Ryan Pulock has re-emerged as one of the NY Islanders' top defensemen this season

New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock has re-emerged as one of the top defensive defensemen in the league, while also contributing with offensive production. Pulock has slowed down in the effectiveness of his defensive game over the past few seasons, but something this year has clicked with the veteran d-man.

Pulock is looking like his old self

First, looking at Pulock's GameScore average, a stat made by Dom Luszczyszyn in 2016 meant to track an individual player's impact each game. During the prime, Barry Trotz defensive system era, Pulock was consistently averaging above a 0.500 GameScore per game, which is a solid number for a player with his style of play. He even got up to a 0.695 in the 2020-21 season. But during the past three seasons, there has been a noticeable drop off in Pulock's average GameScore, sitting around .365 during 2022-23 and 2023-24. He made a huge drop last season, where he sat at 0.139. This data can all be found at HockeyStatCards.com.

But during the current 2025-26 campaign, Pulock has been remarkably better, averaging a GameScore of 0.698, which would be a career high. For all the non-analytical nerds out there, the eye test proves these numbers to be correct. He has been noticeably better in the defensive zone, winning puck battles and stripping the puck off opponents with ease. Pulock spoke to the media ahead of the Isles' matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night about this, "I feel I'm contributing, sometimes it's not always on the score sheet, but I think there are other little plays or other things. I feel I'm doing pretty well. I think just playing with confidence. It's a big thing."

Pulock had originally been paired with Adam Pelech to start the season, and the two of them look to be back in their prime "P and P Security" days on the defensive side of the ice. "I think right now, I like the way I'm playing," Pulock says. "I feel like I'm moving well, defending pretty well. You're going to go through ups and downs throughout the season. Right now, I feel good about my game." More recently, though, Pulock has been paired up with Isles rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer, and the increase in offensive production has been huge.

So far this season, Pulock has 13 assists in 28 games. On a full-season pace, this would equal about 38 assists. His career high in points was only 37 back in the 2018-19 season, so it is fair to say he has been a positive contributor on offense this season. One thing to note is that he has still been kept without a goal up to this point in the season. Pulock finished with 5 goals exactly in each of the last four seasons. If he keeps firing that howitzer of a shot that he has from the point, the goals will come for the 31-year-old defenseman. According to NHL Edge stats, he has the second-hardest recorded shot in the NHL this season with a 103.01 mph blast, trailing only Bruins forward Morgan Geekie's 103.03 mph shot.

One of the Isles' best shutdown defensemen is back to playing up to his capabilities, and that will continue to contribute to the team's early-season success.