Who to start · 2025-26
Arseny Gritsyuk vs Kaapo Kakko
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Arseny Gritsyuk projects to 1.45 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Kaapo Kakko's 1.22.
Gritsyuk had 31 points in 66 games; Kakko had 40 in 65 games.
This week Gritsyuk has 2 games left with 1 soft matchup; Kakko has 2 left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups. In ESPN default points scoring we project Gritsyuk for 3.1 to Kakko's 2.4 over the games left.
Arseny Gritsyuk has the better number in 19 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Gritsyuk's biggest edges: Forecheck xG /60 0.38, Scoring chances 55.9%, Corsi 58.1%.
Kakko's biggest edges: On-ice PDO 1055, Luck Meter +75, Offensive-zone start % 69.9%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Arseny Gritsyuk rates ahead, +1.4 to +1.0 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Gritsyuk is surging, On-ice xGF/60 4.05 (was 2.50); Kakko is cooling, 0% of 5v5 TOI with top players (was 63%).
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 4 G, 2 A, 2 PPP, 20 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 10 GP, 2 G, 6 A, 1 PPP, 8 SOG.
New Jersey Devils · Seattle Kraken · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Arseny Gritsyuk
+1.4
category z-score total
Kaapo Kakko
+1.0
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Arseny Gritsyuk has the edge (Gritsyuk wins 4, Kakko wins 2 of 6 categories).
| Category | Gritsyuk | Kakko |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.29 | 0.20 |
| Assists / game | 0.25 | 0.49 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.01 | 0.25 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.13 | 0.11 |
| Shots on goal / game | 2.24 | 1.04 |
| Hits / game | 0.92 | 0.56 |
Per-game rates from the selected sample; blended mixes last season with this season, weighting this season more as games are played. Categories are scored as z-scores against qualified players at the same position. Your scoring choice is shared with Who Should I Start: saved on this device, and on your account when you are signed in.
Head-to-head: Gritsyuk vs Kakko
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2025-26 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Gritsyuk 0G 0A, 5 SOG · Kakko 0G 0A, 1 SOG
On the ice against each other (Gritsyuk's side)
9:24 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Gritsyuk's side
- Shot attempts
- 11–9
- 55.0%
- Expected goals
- 0.4–0.2
- 71.6%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Gritsyuk | Kakko |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-25 | NJD 2–4 SEA | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2026-01-14 | NJD 3–2 SEA | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 1S |
Every stat, side by side
Season values; bars are percentiles at each player's position (longer is better). Click a stat for its explainer.
Fantasy box score
Possession & shot quality (5-on-5 on-ice)
Transition, turnovers & faceoffs
Usage
Special teams & discipline
This week's schedule
Oct 19 to Oct 25. More games usually wins a weekly start/sit. Chips show how many fantasy points the opponent allows to the player's position (soft or tough), the Schedule Edge from rest and travel, and the likely opposing goalie with his save percentage. Projections cover the games left: Edgehalla's rest-of-season rates per game, adjusted for each opponent's scoring allowed, in ESPN default points.
Scored in ESPN default points (G 2, A 1, PPP 0.5, SHP 0.5, SOG 0.1, HIT 0.1, BLK 0.5). Use your league's scoring
Arseny Gritsyuk
3games (2 left)
3.1proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs COL
- Thu, Oct 22 vs ANA1.5 ptsOpp allows 12th-most FP to RWLikely vs Lukas Dostal (.888)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs LAK1.6 ptsOpp allows 4th-most FP to RWLikely vs Darcy Kuemper (.891)
Kaapo Kakko
3games (2 left)
2.4proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs DETOpp allows 13th-most FP to RWLikely vs Daniil Tarasov (.895)
- Thu, Oct 22 vs UTA1.4 ptsOpp allows 10th-most FP to RWLikely vs Karel Vejmelka (.897)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs MIN1.0 ptsOpp allows 3rd-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Jesper Wallstedt (.916)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Arseny Gritsyuk or Kaapo Kakko in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Arseny Gritsyuk projects to 1.45 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Kaapo Kakko's 1.22. Gritsyuk had 31 points in 66 games; Kakko had 40 in 65 games. Check this week's games and your league's scoring in the fantasy panel above, since more games usually decide a weekly start.
- Who is better, Arseny Gritsyuk or Kaapo Kakko?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Arseny Gritsyuk leads in 19 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Gritsyuk and Kakko done against each other?
- In 2 games against each other in our data, Gritsyuk's team went 1–1. Gritsyuk had 0 points (0 goals) and Kakko had 0 (0 goals).
2025-26 regular season from NHL play-by-play, shift charts and NHL EDGE, processed by Edgehalla. Head-to-head covers every loaded season (play-by-play from 2019-20; on-ice matchups from 2025-26).Compare other players →