Edgehalla

Who to start · 2025-26

Ilya Protas vs Nikita Kucherov

Ilya ProtasCapitals · Left wing
vs
Nikita KucherovLightning · Right wing
RisingixG/60 1.58 (was 0.52)
Steady63% of team PP time (was 72%)

Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nikita Kucherov projects to 2.79 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Ilya Protas's 1.53.

Protas had 4 points in 4 games; Kucherov had 130 in 76 games.

This week Protas has 1 game left; Kucherov has 2 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Kucherov for 5.4 to Protas's 1.3 over the games left.

In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Nikita Kucherov rates ahead, +12.3 to +1.8 in summed category z-scores.

Role trend over the last 5 games: Protas is rising, ixG/60 1.58 (was 0.52); Kucherov is steady, 63% of team PP time (was 72%).

  • • Ilya Protas is a rookie: 4 NHL games before this season.
  • • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 1 PPP, 8 SOG.
  • • 2026-27 so far: 8 GP, 3 G, 7 A, 3 PPP, 24 SOG.

Washington Capitals · Tampa Bay Lightning · Who should I start? · Compare other players

Fantasy value: your scoring

Ilya Protas

+1.8

category z-score total

Nikita Kucherov

+12.3

category z-score total

Under Standard (6 categories), Nikita Kucherov has the edge (Protas wins 0, Kucherov wins 6 of 6 categories).

Per-stat breakdown under Standard (6 categories)
CategoryProtasKucherov
Goals / game0.200.51
Assists / game0.641.04
Plus/minus / game0.110.41
Power-play points / game0.200.45
Shots on goal / game1.433.03
Hits / game0.170.35

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: Protas vs Kucherov

Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2026-27 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.

ProtasKucherov
0Team record in 1 meetings1
0Points in those games1

Protas 0G 0A, 0 SOG · Kucherov 0G 1A, 3 SOG

On the ice against each other (Protas's side)

3:07 at 5-on-5 over 1 games, 2026-27, from Protas's side

Shot attempts
2–1
66.7%
Expected goals
0.0–0.0
65.7%
Goals
0–0

Games against each other

Games between Ilya Protas and Nikita Kucherov
DateScoreProtasKucherov
2026-10-03WSH 1–3 TBL0G 0A 0S0G 1A 3S

Every stat, side by side

Season values; bars are percentiles at each player's position (longer is better). Click a stat for its explainer.

ProtasKucherov

Fantasy box score

Possession & shot quality (5-on-5 on-ice)

Transition, turnovers & faceoffs

Usage

Special teams & discipline

Luck & trend

NHL EDGE tracking

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

Ilya Protas

2games (1 left)

1.3proj. ESPN default pts

Nikita Kucherov

3games (2 left)

5.4proj. ESPN default pts

  • Tue, Oct 20 @ VGK
    Opp allows 4th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Carter Hart (.891)
  • Fri, Oct 23 @ COL2.3 pts
    Opp allows 11th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Mackenzie Blackwood (.903)
  • Sat, Oct 24 @ UTAB2B3.1 pts
    Opp allows 10th-most FP to RWSchedule edge −12.1 win%Likely vs Karel Vejmelka (.897)

Similar matchups

FAQ

Should I start Ilya Protas or Nikita Kucherov in fantasy hockey?
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nikita Kucherov projects to 2.79 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Ilya Protas's 1.53. Protas had 4 points in 4 games; Kucherov had 130 in 76 games. Check this week's games and your league's scoring in the fantasy panel above, since more games usually decide a weekly start.
How have Protas and Kucherov done against each other?
In 1 games against each other in our data, Protas's team went 0–1. Protas had 0 points (0 goals) and Kucherov had 1 (0 goals).

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 →