Taylor
Ward
R · LAK · Balanced · Below average
- PAL
- 34
- WAR
- -0.1
- Value
- 51
- PTS
- 7
2025-26№ 455 / 615
Taylor Ward (Los Angeles Kings) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Taylor Ward
#17RPlays: Right wing · 5% of faceoffs
Los Angeles Kings
HEIGHT : 188 cm · WEIGHT : 98 kg · SHOOTS : R
Born : March 30, 1998 · Kelowna, Canada
Contract : $875,000 · 2026-27 → 2027-28 · Standard Contract (Extension) · UFA
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Los Angeles Kings | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025-26 | Los Angeles Kings | 36 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 7 |
| 2024-25 | Los Angeles Kings | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| NHL totals | 41 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 7 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Los Angeles Kings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Playoff totals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Taylor Ward: our analysis
2025-26 season: 36 GP, 3 G, 4 A, 7 PTS, 0 +/-, 9:28 TOI. WAR -0.1 (455th of 615) · PAL 34, below average.
In 2025-26, Taylor Ward, 28, posts a PAL Rating of 34 out of 100 (below average), and his WAR of -0.1 ranks 455th among 615 regulars, in the bottom half.
His strengths: creation (77, well above average). On the other hand, power play (11, among the weakest in the league) and offense (26, below average) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: penalties (+0.2); his biggest cost: finishing (-1.7).
His WAR went from 0.1 in 2024-25 to -0.1.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 51 (fair value) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Taylor Ward's story
Born March 31, 1998, Taylor Ward came up through the collegiate ranks before entering professional hockey. His father, Dixon Ward, appeared in 34 games for the Los Angeles Kings during an NHL career that ran through the 1990s and early 2000s; Taylor holds both Canadian and American citizenship.
Ward spent four seasons with the Omaha Mavericks at the college level and went undrafted. Still, his play in Omaha earned him a pro opportunity: in 2022 he signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Kings. That contract placed him in the Kings organization while he logged ice time with their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, as a winger.
A standout moment arrived late in the 2024–25 season. Ward made his National Hockey League debut on April 17, 2025 against the Calgary Flames and scored his first NHL goal in the third period of that game. The following day he was reassigned to the Reign, returning to the American Hockey League to continue his development.
Los Angeles maintained its commitment to Ward in the seasons that followed. On July 2, 2025 he re-signed a one-year, two-way contract for 2025–26, and on January 26, 2026 he agreed to a two-year extension with the Kings organization, securing his place in the club’s depth chart.
On ice, Ward plays on the wing and has followed a steady, step-by-step path from college hockey to the AHL and into NHL minutes when called upon. His family background in the NHL and the four-year collegiate foundation with Omaha have been central touchpoints in a career that continues to develop within the Los Angeles system.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 9:26
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:29
- SH TOI/GP
- 0:00
- Pts/GP
- 0.25
- EV points
- 1
- Hits
- 9
- Blocks
- 2
- Takeaways
- 0
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 36.0 %
- Off. zone starts
- 33.3 %
- Faceoffs
- 0.0 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
10between 1 and 20 (80% range)
- Goals
- 6
- Assists
- 5
- Games
- 50
So far: 1 pts in 4 games. The team has played 0 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.20 pts per game (last season: 0.19).
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 26 %
67
Depth
- SK
- Skating
- 60
- Confidence 57 %
- ST
- Strength
- 79
- Confidence 31 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 57
- Confidence 50 %
- DU
- Durability
- 47
- Confidence 57 %
- CK
- Checking
- 79
- Confidence 31 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 83
- Confidence 19 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 76
- Confidence 31 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 71
- Confidence 26 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 73
- Confidence 26 %
- DF
- Defense
- 76
- Confidence 23 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 40
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating60
- Top speed (35 %)34.8 · 54
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)5.611 · 76
- Distance /60 (20 %)15.8 · 67
- Speed consistency (15 %)33.3 · 48
ST — Strength79
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)3.828 · 73
- Body mass (50 %)0.755 · 83
EN — Endurance57
- Ice time per game (45 %)12.4 · 60
- Total ice time (20 %)339 · 35
- Shift length (15 %)44.3 · 68
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)11.6 · 62
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)1.521 · 64
DU — Durability47
- Share of games played (100 %)0.593 · 47
CK — Checking79
- Hits /60 (70 %)5.676 · 79
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)5.651 · 81
- Season volume (10 %)3.664 · 67
FG — Fighting83
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)1.073 · 83
DI — Discipline76
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)0.023 · 75
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.503 · 82
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.636 · 67
PA — Passing71
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.61 · 70
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.452 · 74
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)0.071 · 74
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)4.118 · 70
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.435 · 73
SC — Scoring73
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.85 · 71
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.893 · 76
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)-0.07 · 71
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)1.451 · 78
- xG per shot (10 %)0.079 · 70
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)15.9 · 80
DF — Defense76
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.011 · 76
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.079 · 79
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.495 · 81
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-2.167 · 61
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)59.4 · 69
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)2.12 · 72
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience40
- Career regular-season games (65 %)51
- Career playoff games (25 %)13
- NHL seasons (10 %)37
OV — Overall67
- SC · Scoring (28 %)73
- PA · Passing (22 %)71
- DF · Defense (18 %)76
- SK · Skating (12 %)60
- EN · Endurance (8 %)57
- DI · Discipline (5 %)76
- ST · Strength (4 %)79
- CK · Checking (3 %)79
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
-0.1
wins above replacement
455 of 615
PAL Rating
34/ 100
Performance · Below average
302 of 476 at the position
Value Rating
51/ 100
Fair value
0.78 M$ · expected PAL 32
ProfileBalancedNeither end dominates
- Offense
- 41
- Defense
- 41
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 26
- Creation
- 77
- Shooting
- 31
- Possession
- 52
- Defense
- 45
- Discipline
- 56
- Power play
- 11
- Penalty kill
- 28
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
27/ 100
Below average
better than 27% of forwards, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
11/ 100
Low
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
63/ 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, 308 of 424 forwards.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 33
- Shot selection
- 15
- Penalties drawn
- 24
- Puck management
- 49
Defense
- Takeaways
- 9
- Discipline
- 84
- Safe zone exits
- 74
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.
