Defence · #15

Sami Niku

Winnipeg Jets

Montréal Canadiens(traded during the season)

Age: 29
Shoots: Left
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 80 kg
Born: Haapavesi, FIN
Draft: 2015, round 7, #198 (WPG)

Career · 2017–18 to 2021–22

Games: 67
Goals: 2
Points: 16
TOI per game: 14:41
xGF% (5v5): 41.6%
Goals above expected: −0.4

ShowAll teams Winnipeg Jets Montréal Canadiens

Season by season

The regular-season line for each season, with the total, by team for traded players.


2017–18	WPG	1	1	0	1	0	15:13	2	50.0%	0	0.2	35.6%
2018–19	WPG	30	1	3	4	0	13:55	19	5.3%	0	1.0	40.0%
2019–20	WPG	17	0	5	5	−2	16:10	27	0.0%	0	0.7	38.5%
2020–21	WPG	6	0	0	0	−3	12:58	2	0.0%	0	0.1	41.2%
2021–22	MTL	13	0	6	6	+3	15:17	14	0.0%	1	0.3	50.7%
Total	2 teams	67	2	14	16	−2	14:41	64	3.1%	1	2.4	41.6%

Form

Rolling averages smooth out single games so the trend shows.

Form, ten-game rolling

Points and individual expected goals per game (left scale), averaged over the previous ten games. Ice time is on the second chart.

Points per gameixG per gameTOI per game (minutes)

Player card

Model-based

How 2017–18 to 2021–22 compares with everyone else at the position over the same seasons, and the players with the most similar profile.

Overall rating

Extra / AHL

6th percentile among qualified defencemen, blending scoring 30%, play-driving 50%, usage 20%.

1st pair
2nd pair
3rd pair
Extra / AHL

Scoring

3rd pair

Goals /600.1228th pct
Assists /600.8575th pct
ixG /600.1526th pct
Shots /603.9038th pct

Play-driving

Extra / AHL

xGF% (5v5)41.6%3rd pct
CF% (5v5)43.7%5th pct
Relative xGF%−3.220th pct
xGA /60 (lower is better)2.8110th pct

Usage

Extra / AHL

TOI per game14:4116th pct
PP time share11.3%60th pct
PK time share1.4%3rd pct
Quality of competition23.4%20th pct

Percentiles among defencemen with 200+ minutes at 5-on-5 and 20+ games. Ratings rank each column's average percentile among the same players and read it as a role on a depth chart (how).

Most similar players this season

Finishing

Model-based

Did the goals match the chances?

Goals against expected goals

Cumulative goals (solid) and individual xG (dashed) through the season. The gap is finishing: above the dashed line, the player scored more than an average shooter would from the same chances.

−0.4 goals above expected

Goals above expected, everyone at the same position with 20+ games

Speed and tracking

From the NHL's EDGE tracking system (2021–22 on): skating speed, shot speed, distance and zone time, for the selected seasons and then every tracked season, to show improvement or decline.

Tracking data (NHL EDGE)

Values from the NHL's puck and player tracking, with the NHL's own league percentile for each. Missing values mean the player wasn't tracked enough.

Tracking

Top skating speed33.2 km/h18th pct
Speed bursts over 20 mph421st pct
Hardest shot139.6 km/h22nd pct
Distance skated47 km24th pct
Offensive-zone time43.7%78th pct

Tracking, season by season

Each season against the other defencemen that season with 20+ games. A season in progress appears once half its games are played, as provisional: season bests only grow. Bursts and distance are per 60 minutes of ice time, so seasons with fewer games still compare. Percentiles are on these rates, so they can differ from the NHL's, which are on season totals.

This playerMedian defencemanMiddle half (25th–75th percentile)Hollow dot: too few games to rank, or a season in progress (*, dashed). Dotted line: no NHL games that season.

Top skating speed

33.2 km/h6th pct

2021–22 only

Bursts over 20 mph per 60

1.243rd pct

2021–22 only

Distance skated per 60

14.3 km92nd pct

2021–22 only

Hardest shot

139.6 km/h6th pct

2021–22 only

Offensive-zone time

43.7%78th pct

2021–22 only