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. Throughout the 2025-26 season, we identify the leaders in key advanced metrics.
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Skating speed: 24.61 miles per hour - Connor McDavid (F, EDM)
McDavid reached his top skating speed of the NHL EDGE tracking era (since 2021-22) for the Edmonton Oilers in the second period of their season opener against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 8, surpassing his previous high of 24.19 mph from the 2023-24 season.
The only top skating speed faster than McDavid's mark in the regular season or Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2021-22 was Miles Wood (24.82 mph) last season. McDavid leads the NHL in both 22-plus mph speed bursts (11 in six games) and 20-plus mph bursts (52) this season; he has seven assists in six games and leads active players in career points per game (1.52).
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Shot speed: 101.42 mph - Victor Hedman (D, TBL)
Hedman reached his League-leading mark for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second period against the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 17. Hedman also leads the NHL in 90-plus mph shot attempts (nine).
All 10 NHL players with at least three 90-plus mph shots are defensemen; that includes Hedman's defenseman teammate, Darren Raddysh, who is tied for third in the cateogry with three such shots. The Lightning have an NHL-best 13 shot attempts that traveled at least 90 mph in their six games.
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High-danger shots on goal: 13 - Jason Robertson (F, DAL) & Jake Guentzel (F, TBL)
Robertson, a two-time 40-goal scorer, has two goals on 23 shots on goal in five games this season; both of Robertson's goals came from high-danger regions of the ice and his 13 high-danger shots on goal are tied with Guentzel for the League lead. Guentzel's one goal this season came from the high-danger region.
Justin Brazeau of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chris Kreider of the Anaheim Ducks and Shane Pinto of the Ottawa Senators are tied for the NHL lead in high-danger goals this season (four each). Each of Pinto's League-leading seven goals have come at even strength this season.
