Counting stats
NHL Assists Leaders: Defensemen
2018-19All situationsThrough 84 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 2018-19: Brent Burns (SJS), 67 A.
Assists: defense leaderboard
Show
| # | Player | Team | A | GP | Per game | G | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brent BurnsDSJS | SJS | 67 | 82 | 0.82 | 16 | 83 | 50%▼14 |
| 2 | John CarlsonDWSH | WSH | 57 | 80 | 0.71 | 13 | 70 | 99%▲2.4 |
| 3 | Mark GiordanoDCGY | CGY | 57 | 78 | 0.73 | 17 | 74 | — |
| 4 | Keith YandleDFLA | FLA | 53 | 82 | 0.65 | 9 | 62 | — |
| 5 | Morgan RiellyDTOR | TOR | 52 | 82 | 0.63 | 20 | 72 | 76%▼5.1 |
| 6 | Torey KrugDBOS | BOS | 47 | 64 | 0.73 | 6 | 53 | 0.0% |
| 7 | Tyson BarrieDCOL | COL | 45 | 78 | 0.58 | 14 | 59 | — |
| 8 | Erik GustafssonDCHI | CHI | 43 | 79 | 0.54 | 17 | 60 | 3.2%▲3.2 |
| 9 | Jacob TroubaDWPG | WPG | 42 | 82 | 0.51 | 8 | 50 | 76%▼11 |
| 10 | Victor HedmanDTBL | TBL | 42 | 70 | 0.60 | 12 | 54 | 93%▲11 |
| 11 | Erik KarlssonDSJS | SJS | 42 | 53 | 0.79 | 3 | 45 | 95% |
| 12 | Roman JosiDNSH | NSH | 41 | 82 | 0.50 | 15 | 56 | 98%▼0.5 |
| 13 | Thomas ChabotDOTT | OTT | 41 | 70 | 0.59 | 14 | 55 | 83%▼12 |
| 14 | Ryan SuterDMIN | MIN | 40 | 82 | 0.49 | 7 | 47 | — |
| 15 | Kris LetangDPIT | PIT | 40 | 65 | 0.62 | 16 | 56 | 47%▼16 |
| 16 | Rasmus RistolainenDBUF | BUF | 38 | 78 | 0.49 | 5 | 43 | 8.3%▲7.7 |
| 17 | Ryan McDonaghDTBL | TBL | 37 | 82 | 0.45 | 9 | 46 | 7.3%▲6.8 |
| 18 | Drew DoughtyDLAK | LAK | 37 | 82 | 0.45 | 8 | 45 | 22%▲12 |
| 19 | Seth JonesDCBJ | CBJ | 37 | 75 | 0.49 | 9 | 46 | 80%▲32 |
| 20 | Mattias EkholmDNSH | NSH | 36 | 80 | 0.45 | 8 | 44 | 77%▲9.5 |
| 21 | Rasmus DahlinDBUF | BUF | 35 | 82 | 0.43 | 9 | 44 | 100%▲1 |
| 22 | John KlingbergDDAL | DAL | 35 | 64 | 0.55 | 10 | 45 | 0.2% |
| 23 | Duncan KeithDCHI | CHI | 34 | 82 | 0.41 | 6 | 40 | — |
| 24 | Ryan EllisDNSH | NSH | 34 | 82 | 0.41 | 7 | 41 | — |
| 25 | Jeff PetryDMTL | MTL | 33 | 82 | 0.40 | 13 | 46 | 0.1% |
| 26 | Zach WerenskiDCBJ | CBJ | 33 | 82 | 0.40 | 11 | 44 | 100% |
| 27 | Darnell NurseDEDM | EDM | 31 | 82 | 0.38 | 10 | 41 | 69%▼13 |
| 28 | Oliver Ekman-LarssonDARI | ARI | 30 | 81 | 0.37 | 14 | 44 | 43%▲32 |
| 29 | Jared SpurgeonDMIN | MIN | 29 | 82 | 0.35 | 14 | 43 | 10%▲8.2 |
| 30 | Damon SeversonDNJD | NJD | 28 | 82 | 0.34 | 11 | 39 | 9.4%▲6.2 |
| 31 | Ryan PulockDNYI | NYI | 28 | 82 | 0.34 | 9 | 37 | 10%▼1.4 |
