted?
Nils Hoglander was drafted 40th overall (round 2) by Vancouver Canucks in 2019.
Is Nils Hoglander better at home or on the road?
On the road: in 2026-27, he averages 0.18 points per game at home (2 in 11 games) and 0.50 on the road (3 in 6 games).
How does Nils Hoglander perform in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Nils Hoglander has 11 games and 2 points in his career. His pace (0.18 points per game) is lower than his regular-season pace (0.36).
Which player is most similar to Nils Hoglander?
Fedor Svechkov: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Fedor Svechkov's page →Is Nils Hoglander a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 18 points in 2026-27, or 0.28 points per game.
What is Nils Hoglander's nationality?
Nils Hoglander is Swedish.
What awards has Nils Hoglander won?
Pavel Bure Most Exciting Player Award (voted by Canucks fans) — 18 May 2021.
Where did Nils Hoglander play before turning pro?
Youth with Malå IF; played for Clemensnäs HC; Timrå IK U16 and U18 squads in 2015; AIK IF from 2016 to 2018 (HockeyAllsvenskan); moved to Rögle BK in 2018 (SHL)..
How many points is Nils Hoglander projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 18 points in 65 games in 2026-27 (6 to 30 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his Nashville Predators teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)