Who to start · 2026-27
Elias Pettersson vs Kiefer Sherwood
In 2026-27, Elias Pettersson scored 1.43 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Kiefer Sherwood's 1.37.
Pettersson had 4 points in 21 games; Sherwood had 8 in 22 games.
This week Pettersson has 1 game left with 1 tough matchup; Sherwood has 1 left with 1 tough matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Sherwood for 1.3 to Pettersson's 1.2 over the games left.
Kiefer Sherwood has the better number in 19 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Pettersson's biggest edges: Goals above expected +1.9, Faceoffs won 0, Goals 3.
Sherwood's biggest edges: Assists 6, Transition attempts /60 2.23, Hardest shot 90.8.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Kiefer Sherwood rates ahead, +0.5 to -0.4 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Pettersson is cooling, On-ice xGF/60 1.27 (was 2.04); Sherwood is cooling, On-ice xGF/60 1.46 (was 2.63).
- • Pettersson, last 10 games (Oct 22–Nov 13): 0 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 9 SOG.
- • Sherwood, last 10 games (Oct 27–Nov 14): 0 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 17 SOG.
Vancouver Canucks · San Jose Sharks · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Under Standard (6 categories), Kiefer Sherwood has the edge (Pettersson wins 3, Sherwood wins 3 of 6 categories).
| Category | Pettersson | Sherwood |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.14 | 0.09 |
| Assists / game | 0.05 | 0.27 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.14 | -0.32 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.00 | 1.73 |
| Hits / game | 2.14 | 5.14 |
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: Pettersson vs Sherwood
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.
Pettersson 0G 0A, 2 SOG · Sherwood 0G 1A, 4 SOG
Goals each scored with the other picking up an assist (as teammates).
On the ice against each other (Pettersson's side)
7:26 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27, from Pettersson's side
- Shot attempts
- 6–2
- 75.0%
- Expected goals
- 0.4–0.0
- 89.3%
- Goals
- 0–0
On the ice together
138:29 at 5-on-5 over 37 games, 2025-26
- Shot attempts
- 130–130
- 50.0%
- Expected goals
- 4.6–6.0
- 43.5%
- Goals
- 4–5
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Pettersson | Sherwood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-29 | VAN 2–3 SJS | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 1A 3S |
| 2026-04-11 | VAN 4–3 SJS | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 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.
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
Chemistry as teammates
How their expected-goal share at 5v5 changed together vs apart (shrunk for sample size), and how closely their DraftKings points moved game to game (raw, that season only; for forward linemates the typical value is about .28).
| Season | 5v5 min together | xG% lift | xGF/60 lift | DK correlation (raw) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 VAN | 139 | +0.9 | −0.07 | .61(−.11 to .91), 7 GP |
| 2024-25 VAN | 83 | −4.1 | −0.09 | – (too few games together) |
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
Elias Pettersson
3games (1 left)
1.2proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Nov 9 vs PHI
- Fri, Nov 13 vs NYROpp allows 14th-most FP to DLikely vs Dylan Garand (.910)
- Sun, Nov 15 @ VGK1.2 pts
Kiefer Sherwood
4games (1 left)
1.3proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Nov 9 vs NYI
- Wed, Nov 11 vs PITOpp allows 5th-most FP to LWLikely vs Sergei Murashov (.893)
- Sat, Nov 14 @ UTAOpp allows 15th-most FP to LWLikely vs Karel Vejmelka (.872)
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 Elias Pettersson or Kiefer Sherwood in fantasy hockey?
- In 2026-27, Elias Pettersson scored 1.43 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Kiefer Sherwood's 1.37. Pettersson had 4 points in 21 games; Sherwood had 8 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, Elias Pettersson or Kiefer Sherwood?
- On 2026-27 numbers, Kiefer Sherwood leads in 19 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Pettersson and Sherwood done against each other?
- In 2 games against each other in our data, Pettersson's team went 1–1. Pettersson had 0 points (0 goals) and Sherwood had 1 (0 goals).
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 →