Alex DeBrincat or Kevin Hayes? The NHL Stat Breakdown

This is as close as it gets. Alex DeBrincat and Kevin Hayes split the statistical categories evenly — 3 apiece — making this one of the most genuinely contested RW comparisons in NHL history. When the numbers are this balanced, the debate comes down to which statistics matter most to you.

Alex DeBrincat's Goals of 300 compared to Kevin Hayes's 185 represents a 62.2% advantage — dramatically better than their counterpart in this critical category. Kevin Hayes falls 26% below the career average of 250 in this category while Alex DeBrincat exceeds it. It is the single most decisive number in this comparison and the clearest statistical argument for Alex DeBrincat's edge.

The most competitive category in this matchup is Plus/Minus, where Alex DeBrincat posts -40 against Kevin Hayes's -38 — a gap of just 5.3%. Kevin Hayes can point to this as evidence that the overall comparison is closer than the final 3-3 tally suggests. In any debate, Plus/Minus is the statistical ammunition for the Kevin Hayes side.

Hockey's greatest players accumulate points through both goal scoring and playmaking. The balance between goals and assists often reveals a player's style — pure scorer versus pass-first playmaker.

With categories split evenly, this comparison ultimately comes down to which statistics matter most to you. Alex DeBrincat claims the tiebreaker through Goals advantage — a 62.2% edge — but reasonable people can, and do, argue both sides of this NHL debate.