Tampa Bay Lightning · Defense · Shoots L

Ryan McDonagh

Age 37 · 6'1" · 218 lb · Born in St. Paul, USA

Cap hit

$4.1M

3.9% of $104M cap

Term

3 yrs

Through 2028-29, then UFA

Clause

None

Surplus value

+$1.638M

vs. $5.738M market estimate

Confirmed by the public signing announcement · source

2026-27 regular season

Goals

0.0% shooting

Assists

0 primary

Points

0.00 per game

TOI/GP

15:46

PP 0:00 · PK 1:52

xGF%

69.3

5v5, +14.7 vs. last yr

Game Score

-0.02

per game, goals above average

Faceoff %

—

Plus/minus

-1

Blocks 1 · Hits 1

Game log

Last 5 games · NHL API

Game	SOG	HIT	BLK	TOI	PP	PK	FO	OZS%	GV	TK	+/-	GS
Oct 1 @ NYR · L 5-1	1	1	1	15:46	0:00	1:52	—	50	1	1	-1	-0.02
May 3 vs MTL · L 2-1	1	1	1	16:17	0:00	2:29	—	50	1	1	0	-0.00
May 1 @ MTL · W 1-0	0	1	5	21:52	0:00	3:14	—	67	1	1	0	-0.31
Apr 29 vs MTL · L 3-2	2	0	2	16:23	0:03	0:00	—	0	1	0	0	-0.33
Apr 26 @ MTL · W 3-2	0	3	2	20:22	0:04	6:29	—	33	1	0	0	+0.09

GS = our Game Score, goals above average. FO = faceoffs won-lost. OZS% = share of his 5v5 offensive and defensive zone faceoff starts that were in the offensive zone. GV/TK = giveaways/takeaways.

Advanced metrics

5v5 unless noted · 2025-26 · 725 min · percentile vs. NHL defensemen

xGF%54.6%

84th percentile

Relative xGF%+1.0

63rd percentile

HDCF%58.7%

90th percentile

CF%50.3%

61st percentile

Relative CF%-3.3

20th percentile

FF%51.2%

70th percentile

GF%54.8%

76th percentile

CF/6055.5

45th percentile

CA/6054.8

70th percentile

ixG/600.25

65th percentile

Goals above expected+3.0

89th percentile

IPP50.0%

92nd percentile

PDO101.9

81st percentile

OZS%42.0%

31st percentile

xGF% is his team's share of 5v5 expected goals while he was on the ice, from our own expected goals model; HDCF% counts only high-danger chances (xG of 0.15 or more). IPP is the share of his team's 5v5 goals while he was on the ice that he scored or assisted on. Relative stats compare him with his team when he was off the ice. Goals above expected and ixG/60 use his own shots at all strengths. PDO and OZS% describe luck and deployment, so their bars are grey.

Play styleOffensive puck-moving defenseman

Trait percentiles vs. NHL defensemen · 2025-26

McDonagh drives play through crisp passing and intelligent positioning rather than shooting volume or pure speed. He controls possession effectively, generates decent rush chances, and impacts the game positively despite limited physicality and shot volume.

PlaymakerPossession driverHigh-IQ

Shooting volume: 25
Playmaking: 86
Zone entries(est.): 59
Forechecking: 63
Physicality: 39
Defensive impact: 67
Puck management: 59
Speed: 30

Where he shoots from

Slot 9% · Mid-range 30% · Perimeter 61%(70 unblocked shots)

Strengths

Playmaking at 86th percentile sets up consistent scoring chances for teammates
Defensive impact at 67th percentile shows strong awareness and positioning in own zone
Puck management at 59th percentile keeps possession flowing smoothly in transition

Watch-outs

Shooting volume at 25th percentile limits his direct offensive output from the point
Speed at 30th percentile means he relies on positioning over athleticism to defend
Physicality at 39th percentile shows he plays a non-contact style in his matchups

Similar style: Emil Andrae (CBJ), Ryan Ufko

Built from play-by-play, shift data, and NHL EDGE tracking. Zone entries is an estimate (rush chances while he is on the ice) until tracking data is added.

Where his Game Score comes from

2025-26 · 48 GP · goals above average

Season total +5.6 goals, or +0.12 per game.

Even strength offense: +0.5
Even strength defense: +0.6
Penalty kill: -0.3
Finishing: +3.0
Playmaking: +1.4
Penalties: +0.4

Game Score adds up a player's impact in goals compared with an average player given the same ice time: his share of expected goals for and against at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill, plus finishing (goals minus expected goals), primary assists, penalties drawn and taken, and faceoffs. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.

By season

Regular season

Season	Team	GP	G	A	P	+/-	SOG	TOI/GP	FO%	GS/GP
2026-27	TBL	1	0	0	0	-1	1	15:46	—	-0.02
2025-26	TBL	48	6	15	21	+14	39	19:15	—	+0.12
2024-25	TBL	82	4	27	31	+43	78	20:22	—	+0.01
2023-24	NSH	74	3	29	32	+19	91	21:47	—	+0.02
2022-23	NSH	71	2	18	20	+12	78	21:32	—	-0.10

Sentiment & chatter

Fans

—

Beat writers

—

Media

—

Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.

Age curve

NHL defensemen · production index

202937

At 37, defensemen typically produce 59% of their peak (age 24).

From 24 seasons of NHL results, adjusted for league scoring and save percentage in each era. Shaded bars are the seasons left on his contract.

Skating · NHL EDGE

2025-26, as of Oct 2

Top speed: 21.1 mph; 27th pct
20+ mph bursts: 17
Hardest shot: 88.6 mph; 40th pct
Distance: 124.0 mi
OZ time: 39.9%; 24th pct
DZ time: 42.1%