Who to start · 2025-26
John Tavares vs Patrick Kane
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, John Tavares projects to 1.80 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Patrick Kane's 1.68.
Tavares had 71 points in 82 games; Kane had 57 in 67 games.
This week Tavares has 1 game left; Kane has 1 left with 1 soft matchup. We project Tavares for 1.7 ESPN points to Kane's 1.6.
They split the 34 stats both are ranked on 16–16.
Tavares's biggest edges: Turnover Ledger /60 +0.027, Faceoffs won 801, Hardest shot 88.5.
Kane's biggest edges: Transition attempts /60 1.70, Plus/minus −1, Fenwick 52.8%.
- • 2026-27 so far: 2 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 5 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 2 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 4 SOG.
Fantasy value: your scoring
John Tavares
1.80
fantasy points per game
Patrick Kane
1.68
fantasy points per game
Under ESPN default points, John Tavares has the edge.
| Points per game from | Tavares | Kane |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (+2) | 0.67 | 0.54 |
| Assists (+1) | 0.49 | 0.54 |
| Power-play points (+0.5) | 0.11 | 0.13 |
| Shorthanded points (+0.5) | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal (+0.1) | 0.24 | 0.25 |
| Hits (+0.1) | 0.09 | 0.05 |
| Blocks (+0.5) | 0.22 | 0.19 |
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 custom weights are saved in this browser only.
Head-to-head: Tavares vs Kane
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.
Tavares 13G 8A, 59 SOG · Kane 11G 11A, 61 SOG
Tavares's offensive zone 0–0 · neutral 0–0 · Tavares's defensive zone 1–0 (2017-18)
On the ice against each other (Tavares's side)
20:56 at 5-on-5 over 4 games, 2025-26, from Tavares's side
- Shot attempts
- 16–28
- 36.4%
- Expected goals
- 0.4–1.4
- 22.2%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Tavares | Kane |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-21 | TOR 1–2 DET | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-12-28 | TOR 2–3 DET | 0G 2A 3S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2025-10-13 | TOR 2–3 DET | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-10-11 | TOR 3–6 DET | 0G 0A 1S | 1G 2A 4S |
| 2025-04-17 | TOR 4–3 DET | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2024-12-27 | TOR 5–2 DET | 0G 2A 0S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2024-12-14 | TOR 2–4 DET | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 3S |
| 2024-11-08 | TOR 3–1 DET | 2G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2024-04-13 | TOR 4–5 DET | 1G 0A 5S | 0G 2A 3S |
| 2024-01-14 | TOR 2–4 DET | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2023-02-19 | TOR 3–5 CHI | 1G 0A 6S | 3G 1A 5S |
| 2023-02-15 | TOR 5–2 CHI | 1G 1A 6S | 0G 0A 4S |
Latest 12 of 19 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
Sep 28 to Oct 4. 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 use ESPN default points for the games left.
John Tavares
3games (1 left)
1.7proj. ESPN pts
- Tue, Sep 29 vs MTLOpp allows 14th-most FP to CLikely vs Jakub Dobes (.901)
- Wed, Sep 30 vs NYIB2BOpp allows 15th-most FP to CSchedule edge −9.3 win%Likely vs Ilya Sorokin (.906)
- Sat, Oct 3 vs OTT1.7 ptsLikely vs Linus Ullmark (.891)
Patrick Kane
3games (1 left)
1.6proj. ESPN pts
- Tue, Sep 29 @ VGKOpp allows 14th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Carter Hart (.891)
- Thu, Oct 1 @ UTAOpp allows 2nd-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Karel Vejmelka (.897)
- Sat, Oct 3 @ BUF1.6 ptsOpp allows 3rd-most FP to RWSchedule edge −1.0 win%Likely vs Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (.910)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start John Tavares or Patrick Kane in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, John Tavares projects to 1.80 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Patrick Kane's 1.68. Tavares had 71 points in 82 games; Kane had 57 in 67 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, John Tavares or Patrick Kane?
- On 2025-26 numbers they split 16–16 across 34 stats where both qualify.
- How have Tavares and Kane done against each other?
- In 19 games against each other in our data, Tavares's team went 7–12. Tavares had 21 points (13 goals) and Kane had 22 (11 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Tavares or Kane?
- Against each other, Tavares has won 1 and Kane 0 of their 1 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 →