Counting stats

NHL Assists Leaders: Defensemen

2020-21All situationsThrough 57 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 2020-21: Adam Fox (NYR), 42 A.

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

2020-21

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

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NHL Assists Leaders: Defensemen, 2020-21, All situations
#	Player	Team	A	GP	Per game	G	PTS
1	Adam FoxDNYR	NYR	42	55	0.76	5	47	24:42	99%▲6.8
2	Tyson BarrieDEDM	EDM	40	56	0.71	8	48	21:24	—
3	Quinn HughesDVAN	VAN	38	56	0.68	3	41	22:48	100%
4	Kris LetangDPIT	PIT	38	55	0.69	7	45	24:39	47%▼16
5	Victor HedmanDTBL	TBL	36	54	0.67	9	45	25:03	93%▲11
6	Cale MakarDCOL	COL	36	44	0.82	8	44	24:19	100%▲1
7	Shea TheodoreDVGK	VGK	34	53	0.64	8	42	22:33	91%▲28
8	John CarlsonDWSH	WSH	34	52	0.65	10	44	23:47	99%▲2.4
9	Dougie HamiltonDCAR	CAR	32	55	0.58	10	42	22:43	84%▲12
10	Jeff PetryDMTL	MTL	30	55	0.55	12	42	22:44	0.1%
11	Morgan RiellyDTOR	TOR	30	55	0.55	5	35	23:37	76%▼5.1
12	MacKenzie WeegarDFLA	FLA	30	54	0.56	6	36	22:07	93%▼7.2
13	Torey KrugDSTL	STL	30	51	0.59	2	32	22:33	0.0%
14	Nick LeddyDNYI	NYI	29	56	0.52	2	31	21:35	0.0%
15	Neal PionkDWPG	WPG	29	54	0.54	3	32	21:58	32%▲31
16	John KlingbergDDAL	DAL	29	53	0.55	7	36	22:42	0.2%
17	Mike ReillyDBOS	BOS	27	55	0.49	0	27	19:17	0.1%
18	Samuel GirardDCOL	COL	27	48	0.56	5	32	23:13	9.0%▲8.6
19	Drew DoughtyDLAK	LAK	26	56	0.46	8	34	26:23	22%▲12
20	Mikhail SergachevDTBL	TBL	26	56	0.46	4	30	21:58	98%▲5.2
21	Charlie McAvoyDBOS	BOS	25	51	0.49	5	30	24:00	97%▲6.2
22	Thomas ChabotDOTT	OTT	25	49	0.51	6	31	26:17	83%▼12
23	Roman JosiDNSH	NSH	25	48	0.52	8	33	24:21	98%▼0.5
24	Keith YandleDFLA	FLA	24	56	0.43	3	27	17:15	—
25	Filip HronekDDET	DET	24	56	0.43	2	26	23:23	91%▲14
26	Justin SchultzDWSH	WSH	24	46	0.52	3	27	19:01	—
27	Seth JonesDCBJ	CBJ	23	56	0.41	5	28	25:14	80%▲32
28	Jakob ChychrunDARI	ARI	23	56	0.41	18	41	23:23	99%
29	Jake MuzzinDTOR	TOR	23	53	0.43	4	27	21:35	—
30	Alec MartinezDVGK	VGK	23	53	0.43	9	32	22:34	—
31	Brent BurnsDSJS	SJS	22	56	0.39	7	29	26:09	50%▼14
32	Devon ToewsDCOL	COL	22	53	0.42	9	31	24:46	62%▼1
33	Brett PesceDCAR	CAR	21	55	0.38	4	25	22:48	0.3%
34	Ty SmithDNJD	NJD	21	48	0.44	2	23	20:07	—
35	Oliver Ekman-LarssonDARI	ARI	21	46	0.46	3	24	20:58	43%▲32
36	Darnell NurseDEDM	EDM	20	56	0.36	16	36	25:38	69%▼13
37	Alex GoligoskiDARI	ARI	19	56	0.34	3	22	23:00	—
38	Ivan ProvorovDPHI	PHI	19	56	0.34	7	26	25:00	36%▼27
39	Miro HeiskanenDDAL	DAL	19	55	0.35	8	27	24:58	99%▲4.3
40	Justin FaulkDSTL	STL	18	56	0.32	7	25	24:16	55%▼22
41	Cam FowlerDANA	ANA	18	56	0.32	5	23	21:46	14%▲1.8
42	Damon SeversonDNJD	NJD	18	56	0.32	3	21	22:29	9.4%▲6.2
43	Rasmus DahlinDBUF	BUF	18	56	0.32	5	23	21:36	100%▲1
44	Justin HollDTOR	TOR	18	55	0.33	2	20	21:04	—
45	Jared SpurgeonDMIN	MIN	18	54	0.33	7	25	22:05	10%▲8.2
46	Mark GiordanoDCGY	CGY	17	56	0.30	9	26	22:57	—
47	Brenden DillonDWSH	WSH	17	56	0.30	2	19	18:57	9.7%▲9.1
