Yan
Kuznetsov
D · CGY · Limited · Very poor
- PAL
- 13
- WAR
- 0.2
- Value
- 26
- PTS
- 12
2025-26№ 140 / 325
Yan Kuznetsov (Calgary Flames) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Yan Kuznetsov
#37D
Calgary Flames
HEIGHT : 193 cm · WEIGHT : 95 kg · SHOOTS : L
Born : March 8, 2002 · Murmansk, Russia
Drafted : 2020 · CGY · round 2, pick #50
Contract : $812,500 · 2025-26 → 2026-27 · Two-Way Contract · RFA (Arb)
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Calgary Flames | 17 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 2025-26 | Calgary Flames | 57 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 28 |
| 2023-24 | Calgary Flames | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NHL totals | 74 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 36 | |
Yan Kuznetsov: our analysis
2025-26 season: 57 GP, 4 G, 8 A, 12 PTS, -8 +/-, 20:05 TOI. WAR 0.2 (140th of 325) · PAL 13, very poor.
In 2025-26, Yan Kuznetsov, 24, posts a PAL Rating of 13 out of 100 (very poor), and his WAR of 0.2 ranks 140th among 325 regulars, in the top half.
His strengths: penalty kill (65, above average). On the other hand, defense (13, among the weakest in the league) and discipline (23, well below average) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: finishing (+1.7); his biggest cost: EV defense (-1.5).
Contract-wise, his Value score of 26 (poor return) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Yan Kuznetsov's story
As a teenager he moved from CSKA Moscow’s under-16 and under-18 setups to North America, following a path that took him from Russia to the USHL with the Sioux Falls Stampede. Born in 2002, Kuznetsov used that transatlantic move to adjust to different styles of hockey before stepping into the collegiate game.
He played his freshman season at the University of Connecticut in Hockey East. After that first year he was selected 50th overall in the second round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames. He stayed at UConn through his sophomore campaign before turning pro and signing an entry-level deal.
The Flames signed him to a three-year entry-level contract on 30 March 2021, and he finished that season with Calgary’s AHL club, the Stockton Heat. In 2021–22 he split time between the Heat and the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL — the Sea Dogs having picked him in the 2021 CHL Import Draft. For 2022–23 he remained in the AHL and skated in 63 games for Calgary’s new affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers.
Calgary recalled Kuznetsov on 5 January 2024 and he made his NHL debut on 9 January in a 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. He was returned to the Wranglers on 14 January after that single appearance. On 12 August 2024 the Flames re-signed him to a one-year contract worth $775,000.
In plain terms, Kuznetsov is a defenceman whose resume spans Russian junior systems, the USHL, NCAA, QMJHL and the AHL, experience that points to an ability to adapt his game to varying systems and rink styles. That adaptability has been the through-line of his progression to the NHL.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 17:23
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:00
- SH TOI/GP
- 1:39
- Pts/GP
- 0.24
- EV points
- 4
- Hits
- 26
- Blocks
- 14
- Takeaways
- 2
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 52.4 %
- Off. zone starts
- 36.4 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
Prospect value
Scout Report Center →Rank
28
among all 32 teams' prospects
Rating
96/ 100
percentile among prospects at his position
Potential
75/ 80
First line or top pair
Ceiling: 5.7 WAR from age 21 to 26
NHL probability
69 %
of playing 200 NHL games from age 21 to 26
Expected WAR, age 21-26
2.0
the most likely outcome
NHLe
8
NHL points over 82 games, from 2025-26 (AHL, 10 games)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
15between 6 and 23 (80% range)
- Goals
- 3
- Assists
- 12
- Games
- 67
So far: 4 pts in 17 games. The team has played 18 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.23 pts per game (last season: 0.21).
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 %
60
Depth
- SK
- Skating
- 72
- Confidence 57 %
- ST
- Strength
- 78
- Confidence 59 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 73
- Confidence 50 %
- DU
- Durability
- 58
- Confidence 57 %
- CK
- Checking
- 79
- Confidence 59 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 77
- Confidence 27 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 69
- Confidence 59 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 67
- Confidence 53 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 73
- Confidence 53 %
- DF
- Defense
- 60
- Confidence 49 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 42
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating72
- Top speed (35 %)35 · 69
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)2.101 · 78
- Distance /60 (20 %)14.2 · 77
- Speed consistency (15 %)33.7 · 64
ST — Strength78
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)5.202 · 75
- Body mass (50 %)0.626 · 79
EN — Endurance73
- Ice time per game (45 %)19.5 · 77
- Total ice time (20 %)1,121 · 70
- Shift length (15 %)42.5 · 53
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)18.6 · 79
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)2.095 · 72
DU — Durability58
- Share of games played (100 %)0.675 · 58
CK — Checking79
- Hits /60 (70 %)3.939 · 78
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)3.645 · 80
- Season volume (10 %)4.382 · 79
FG — Fighting77
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)0.87 · 77
DI — Discipline69
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)-0.055 · 70
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.538 · 79
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.213 · 51
PA — Passing67
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.285 · 65
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.302 · 59
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)-0.007 · 73
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)4.252 · 79
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.238 · 76
SC — Scoring73
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.227 · 76
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.158 · 64
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)0.475 · 83
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)0.078 · 71
- xG per shot (10 %)0.034 · 72
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)8.315 · 64
DF — Defense60
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)-0.051 · 66
- Relative xG against (20 %)0.169 · 62
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.853 · 57
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)0.02 · 78
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-2.494 · 61
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)61.5 · 52
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)5.135 · 81
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience42
- Career regular-season games (65 %)58
- Career playoff games (25 %)0
- NHL seasons (10 %)47
OV — Overall60
- DF · Defense (30 %)60
- PA · Passing (22 %)67
- SK · Skating (12 %)72
- SC · Scoring (12 %)73
- EN · Endurance (9 %)73
- ST · Strength (6 %)78
- DI · Discipline (5 %)69
- CK · Checking (4 %)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
0.2
wins above replacement
140 of 325
PAL Rating
13/ 100
Performance · Very poor
215 of 250 at the position
Value Rating
26/ 100
Poor return
0.81 M$ · expected PAL 36
ProfileLimitedBelow average at both ends
- Offense
- 28
- Defense
- 19
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 31
- Creation
- 34
- Shooting
- 44
- Possession
- 29
- Defense
- 13
- Discipline
- 23
- Power play
- 45
- Penalty kill
- 65
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
5/ 100
Low
better than 5% of defensemen, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
1/ 100
Low
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, 213 of 225 defensemen.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 19
- Shot selection
- 28
- Penalties drawn
- 2
- Puck management
- 4
Defense
- Takeaways
- 3
- Discipline
- 74
- Safe zone exits
- 36
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.
