Who to start · 2026-27
Emmitt Finnie vs Ivan Barbashev
In 2026-27, Ivan Barbashev scored 1.56 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Emmitt Finnie's 1.55.
Finnie had 11 points in 21 games; Barbashev had 16 in 21 games.
This week Finnie has no games left; Barbashev has 1 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Barbashev for 1.8 to Finnie's 0.0 over the games left.
Emmitt Finnie has the better number in 22 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Finnie's biggest edges: 20+ mph bursts 104, Turnover Ledger /60 +0.030, Faceoffs won 127.
Barbashev's biggest edges: Assists 12, Net penalties drawn /60 +0.55, Hits 44.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Ivan Barbashev rates ahead, +1.8 to +0.6 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Finnie is steady; Barbashev is steady, ixG/60 1.54 (was 0.75).
- • Finnie, last 10 games (Oct 26–Nov 14): 3 G, 1 A, 1 PPP, 22 SOG.
- • Barbashev, last 10 games (Oct 22–Nov 13): 3 G, 5 A, 1 PPP, 12 SOG.
Detroit Red Wings · Vegas Golden Knights · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Under Standard (6 categories), Ivan Barbashev has the edge (Finnie wins 2, Barbashev wins 4 of 6 categories).
| Category | Finnie | Barbashev |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.33 | 0.19 |
| Assists / game | 0.19 | 0.57 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.43 | 0.48 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.10 | 0.14 |
| Shots on goal / game | 2.14 | 1.33 |
| Hits / game | 0.95 | 2.10 |
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: Finnie vs Barbashev
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.
Finnie 1G 0A, 6 SOG · Barbashev 2G 0A, 8 SOG
On the ice against each other (Finnie's side)
15:24 at 5-on-5 over 3 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27, from Finnie's side
- Shot attempts
- 24–20
- 54.5%
- Expected goals
- 1.2–1.2
- 49.9%
- Goals
- 0–1
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Finnie | Barbashev |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-05 | DET 1–2 VGK | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2026-03-04 | DET 3–4 VGK | 1G 0A 3S | 1G 0A 3S |
| 2025-11-04 | DET 0–1 VGK | 0G 0A 1S | 1G 0A 3S |
Faceoffs: Finnie vs Barbashev
Model: Emmitt Finnie wins 60.7% of draws against Ivan Barbashev 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.
| Finnie at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 67% | 54% | 68% | 55% | 61% | 68% | 55% | 69% | 56% |
| Road | 65% | 53% | 66% | 54% | 61% | 66% | 54% | 67% | 55% |
They have not faced each other on a draw in the seasons we track.
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
Emmitt Finnie
3games (0 left)
0.0proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Nov 10 @ STLOpp allows 13th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Joel Hofer (.921)
- Thu, Nov 12 @ FLAOpp allows 15th-most FP to CLikely vs Akira Schmid (.883)
- Sat, Nov 14 @ TBLOpp allows 5th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.889)
Ivan Barbashev
3games (1 left)
1.8proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Nov 11 vs UTAOpp allows 15th-most FP to LWLikely vs Sebastian Cossa (.862)
- Fri, Nov 13 vs NSHOpp allows 10th-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Juuse Saros (.922)
- Sun, Nov 15 vs VAN1.8 pts
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 Emmitt Finnie or Ivan Barbashev in fantasy hockey?
- In 2026-27, Ivan Barbashev scored 1.56 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Emmitt Finnie's 1.55. Finnie had 11 points in 21 games; Barbashev had 16 in 21 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, Emmitt Finnie or Ivan Barbashev?
- On 2026-27 numbers, Emmitt Finnie leads in 22 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Finnie and Barbashev done against each other?
- In 3 games against each other in our data, Finnie's team went 0–3. Finnie had 1 points (1 goals) and Barbashev had 2 (2 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 →