NHL.com’s fantasy staff continues to cover the latest trends and storylines in the League through the lens of NHL EDGE puck and player tracker stats. Today, we look at the advanced metrics behind some sneaky offseason movers who are standing out during the 2025-26 season.
Approaching the NHL’s Thanksgiving break (Nov. 27), there have been plenty of surprises around the League among players who changed teams in the offseason backed by strong advanced metrics.
The biggest moves were the Vegas Golden Knights landing forward Mitch Marner and the Carolina Hurricanes signing Nikolaj Ehlers. But one of the biggest standouts has been Philadelphia Flyers forward Trevor Zegras, who has the best points-per-game average of his NHL career (1.00; 21 points in 21 games) and is tied with Marner for the most points among offseason movers.
Ehlers has elite underlying metrics, ranking among the forward leaders in hardest shot (93,63 mph; 98th percentile), max skating speed (23.05 mph; 94th percentile), offensive zone time percentage (47.9; 99th percentile; tied for fifth at position) and long-range shots on goal (14; 99th percentile; tied for sixth) this season. Zegras is excelling from midrange areas, ranking among the forward leaders in midrange shots on goal (19; 88th percentile) and midrange goals (four; 93rd percentile). In terms of total skating distance, Marner (68.74 miles; 92nd percentile) and Zegras (63.86; 84th percentile) are both shouldering heavy workloads.
Here are some under-the-radar players who have been important offseason additions for their respective teams: