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Ice Lab

Defence · #73

Zach Metsa

Age
27
Shoots
Right
Height
175 cm
Weight
91 kg
Born
Delafield, USA
Draft
Undrafted

Career · 2025–26 to 2026–27

Games
46
Goals
2
Points
7
TOI per game
10:57
xGF% (5v5)
48.5%
Goals above expected
+0.8

Season by season

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

2025–26BUF43246+1610:58248.3%01.248.3%
2026–27BUF3011+110:420–00.051.1%
Total1 team46257+1710:57248.3%01.248.5%

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)
00.10.20.30.41015202530354045
8m10m12m14m16m1015202530354045Game

Player card

How 2025–26 to 2026–27 compares with everyone else at the position over the same seasons, and the players with the most similar profile.

Overall rating

3rd pair

21st 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 /600.2464th pct
  • Assists /600.6037th pct
  • ixG /600.1428th pct
  • Shots /602.8622nd pct

Play-driving

3rd pair
  • xGF% (5v5)48.5%39th pct
  • CF% (5v5)46.5%21st pct
  • Relative xGF%−3.223rd pct
  • xGA /60 (lower is better)2.4263rd pct

Usage

Extra / AHL
  • TOI per game10:571st pct
  • PP time share5.0%52nd pct
  • PK time share9.8%18th pct
  • Quality of competition23.5%11th 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).

Finishing

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.

+0.8 goals above expected

00.511.5210203040Game

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

−8−6−4−20+2+4+6+8+10

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 speed31.6 km/h15th pct
  • Speed bursts over 20 mph00th pct
  • Hardest shot127.9 km/h39th pct
  • Distance skated7 km15th pct
  • Offensive-zone time40.0%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

33.9 km/h13th pct

2025–26 only

333435363725–262025–26: 33.9 km/h, 13th percentile (43 games)

Bursts over 20 mph per 60

1.130th pct

2025–26 only

0.511.522.5325–262025–26: 1.1, 30th percentile (43 games)

Distance skated per 60

13.8 km59th pct

2025–26 only

1313.213.413.613.81414.225–262025–26: 13.8 km, 59th percentile (43 games)

Hardest shot

148.1 km/h47th pct

2025–26 only

14014515015525–262025–26: 148.1 km/h, 47th percentile (43 games)

Offensive-zone time

40.7%35th pct

2025–26 only

39%40%41%42%43%44%25–262025–26: 40.7%, 35th percentile (43 games)