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Ice Lab

Defence · #94

Brayden Pachal

Vegas Golden Knights Calgary Flames(traded during the season)
Age
27
Shoots
Right
Height
188 cm
Weight
92 kg
Born
Estevan, CAN
Draft
Undrafted

Career · 2021–22 to 2025–26

Games
177
Goals
6
Points
28
TOI per game
14:22
xGF% (5v5)
48.0%
Goals above expected
−0.3
ShowAll teamsVegas Golden KnightsCalgary Flames

Season by season

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

2021–22VGK2000−29:4610.0%00.058.4%
2022–23VGK10022+216:37180.0%00.653.7%
2023–24VGK17101−214:37185.6%00.743.5%
2023–24CGY33156−114:43342.9%01.448.2%
2023–24All teams50257−314:41523.8%02.146.5%
2024–25CGY763912+514:14614.9%02.446.4%
2025–26CGY39167−113:53283.6%01.250.6%
Total2 teams17762228+114:221603.8%06.348.0%

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)
00.10.20.30.420406080100120140160
12m13m14m15m16m17m18m20406080100120140160Game

Player card

Model-based

How 2021–22 to 2025–26 compares with everyone else at the position over the same seasons, and the players with the most similar profile.

Overall rating

3rd pair

38th percentile among qualified defencemen, blending scoring 30%, play-driving 50%, usage 20%.

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

Scoring

3rd pair
  • Goals /600.1434th pct
  • Assists /600.5224th pct
  • ixG /600.1530th pct
  • Shots /603.7852nd pct

Play-driving

2nd pair
  • xGF% (5v5)48.0%40th pct
  • CF% (5v5)49.1%51st pct
  • Relative xGF%−1.047th pct
  • xGA /60 (lower is better)2.3878th pct

Usage

Extra / AHL
  • TOI per game14:2215th pct
  • PP time share0.4%3rd pct
  • PK time share22.6%47th pct
  • Quality of competition23.8%29th 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

  1. Kyle BurroughsSJS/LAK0.93
  2. Luke SchennNSH/WPG0.91
  3. Mark Borowiecki0.88
  4. Arber XhekajMTL0.86
  5. Robert Hagg0.85
  6. Dylan McIlrath0.84

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.

−0.3 goals above expected

024620406080100120140160Game

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

−20−100+10+20+30

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 speed34.0 km/h30th pct
  • Speed bursts over 20 mph1440th pct
  • Hardest shot139.4 km/h30th pct
  • Distance skated121 km34th pct
  • Offensive-zone time41.0%41st 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

34.0 km/h14th pct

▼ −1.7 km/h since 2024–25

303234363821–2222–2323–2424–2525–262021–22: 31.6 km/h, 0th percentile (2 games, too few to rank reliably)2022–23: 33.7 km/h, 9th percentile (10 games, too few to rank reliably)2023–24: 34.5 km/h, 28th percentile (50 games)2024–25: 35.7 km/h, 59th percentile (76 games)2025–26: 34.0 km/h, 14th percentile (39 games)

Bursts over 20 mph per 60

1.647th pct

▲ +0.3 since 2024–25

012321–2222–2323–2424–2525–262021–22: 0.0, 0th percentile (2 games, too few to rank reliably)2022–23: 1.4, 50th percentile (10 games, too few to rank reliably)2023–24: 2.2, 71st percentile (50 games)2024–25: 1.2, 37th percentile (76 games)2025–26: 1.6, 47th percentile (39 games)

Distance skated per 60

13.4 km35th pct

▲ +0.0 km since 2024–25

12.51313.51414.51521–2222–2323–2424–2525–262021–22: 14.5 km, 96th percentile (2 games, too few to rank reliably)2022–23: 13.2 km, 29th percentile (10 games, too few to rank reliably)2023–24: 13.5 km, 47th percentile (50 games)2024–25: 13.3 km, 27th percentile (76 games)2025–26: 13.4 km, 35th percentile (39 games)

Hardest shot

139.4 km/h14th pct

▼ −1.3 km/h since 2024–25

13014015016021–2222–2323–2424–2525–262021–22: 135.3 km/h, 3rd percentile (2 games, too few to rank reliably)2022–23: 143.8 km/h, 20th percentile (10 games, too few to rank reliably)2023–24: 150.2 km/h, 52nd percentile (50 games)2024–25: 140.7 km/h, 20th percentile (76 games)2025–26: 139.4 km/h, 14th percentile (39 games)

Offensive-zone time

41.0%42nd pct

▼ −2.1 points since 2024–25

38%40%42%44%46%48%21–2222–2323–2424–2525–262021–22: 47.1%, 100th percentile (2 games, too few to rank reliably)2022–23: 42.8%, 66th percentile (10 games, too few to rank reliably)2023–24: 40.9%, 37th percentile (50 games)2024–25: 43.2%, 73rd percentile (76 games)2025–26: 41.0%, 42nd percentile (39 games)