0.2
wins above replacement
-0.2 to 0.7 — 90% interval
140 of 325 defensemen
+1.2 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- -0.3
- EV defense
- -1.5
- Power play
- 0.0
- Penalty kill
- +0.1
- Shooting
- +1.7
- Penalties
- -1.2
- Average → replacement
- +2.4
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | CGY | 57 | 0.2 | -0.2 to 0.7 | 140/325 |
| 2023-24 | CGY | 1 | -0.0 | -0.1 to -0.0 | 199/316 |
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
- 153.9 km/h93rd percentileleague avg. 139.7 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 36.2 km/h93rd percentileleague avg. 34.0 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 2091st percentileleague avg. 8
- Offensive zone time
- 41.5 %51st percentileleague avg. 42.4 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 65.7 km53rd percentileleague avg. 56.1 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 4.95 km46th percentileleague avg. 4.98 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 42.4 %58th percentileleague avg. 42.8 %
- Neutral zone time
- 17.9 %39th percentileleague avg. 16.9 %
- Defensive zone time
- 40.6 %46th percentileleague avg. 40.8 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 1866th percentile | 049th percentile | 0.0 %27th percentile |
| High danger | 051st percentile | 084th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Mid range | 251st percentile | 073rd percentile | 0.0 %50th percentile |
| Long range | 1588th percentile | 077th percentile | 0.0 %67th 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
PHI
ANA
SEA
SJS
COL
EDM
TOR
DET
MIN
CAR
VGKYan Kuznetsov: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Yan Kuznetsov have in 2026-27?
Yan Kuznetsov has 0 goals and 4 points (4 assists) in 17 games in 2026-27.
How old is Yan Kuznetsov?
Yan Kuznetsov is 24 years old: he was born on March 9, 2002.
How tall is Yan Kuznetsov, and how much does he weigh?
Yan Kuznetsov is 6'4" (193 cm) and weighs 209 lb (95 kg).
Where is Yan Kuznetsov from?
Russia: Yan Kuznetsov was born in Murmansk, Russia.
What team does Yan Kuznetsov play for?
Yan Kuznetsov plays for the Calgary Flames in the NHL, at D, wearing number 37.
Is Yan Kuznetsov injured?
No: Yan Kuznetsov is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Yan Kuznetsov?
Yan Kuznetsov produced 0.2 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 140th of 325 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 13 out of 100: very poor for his position.
How much does Yan Kuznetsov make?
Yan Kuznetsov earns $813K for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 26 out of 100 (poor return): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Yan Kuznetsov's contract end?
Yan Kuznetsov's contract runs through the 2026-27 season; he will then be a restricted free agent.
Is Yan Kuznetsov overpaid?
Yes, his output falls short of what his salary should buy. His Value rating is 26 out of 100 (poor return), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Yan Kuznetsov a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 140th of 325 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
How has Yan Kuznetsov played lately?
Over his last 10 games, Yan Kuznetsov has 3 points (0 goals, 3 assists).
What are Yan Kuznetsov's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Yan Kuznetsov has 74 games, 4 goals, 11 assists and 15 points. His best season: 2025-26, with 12 points in 57 games.
Where was Yan Kuznetsov drafted?
Yan Kuznetsov was drafted 50th overall (round 2) by Calgary Flames in 2020.
Is Yan Kuznetsov better at home or on the road?
At home: in 2026-27, he averages 0.30 points per game at home (3 in 10 games) and 0.14 on the road (1 in 7 games).
How does Yan Kuznetsov perform in the playoffs?
Yan Kuznetsov has not played in the NHL playoffs yet.
Which player is most similar to Yan Kuznetsov?
Drew Helleson: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Drew Helleson's page →Is Yan Kuznetsov a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 15 points in 2026-27, or 0.22 points per game.
What is Yan Kuznetsov's nationality?
Yan Kuznetsov is Russian.
Where did Yan Kuznetsov play before turning pro?
CSKA Moscow youth programs (under-16 and under-18); Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL); University of Connecticut (Huskies, Hockey East).
How many points is Yan Kuznetsov projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 15 points in 67 games in 2026-27 (6 to 23 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his Calgary Flames teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)