Counting stats

NHL Assists Leaders: Defensemen

2017-18All situationsThrough 82 team games

This board ranks defensemen only by assists.

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 leagues that split positions, use it to fill your defense slots, and check the per-60 board for defensemen getting more out of fewer minutes.

Leader in 2017-18: John Klingberg (DAL), 59 A.

Season2026-27 2025-26 2024-25 2023-24

2017-18

2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20 2018-19 2017-18

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NHL Assists Leaders: Defensemen, 2017-18, All situations
#	Player	Team	A	GP	Per game	G	PTS
1	John KlingbergDDAL	DAL	59	82	0.72	8	67	24:04	0.2%
2	Brent BurnsDSJS	SJS	55	82	0.67	12	67	25:15	50%▼14
3	John CarlsonDWSH	WSH	53	82	0.65	15	68	24:47	99%▲2.4
4	Erik KarlssonDOTT	OTT	53	71	0.75	9	62	26:44	95%
5	Shayne GostisbehereDPHI	PHI	52	78	0.67	13	65	21:27	96%▲16
6	Drew DoughtyDLAK	LAK	50	82	0.61	10	60	26:50	22%▲12
7	Keith YandleDFLA	FLA	48	82	0.59	8	56	24:29	—
8	Jake GardinerDTOR	TOR	47	82	0.57	5	52	22:32	—
9	Victor HedmanDTBL	TBL	46	77	0.60	17	63	25:51	93%▲11
10	Morgan RiellyDTOR	TOR	46	76	0.61	6	52	21:36	76%▼5.1
11	Ryan SuterDMIN	MIN	45	78	0.58	6	51	26:47	—
12	Torey KrugDBOS	BOS	45	76	0.59	14	59	20:24	0.0%
13	P.K. SubbanDNSH	NSH	43	82	0.52	16	59	24:07	—
14	Tyson BarrieDCOL	COL	43	68	0.63	14	57	22:42	—
15	Kris LetangDPIT	PIT	42	79	0.53	9	51	25:20	47%▼16
16	Seth JonesDCBJ	CBJ	41	78	0.53	16	57	24:36	80%▲32
17	Will ButcherDNJD	NJD	39	81	0.48	5	44	16:04	—
18	Alex PietrangeloDSTL	STL	39	78	0.50	15	54	25:44	4.0%▲3.7
19	Roman JosiDNSH	NSH	39	75	0.52	14	53	24:28	98%▼0.5
20	Dustin ByfuglienDWPG	WPG	37	69	0.54	8	45	24:20	—
21	Mathew DumbaDMIN	MIN	36	82	0.44	14	50	23:49	0.1%
22	Rasmus RistolainenDBUF	BUF	35	73	0.48	6	41	26:30	8.3%▲7.7
23	Jake MuzzinDLAK	LAK	34	74	0.46	8	42	21:39	—
24	Nick LeddyDNYI	NYI	32	80	0.40	10	42	22:25	0.0%
25	Colin MillerDVGK	VGK	31	82	0.38	10	41	19:21	0.0%
26	Mikhail SergachevDTBL	TBL	31	79	0.39	9	40	15:22	98%▲5.2
27	Nate SchmidtDVGK	VGK	31	76	0.41	5	36	22:14	4.9%▲4.5
28	Duncan KeithDCHI	CHI	30	82	0.37	2	32	23:50	—
29	Jeff PetryDMTL	MTL	30	82	0.37	12	42	23:30	0.1%
30	Tyler MyersDWPG	WPG	30	82	0.37	6	36	21:26	4.1%▲3.7
31	Josh MansonDANA	ANA	30	80	0.38	7	37	20:21	32%▲16
32	Colton ParaykoDSTL	STL	29	82	0.35	6	35	22:37	37%▼42
33	Oliver Ekman-LarssonDARI	ARI	28	82	0.34	14	42	23:41	43%▲32
34	Justin BraunDSJS	SJS	28	81	0.35	5	33	21:20	—
35	TJ BrodieDCGY	CGY	28	73	0.38	4	32	23:41	—
36	Sami VatanenDNJD	NJD	28	72	0.39	4	32	22:24	—
37	Alexander EdlerDVAN	VAN	28	70	0.40	6	34	24:17	—
38	Jared SpurgeonDMIN	MIN	28	61	0.46	9	37	24:33	10%▲8.2
39	Dougie HamiltonDCGY	CGY	27	82	0.33	17	44	21:32	84%▲12
40	Mark GiordanoDCGY	CGY	25	82	0.30	13	38	24:47	—
41	Mike GreenDDET	DET	25	66	0.38	8	33	22:05	—
42	Ryan McDonaghDTBL	TBL	25	63	0.40	4	29	23:20	7.3%▲6.8
43	Charlie McAvoyDBOS	BOS	25	63	0.40	7	32	22:09	97%▲6.2
44	Ivan ProvorovDPHI	PHI	24	82	0.29	17	41	24:09	36%▼27
45	Mattias EkholmDNSH	NSH	24	81	0.30	10	34	23:35	77%▲9.5
46	Cam FowlerDANA	ANA	24	67	0.36	8	32	24:51	14%▲1.8
