Who to start · 2026-27
Drew O'Connor vs Noah Cates
In 2026-27, Drew O'Connor scored 0.93 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Noah Cates's 0.87.
O'Connor had 5 points in 21 games; Cates had 5 in 22 games.
This week O'Connor has 1 game left with 1 tough matchup; Cates has 1 left with 1 tough matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Cates for 0.9 to O'Connor's 0.8 over the games left.
They split the 34 stats both are ranked on 15–15.
O'Connor's biggest edges: Top skating speed 23.3, 20+ mph bursts 54, Penalty minutes 18.
Cates's biggest edges: Turnover Ledger /60 +0.005, Net penalties drawn /60 +0.41, Offensive-zone start % 67.0%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Noah Cates rates ahead, -4.5 to -4.9 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: O'Connor is cooling, −1:58 TOI a game; Cates is steady, +1:43 5v5 TOI.
- • O'Connor, last 10 games (Oct 22–Nov 13): 1 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 16 SOG.
- • Cates, last 10 games (Oct 24–Nov 14): 2 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 11 SOG.
Vancouver Canucks · Philadelphia Flyers · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Under Standard (6 categories), Noah Cates has the edge (O'Connor wins 4, Cates wins 1 of 6 categories).
| Category | O'Connor | Cates |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.10 | 0.09 |
| Assists / game | 0.14 | 0.14 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.48 | -0.05 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.33 | 0.95 |
| Hits / game | 1.33 | 0.95 |
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: O'Connor vs Cates
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2022-23 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
O'Connor 3G 1A, 9 SOG · Cates 2G 3A, 4 SOG
O'Connor's offensive zone 0–0 · neutral 1–0 · O'Connor's defensive zone 0–0 (2024-25)
O'Connor blocked 1 of Cates's shots; Cates blocked 0 of O'Connor's.
On the ice against each other (O'Connor's side)
8:18 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27, from O'Connor's side
- Shot attempts
- 5–8
- 38.5%
- Expected goals
- 0.0–0.7
- 3.8%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | O'Connor | Cates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-09 | VAN 1–3 PHI | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-12-30 | VAN 3–6 PHI | 1G 1A 2S | 1G 1A 1S |
| 2025-12-22 | VAN 2–5 PHI | 1G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2024-12-23 | PIT 7–3 PHI | 0G 0A 1S | 1G 0A 1S |
| 2024-02-25 | PIT 7–6 PHI | 1G 0A 4S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2023-04-02 | PIT 4–2 PHI | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2023-03-11 | PIT 5–1 PHI | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 1S |
Faceoffs: O'Connor vs Cates
Model: Drew O'Connor wins 49.7% of draws against Noah Cates 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.
| O'Connor at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 55% | 44% | 56% | 45% | 50% | 56% | 45% | 57% | 46% |
| Road | 53% | 43% | 54% | 44% | 49% | 54% | 44% | 55% | 45% |
Head-to-head 2024-25: O'Connor 1–0 (100.0%). Blended with the model: 49.8%. The record is a bit unusual for this matchup (z 1.0); pair-specific edges are about ±2 points, so the model carries most of the weight.
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
Nov 9 to Nov 15. 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
Drew O'Connor
3games (1 left)
0.8proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Nov 9 vs PHI
- Fri, Nov 13 vs NYROpp allows 5th-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Dylan Garand (.910)
- Sun, Nov 15 @ VGK0.8 pts
Noah Cates
4games (1 left)
0.9proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Nov 9 @ VANB2B
- Wed, Nov 11 @ EDMOpp allows 9th-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Tristan Jarry (.908)
- Sat, Nov 14 @ CBJOpp allows 13th-most FP to LWLikely vs Jet Greaves (.875)
- Opp allows 9th-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Tristan Jarry (.908)
Player data stories
How the game changed, told through the numbers.
- In 2022-23, Four NHL Players Wore a Number in the 90s for Every One in No. 9 The count was 53 to 13, and the incomplete 2025-26 rosters show the same split, 51 to 12.
- The 1,000-Game Club Had Its Biggest Year. Getting In Is No Easier. Seventeen players reached 1,000 NHL games in 2025-26, more than in any season before, in the biggest league the NHL has had.
- Only 14 NHL Defencemen Still Score Like Ken Daneyko A stay-at-home defenceman stays back to defend and leaves the scoring to others.
- How Much Lighter Did the NHL Really Get? Teams write down NHL weights.
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Drew O'Connor or Noah Cates in fantasy hockey?
- In 2026-27, Drew O'Connor scored 0.93 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Noah Cates's 0.87. O'Connor had 5 points in 21 games; Cates had 5 in 22 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, Drew O'Connor or Noah Cates?
- On 2026-27 numbers they split 15–15 across 34 stats where both qualify.
- How have O'Connor and Cates done against each other?
- In 7 games against each other in our data, O'Connor's team went 4–3. O'Connor had 4 points (3 goals) and Cates had 5 (2 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, O'Connor or Cates?
- Against each other, O'Connor has won 1 and Cates 0 of their 1 head-to-head draws.
2026-27 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 →