Who to start · 2025-26
Hunter McDonald vs Nikolas Matinpalo
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Hunter McDonald projects to 1.99 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nikolas Matinpalo's 0.79.
McDonald had 1 points in 1 game; Matinpalo had 5 in 50 games.
This week McDonald has 2 games left; Matinpalo has 3 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Matinpalo for 2.3 to McDonald's 1.5 over the games left.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Hunter McDonald rates ahead, +19.0 to -3.6 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: McDonald has no recent trend; Matinpalo is cooling, On-ice xGF/60 1.40 (was 3.02).
- • Hunter McDonald is a rookie: 1 NHL games before this season.
- • 2026-27 so far: 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 0 SOG.
- • Matinpalo has played 7 of the Senators' 9 games since Oct 3 (in and out of the lineup).
- • 2026-27 so far: 7 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 5 SOG.
Philadelphia Flyers · Ottawa Senators · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Hunter McDonald
+19.0
category z-score total
Nikolas Matinpalo
-3.6
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Hunter McDonald has the edge (McDonald wins 3, Matinpalo wins 1 of 6 categories).
| Category | McDonald | Matinpalo |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Assists / game | 0.94 | 0.07 |
| Plus/minus / game | 2.75 | 0.08 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal / game | 0.00 | 0.73 |
| Hits / game | 4.94 | 0.85 |
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
Hunter McDonald and Nikolas Matinpalo have no head-to-head events in our data yet (regular season and playoffs since 2019-20).
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
Hunter McDonald
3games (2 left)
1.5proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 vs COLOpp allows 11th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Mackenzie Blackwood (.903)
- Wed, Oct 21 @ BUF0.8 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 vs ANA0.8 pts
Nikolas Matinpalo
3games
2.3proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 vs FLA0.8 ptsOpp allows 14th-fewest FP to Dvs Akira Schmid (.892)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs NYR0.7 ptsOpp allows 12th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Dylan Garand (.948)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Hunter McDonald or Nikolas Matinpalo in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Hunter McDonald projects to 1.99 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nikolas Matinpalo's 0.79. McDonald had 1 points in 1 game; Matinpalo had 5 in 50 games. Check this week's games and your league's scoring in the fantasy panel above, since more games usually decide a weekly start.
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 →