Who to start · 2025-26
Casey Cizikas vs Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Jesperi Kotkaniemi projects to 0.90 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Casey Cizikas's 0.87.
Cizikas had 18 points in 81 games; Kotkaniemi had 9 in 42 games.
This week Cizikas has 2 games left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups; Kotkaniemi has 2 left with 1 tough matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Kotkaniemi for 1.7 to Cizikas's 1.6 over the games left.
Casey Cizikas has the better number in 21 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
Cizikas's biggest edges: Blocked shots 57, 20+ mph bursts 130, Forecheck xG /60 0.46.
Kotkaniemi's biggest edges: Net penalties drawn /60 +0.63, Offensive-zone time 44.1%, Offensive-zone start % 65.0%.
Head to head on the dot, Cizikas leads Kotkaniemi 15–9.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Jesperi Kotkaniemi rates ahead, -1.4 to -2.0 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Cizikas is cooling, ixG/60 0.04 (was 0.93); Kotkaniemi is rising, 3 P in last 5 (0.25/GP before).
- • Cizikas, 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 7 SOG.
- • Kotkaniemi, 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 0 PPP, 10 SOG.
New York Islanders · Carolina Hurricanes · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Casey Cizikas
-2.0
category z-score total
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
-1.4
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Jesperi Kotkaniemi has the edge (Cizikas wins 2, Kotkaniemi wins 3 of 6 categories).
| Category | Cizikas | Kotkaniemi |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.12 | 0.11 |
| Assists / game | 0.10 | 0.23 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.14 | 0.17 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal / game | 0.91 | 1.04 |
| Hits / game | 1.68 | 1.44 |
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: Cizikas vs Kotkaniemi
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2018-19 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Cizikas 4G 5A, 33 SOG · Kotkaniemi 4G 5A, 46 SOG
Cizikas's offensive zone 1–0 · neutral 6–4 · Cizikas's defensive zone 8–5 (2018-19 to 2025-26)
Cizikas blocked 1 of Kotkaniemi's shots; Kotkaniemi blocked 1 of Cizikas's.
On the ice against each other (Cizikas's side)
6:48 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Cizikas's side
- Shot attempts
- 2–6
- 25.0%
- Expected goals
- 0.0–0.2
- 0.0%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Cizikas | Kotkaniemi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-14 | NYI 1–2 CAR | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-10-30 | NYI 2–6 CAR | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-03-30 | NYI 4–6 CAR | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2025-01-25 | NYI 3–2 CAR | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2024-12-17 | NYI 0–4 CAR | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2024-12-07 | NYI 4–3 CAR | 0G 0A 1S | 1G 0A 1S |
| 2024-04-30 · PO | NYI 3–6 CAR | 1G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2024-04-27 · PO | NYI 3–2 CAR | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2024-04-25 · PO | NYI 2–3 CAR | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2024-04-22 · PO | NYI 3–5 CAR | 0G 1A 0S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2024-04-20 · PO | NYI 1–3 CAR | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2024-03-19 | NYI 1–4 CAR | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 0S |
Latest 12 of 30 meetings.
Faceoffs: Cizikas vs Kotkaniemi
Model: Casey Cizikas wins 54.7% of draws against Jesperi Kotkaniemi on average (L shot vs L shot). Same-handed, so the dot decides who is on his strong side; the gap between the left and right dots is the real matchup.
| Cizikas at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 63% | 45% | 64% | 47% | 55% | 64% | 47% | 65% | 48% |
| Road | 62% | 44% | 63% | 45% | 55% | 63% | 45% | 64% | 46% |
Head-to-head 2023-24 to 2025-26: Cizikas 5–2 (71.4%). Blended with the model: 54.9%. The record is normal luck for this matchup (z 0.9); pair-specific edges are about ±2 points, so the model carries most of the weight.
Cizikas faceoffs · Kotkaniemi faceoffs · how the model works
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, Luck & trend, NHL EDGE tracking continue below
Every stat, side by side (continued)
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
Casey Cizikas
3games (2 left)
1.6proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs ANA
- Thu, Oct 22 vs LAK0.9 pts
- Sun, Oct 25 @ DAL0.7 ptsOpp allows 8th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jake Oettinger (.899)
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
3games (2 left)
1.7proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 @ VANOpp allows 5th-most FP to CLikely vs Leevi Meriläinen (.860)
- Thu, Oct 22 @ EDM0.8 ptsOpp allows 9th-fewest FP to Cvs Devon Levi (.898)
- Sat, Oct 24 @ STL0.9 ptsOpp allows 16th-most FP to CLikely vs Joel Hofer (.910)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Casey Cizikas or Jesperi Kotkaniemi in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Jesperi Kotkaniemi projects to 0.90 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Casey Cizikas's 0.87. Cizikas had 18 points in 81 games; Kotkaniemi had 9 in 42 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, Casey Cizikas or Jesperi Kotkaniemi?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Casey Cizikas leads in 21 of 36 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Cizikas and Kotkaniemi done against each other?
- In 30 games against each other in our data, Cizikas's team went 9–21. Cizikas had 9 points (4 goals) and Kotkaniemi had 9 (4 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Cizikas or Kotkaniemi?
- Against each other, Cizikas has won 15 and Kotkaniemi 9 of their 24 head-to-head draws.
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 →