Who to start · 2025-26
Garnet Hathaway vs Nathan MacKinnon
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nathan MacKinnon projects to 3.08 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Garnet Hathaway's 0.83.
Hathaway had 3 points in 66 games; MacKinnon had 127 in 80 games.
This week Hathaway has 3 games left with 2 soft matchups; MacKinnon has 2 left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups. In ESPN default points scoring we project MacKinnon for 5.9 to Hathaway's 2.9 over the games left.
Nathan MacKinnon has the better number in 27 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Hathaway's biggest edges: Hits 252, Turnover Ledger /60 −0.033, Blocked shots 58.
MacKinnon's biggest edges: Points 127, Goals 53, Luck Meter +52.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Nathan MacKinnon rates ahead, +14.0 to -2.6 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Hathaway is steady, −0:49 5v5 TOI; MacKinnon is cooling, On-ice xGF/60 2.51 (was 3.88).
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 3 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 10 GP, 6 G, 10 A, 2 PPP, 44 SOG.
Florida Panthers · Colorado Avalanche · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Garnet Hathaway
-2.6
category z-score total
Nathan MacKinnon
+14.0
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Nathan MacKinnon has the edge (Hathaway wins 1, MacKinnon wins 5 of 6 categories).
| Category | Hathaway | MacKinnon |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.01 | 0.64 |
| Assists / game | 0.02 | 0.96 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.10 | 0.43 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.30 |
| Shots on goal / game | 0.45 | 4.38 |
| Hits / game | 4.09 | 0.68 |
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: Hathaway vs MacKinnon
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2017-18 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Hathaway 1G 1A, 27 SOG · MacKinnon 13G 18A, 92 SOG
Hathaway's offensive zone 0–0 · neutral 1–0 · Hathaway's defensive zone 0–1 (2024-25)
Hathaway blocked 2 of MacKinnon's shots; MacKinnon blocked 0 of Hathaway's.
On the ice against each other (Hathaway's side)
2:33 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Hathaway's side
- Shot attempts
- 1–2
- 33.3%
- Expected goals
- 0.1–0.1
- 51.2%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Hathaway | MacKinnon |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-23 | PHI 7–3 COL | 0G 1A 0S | 0G 2A 1S |
| 2025-12-07 | PHI 2–3 COL | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 1A 6S |
| 2025-02-02 | PHI 0–2 COL | 0G 0A 3S | 1G 0A 4S |
| 2024-11-18 | PHI 2–3 COL | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2024-01-20 | PHI 4–7 COL | 0G 0A 0S | 2G 2A 4S |
| 2023-12-09 | PHI 5–2 COL | 0G 0A 1S | 1G 0A 4S |
| 2023-01-24 | WSH 2–3 COL | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2022-11-19 | WSH 0–4 COL | 0G 0A 5S | 1G 1A 3S |
| 2022-04-18 | WSH 3–2 COL | 1G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2021-10-19 | WSH 6–3 COL | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 1A 3S |
| 2020-02-13 | WSH 3–2 COL | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 2A 9S |
| 2019-10-14 | WSH 3–6 COL | 0G 0A 1S | 1G 1A 2S |
Latest 12 of 22 meetings.
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
Garnet Hathaway
3games
2.9proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 @ OTT0.9 ptsOpp allows 16th-most FP to RWLikely vs Linus Ullmark (.891)
- Sun, Oct 25 @ CHI1.0 ptsOpp allows 6th-most FP to RWLikely vs Spencer Knight (.902)
Nathan MacKinnon
4games (2 left)
5.9proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 @ PHIOpp allows 10th-most FP to CLikely vs Joseph Woll (.899)
- Tue, Oct 20 @ NJDB2B
- Fri, Oct 23 vs TBL2.5 ptsOpp allows 4th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.912)
- Sun, Oct 25 @ NSH3.4 pts
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Garnet Hathaway 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 Garnet Hathaway's 0.83. Hathaway had 3 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, Garnet Hathaway or Nathan MacKinnon?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Nathan MacKinnon leads in 27 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Hathaway and MacKinnon done against each other?
- In 22 games against each other in our data, Hathaway's team went 10–12. Hathaway had 2 points (1 goals) and MacKinnon had 31 (13 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Hathaway or MacKinnon?
- Against each other, Hathaway has won 1 and MacKinnon 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 →