Aaron Ekblad or Mikhail Maltsev? The NHL Stat Breakdown

The career statistics tell a clear story in this D comparison. Aaron Ekblad holds the advantage in 6 of 6 key categories, with Assists representing the most decisive gap — a 9400% difference that separates these two NHL players. This is not a close debate on the numbers.

Aaron Ekblad's Assists of 285 compared to Mikhail Maltsev's 3 represents a 9400% advantage — dramatically better than their counterpart in this critical category. Mikhail Maltsev falls 98.9% below the career average of 280 in this category while Aaron Ekblad exceeds it. It is the single most decisive number in this comparison and the clearest statistical argument for Aaron Ekblad's edge.

The most competitive category in this matchup is Plus/Minus, where Aaron Ekblad posts 90 against Mikhail Maltsev's -9 — a gap of just 900%. Mikhail Maltsev can point to this as evidence that the overall comparison is closer than the final 6-0 tally suggests. In any debate, Plus/Minus is the statistical ammunition for the Mikhail Maltsev side.

Defensive play in the NHL is measured through a combination of offensive contribution and plus/minus rating. Elite defensemen contribute points while anchoring their team's defensive structure — a balance that defines the position's greatest players.

Aaron Ekblad wins this head to head comparison decisively — 6 categories to 0. The 9400% gap in Assists alone makes a compelling case, but the consistency across multiple categories confirms Aaron Ekblad's statistical superiority in this NHL career comparison.