Who to start · 2025-26
Jiri Kulich vs Ryan McLeod
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Jiri Kulich projects to 1.26 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Ryan McLeod's 1.01.
Kulich had 5 points in 12 games; McLeod had 54 in 81 games.
This week Kulich has 2 games left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups; McLeod has 2 left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups. In ESPN default points scoring we project Kulich for 2.5 to McLeod's 1.9 over the games left.
Ryan McLeod has the better number in 3 of the 3 stats both are ranked on.
McLeod's biggest edges: Draw Equity /100 −0.023, Faceoff win % 47.7%, Luck Meter +20.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Jiri Kulich rates ahead, -2.2 to -2.6 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Kulich has no recent trend; McLeod is cooling, −0:56 PP TOI.
- • Kulich has played 7 of the Sabres' 9 games since Oct 1 (in and out of the lineup).
- • 2026-27 so far: 7 GP, 1 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 8 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 7 SOG.
Buffalo Sabres · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Jiri Kulich
-2.2
category z-score total
Ryan McLeod
-2.6
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Jiri Kulich has the edge (Kulich wins 3, McLeod wins 3 of 6 categories).
| Category | Kulich | McLeod |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.22 | 0.15 |
| Assists / game | 0.20 | 0.35 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.09 | -0.06 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.50 | 0.99 |
| Hits / game | 0.83 | 0.29 |
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: Kulich vs McLeod
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.
On the ice together
17:40 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2026-27
- Shot attempts
- 10–20
- 33.3%
- Expected goals
- 0.6–0.6
- 51.3%
- Goals
- 1–1
Faceoffs: Kulich vs McLeod
Model: Jiri Kulich wins 45.6% of draws against Ryan McLeod 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.
| Kulich at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 50% | 40% | 51% | 41% | 46% | 51% | 41% | 52% | 43% |
| Road | 49% | 39% | 50% | 40% | 45% | 50% | 40% | 51% | 41% |
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
Chemistry as teammates
How their expected-goal share at 5v5 changed together vs apart (shrunk for sample size), and how closely their DraftKings points moved game to game (raw, that season only; for forward linemates the typical value is about .28).
| Season | 5v5 min together | xG% lift | xGF/60 lift | DK correlation (raw) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 BUF | 60 | −0.9 | +0.07 | −.44(−.93 to .60), 5 GP |
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
Jiri Kulich
2games
2.5proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 vs PHI1.4 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 @ WSH1.1 ptsOpp allows 7th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Logan Thompson (.912)
Ryan McLeod
2games
1.9proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 vs PHI1.1 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 @ WSH0.8 ptsOpp allows 7th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Logan Thompson (.912)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Jiri Kulich or Ryan McLeod in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Jiri Kulich projects to 1.26 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Ryan McLeod's 1.01. Kulich had 5 points in 12 games; McLeod had 54 in 81 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, Jiri Kulich or Ryan McLeod?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Ryan McLeod leads in 3 of 3 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
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 →