| 32 | Jake MuzzinDTOR | TOR | 28 | 80 | 0.35 | 9 | 37 | — |
| 33 | Noah HanifinDCGY | CGY | 28 | 80 | 0.35 | 5 | 33 | 53%▼22 |
| 34 | Shayne GostisbehereDPHI | PHI | 28 | 78 | 0.36 | 9 | 37 | 96%▲16 |
| 35 | Alex PietrangeloDSTL | STL | 28 | 71 | 0.39 | 13 | 41 | 4.0%▲3.7 |
| 36 | Ryan MurrayDCBJ | CBJ | 28 | 56 | 0.50 | 1 | 29 | — |
| 37 | Brandon MontourDBUF | BUF | 27 | 82 | 0.33 | 8 | 35 | 83%▲10 |
| 38 | Jake GardinerDTOR | TOR | 27 | 62 | 0.44 | 3 | 30 | — |
| 39 | Dustin ByfuglienDWPG | WPG | 27 | 42 | 0.64 | 4 | 31 | — |
| 40 | Dmitry OrlovDWSH | WSH | 26 | 82 | 0.32 | 3 | 29 | 35%▲21 |
| 41 | Travis SanheimDPHI | PHI | 26 | 82 | 0.32 | 9 | 35 | 67%▼7.1 |
| 42 | Will ButcherDNJD | NJD | 26 | 78 | 0.33 | 4 | 30 | — |
| 43 | Mikhail SergachevDTBL | TBL | 26 | 75 | 0.35 | 6 | 32 | 98%▲5.2 |
| 44 | Kevin ShattenkirkDNYR | NYR | 26 | 73 | 0.36 | 2 | 28 | — |
| 45 | Colin MillerDVGK | VGK | 26 | 65 | 0.40 | 3 | 29 | 0.0% |
| 46 | Tony DeAngeloDNYR | NYR | 26 | 61 | 0.43 | 4 | 30 | 24%▲18 |
| 47 | TJ BrodieDCGY | CGY | 25 | 79 | 0.32 | 9 | 34 | — |
| 48 | Shea TheodoreDVGK | VGK | 25 | 79 | 0.32 | 12 | 37 | 91%▲28 |
| 49 | Josh MorrisseyDWPG | WPG | 25 | 59 | 0.42 | 6 | 31 | 99%▲3.2 |
| 50 | Justin FaulkDCAR | CAR | 24 | 82 | 0.29 | 11 | 35 | 55%▼22 |
| 51 | Aaron EkbladDFLA | FLA | 24 | 82 | 0.29 | 13 | 37 | 50%▲34 |
| 52 | Niklas KronwallDDET | DET | 24 | 79 | 0.30 | 3 | 27 | — |
| 53 | Alex GoligoskiDARI | ARI | 24 | 76 | 0.32 | 3 | 27 | — |
| 54 | Alexander EdlerDVAN | VAN | 24 | 56 | 0.43 | 10 | 34 | — |
| 55 | Marcus PetterssonDPIT | PIT | 23 | 84 | 0.27 | 2 | 25 | 6.6%▲6.2 |
| 56 | Jaccob SlavinDCAR | CAR | 23 | 82 | 0.28 | 8 | 31 | 16%▲4.6 |
| 57 | Samuel GirardDCOL | COL | 23 | 82 | 0.28 | 4 | 27 | 9.0%▲8.6 |
| 58 | Brent SeabrookDCHI | CHI | 23 | 78 | 0.29 | 5 | 28 | — |
| 59 | Vince DunnDSTL | STL | 23 | 78 | 0.29 | 12 | 35 | 89%▲12 |
| 60 | Oscar KlefbomDEDM | EDM | 23 | 61 | 0.38 | 5 | 28 | — |
| 61 | Nick LeddyDNYI | NYI | 22 | 82 | 0.27 | 4 | 26 | 0.0% |
| 62 | Tyler MyersDWPG | WPG | 22 | 80 | 0.28 | 9 | 31 | 4.1%▲3.7 |
| 63 | Hampus LindholmDANA | ANA | 22 | 76 | 0.29 | 6 | 28 | 17%▲15 |
| 64 | Brett PesceDCAR | CAR | 22 | 73 | 0.30 | 7 | 29 | 0.3% |
| 65 | Marc-Edouard VlasicDSJS | SJS | 22 | 72 | 0.31 | 3 | 25 | — |
| 66 | P.K. SubbanDNSH | NSH | 22 | 63 | 0.35 | 9 | 31 | — |
