Ryan
Leonard
R · WSH · Offensive · Below average
- PAL
- 32
- WAR
- 0.9
- Value
- 46
- PTS
- 45
2025-26№ 183 / 615
Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Ryan Leonard
#9RPlays: Right wing · 1% of faceoffs
Washington Capitals
HEIGHT : 185 cm · WEIGHT : 93 kg · SHOOTS : R
Born : January 20, 2005 · Northampton, United States
Drafted : 2023 · WSH · round 1, pick #8
Contract : $950,000 · 2024-25 → 2026-27 · Entry-Level Contract · RFA · Signing bonus $95,000
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Washington Capitals | 15 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 8 |
| 2025-26 | Washington Capitals | 75 | 20 | 25 | 45 | 47 |
| 2024-25 | Washington Capitals | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| NHL totals | 99 | 26 | 31 | 57 | 66 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Washington Capitals | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Playoff totals | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Ryan Leonard: our analysis
2025-26 season: 75 GP, 20 G, 25 A, 45 PTS, +2 +/-, 14:25 TOI. WAR 0.9 (183rd of 615) · PAL 32, below average.
In 2025-26, Ryan Leonard, 21, posts a PAL Rating of 32 out of 100 (below average), and his WAR of 0.9 ranks 183rd among 615 regulars, in the top half.
His strengths: discipline (93, among the best in the league), offense (80, well above average) and shooting (79, well above average). On the other hand, defense (7, among the weakest in the league) and possession (10, among the weakest in the league) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: finishing (+3.1); his biggest cost: EV defense (-2.1).
His WAR went from -0.1 in 2024-25 to 0.9.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 46 (fair value) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Ryan Leonard's story
From Amherst, Massachusetts, Ryan Leonard rose through the U.S. development system, posting 58 points across 95 games in his first season with the national program and exploding for 114 points in 74 games the following year. That production put him on scouting radars ahead of the 2023 draft, where Washington picked him eighth overall after ranking him among the top North American prospects.
He matriculated at Boston College for 2023–24 and made an immediate impact. As a freshman he registered 31 goals and 29 assists in 41 games, earning conference recognition and All-American honours. Leonard followed that with a sophomore season of 30 goals and 19 assists in 37 games, leading the NCAA in goals and collecting multiple Hockey East awards, including Player of the Year and the scoring title.
Leonard moved to the professional ranks when he signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals on 31 March 2025. He debuted in the NHL the next day and recorded his first career goal — an empty-netter — on 4 April in a 5–3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Capitals extended his stay with an eight-year, $84 million contract on 15 September 2026, reflecting his quick rise.
Internationally, Leonard has been a frequent U.S. contributor. He won silver at the 2022 U18 World Championship and scored the overtime game-winner to secure gold at the 2023 U18 tournament. He was part of the U.S. squad that won gold at the 2024 World Junior Championship and returned as captain in 2025, tallying 5 goals and 5 assists in 7 games and earning the inaugural Murray Costello MVP award as the team completed back-to-back junior titles.
In plain terms, Leonard is a finisher with a nose for the net. His collegiate numbers — leading in goals, shots and game-winning tallies during his sophomore year — underline a player who seeks the puck in scoring areas and converts chances, combining volume shooting with decisive plays late in games.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 14:04
- PP TOI/GP
- 2:05
- SH TOI/GP
- 0:03
- Pts/GP
- 0.73
- EV points
- 9
- Hits
- 26
- Blocks
- 7
- Takeaways
- 2
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 51.6 %
- Off. zone starts
- 35.1 %
- Faceoffs
- 100.0 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
53between 32 and 74 (80% range)
- Goals
- 23
- Assists
- 30
- Games
- 79
So far: 11 pts in 15 games. The team has played 15 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.66 pts per game (last season: 0.60).
