Alexander Petrovic or Dakota Joshua? The NHL Stat Breakdown

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

Dakota Joshua's Goals of 50 compared to Alexander Petrovic's 7 represents a 614.3% advantage — dramatically better than their counterpart in this critical category. Alexander Petrovic falls 94.2% below the career average of 120 in this category while Dakota Joshua exceeds it. It is the single most decisive number in this comparison and the clearest statistical argument for Dakota Joshua's edge.

The most competitive category in this matchup is Games Played, where Alexander Petrovic posts 323 against Dakota Joshua's 296 — a gap of just 9.1%. Dakota Joshua can point to this as evidence that the overall comparison is closer than the final 3-3 tally suggests. In any debate, Games Played is the statistical ammunition for the Dakota Joshua 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.

With categories split evenly, this comparison ultimately comes down to which statistics matter most to you. Dakota Joshua claims the tiebreaker through Goals advantage — a 614.3% edge — but reasonable people can, and do, argue both sides of this NHL debate.