Counting stats
NHL 5v5 Assists Leaders
2025-26All situations
Nathan MacKinnon (COL) and 
Nikita Kucherov (TBL) lead NHL skaters with 44 assists in 2025-26, ahead of 
Mark Scheifele (WPG) (40).
Showing 2025-26 · 2026-27 becomes the default after ~10 games per team2026-27 so far →
Leaders: 5v5 Assists, 2025-26
- 1stNathan MacKinnonCOL · 80 GP44Share
- 2ndNikita KucherovTBL · 77 GP44Share
- 3rdMark ScheifeleWPG · 82 GP40Share
4thLane HutsonMTL · 82 GP39Share
5thDavid PastrnakBOS · 77 GP38Share
The full ranked table, with filters, follows.
What 5v5 Assists measures
This board ranks NHL skaters by total assists, 5-on-5, this season. Players under the minimum sample are hidden, and every row shows the games or minutes behind the number. Total assists, 5-on-5, this season.
5-on-5 scoring rates need a few hundred minutes to settle; on-ice shooting luck moves them more than most fantasy managers expect.
Taking out the power play shows who scores at even strength, where most of the game is played. Assists credit the last one or two players to touch the puck before a goal. Playmaking centres and power-play quarterbacks on the blue line top the list, and secondary assists make the totals noisier than goals suggest. In 2025-26, 798 skaters qualify for this board; the median is 10 and Nathan MacKinnon leads at 44.
5v5 Assists leaderboard
- Strength comes from the play-by-play skater counts; a few players differ from NHL.com by one goal or point where a penalty expired at the moment of the goal.
| # | Player | Team | 5v5 A | GP | Pctl | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nathan MacKinnonFCOL | COL | 44 | 80 | 100 | 100% |
| 2 | Nikita KucherovFTBL | TBL | 44 | 77 | 100 | 100% |
| 3 | Mark ScheifeleFWPG | WPG | 40 | 82 | 100 | 98%▼0.6 |
| 4 | Lane HutsonDMTL | MTL | 39 | 82 | 100 | 100%▲0.6 |
| 5 | David PastrnakFBOS | BOS | 38 | 77 | 99 | 100% |
| 6 |  Evan BouchardDEDM | EDM | 37 | 82 | 99 | 100% |
| 7 |  Macklin CelebriniFSJS | SJS | 36 | 82 | 99 | 100% |
| 8 |  Martin NecasFCOL | COL | 36 | 78 | 99 | 100% |
| 9 |  Clayton KellerFUTA | UTA | 35 | 82 | 99 | 100% |
| 10 |  Rasmus DahlinDBUF | BUF | 35 | 77 | 99 | 99%▼0.5 |
| 11 |  Ivan BarbashevFVGK | VGK | 34 | 82 | 99 | 63%▼2.1 |
| 12 |  Connor McDavidFEDM | EDM | 33 | 82 | 99 | 100% |
| 13 |  Nick SuzukiFMTL | MTL | 33 | 82 | 99 | 100% |
| 14 |  Mitch MarnerFVGK | VGK | 31 | 81 | 98 | 99% |
| 15 |  Artemi PanarinFNYR | NYR | 31 | 78 | 98 | 96%▼1.6 |
| 16 |  Quinn HughesDMIN | MIN | 31 | 74 | 98 | 100% |
| 17 |  Kyle ConnorFWPG | WPG | 30 | 82 | 98 | 99% |
| 18 |  Sam MalinskiDCOL | COL | 30 | 82 | 98 | 41%▼3.5 |
| 19 |  Zach WerenskiDCBJ | CBJ | 30 | 75 | 98 | 100% |
| 20 |  Charlie CoyleFCBJ | CBJ | 29 | 82 | 98 | 47%▼0.5 |
| 21 |  Mattias EkholmDEDM | EDM | 28 | 82 | 97 | 68% |
| 22 |  Alex DeBrincatFDET | DET | 28 | 82 | 97 | 100%▲1 |
| 23 |  Juraj SlafkovskýFMTL | MTL | 28 | 82 | 97 | 98% |
| 24 |  Matthew KniesFTOR | TOR | 28 | 79 | 97 | 91%▼3.9 |
| 25 |  Connor BedardFCHI | CHI | 28 | 69 | 97 | 98%▲0.7 |
Frequently asked questions
Who leads the NHL in 5v5 Assists in 2025-26?
Nathan MacKinnon leads with 44. The median of the 798 qualified skaters is 10.
Which defenseman leads in 5v5 Assists in 2025-26?
Lane Hutson leads NHL defensemen with 39; the top forward is Nathan MacKinnon at 44.
How is 5v5 Assists calculated?
Total assists, 5-on-5, this season. Regular season only, from the NHL's official game data.
How reliable is 5v5 Assists?
5-on-5 scoring rates need a few hundred minutes to settle; on-ice shooting luck moves them more than most fantasy managers expect.