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Who to start · 2025-26

Dmitri Simashev vs Nikita Kucherov

Dmitri SimashevMammoth · Defence
vs
Nikita KucherovLightning · Right wing
SteadyOn-ice xGF/60 1.91 (was 2.64)
Steady63% of team PP time (was 72%)

Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nikita Kucherov projects to 2.87 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Dmitri Simashev's 0.73.

Simashev had 1 points in 28 games; Kucherov had 130 in 76 games.

This week Simashev has 2 games left with 2 tough matchups; Kucherov has 2 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Kucherov for 5.7 to Simashev's 1.6 over the games left.

Nikita Kucherov has the better number in 30 of the 33 stats both are ranked on.

Simashev's biggest edges: Faceoffs won 0, Forecheck xG /60 0.38.

Kucherov's biggest edges: Points 130, Assists 86, Luck Meter +54.

In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Nikita Kucherov rates ahead, +13.3 to -4.8 in summed category z-scores.

Role trend over the last 5 games: Simashev is steady, On-ice xGF/60 1.91 (was 2.64); Kucherov is steady, 63% of team PP time (was 72%).

  • • 2026-27 so far: 10 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 10 SOG.
  • • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 4 G, 9 A, 4 PPP, 26 SOG.

Utah Mammoth · Tampa Bay Lightning · Who should I start? · Compare other players

Fantasy value: your scoring

Dmitri Simashev

-4.8

category z-score total

Nikita Kucherov

+13.3

category z-score total

Under Standard (6 categories), Nikita Kucherov has the edge (Simashev wins 1, Kucherov wins 5 of 6 categories).

Per-stat breakdown under Standard (6 categories)
CategorySimashevKucherov
Goals / game0.000.53
Assists / game0.101.08
Plus/minus / game-0.320.52
Power-play points / game0.000.47
Shots on goal / game0.962.98
Hits / game0.900.34

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: Simashev vs Kucherov

Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2025-26 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.

SimashevKucherov
0Team record in 1 meetings1
0Points in those games0

Simashev 0G 0A, 0 SOG · Kucherov 0G 0A, 1 SOG

On the ice against each other (Simashev's side)

7:57 at 5-on-5 over 1 games, 2025-26, from Simashev's side

Shot attempts
4–9
30.8%
Expected goals
0.2–0.3
41.9%
Goals
0–0

Games against each other

Games between Dmitri Simashev and Nikita Kucherov
DateScoreSimashevKucherov
2025-11-02UTA 2–4 TBL0G 0A 0S0G 0A 1S

Every stat, side by side

Season values; bars are percentiles at each player's position (longer is better). Click a stat for its explainer.

SimashevKucherov

Fantasy box score

Possession & shot quality (5-on-5 on-ice)

Transition, turnovers & faceoffs

Usage

Special teams & discipline

Luck & trend

NHL EDGE tracking

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

Dmitri Simashev

3games (2 left)

1.6proj. ESPN default pts

  • Mon, Oct 19 vs PIT
    Opp allows 10th-most FP to DLikely vs Arturs Silovs (.888)
  • Thu, Oct 22 @ SEA0.8 pts
    Opp allows 7th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Joey Daccord (.897)
  • Sat, Oct 24 vs TBL0.8 pts
    Opp allows 9th-fewest FP to DSchedule edge +11.4 win%Likely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.912)

Nikita Kucherov

3games (2 left)

5.7proj. ESPN default pts

  • Tue, Oct 20 @ VGK
    Opp allows 4th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Carter Hart (.891)
  • Fri, Oct 23 @ COL2.6 pts
    Opp allows 13th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Scott Wedgewood (.921)
  • Sat, Oct 24 @ UTAB2B3.2 pts
    Opp allows 9th-most FP to RWSchedule edge −11.4 win%Likely vs Karel Vejmelka (.897)

Similar matchups

FAQ

Should I start Dmitri Simashev or Nikita Kucherov in fantasy hockey?
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nikita Kucherov projects to 2.87 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Dmitri Simashev's 0.73. Simashev had 1 points in 28 games; Kucherov had 130 in 76 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, Dmitri Simashev or Nikita Kucherov?
On 2025-26 numbers, Nikita Kucherov leads in 30 of 33 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
How have Simashev and Kucherov done against each other?
In 1 games against each other in our data, Simashev's team went 0–1. Simashev had 0 points (0 goals) and Kucherov had 0 (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 →