Who to start · 2025-26
Josh Norris vs Sam Bennett
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Sam Bennett projects to 1.74 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Josh Norris's 1.50.
Norris had 34 points in 44 games; Bennett had 58 in 76 games.
This week Norris has 2 games left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups; Bennett has 3 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Bennett for 5.4 to Norris's 2.8 over the games left.
Sam Bennett has the better number in 19 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
Norris's biggest edges: Plus/minus +11, Top skating speed 23.0, On-ice PDO 1054.
Bennett's biggest edges: Hits 115, Shots on goal 201, Forecheck xG /60 0.31.
Head to head on the dot, Norris leads Bennett 26–16.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Sam Bennett rates ahead, +4.5 to +0.3 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Norris is falling, PP1 in 0 of last 5 (was 14 of 20); Bennett is cooling, PP1 in 0 of last 5 (was 17 of 20).
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 2 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 12 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 3 G, 3 A, 0 PPP, 21 SOG.
Buffalo Sabres · Florida Panthers · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Josh Norris
+0.3
category z-score total
Sam Bennett
+4.5
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Sam Bennett has the edge (Norris wins 1, Bennett wins 5 of 6 categories).
| Category | Norris | Bennett |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.27 | 0.34 |
| Assists / game | 0.34 | 0.39 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.01 | 0.13 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.13 | 0.12 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.48 | 2.53 |
| Hits / game | 0.76 | 1.90 |
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: Norris vs Bennett
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2020-21 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Norris 3G 5A, 33 SOG · Bennett 4G 7A, 43 SOG
Norris's offensive zone 5–6 · neutral 9–7 · Norris's defensive zone 12–3 (2020-21 to 2026-27)
Norris blocked 1 of Bennett's shots; Bennett blocked 0 of Norris's.
On the ice against each other (Norris's side)
9:59 at 5-on-5 over 3 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27, from Norris's side
- Shot attempts
- 8–8
- 50.0%
- Expected goals
- 0.2–0.2
- 48.3%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Norris | Bennett |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-12 | BUF 5–3 FLA | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2026-02-27 | BUF 3–2 FLA | 0G 1A 3S | 1G 1A 2S |
| 2026-01-12 | BUF 3–4 FLA | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 2A 4S |
| 2025-03-08 | BUF 0–4 FLA | 0G 0A 1S | 1G 0A 2S |
| 2024-10-10 | OTT 3–1 FLA | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 1A 4S |
| 2024-02-20 | OTT 2–3 FLA | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2023-11-27 | OTT 0–5 FLA | 0G 0A 1S | 1G 1A 4S |
| 2022-04-28 | OTT 0–4 FLA | 0G 0A 2S | 1G 1A 4S |
| 2022-03-26 | OTT 3–4 FLA | 0G 1A 4S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2022-03-03 | OTT 0–3 FLA | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 1A 6S |
| 2021-12-14 | OTT 8–2 FLA | 2G 1A 5S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2021-03-24 | OTT 3–1 CGY | 1G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 1S |
Latest 12 of 17 meetings.
Faceoffs: Norris vs Bennett
Model: Josh Norris wins 54.8% of draws against Sam Bennett 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.
| Norris at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 63% | 46% | 64% | 47% | 55% | 64% | 47% | 65% | 48% |
| Road | 61% | 45% | 62% | 46% | 55% | 62% | 46% | 64% | 47% |
Head-to-head 2023-24 to 2026-27: Norris 14–9 (60.9%). Blended with the model: 55.1%. The record is normal luck for this matchup (z 0.6); pair-specific edges are about ±2 points, so the model carries most of the weight.
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
Josh Norris
2games
2.8proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 vs PHI1.6 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 @ WSH1.2 ptsOpp allows 7th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Logan Thompson (.912)
Sam Bennett
3games
5.4proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 @ OTT1.7 ptsOpp allows 14th-most FP to CLikely vs Linus Ullmark (.891)
- Sun, Oct 25 @ CHI1.9 ptsOpp allows 7th-most FP to CLikely vs Spencer Knight (.902)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Josh Norris or Sam Bennett in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Sam Bennett projects to 1.74 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Josh Norris's 1.50. Norris had 34 points in 44 games; Bennett had 58 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.
- Who is better, Josh Norris or Sam Bennett?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Sam Bennett leads in 19 of 36 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Norris and Bennett done against each other?
- In 17 games against each other in our data, Norris's team went 9–8. Norris had 8 points (3 goals) and Bennett had 11 (4 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Norris or Bennett?
- Against each other, Norris has won 26 and Bennett 16 of their 42 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 →