Urho
Vaakanainen
D · NYR · Defensive · Below average
- PAL
- 35
- WAR
- -0.1
- Value
- 37
- PTS
- 6
2025-26№ 247 / 325
Urho Vaakanainen (New York Rangers) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Urho Vaakanainen
#18D
New York Rangers
HEIGHT : 188 cm · WEIGHT : 93 kg · SHOOTS : L
Born : December 31, 1998 · Joensuu, Finland
Drafted : 2017 · BOS · round 1, pick #18
Contract : $1,550,000 · 2025-26 → 2026-27 · Standard Contract (Extension) · UFA · Signing bonus $250,000
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | New York Rangers | 34 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 14 |
| 2024-25 | New York Rangers | 46 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 16 |
| 2024-25 | Anaheim Ducks | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2023-24 | Anaheim Ducks | 68 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 26 |
| 2022-23 | Anaheim Ducks | 23 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | Anaheim Ducks | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 2021-22 | Boston Bruins | 15 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 2020-21 | Boston Bruins | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2019-20 | Boston Bruins | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | Boston Bruins | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NHL totals | 221 | 3 | 43 | 46 | 70 | |
Urho Vaakanainen: our analysis
2025-26 season: 34 GP, 0 G, 6 A, 6 PTS, 0 +/-, 13:51 TOI. WAR -0.1 (247th of 325) · PAL 35, below average.
In 2025-26, Urho Vaakanainen, 27, posts a PAL Rating of 35 out of 100 (below average), and his WAR of -0.1 ranks 247th among 325 regulars, in the bottom quarter.
His strengths: defense (79, well above average) and power play (67, above average). On the other hand, shooting (10, among the weakest in the league) and creation (10, among the weakest in the league) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: EV defense (+1.5); his biggest cost: EV offense (-1.0).
A marked decline: his PAL was 47 in 2024-25, against 35 now; his WAR went from 0.3 to -0.1.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 37 (poor return) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Urho Vaakanainen's story
Raised in Joensuu, Vaakanainen came through Finland's junior ranks and turned pro with Espoo Blues during the 2015–16 campaign. Early on he moved between Liiga clubs, building a defensive foundation marked by positional play and steady skating. His father, Harri Vaakanainen, also played hockey in Finland, and the younger Vaakanainen developed into a methodical defenceman in that environment.
After his debut season he joined JYP Jyväskylä for 2016–17, earning a regular spot on the blue line and contributing during the postseason. Those performances helped him into the first round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, when Boston selected him 18th overall and opened the door to North American hockey.
Signed to an entry-level deal in 2018, he split time between the Bruins and their AHL affiliate, Providence, making his NHL debut in October 2018. The next seasons saw him shuttle between the two levels depending on Boston's needs; a significant mid‑March 2022 transaction sent him to the Anaheim Ducks, where he completed the season and later agreed to a two‑year extension. His time in Anaheim included a serious hip injury that required surgery in March 2023 and subsequent rehabilitation.
Internationally, Vaakanainen has represented Finland at U18 and U20 tournaments, collecting a U18 world championship gold and later winning gold at the 2019 World Junior Championship with Team Finland.
Playing style: a right‑shot defender who relies on sound positioning and reliable puck exits. He has been used in a variety of defensive roles, able to step into higher minutes when injuries or roster needs demand it, and his game emphasizes structure and clean transitions.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 13:51
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:01
- SH TOI/GP
- 0:38
- Pts/GP
- 0.18
- EV points
- 6
- Hits
- 11
- Blocks
- 26
- Takeaways
- 5
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 50.5 %
- Off. zone starts
- 23.5 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
6between 1 and 16 (80% range)
- Goals
- 1
- Assists
- 6
- Games
- 32
So far: 0 pts in 0 games. The team has played 19 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.21 pts per game (last season: 0.18).
