Who to start · 2025-26
Darnell Nurse vs Dylan Cozens
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Dylan Cozens projects to 1.90 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Darnell Nurse's 1.83.
Nurse had 24 points in 82 games; Cozens had 59 in 82 games.
This week Nurse has 1 game left with 1 soft matchup; Cozens has 1 left with 1 tough matchup. We project Nurse for 2.1 ESPN points to Cozens's 1.4.
Dylan Cozens has the better number in 26 of the 33 stats both are ranked on.
Nurse's biggest edges: Blocked shots 167, Shorthanded points 2, Transition attempts /60 0.90.
Cozens's biggest edges: Offensive-zone time 48.0%, Scoring chances 60.8%, Sequence xG 59.7%.
- • 2026-27 so far: 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 0 SOG.
Fantasy value: your scoring
Darnell Nurse
1.78
fantasy points per game
Dylan Cozens
1.90
fantasy points per game
Under ESPN default points, Dylan Cozens has the edge.
| Points per game from | Nurse | Cozens |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (+2) | 0.17 | 0.68 |
| Assists (+1) | 0.21 | 0.38 |
| Power-play points (+0.5) | 0.00 | 0.18 |
| Shorthanded points (+0.5) | 0.01 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal (+0.1) | 0.20 | 0.25 |
| Hits (+0.1) | 0.17 | 0.26 |
| Blocks (+0.5) | 1.02 | 0.15 |
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 custom weights are saved in this browser only.
Head-to-head: Nurse vs Cozens
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2021-22 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Nurse 3G 2A, 29 SOG · Cozens 5G 2A, 25 SOG
Nurse blocked 2 of Cozens's shots; Cozens blocked 0 of Nurse's.
On the ice against each other (Nurse's side)
9:51 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Nurse's side
- Shot attempts
- 10–9
- 52.6%
- Expected goals
- 0.8–0.3
- 72.2%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Nurse | Cozens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-03 | EDM 5–4 OTT | 0G 0A 1S | 1G 0A 3S |
| 2025-10-21 | EDM 3–2 OTT | 0G 0A 2S | 1G 0A 2S |
| 2025-01-25 | EDM 3–2 BUF | 0G 1A 3S | 0G 1A 4S |
| 2024-03-21 | EDM 8–3 BUF | 1G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2024-03-09 | EDM 2–3 BUF | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2023-03-06 | EDM 3–2 BUF | 0G 1A 2S | 1G 0A 6S |
| 2022-10-18 | EDM 2–4 BUF | 1G 0A 7S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2022-03-17 | EDM 6–1 BUF | 1G 0A 5S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2021-11-12 | EDM 2–3 BUF | 0G 0A 3S | 2G 0A 3S |
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
Sep 28 to Oct 4. 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 use ESPN default points for the games left.
Darnell Nurse
2games (1 left)
2.1proj. ESPN pts
- Thu, Oct 1 vs FLAOpp allows 15th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Akira Schmid (.892)
- Sat, Oct 3 vs LAK2.1 ptsOpp allows 3rd-most FP to DSchedule edge +3.3 win%Likely vs Anton Forsberg (.910)
Dylan Cozens
1games
1.4proj. ESPN pts
- Sat, Oct 3 @ TOR1.4 ptsOpp allows 7th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Sergei Bobrovsky (.877)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Darnell Nurse or Dylan Cozens in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Dylan Cozens projects to 1.90 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Darnell Nurse's 1.83. Nurse had 24 points in 82 games; Cozens had 59 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, Darnell Nurse or Dylan Cozens?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Dylan Cozens leads in 26 of 33 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Nurse and Cozens done against each other?
- In 9 games against each other in our data, Nurse's team went 6–3. Nurse had 5 points (3 goals) and Cozens had 7 (5 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 →