Who to start · 2025-26
Dylan Cozens vs Noah Ostlund
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Dylan Cozens projects to 1.59 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Noah Ostlund's 1.13.
Cozens had 59 points in 82 games; Ostlund had 27 in 60 games.
This week Cozens has 3 games left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups; Ostlund has 2 left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups. In ESPN default points scoring we project Cozens for 4.8 to Ostlund's 2.2 over the games left.
Dylan Cozens has the better number in 27 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
Cozens's biggest edges: Hits 215, Top skating speed 23.7, Faceoff win % 53.2%.
Ostlund's biggest edges: Ascension score 92, On-ice PDO 1030, Plus/minus +11.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Dylan Cozens rates ahead, +3.8 to +0.6 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Cozens is falling, On-ice xGF/60 1.38 (was 3.25); Ostlund is surging, ixG/60 0.99 (was 0.61).
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 PPP, 18 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 1 PPP, 20 SOG.
Ottawa Senators · Buffalo Sabres · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Dylan Cozens
+3.8
category z-score total
Noah Ostlund
+0.6
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Dylan Cozens has the edge (Cozens wins 4, Ostlund wins 2 of 6 categories).
| Category | Cozens | Ostlund |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.21 | 0.20 |
| Assists / game | 0.32 | 0.33 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.10 | 0.32 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.30 | 0.10 |
| Shots on goal / game | 2.31 | 1.46 |
| Hits / game | 2.60 | 0.09 |
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: Cozens vs Ostlund
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.
Cozens 0G 1A, 2 SOG · Ostlund 1G 0A, 2 SOG
Cozens's offensive zone 1–0 · neutral 0–0 · Cozens's defensive zone 0–1 (2025-26)
On the ice against each other (Cozens's side)
8:43 at 5-on-5 over 1 games, 2025-26, from Cozens's side
- Shot attempts
- 9–5
- 64.3%
- Expected goals
- 0.4–0.1
- 79.0%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Cozens | Ostlund |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-23 | OTT 2–3 BUF | 0G 1A 2S | 1G 0A 2S |
Faceoffs: Cozens vs Ostlund
Model: Dylan Cozens wins 62.9% of draws against Noah Ostlund on average (R shot vs L shot). Opposite-handed, so they are both strong or both weak at every dot and the dot barely matters.
| Cozens at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 63% | 62% | 64% | 63% | 63% | 64% | 63% | 65% | 64% |
| Road | 62% | 61% | 63% | 62% | 63% | 63% | 62% | 64% | 63% |
Head-to-head 2025-26: Cozens 1–1 (50.0%). Blended with the model: 62.9%. The record is normal luck for this matchup (z -0.4); 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
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
Dylan Cozens
3games
4.8proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 vs FLA1.5 ptsOpp allows 12th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Akira Schmid (.892)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs NYR1.4 ptsOpp allows 5th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Dylan Garand (.948)
Noah Ostlund
2games
2.2proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 vs PHI1.3 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 @ WSH1.0 ptsOpp allows 7th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Logan Thompson (.912)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Dylan Cozens or Noah Ostlund in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Dylan Cozens projects to 1.59 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Noah Ostlund's 1.13. Cozens had 59 points in 82 games; Ostlund had 27 in 60 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, Dylan Cozens or Noah Ostlund?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Dylan Cozens leads in 27 of 36 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Cozens and Ostlund done against each other?
- In 1 games against each other in our data, Cozens's team went 0–1. Cozens had 1 points (0 goals) and Ostlund had 1 (1 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Cozens or Ostlund?
- Against each other, Cozens has won 1 and Ostlund 1 of their 2 head-to-head draws.
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 →