Who to start · 2025-26
Colton Parayko vs Neal Pionk
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Colton Parayko projects to 1.73 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Neal Pionk's 1.66.
Parayko had 18 points in 77 games; Pionk had 12 in 51 games.
This week Parayko has 2 games left with 2 tough matchups; Pionk has 2 left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups. In ESPN default points scoring we project Pionk for 3.5 to Parayko's 3.2 over the games left.
They split the 34 stats both are ranked on 16–16.
Parayko's biggest edges: 20+ mph bursts 94, Blocked shots 172, Top skating speed 22.3.
Pionk's biggest edges: Ascension score 85, On-ice PDO 1017, Offensive-zone start % 49.3%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Neal Pionk rates ahead, +3.7 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); Pionk is surging, 5 P in last 5 (0.30/GP before).
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 0 G, 4 A, 0 PPP, 13 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 1 PPP, 17 SOG.
St. Louis Blues · Winnipeg Jets · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Colton Parayko
-1.1
category z-score total
Neal Pionk
+3.7
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Neal Pionk has the edge (Parayko wins 0, Pionk wins 6 of 6 categories).
| Category | Parayko | Pionk |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.03 | 0.08 |
| Assists / game | 0.28 | 0.32 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.09 | 0.05 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.39 | 1.90 |
| Hits / game | 1.06 | 2.11 |
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 Pionk
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2017-18 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Parayko 3G 6A, 53 SOG · Pionk 3G 17A, 75 SOG
Parayko blocked 4 of Pionk's shots; Pionk blocked 1 of Parayko's.
On the ice against each other (Parayko's side)
17:23 at 5-on-5 over 3 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27, from Parayko's side
- Shot attempts
- 8–26
- 23.5%
- Expected goals
- 0.6–1.4
- 29.0%
- Goals
- 1–1
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Parayko | Pionk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-20 | STL 2–1 WPG | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2026-04-09 | STL 2–3 WPG | 1G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 5S |
| 2025-12-17 | STL 1–0 WPG | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2025-05-04 · PO | STL 3–4 WPG | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 3A 3S |
| 2025-05-02 · PO | STL 5–2 WPG | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-04-30 · PO | STL 3–5 WPG | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2025-04-27 · PO | STL 5–1 WPG | 0G 2A 4S | 0G 0A 5S |
| 2025-04-24 · PO | STL 7–2 WPG | 1G 0A 3S | 1G 0A 3S |
| 2025-04-21 · PO | STL 1–2 WPG | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-04-19 · PO | STL 3–5 WPG | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2025-02-22 | STL 3–4 WPG | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2024-12-03 | STL 4–1 WPG | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 1A 3S |
Latest 12 of 31 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
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)
Neal Pionk
3games (2 left)
3.5proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 @ STLOpp allows 11th-most FP to DLikely vs Joel Hofer (.910)
- Thu, Oct 22 @ DAL1.6 ptsOpp allows the fewest FP to DLikely vs Jake Oettinger (.899)
- Sun, Oct 25 vs MTL1.9 ptsOpp allows 6th-most FP to DLikely vs Jakub Dobes (.901)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Colton Parayko or Neal Pionk 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 Neal Pionk's 1.66. Parayko had 18 points in 77 games; Pionk had 12 in 51 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 Neal Pionk?
- On 2025-26 numbers they split 16–16 across 34 stats where both qualify.
- How have Parayko and Pionk done against each other?
- In 31 games against each other in our data, Parayko's team went 11–20. Parayko had 9 points (3 goals) and Pionk had 20 (3 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 →