Who to start · 2025-26
Artturi Lehkonen vs Nikolaj Ehlers
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Artturi Lehkonen projects to 1.90 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nikolaj Ehlers's 1.49.
Lehkonen had 48 points in 70 games; Ehlers had 71 in 82 games.
This week Lehkonen has 3 games left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups; Ehlers has 3 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Lehkonen for 5.3 to Ehlers's 4.8 over the games left.
Nikolaj Ehlers has the better number in 19 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Lehkonen's biggest edges: On-ice PDO 1054, Ascension score 74, Forecheck xG /60 0.44.
Ehlers's biggest edges: Goals above expected +3.6, Top skating speed 23.1, 20+ mph bursts 182.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Artturi Lehkonen rates ahead, +5.6 to +2.7 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Lehkonen is surging, ixG/60 1.71 (was 1.07); Ehlers is rising, PP1 in 5 of last 5 (was 14 of 20).
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 6 G, 3 A, 2 PPP, 14 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 10 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 4 PPP, 19 SOG.
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Fantasy value: your scoring
Artturi Lehkonen
+5.6
category z-score total
Nikolaj Ehlers
+2.7
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Artturi Lehkonen has the edge (Lehkonen wins 3, Ehlers wins 3 of 6 categories).
| Category | Lehkonen | Ehlers |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.44 | 0.23 |
| Assists / game | 0.37 | 0.49 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.62 | -0.10 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.10 | 0.36 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.95 | 2.27 |
| Hits / game | 0.82 | 0.27 |
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: Lehkonen vs Ehlers
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2017-18 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Lehkonen 10G 8A, 75 SOG · Ehlers 12G 11A, 82 SOG
Lehkonen blocked 1 of Ehlers's shots; Ehlers blocked 1 of Lehkonen's.
On the ice against each other (Lehkonen's side)
8:17 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Lehkonen's side
- Shot attempts
- 6–10
- 37.5%
- Expected goals
- 0.2–0.9
- 21.3%
- Goals
- 0–1
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Lehkonen | Ehlers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-03 | COL 5–3 CAR | 0G 1A 4S | 1G 0A 1S |
| 2025-10-23 | COL 4–5 CAR | 0G 1A 4S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2025-01-22 | COL 2–3 WPG | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-01-11 | COL 0–3 WPG | 0G 0A 1S | 2G 0A 3S |
| 2024-12-31 | COL 5–2 WPG | 1G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2024-11-07 | COL 0–1 WPG | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 5S |
| 2024-04-30 · PO | COL 6–3 WPG | 1G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2024-04-28 · PO | COL 5–1 WPG | 1G 1A 3S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2024-04-26 · PO | COL 6–2 WPG | 1G 0A 5S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2024-04-23 · PO | COL 5–2 WPG | 1G 1A 4S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2024-04-21 · PO | COL 6–7 WPG | 1G 1A 7S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2024-04-13 | COL 0–7 WPG | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 2A 2S |
Latest 12 of 28 meetings.
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
Artturi Lehkonen
4games (3 left)
5.3proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 @ PHIOpp allows 6th-most FP to LWLikely vs Joseph Woll (.899)
- Fri, Oct 23 vs TBL1.5 ptsOpp allows 5th-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.912)
- Sun, Oct 25 @ NSH1.7 pts
Nikolaj Ehlers
3games
4.8proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 @ VAN1.8 ptsOpp allows the most FP to LWvs Leevi Meriläinen (.860)
- Thu, Oct 22 @ EDM1.4 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 @ STL1.6 pts
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Artturi Lehkonen or Nikolaj Ehlers in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Artturi Lehkonen projects to 1.90 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nikolaj Ehlers's 1.49. Lehkonen had 48 points in 70 games; Ehlers had 71 in 82 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, Artturi Lehkonen or Nikolaj Ehlers?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Nikolaj Ehlers 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 Lehkonen and Ehlers done against each other?
- In 28 games against each other in our data, Lehkonen's team went 14–14. Lehkonen had 18 points (10 goals) and Ehlers had 23 (12 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 →