Edgehalla

Who to start · 2025-26

Easton Cowan vs Nathan MacKinnon

Easton CowanMaple Leafs · Right wing
vs
Nathan MacKinnonAvalanche · Centre
SteadyPP1 in 0 of last 5 (was 9 of 20)
CoolingOn-ice xGF/60 2.51 (was 3.88)

Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nathan MacKinnon projects to 3.08 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Easton Cowan's 1.46.

Cowan had 29 points in 66 games; MacKinnon had 127 in 80 games.

This week Cowan has 2 games left with 2 tough matchups; MacKinnon has 2 left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups. In ESPN default points scoring we project MacKinnon for 6.0 to Cowan's 2.3 over the games left.

Nathan MacKinnon has the better number in 30 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.

Cowan's biggest edges: Ascension score 51, Penalty minutes 45, Hits 72.

MacKinnon's biggest edges: Top skating speed 24.8, Fenwick 56.0%, Faceoffs won 681.

In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Nathan MacKinnon rates ahead, +14.0 to +0.7 in summed category z-scores.

Role trend over the last 5 games: Cowan is steady, PP1 in 0 of last 5 (was 9 of 20); MacKinnon is cooling, On-ice xGF/60 2.51 (was 3.88).

  • • 2026-27 so far: 11 GP, 4 G, 6 A, 1 PPP, 23 SOG.
  • • Last 10 games (Sep 30–Oct 20): 4 G, 5 A, 1 PPP, 22 SOG.
  • • 2026-27 so far: 10 GP, 6 G, 10 A, 2 PPP, 44 SOG.

Toronto Maple Leafs · Colorado Avalanche · Who should I start? · Compare other players

Fantasy value: your scoring

Easton Cowan

+0.7

category z-score total

Nathan MacKinnon

+14.0

category z-score total

Under Standard (6 categories), Nathan MacKinnon has the edge (Cowan wins 1, MacKinnon wins 5 of 6 categories).

Per-stat breakdown under Standard (6 categories)
CategoryCowanMacKinnon
Goals / game0.250.64
Assists / game0.390.96
Plus/minus / game-0.010.43
Power-play points / game0.090.30
Shots on goal / game1.694.38
Hits / game1.010.68

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: Cowan vs MacKinnon

Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2025-26 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.

CowanMacKinnon
2Team record in 3 meetings1
3Points in those games6

Cowan 2G 1A, 5 SOG · MacKinnon 2G 4A, 13 SOG

1Shots blocked by the other0

Cowan blocked 1 of MacKinnon's shots; MacKinnon blocked 0 of Cowan's.

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

7:46 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27, from Cowan's side

Shot attempts
3–11
21.4%
Expected goals
0.0–0.5
7.2%
Goals
0–1

Games against each other

Games between Easton Cowan and Nathan MacKinnon
DateScoreCowanMacKinnon
2026-10-10TOR 6–3 COL1G 0A 2S2G 0A 8S
2026-01-25TOR 1–4 COL0G 1A 2S0G 1A 2S
2026-01-12TOR 4–3 COL1G 0A 1S0G 3A 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.

CowanMacKinnon

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

Easton Cowan

4games (2 left)

2.3proj. ESPN default pts

  • Mon, Oct 19 vs SJS
    Opp allows 15th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Yaroslav Askarov (.884)
  • Tue, Oct 20 @ CBJB2B
    Opp allows 5th-most FP to RWSchedule edge −9.3 win%Likely vs Jet Greaves (.908)
  • Thu, Oct 22 vs NYR1.1 pts
    Opp allows 7th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Dylan Garand (.948)
  • Sat, Oct 24 @ EDM1.1 pts
    Opp allows 5th-fewest FP to RWSchedule edge −1.0 win%Likely vs Tristan Jarry (.882)

Nathan MacKinnon

4games (2 left)

6.0proj. ESPN default pts

  • Mon, Oct 19 @ PHI
    Opp allows 11th-most FP to CLikely vs Joseph Woll (.899)
  • Tue, Oct 20 @ NJDB2B
    Opp allows 16th-fewest FP to CSchedule edge −9.3 win%Likely vs Jake Allen (.904)
  • Fri, Oct 23 vs TBL2.5 pts
    Opp allows 6th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.912)
  • Sun, Oct 25 @ NSH3.5 pts
    Opp allows 9th-most FP to CSchedule edge +9.3 win%Likely vs Juuse Saros (.893)

Similar matchups

FAQ

Should I start Easton Cowan or Nathan MacKinnon in fantasy hockey?
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nathan MacKinnon projects to 3.08 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Easton Cowan's 1.46. Cowan had 29 points in 66 games; MacKinnon had 127 in 80 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, Easton Cowan or Nathan MacKinnon?
On 2025-26 numbers, Nathan MacKinnon leads in 30 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
How have Cowan and MacKinnon done against each other?
In 3 games against each other in our data, Cowan's team went 2–1. Cowan had 3 points (2 goals) and MacKinnon had 6 (2 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 →