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 53 %
79
Established NHL
- SK
- Skating
- 82
- Confidence 57 %
- ST
- Strength
- 82
- Confidence 59 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 74
- Confidence 50 %
- DU
- Durability
- 64
- Confidence 57 %
- CK
- Checking
- 81
- Confidence 59 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 81
- Confidence 34 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 88
- Confidence 59 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 79
- Confidence 53 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 79
- Confidence 53 %
- DF
- Defense
- 57
- Confidence 49 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 57
- Confidence 33 %
- EX
- Experience
- 55
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating82
- Top speed (35 %)37.1 · 90
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)6.574 · 80
- Distance /60 (20 %)15.7 · 63
- Speed consistency (15 %)35.7 · 80
ST — Strength82
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)4.886 · 84
- Body mass (50 %)0.154 · 77
EN — Endurance74
- Ice time per game (45 %)14.4 · 71
- Total ice time (20 %)1,057 · 76
- Shift length (15 %)47 · 79
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)13.9 · 77
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)2.278 · 76
DU — Durability64
- Share of games played (100 %)0.723 · 64
CK — Checking81
- Hits /60 (70 %)6.41 · 80
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)5.802 · 82
- Season volume (10 %)4.828 · 81
FG — Fighting81
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)0.986 · 81
DI — Discipline88
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)0.073 · 90
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.986 · 62
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)1.414 · 93
PA — Passing79
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.905 · 84
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.428 · 72
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)0.01 · 65
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)4.745 · 81
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.769 · 86
SC — Scoring79
- Goals /60 (25 %)1.074 · 80
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.934 · 79
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)0.434 · 80
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)1.338 · 75
- xG per shot (10 %)0.077 · 67
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)17.2 · 84
DF — Defense57
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)-0.089 · 62
- Relative xG against (20 %)0.22 · 60
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.914 · 55
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)0.036 · 77
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-2.619 · 50
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)58.5 · 74
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)1.94 · 67
PS — Penalty shot57
- Shootouts (60 %)31.3 · 62
- Penalty shots (40 %)25.4 · 57
EX — Experience55
- Career regular-season games (65 %)63
- Career playoff games (25 %)41
- NHL seasons (10 %)37
OV — Overall79
- SC · Scoring (28 %)79
- PA · Passing (22 %)79
- DF · Defense (18 %)57
- SK · Skating (12 %)82
- EN · Endurance (8 %)74
- DI · Discipline (5 %)88
- ST · Strength (4 %)82
- CK · Checking (3 %)81
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
183 of 615
PAL Rating
32/ 100
Performance · Below average
310 of 476 at the position
Value Rating
46/ 100
Fair value
0.95 M$ · expected PAL 36
ProfileOffensiveValue comes mostly from offense
- Offense
- 64
- Defense
- 5
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 80
- Creation
- 43
- Shooting
- 79
- Possession
- 10
- Defense
- 7
- Discipline
- 93
- Power play
- 70
- Penalty kill
- 41
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
33/ 100
Below average
better than 33% of forwards, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
90/ 100
Elite
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
8/ 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, 282 of 424 forwards.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 80
- Shot selection
- 18
- Penalties drawn
- 99
- Puck management
- 55
Defense
- Takeaways
- 38
- Discipline
- 7
- Safe zone exits
- 29
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.
0.9
wins above replacement
-0.5 to 2.0 — 90% interval
183 of 615 forwards
+4.6 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- -0.6
- EV defense
- -2.1
- Power play
- -0.0
- Penalty kill
- 0.0
- Shooting
- +3.1
- Penalties
- +1.5
- Average → replacement
- +2.8
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | WSH | 75 | 0.9 | -0.5 to 2.0 | 183/615 |
| 2024-25 | WSH | 6 | -0.1 | -0.2 to 0.0 | 449/596 |
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
- 149.7 km/h97th percentileleague avg. 130.1 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 35.2 km/h51st percentileleague avg. 35.2 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 3582nd percentileleague avg. 21
- Offensive zone time
- 41.2 %41st percentileleague avg. 43.1 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 53.6 km42nd percentileleague avg. 52.2 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 4.40 km44th percentileleague avg. 4.52 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 40.3 %36th percentileleague avg. 42.4 %
- Neutral zone time
- 18.9 %86th percentileleague avg. 16.8 %
- Defensive zone time
- 39.9 %48th percentileleague avg. 40.1 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 4087th percentile | 581st percentile | 12.5 %48th percentile |
| High danger | 752nd percentile | 274th percentile | 28.6 %75th percentile |
| Mid range | 1692nd percentile | 288th percentile | 12.5 %53rd percentile |
| Long range | 695th 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
🔥 2-game point streak
FLA
DAL
MIN
NSH
PHI
BUF
LAK
NJD
MTL
CAR
SEA
NYR
PIT
TBLRyan Leonard: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Ryan Leonard have in 2026-27?