| 67 | Brenden DillonDSJS | SJS | 21 | 82 | 0.26 | 1 | 22 | 9.7%▲9.1 |
| 68 | Dougie HamiltonDCAR | CAR | 21 | 82 | 0.26 | 18 | 39 | 84%▲12 |
| 69 | Esa LindellDDAL | DAL | 21 | 82 | 0.26 | 11 | 32 | 37%▼31 |
| 70 | Miro HeiskanenDDAL | DAL | 21 | 82 | 0.26 | 12 | 33 | 99%▲4.3 |
| 71 | Troy StecherDVAN | VAN | 21 | 78 | 0.27 | 2 | 23 | 0.2% |
| 72 | Nate SchmidtDVGK | VGK | 21 | 61 | 0.34 | 9 | 30 | 4.9%▲4.5 |
| 73 | Charlie McAvoyDBOS | BOS | 21 | 54 | 0.39 | 7 | 28 | 97%▲6.2 |
| 74 | Mike GreenDDET | DET | 21 | 43 | 0.49 | 5 | 26 | — |
| 75 | Andy GreeneDNJD | NJD | 20 | 82 | 0.24 | 5 | 25 | — |
| 76 | Brian DumoulinDPIT | PIT | 20 | 76 | 0.26 | 3 | 23 | 0.4% |
| 77 | Neal PionkDNYR | NYR | 20 | 73 | 0.27 | 6 | 26 | 32%▲31 |
| 78 | Ivan ProvorovDPHI | PHI | 19 | 82 | 0.23 | 7 | 26 | 36%▼27 |
| 79 | Mike MathesonDFLA | FLA | 19 | 75 | 0.25 | 8 | 27 | 85%▼7.8 |
| 80 | Braydon CoburnDTBL | TBL | 19 | 74 | 0.26 | 4 | 23 | — |
| 81 | Cody CeciDOTT | OTT | 19 | 74 | 0.26 | 7 | 26 | 0.3% |
| 82 | Michal KempnyDWSH | WSH | 19 | 71 | 0.27 | 6 | 25 | — |
| 83 | Shea WeberDMTL | MTL | 19 | 58 | 0.33 | 14 | 33 | — |
| 84 | Ron HainseyDTOR | TOR | 18 | 81 | 0.22 | 5 | 23 | — |
| 85 | Erik JohnsonDCOL | COL | 18 | 80 | 0.23 | 7 | 25 | — |
| 86 | Nick JensenDWSH | WSH | 18 | 80 | 0.23 | 2 | 20 | 0.1% |
| 87 | Colton ParaykoDSTL | STL | 18 | 80 | 0.23 | 10 | 28 | 37%▼42 |
| 88 | Dylan DeMeloDOTT | OTT | 18 | 77 | 0.23 | 4 | 22 | 5.7%▲5.5 |
| 89 | Cam FowlerDANA | ANA | 18 | 59 | 0.31 | 5 | 23 | 14%▲1.8 |
| 90 | Filip HronekDDET | DET | 18 | 46 | 0.39 | 5 | 23 | 91%▲14 |
| 91 | Adam LarssonDEDM | EDM | 17 | 82 | 0.21 | 3 | 20 | 23%▼19 |
| 92 | Jordie BennDMTL | MTL | 17 | 81 | 0.21 | 5 | 22 | — |
| 93 | Matt NiskanenDWSH | WSH | 17 | 80 | 0.21 | 8 | 25 | — |
| 94 | Rasmus AnderssonDCGY | CGY | 17 | 79 | 0.22 | 2 | 19 | 94%▼3.9 |
| 95 | Brady SkjeiDNYR | NYR | 17 | 78 | 0.22 | 8 | 25 | 18%▼31 |
| 96 | David SavardDCBJ | CBJ | 16 | 82 | 0.20 | 8 | 24 | — |
| 97 | Markus NutivaaraDCBJ | CBJ | 16 | 80 | 0.20 | 5 | 21 | — |
| 98 | Adam PelechDNYI | NYI | 16 | 78 | 0.21 | 5 | 21 | 3.2%▲3 |
| 99 | Radko GudasDPHI | PHI | 16 | 77 | 0.21 | 4 | 20 | 25%▲22 |
| 100 | Johnny BoychukDNYI | NYI | 16 | 74 | 0.22 | 3 | 19 | — |
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.
About our data sources →Projected next
Our fantasy projections for assists: who should lead the coming games.