Who to start · 2025-26
Colton Parayko vs Luke Hughes
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Colton Parayko projects to 1.73 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Luke Hughes's 1.37.
Parayko had 18 points in 77 games; Hughes had 35 in 68 games.
This week Parayko has 2 games left with 2 tough matchups; Hughes has 2 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Parayko for 3.2 to Hughes's 3.2 over the games left.
Luke Hughes has the better number in 23 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Parayko's biggest edges: Blocked shots 172, Hits 95, Turnover Ledger /60 −0.077.
Hughes's biggest edges: Corsi 53.8%, Ascension score 76, Offensive-zone time 43.2%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Luke Hughes rates ahead, +4.1 to -1.1 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Parayko is steady, On-ice xGF/60 1.78 (was 2.67); Hughes is steady, PP1 in 5 of last 5 (was 10 of 20).
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 0 G, 4 A, 0 PPP, 13 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 3 G, 1 A, 1 PPP, 28 SOG.
St. Louis Blues · New Jersey Devils · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Colton Parayko
-1.1
category z-score total
Luke Hughes
+4.1
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Luke Hughes has the edge (Parayko wins 1, Hughes wins 5 of 6 categories).
| Category | Parayko | Hughes |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.03 | 0.18 |
| Assists / game | 0.28 | 0.31 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.09 | -0.04 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.16 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.39 | 2.55 |
| Hits / game | 1.06 | 0.26 |
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: Parayko vs Hughes
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2023-24 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Parayko 0G 1A, 6 SOG · Hughes 0G 2A, 4 SOG
Parayko blocked 1 of Hughes's shots; Hughes blocked 0 of Parayko's.
On the ice against each other (Parayko's side)
8:10 at 5-on-5 over 1 games, 2025-26, from Parayko's side
- Shot attempts
- 4–9
- 30.8%
- Expected goals
- 0.3–0.1
- 82.3%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Parayko | Hughes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-26 | STL 2–3 NJD | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2024-12-17 | STL 1–4 NJD | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2024-11-27 | STL 3–0 NJD | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2024-03-07 | STL 1–4 NJD | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2023-11-03 | STL 4–1 NJD | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 0A 0S |
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
Colton Parayko
3games (2 left)
3.2proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs WPGOpp allows 12th-most FP to DLikely vs Stuart Skinner (.888)
- Thu, Oct 22 vs VGK1.6 ptsOpp allows 3rd-fewest FP to DLikely vs Carter Hart (.891)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs CAR1.6 ptsOpp allows 6th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Pyotr Kochetkov (.899)
Luke Hughes
3games (2 left)
3.2proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs COL
- Thu, Oct 22 vs ANA1.5 ptsOpp allows 16th-most FP to DLikely vs Lukas Dostal (.888)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs LAK1.7 ptsOpp allows 7th-most FP to DLikely vs Darcy Kuemper (.891)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Colton Parayko or Luke Hughes in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Colton Parayko projects to 1.73 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Luke Hughes's 1.37. Parayko had 18 points in 77 games; Hughes had 35 in 68 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, Colton Parayko or Luke Hughes?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Luke Hughes leads in 23 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Parayko and Hughes done against each other?
- In 5 games against each other in our data, Parayko's team went 2–3. Parayko had 1 points (0 goals) and Hughes had 2 (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 →