Ryan Leonard has 5 goals and 11 points (6 assists) in 15 games in 2026-27.
How old is Ryan Leonard?
Ryan Leonard is 21 years old: he was born on January 21, 2005.
How tall is Ryan Leonard, and how much does he weigh?
Ryan Leonard is 6'1" (185 cm) and weighs 205 lb (93 kg).
Where is Ryan Leonard from?
United States: Ryan Leonard was born in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States.
What team does Ryan Leonard play for?
Ryan Leonard plays for the Washington Capitals in the NHL, at R, wearing number 9.
Is Ryan Leonard injured?
No: Ryan Leonard is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Ryan Leonard?
Ryan Leonard produced 0.9 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 183rd of 615 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 32 out of 100: below average for his position.
How much does Ryan Leonard make?
Ryan Leonard earns $950K for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 46 out of 100 (fair value): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Ryan Leonard's contract end?
Ryan Leonard's contract runs through the 2026-27 season; he will then be a restricted free agent.
Is Ryan Leonard overpaid?
Neither: he delivers about what his salary should buy. His Value rating is 46 out of 100 (fair value), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Ryan Leonard a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 183rd 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 Ryan Leonard played lately?
Over his last 10 games, Ryan Leonard has 7 points (3 goals, 4 assists).
What are Ryan Leonard's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Ryan Leonard has 99 games, 26 goals, 31 assists and 57 points. His best season: 2025-26, with 45 points in 75 games.
Where was Ryan Leonard drafted?
Ryan Leonard was drafted 8th overall (round 1) by Washington Capitals in 2023.
How does Ryan Leonard perform in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Ryan Leonard has 8 games and 1 point in his career. His pace (0.13 points per game) is lower than his regular-season pace (0.58).
Which player is most similar to Ryan Leonard?
Matthew Wood: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Matthew Wood's page →Is Ryan Leonard a good fantasy pick?
A useful depth pick: our projection has him at 53 points in 2026-27, or 0.67 points per game.
Does Ryan Leonard have siblings?
Yes: his brother John (professional ice hockey player).
Is Ryan Leonard related to anyone famous?
Yes: John Sr. (father, assistant coach for the UMass Minutemen basketball team between 2001 and 2005).
What is Ryan Leonard's nationality?
Ryan Leonard is American. Internationally: United States: silver medal at the 2022 IIHF World U18 Championship; gold medal at the 2023 IIHF World U18 Championship (scored OT game-winning goal in final); gold medal at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship; captain and gold medalist at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, named the inaugural Murray Costello World Junior Championship MVP.
What awards has Ryan Leonard won?
All-Hockey East Second Team (2023–24 season) ; Hockey East All-Rookie Team (2023–24 season) ; AHCA East Second Team All-American (2023–24 season) ; All-Hockey East First Team (2024–25 season) ; Hockey East Scoring Champion (2024–25 season) ; Hockey East Player of the Year (2024–25 season) ; Hockey East Three-Stars Award (2024–25 season) ; Hobey Hat Trick finalist for the Hobey Baker Award (2025); and more.
How many championships has Ryan Leonard won?
4: Silver medal with the United States at the IIHF World U18 Championship (2022); Gold medal with the United States at the IIHF World U18 Championship (2023); Gold medal with the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championship (2024); Gold medal with the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championship (2025).
Where did Ryan Leonard play before turning pro?
Boston College (college seasons 2023–24 and 2024–25).
How many points is Ryan Leonard projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 53 points in 79 games in 2026-27 (32 to 74 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)