47	Brandon MontourDANA	ANA	23	80	0.29	9	32	20:28	83%▲10
48	Niklas KronwallDDET	DET	23	79	0.29	4	27	18:31	—
49	Alex GoligoskiDARI	ARI	23	78	0.29	12	35	23:17	—
50	Justin FaulkDCAR	CAR	23	76	0.30	8	31	22:16	55%▼22
51	Justin SchultzDPIT	PIT	23	63	0.37	4	27	19:31	—
52	Shea TheodoreDVGK	VGK	23	61	0.38	6	29	20:21	91%▲28
53	Ryan EllisDNSH	NSH	23	44	0.52	9	32	23:21	—
54	Olli MaattaDPIT	PIT	22	82	0.27	7	29	18:45	0.2%
55	Jaccob SlavinDCAR	CAR	22	82	0.27	8	30	22:35	16%▲4.6
56	Aaron EkbladDFLA	FLA	22	82	0.27	16	38	23:23	50%▲34
57	Noah HanifinDCAR	CAR	22	79	0.28	10	32	18:52	53%▼22
58	Matt NiskanenDWSH	WSH	22	68	0.32	7	29	22:36	—
59	Ryan PulockDNYI	NYI	22	68	0.32	10	32	18:24	10%▼1.4
60	Dmitry OrlovDWSH	WSH	21	82	0.26	10	31	23:08	35%▲21
61	Brady SkjeiDNYR	NYR	21	82	0.26	4	25	21:02	18%▼31
62	Marc-Edouard VlasicDSJS	SJS	21	81	0.26	11	32	22:33	—
63	Dan HamhuisDDAL	DAL	21	80	0.26	3	24	20:11	—
64	Zach WerenskiDCBJ	CBJ	21	77	0.27	16	37	22:35	100%
65	Jacob TroubaDWPG	WPG	21	55	0.38	3	24	21:54	76%▼11
66	Darnell NurseDEDM	EDM	20	82	0.24	6	26	22:15	69%▼13
67	Esa LindellDDAL	DAL	20	80	0.25	7	27	22:05	37%▼31
68	Dion PhaneufDLAK	LAK	20	79	0.25	6	26	20:00	—
69	Thomas HickeyDNYI	NYI	20	69	0.29	5	25	18:04	—
70	Dylan DeMeloDSJS	SJS	20	63	0.32	0	20	14:12	5.7%▲5.5
71	Brent SeabrookDCHI	CHI	19	81	0.23	7	26	20:12	—
72	Josh MorrisseyDWPG	WPG	19	81	0.23	7	26	20:27	99%▲3.2
73	Ron HainseyDTOR	TOR	19	80	0.24	4	23	21:52	—
74	Vince DunnDSTL	STL	19	75	0.25	5	24	17:14	89%▲12
75	Samuel GirardDCOL	COL	19	73	0.26	4	23	17:39	9.0%▲8.6
76	Derrick PouliotDVAN	VAN	19	71	0.27	3	22	17:51	0.0%
77	Deryk EngellandDVGK	VGK	18	79	0.23	5	23	20:17	—
78	Hampus LindholmDANA	ANA	18	69	0.26	13	31	22:44	17%▲15
79	Kevin ShattenkirkDNYR	NYR	18	46	0.39	5	23	20:16	—
80	Marco ScandellaDBUF	BUF	17	82	0.21	5	22	23:19	—
81	Brenden DillonDSJS	SJS	17	81	0.21	5	22	17:19	9.7%▲9.1
82	Mike MathesonDFLA	FLA	17	81	0.21	10	27	21:20	85%▼7.8
83	Kris RussellDEDM	EDM	17	78	0.22	4	21	19:04	—
84	Derek ForbortDLAK	LAK	17	78	0.22	1	18	20:47	0.0%
85	Zdeno CharaDBOS	BOS	17	73	0.23	7	24	22:54	—
86	Michael Del ZottoDVAN	VAN	16	82	0.20	6	22	20:48	—
87	Adam PelechDNYI	NYI	16	78	0.21	3	19	19:16	3.2%▲3
88	Alec MartinezDLAK	LAK	16	77	0.21	9	25	22:52	—
89	Oscar KlefbomDEDM	EDM	16	66	0.24	5	21	22:51	—
90	Brett PesceDCAR	CAR	16	65	0.25	3	19	20:54	0.3%
91	Thomas ChabotDOTT	OTT	16	63	0.25	9	25	17:31	83%▼12
92	Erik JohnsonDCOL	COL	16	62	0.26	9	25	25:26	—
93	Markus NutivaaraDCBJ	CBJ	16	61	0.26	7	23	16:02	—
94	Mike ReillyDMTL	MTL	16	57	0.28	2	18	14:58	0.1%
95	Nick JensenDDET	DET	15	81	0.19	0	15	16:15	0.1%
96	Damon SeversonDNJD	NJD	15	76	0.20	9	24	19:41	9.4%▲6.2
97	Jonas BrodinDMIN	MIN	15	73	0.21	6	21	21:36	5.0%▲4.3
98	Matt BenningDEDM	EDM	15	73	0.21	6	21	17:17	—
99	Kevan MillerDBOS	BOS	15	68	0.22	1	16	19:28	—
100	Ian ColeDCBJ	CBJ	15	67	0.22	5	20	17:47	4.9%▲4.3

How to read it

Total assists this season, all situations.

How reliable is it?

Totals reward games played and ice time as much as skill; see the per-60 version for the rate view.

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