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
Slight decline
- Points per game: 0.21 in 23-24, 0.18 in 25-26
- PAL Rating: 47 → 35
Outlook, age included
↘ Slight declineAge 27: 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 73 %
69
Depth
- SK
- Skating
- 63
- Confidence 73 %
- ST
- Strength
- 77
- Confidence 78 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 58
- Confidence 80 %
- DU
- Durability
- 57
- Confidence 77 %
- CK
- Checking
- 67
- Confidence 78 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 72
- Confidence 52 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 74
- Confidence 78 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 73
- Confidence 73 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 59
- Confidence 73 %
- DF
- Defense
- 82
- Confidence 70 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 57
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating63
- Top speed (35 %)34.7 · 64
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)1.471 · 68
- Distance /60 (20 %)13.9 · 66
- Speed consistency (15 %)33.7 · 63
ST — Strength77
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)5.739 · 79
- Body mass (50 %)0.192 · 74
EN — Endurance58
- Ice time per game (45 %)16.6 · 61
- Total ice time (20 %)466 · 53
- Shift length (15 %)45.9 · 68
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)14.5 · 58
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)1.519 · 60
DU — Durability57
- Share of games played (100 %)0.666 · 57
CK — Checking67
- Hits /60 (70 %)2.396 · 69
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)1.746 · 67
- Season volume (10 %)2.485 · 55
FG — Fighting72
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)0.771 · 72
DI — Discipline74
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)-0.044 · 74
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.7 · 71
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.443 · 79
PA — Passing73
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.342 · 72
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.463 · 79
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)-0.081 · 65
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)4.296 · 80
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.18 · 67
SC — Scoring59
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.122 · 57
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.163 · 65
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)-0.001 · 65
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)0.056 · 63
- xG per shot (10 %)0.033 · 67
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)8.786 · 68
DF — Defense82
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.111 · 84
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.134 · 84
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.572 · 78
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)-0.108 · 65
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-1.773 · 80
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)57.8 · 77
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)3.967 · 68
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience57
- Career regular-season games (65 %)76
- Career playoff games (25 %)0
- NHL seasons (10 %)75
OV — Overall69
- DF · Defense (30 %)82
- PA · Passing (22 %)73
- SK · Skating (12 %)63
- SC · Scoring (12 %)59
- EN · Endurance (9 %)58
- ST · Strength (6 %)77
- DI · Discipline (5 %)74
- CK · Checking (4 %)67
| Season | OV | SK | SC | DF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 69 | 63 | 59 | 82 |
| 2024-25 | 71 | 64 | 63 | 82 |
| 2023-24 | 69 | 64 | 47 | 82 |
| 2022-23 | 64 | 61 | 67 | 72 |
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
247 of 325
PAL Rating
35/ 100
Performance · Below average
163 of 250 at the position
Value Rating
37/ 100
Poor return
1.55 M$ · expected PAL 49
ProfileDefensiveValue comes mostly from defense
- Offense
- 17
- Defense
- 67
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 24
- Creation
- 10
- Shooting
- 10
- Possession
- 33
- Defense
- 79
- Discipline
- 26
- Power play
- 67
- Penalty kill
- 34
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 | NYR | -0.1 | 35 | 37 | 1.55 M$ |
| 2024-25 | NYR | 0.3 | 47 | 63 | 1.10 M$ |
| 2023-24 | ANA | 0.2 | 46 | 55 | 0.85 M$ |
| 2022-23 | ANA | -0.2 | 19 | 25 | 0.85 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
27/ 100
Below average
better than 27% of defensemen, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
30/ 100
Below average
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
33/ 100
Below 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, 164 of 225 defensemen.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 44
- Shot selection
- 17
- Penalties drawn
- 61
- Puck management
- 44
Defense
- Takeaways
- 36
- Discipline
- 25
- Safe zone exits
- 54
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 | NYR | 27 | 30 | 33 |
| 2024-25 | NYR | 63 | 88 | 27 |
| 2023-24 | ANA | 35 | 15 | 60 |
| 2022-23 | ANA | 54 | 2 | 96 |
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
-0.2 to 0.0 — 90% interval
247 of 325 defensemen
-0.4 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- -1.0
- EV defense
- +1.5
- Power play
- 0.0
- Penalty kill
- -0.1
- Shooting
- -1.0
- Penalties
- -0.7
- Average → replacement
- +1.0
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | NYR | 34 | -0.1 | -0.2 to 0.0 | 247/325 |
| 2024-25 | NYR | 48 | 0.3 | -0.1 to 0.8 | 131/314 |
| 2023-24 | ANA | 68 | 0.2 | -0.4 to 0.7 | 134/316 |
| 2022-23 | ANA | 23 | -0.2 | -0.4 to -0.0 | 263/334 |
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
- 134.5 km/h19th percentileleague avg. 143.1 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 33.5 km/h22nd percentileleague avg. 34.7 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 1035th percentileleague avg. 31
- Offensive zone time
- 41.9 %56th percentileleague avg. 42.3 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 103.2 km33rd percentileleague avg. 214.3 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 4.15 km18th percentileleague avg. 5.23 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 42.5 %61st percentileleague avg. 42.1 %
- Neutral zone time
- 17.4 %16th percentileleague avg. 16.8 %
- Defensive zone time
- 40.8 %47th percentileleague avg. 40.9 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 2332nd percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| High danger | 00th percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Mid range | 431st percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Long range | 1535th 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
DAL
NJD
LAK
MIN
WPG
CGY
PHI
CAR
PIT
NYI
BOS
ANA
UTA
NSH
MTL
STL
CBJ
TBL
SEA
EDM
VAN
TOR
WSH
BUFUrho Vaakanainen: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Urho Vaakanainen have in 2025-26?
