Counting stats
NHL Shots on Goal Leaders: Defensemen
2026-27All situationsThrough 11 team games
Matthew Schaefer (NYI) leads NHL defensemen with 32 shots on goal in 2026-27, ahead of 
Quinn Hughes (MIN) (30).
Leaders: Shots on Goal: defense, 2026-27
- 1stMatthew SchaeferNYI · 9 GP32Share
- 2ndQuinn HughesMIN · 10 GP30Share
3rdEvan BouchardEDM · 9 GP30Share
4thLuke HughesNJD · 9 GP28Share
5thDarren RaddyshTOR · 11 GP27Share
The full ranked table, with filters, follows.
What Shots on Goal: defense measures
This board ranks defensemen only by shots on goal. Total shots on goal this season, all situations.
Totals reward games played and ice time as much as skill; see the per-60 version for the rate view.
Shots on goal count every shot that the goalie saved or that went in. Volume shooters with power-play time lead the league; shots are the most repeatable scoring stat a skater has. 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. In 2026-27, 247 defensemen qualify for this board; the median is 7 and Matthew Schaefer leads at 32.
Shots on Goal: defense leaderboard
| # | Player | Team | SOG | GP | Per game | Pctl | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew SchaeferDNYI | NYI | 32 | 9 | 3.56 | 100 | 100% |
| 2 | Quinn HughesDMIN | MIN | 30 | 10 | 3.00 | 99 | 100% |
| 3 | Evan BouchardDEDM | EDM | 30 | 9 | 3.33 | 99 | 100% |
| 4 | Luke HughesDNJD | NJD | 28 | 9 | 3.11 | 99 | 83% |
| 5 | Darren RaddyshDTOR | TOR | 27 | 11 | 2.45 | 98 | 98%▲0.5 |
| 6 |  Mikhail SergachevDUTA | UTA | 27 | 10 | 2.70 | 98 | 100%▲1.4 |
| 7 |  John CarlsonDTBL | TBL | 27 | 9 | 3.00 | 98 | 98% |
| 8 |  Jakob ChychrunDWSH | WSH | 27 | 9 | 3.00 | 98 | 99% |
| 9 |  Dougie HamiltonDNJD | NJD | 26 | 9 | 2.89 | 97 | 82%▼0.9 |
| 10 |  Seth JonesDFLA | FLA | 25 | 9 | 2.78 | 96 | 90%▲15 |
| 11 |  Cale MakarDCOL | COL | 24 | 9 | 2.67 | 96 | 100% |
| 12 |  Zach WerenskiDCBJ | CBJ | 24 | 8 | 3.00 | 96 | 100% |
| 13 |  Shea TheodoreDVGK | VGK | 23 | 11 | 2.09 | 95 | 90%▼2.7 |
| 14 |  Rasmus AnderssonDVGK | VGK | 22 | 11 | 2.00 | 95 | 87%▲1.8 |
| 15 |  Cole HutsonDWSH | WSH | 22 | 9 | 2.44 | 95 | 87% |
| 16 |  Shayne GostisbehereDCAR | CAR | 21 | 11 | 1.91 | 93 | 96%▲0.6 |
| 17 |  Jaccob SlavinDCAR | CAR | 21 | 11 | 1.91 | 93 | 26%▲4.9 |
| 18 |  Kris LetangDPIT | PIT | 21 | 10 | 2.10 | 93 | 54%▼2.9 |
| 19 |  Noah DobsonDMTL | MTL | 21 | 9 | 2.33 | 93 | 92%▼1.7 |
| 20 |  Lane HutsonDMTL | MTL | 21 | 9 | 2.33 | 93 | 100%▲0.6 |
| 21 |  Travis SanheimDPHI | PHI | 20 | 11 | 1.82 | 91 | 65%▼0.6 |
| 22 |  Darnell NurseDSJS | SJS | 20 | 9 | 2.22 | 91 | 60%▼2.7 |
| 23 |  Olen ZellwegerDBUF | BUF | 20 | 8 | 2.50 | 91 | 33%▲5.1 |
| 24 |  Jalen ChatfieldDCAR | CAR | 19 | 11 | 1.73 | 90 | 5.0%▲0.8 |
| 25 |  Thomas ChabotDOTT | OTT | 19 | 9 | 2.11 | 90 | 87%▼1.3 |
Frequently asked questions
Who leads the NHL in Shots on Goal: defense in 2026-27?
Matthew Schaefer leads with 32. The median of the 247 qualified defensemen is 7.
How is Shots on Goal: defense calculated?
Total shots on goal this season, all situations. Regular season only, from the NHL's official game data.
How reliable is Shots on Goal: defense?
Totals reward games played and ice time as much as skill; see the per-60 version for the rate view.