48	Josh MorrisseyDWPG	WPG	17	56	0.30	4	21	23:33	99%▲3.2
49	Mattias EkholmDNSH	NSH	17	48	0.35	6	23	22:52	77%▲9.5
50	Ryan SuterDMIN	MIN	16	56	0.29	3	19	22:11	—
51	Rasmus AnderssonDCGY	CGY	16	56	0.29	5	21	21:13	94%▼3.9
52	Mario FerraroDSJS	SJS	16	56	0.29	1	17	22:26	15%▼2.1
53	Carson SoucyDMIN	MIN	16	50	0.32	1	17	15:17	0.1%
54	Alex PietrangeloDVGK	VGK	16	41	0.39	7	23	24:26	4.0%▲3.7
55	Ryan PulockDNYI	NYI	15	56	0.27	2	17	22:26	10%▼1.4
56	Tyler MyersDVAN	VAN	15	55	0.27	6	21	22:05	4.1%▲3.7
57	Mathew DumbaDMIN	MIN	15	51	0.29	6	21	22:17	0.1%
58	Ryan LindgrenDNYR	NYR	15	51	0.29	1	16	20:00	0.1%
59	Matt GrzelcykDBOS	BOS	15	37	0.41	5	20	19:45	0.1%
60	Jonas BrodinDMIN	MIN	14	53	0.26	9	23	22:26	5.0%▲4.3
61	Erik KarlssonDSJS	SJS	14	52	0.27	8	22	23:36	95%
62	Dmitry OrlovDWSH	WSH	14	51	0.27	8	22	19:49	35%▲21
63	Rasmus RistolainenDBUF	BUF	14	49	0.29	4	18	22:17	8.3%▲7.7
64	Ryan MurrayDNJD	NJD	14	48	0.29	0	14	18:37	—
65	P.K. SubbanDNJD	NJD	14	44	0.32	5	19	22:22	—
66	Vince DunnDSTL	STL	14	43	0.33	6	20	19:15	89%▲12
67	Adam BoqvistDCHI	CHI	14	35	0.40	2	16	16:59	0.0%
68	TJ BrodieDTOR	TOR	13	56	0.23	1	14	21:33	—
69	Scott MayfieldDNYI	NYI	13	56	0.23	2	15	19:29	0.1%
70	Kevin ShattenkirkDANA	ANA	13	55	0.24	2	15	21:12	—
71	Nikita ZaitsevDOTT	OTT	13	55	0.24	4	17	22:44	—
72	Ryan GravesDCOL	COL	13	54	0.24	2	15	19:03	0.1%
73	Cody CeciDPIT	PIT	13	53	0.25	4	17	18:31	0.3%
74	Shea WeberDMTL	MTL	13	48	0.27	6	19	22:42	—
75	Sean WalkerDLAK	LAK	13	47	0.28	5	18	18:10	61%▼11
76	Erik CernakDTBL	TBL	13	46	0.28	5	18	19:47	4.1%▲3.7
77	Ryan EllisDNSH	NSH	13	35	0.37	5	18	23:46	—
78	Zach WerenskiDCBJ	CBJ	13	35	0.37	7	20	24:22	100%
79	Travis SanheimDPHI	PHI	12	55	0.22	3	15	21:53	67%▼7.1
80	Nick JensenDWSH	WSH	12	53	0.23	2	14	17:18	0.1%
81	Jaccob SlavinDCAR	CAR	12	52	0.23	3	15	22:59	16%▲4.6
82	Nicolas HagueDVGK	VGK	12	52	0.23	5	17	16:00	0.1%
83	Connor MurphyDCHI	CHI	12	50	0.24	3	15	22:09	6.0%▲5.1
84	Gustav ForslingDFLA	FLA	12	43	0.28	5	17	19:57	42%▲18
85	Esa LindellDDAL	DAL	11	56	0.20	5	16	23:11	37%▼31
86	Duncan KeithDCHI	CHI	11	54	0.20	4	15	23:25	—
87	Brandon MontourDFLA	FLA	11	50	0.22	7	18	20:29	83%▲10
88	Noah HanifinDCGY	CGY	11	47	0.23	4	15	20:01	53%▼22
89	Artem ZubDOTT	OTT	11	47	0.23	3	14	18:23	10%▲6.1
90	Noah DobsonDNYI	NYI	11	46	0.24	3	14	16:24	98%▼1.2
91	Mike MathesonDPIT	PIT	11	44	0.25	5	16	18:38	85%▼7.8
92	Jake BeanDCAR	CAR	11	42	0.26	1	12	14:32	0.1%
93	Shayne GostisbehereDPHI	PHI	11	41	0.27	9	20	19:56	96%▲16
94	Aaron EkbladDFLA	FLA	11	35	0.31	11	22	25:05	50%▲34
95	Erik BrannstromDOTT	OTT	11	30	0.37	2	13	16:21	—
96	Erik GustafssonDMTL	MTL	11	29	0.38	1	12	16:43	3.2%▲3.2
97	Chris TanevDCGY	CGY	10	56	0.18	2	12	21:44	6.0%▲5
98	Derek ForbortDWPG	WPG	10	56	0.18	2	12	20:45	0.0%
99	Adam PelechDNYI	NYI	10	56	0.18	4	14	21:03	3.2%▲3
100	Joel EdmundsonDMTL	MTL	10	55	0.18	3	13	20:03	4.0%▲3.9

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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