Urho Vaakanainen has 0 goals and 6 points (6 assists) in 34 games in 2025-26.
How old is Urho Vaakanainen?
Urho Vaakanainen is 27 years old: he was born on January 1, 1999.
How tall is Urho Vaakanainen, and how much does he weigh?
Urho Vaakanainen is 6'2" (188 cm) and weighs 205 lb (93 kg).
Where is Urho Vaakanainen from?
Finland: Urho Vaakanainen was born in Joensuu, Finland.
What team does Urho Vaakanainen play for?
Urho Vaakanainen plays for the New York Rangers in the NHL, at D, wearing number 18.
Is Urho Vaakanainen injured?
No: Urho Vaakanainen is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Urho Vaakanainen?
Urho Vaakanainen produced -0.1 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 247th of 325 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 35 out of 100: below average for his position.
How much does Urho Vaakanainen make?
Urho Vaakanainen earns $1.6M for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 37 out of 100 (poor return): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Urho Vaakanainen's contract end?
Urho Vaakanainen's contract runs through the 2026-27 season; he will then be an unrestricted free agent.
Is Urho Vaakanainen overpaid?
Yes, his output falls short of what his salary should buy. His Value rating is 37 out of 100 (poor return), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Urho Vaakanainen a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 247th of 325 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
Is Urho Vaakanainen getting better?
No, he is slipping: his PAL rating went from 47 in 2024-25 to 35 in 2025-26 (out of 100, 50 = average player at his position).
How has Urho Vaakanainen played lately?
Over his last 10 games, Urho Vaakanainen has 2 points (0 goals, 2 assists).
What are Urho Vaakanainen's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Urho Vaakanainen has 221 games, 3 goals, 43 assists and 46 points. His best season: 2024-25, with 15 points in 46 games.
Where was Urho Vaakanainen drafted?
Urho Vaakanainen was drafted 18th overall (round 1) by Boston Bruins in 2017.
Is Urho Vaakanainen better at home or on the road?
No real difference: in 2025-26, he averages 0.20 points per game at home (3 in 15 games) and 0.16 on the road (3 in 19 games).
How does Urho Vaakanainen perform in the playoffs?
Urho Vaakanainen has not played in the NHL playoffs yet.
Which player is most similar to Urho Vaakanainen?
Egor Zamula: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Egor Zamula's page →Is Urho Vaakanainen a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 6 points in 2026-27, or 0.19 points per game.
Is Urho Vaakanainen related to anyone famous?
Yes: Harri Vaakanainen (father, played ice hockey in the Finnish 2. Divisioona (fourth highest level)).
What is Urho Vaakanainen's nationality?
Urho Vaakanainen is Finnish. Internationally: Finland national teams (junior levels): gold at the 2016 IIHF World U18 Championships; second place at the 2017 IIHF World U18 Championships; World Junior Championships (U20): 9th in 2017, 6th in 2018; gold at the 2019 World Junior Championships.
How many championships has Urho Vaakanainen won?
2: Gold medal with Finland at the 2016 IIHF World U18 Championships; Gold medal with Finland at the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
Where did Urho Vaakanainen play before turning pro?
Youth: Espoo Blues (played as a youth with the Espoo Blues; made his professional debut with them in 2015–16).
How many points is Urho Vaakanainen projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 6 points in 32 games in 2026-27 (1 to 16 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his New York Rangers teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)