Who to start · 2026-27
Esa Lindell vs Pavel Mintyukov
In 2026-27, Pavel Mintyukov scored 1.67 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Esa Lindell's 1.38.
Lindell had 1 points in 14 games; Mintyukov had 7 in 16 games.
This week Lindell has 1 game left; Mintyukov has 1 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Mintyukov for 1.7 to Lindell's 1.5 over the games left.
Esa Lindell has the better number in 7 of the 14 stats both are ranked on.
Lindell's biggest edges: Turnover Ledger /60 −0.069, Expected goals 54.0%, On-ice PDO 1005.
Mintyukov's biggest edges: Luck Meter +18, Transition attempts /60 0.47, Ascension score 65.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Pavel Mintyukov rates ahead, -1.3 to -3.0 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Lindell is rising, +4:43 TOI a game; Mintyukov is surging, On-ice xGF/60 3.94 (was 2.63).
- • Lindell has played 10 of the Stars' 15 games since Oct 10 (in and out of the lineup).
- • Lindell, last 10 games (Oct 10–Nov 14): 0 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 15 SOG.
- • Mintyukov has played 10 of the Ducks' 14 games since Oct 16 (in and out of the lineup).
- • Mintyukov, last 10 games (Oct 16–Nov 14): 2 G, 4 A, 0 PPP, 10 SOG.
Dallas Stars · Anaheim Ducks · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Under Standard (6 categories), Pavel Mintyukov has the edge (Lindell wins 2, Mintyukov wins 3 of 6 categories).
| Category | Lindell | Mintyukov |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.00 | 0.13 |
| Assists / game | 0.07 | 0.31 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.21 | 0.19 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.21 | 0.94 |
| Hits / game | 0.43 | 0.44 |
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: Lindell vs Mintyukov
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2023-24 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Lindell 1G 2A, 7 SOG · Mintyukov 0G 4A, 5 SOG
Lindell blocked 0 of Mintyukov's shots; Mintyukov blocked 1 of Lindell's.
On the ice against each other (Lindell's side)
14:04 at 5-on-5 over 3 games, 2025-26, from Lindell's side
- Shot attempts
- 10–15
- 40.0%
- Expected goals
- 1.1–0.5
- 70.5%
- Goals
- 1–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Lindell | Mintyukov |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-13 | DAL 1–3 ANA | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-12-19 | DAL 8–3 ANA | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2025-11-06 | DAL 5–7 ANA | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2025-03-18 | DAL 4–3 ANA | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2024-11-18 | DAL 2–4 ANA | 1G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2024-03-08 | DAL 6–2 ANA | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2023-10-19 | DAL 3–2 ANA | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 1A 2S |
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
Esa Lindell
3games (1 left)
1.5proj. ESPN default pts
- Thu, Nov 12 vs WPGOpp allows 11th-most FP to DLikely vs Stuart Skinner (.880)
- Sat, Nov 14 vs BUFOpp allows 16th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Alex Lyon (.909)
- Opp allows 13th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Akira Schmid (.883)
Pavel Mintyukov
3games (1 left)
1.7proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Nov 11 vs NSH
- Sat, Nov 14 vs NYIOpp allows 11th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Semyon Varlamov (.899)
- Opp allows 4th-most FP to Dvs Devin Cooley (.914)
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 Esa Lindell or Pavel Mintyukov in fantasy hockey?
- In 2026-27, Pavel Mintyukov scored 1.67 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Esa Lindell's 1.38. Lindell had 1 points in 14 games; Mintyukov had 7 in 16 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, Esa Lindell or Pavel Mintyukov?
- On 2026-27 numbers, Esa Lindell leads in 7 of 14 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Lindell and Mintyukov done against each other?
- In 7 games against each other in our data, Lindell's team went 4–3. Lindell had 3 points (1 goals) and Mintyukov had 4 (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 →