-0.1
wins above replacement
-0.6 to 0.2 — 90% interval
455 of 615 forwards
-0.4 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
- -1.7
- Penalties
- +0.2
- Average → replacement
- +0.9
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | LAK | 36 | -0.1 | -0.6 to 0.2 | 455/615 |
| 2024-25 | LAK | 1 | 0.1 | 0.1 to 0.3 | 335/596 |
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
- 112.7 km/h8th percentileleague avg. 130.1 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 33.7 km/h13th percentileleague avg. 35.2 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 310th percentileleague avg. 21
- Offensive zone time
- 37.9 %11th percentileleague avg. 43.1 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 9.7 km11th percentileleague avg. 52.2 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 3.41 km16th percentileleague avg. 4.52 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 36.8 %3rd percentileleague avg. 42.4 %
- Neutral zone time
- 18.9 %85th percentileleague avg. 16.8 %
- Defensive zone time
- 43.2 %15th percentileleague avg. 40.1 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 414th percentile | 139th percentile | 25.0 %94th percentile |
| High danger | 433rd percentile | 157th percentile | 25.0 %68th percentile |
| Mid range | 010th percentile | 054th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Long range | 031st 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
BUF
OTT
CHI
NYRTaylor Ward: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Taylor Ward have in 2026-27?
Taylor Ward has 1 goal and 1 point (0 assists) in 4 games in 2026-27.
How old is Taylor Ward?
Taylor Ward is 28 years old: he was born on March 31, 1998.
How tall is Taylor Ward, and how much does he weigh?
Taylor Ward is 6'2" (188 cm) and weighs 216 lb (98 kg).
Where is Taylor Ward from?
Canada: Taylor Ward was born in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.
What team does Taylor Ward play for?
Taylor Ward plays for the Los Angeles Kings in the NHL, at R, wearing number 17.
Is Taylor Ward injured?
No: Taylor Ward is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Taylor Ward?
Taylor Ward produced -0.1 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 455th of 615 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 34 out of 100: below average for his position.
How much does Taylor Ward make?
Taylor Ward earns $775K for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 51 out of 100 (fair value): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Taylor Ward's contract end?
Taylor Ward's contract runs through the 2027-28 season; he will then be an unrestricted free agent.
Is Taylor Ward overpaid?
Neither: he delivers about what his salary should buy. His Value rating is 51 out of 100 (fair value), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Taylor Ward a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 455th 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 Taylor Ward played lately?
Over his last 4 games, Taylor Ward has 1 point (1 goal, 0 assists).
What are Taylor Ward's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Taylor Ward has 41 games, 5 goals, 4 assists and 9 points. His best season: 2025-26, with 7 points in 36 games.
How does Taylor Ward perform in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Taylor Ward has 1 game and 0 points in his career. His pace (0.00 points per game) is lower than his regular-season pace (0.22).
Which player is most similar to Taylor Ward?
Ryan Donato: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Ryan Donato's page →Is Taylor Ward a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 10 points in 2026-27, or 0.20 points per game.
Is Taylor Ward related to anyone famous?
Yes: Dixon Ward (father, played in the NHL between 1992 and 2003; including 34 games with the Los Angeles Kings).
What is Taylor Ward's nationality?
Taylor Ward is Canadian and American.
Where did Taylor Ward play before turning pro?
four-year stint with the Omaha Mavericks.
How many points is Taylor Ward projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 10 points in 50 games in 2026-27 (1 to 20 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his Los Angeles Kings teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)