Who to start · 2025-26
Justin Hryckowian vs Macklin Celebrini
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Macklin Celebrini projects to 3.20 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Justin Hryckowian's 0.87.
Hryckowian had 30 points in 81 games; Celebrini had 115 in 82 games.
This week Hryckowian has 2 games left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups; Celebrini has 2 left with 1 tough matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Celebrini for 5.3 to Hryckowian's 1.9 over the games left.
Macklin Celebrini has the better number in 25 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
Hryckowian's biggest edges: Turnover Ledger /60 +0.024, High-danger chances 55.4%, Forecheck xG /60 0.39.
Celebrini's biggest edges: Ascension score 79, Offensive-zone start % 68.6%, Ice-time share 35.1%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Macklin Celebrini rates ahead, +13.2 to -2.2 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Hryckowian is cooling, 0 P in last 5 (0.35/GP before); Celebrini is surging, ixG/60 1.90 (was 1.10).
- • Hryckowian, 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 9 SOG.
- • Celebrini has played 8 of the Sharks' 10 games since Oct 1 (in and out of the lineup).
- • Celebrini, 2026-27 so far: 8 GP, 5 G, 9 A, 8 PPP, 37 SOG.
Dallas Stars · San Jose Sharks · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Justin Hryckowian
-2.2
category z-score total
Macklin Celebrini
+13.2
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Macklin Celebrini has the edge (Hryckowian wins 1, Celebrini wins 5 of 6 categories).
| Category | Hryckowian | Celebrini |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.11 | 0.58 |
| Assists / game | 0.12 | 0.95 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.01 | 0.06 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.04 | 0.61 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.02 | 3.89 |
| Hits / game | 1.79 | 0.64 |
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: Hryckowian vs Celebrini
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2025-26 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Hryckowian 2G 0A, 3 SOG · Celebrini 0G 5A, 13 SOG
Hryckowian's offensive zone 1–0 · neutral 1–0 · Hryckowian's defensive zone 0–0 (2025-26)
On the ice against each other (Hryckowian's side)
12:36 at 5-on-5 over 3 games, 2025-26, from Hryckowian's side
- Shot attempts
- 8–9
- 47.1%
- Expected goals
- 0.2–0.7
- 23.7%
- Goals
- 0–1
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Hryckowian | Celebrini |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-10 | DAL 4–5 SJS | 1G 0A 2S | 0G 3A 4S |
| 2025-12-18 | DAL 5–3 SJS | 1G 0A 1S | 0G 2A 8S |
| 2025-12-05 | DAL 4–1 SJS | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 1S |
Faceoffs: Hryckowian vs Celebrini
Model: Justin Hryckowian wins 53.8% of draws against Macklin Celebrini 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.
| Hryckowian at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 60% | 47% | 61% | 48% | 54% | 61% | 48% | 62% | 49% |
| Road | 59% | 45% | 60% | 46% | 54% | 60% | 46% | 61% | 48% |
Head-to-head 2025-26: Hryckowian 2–0 (100.0%). Blended with the model: 54.0%. The record is a bit unusual for this matchup (z 1.3); pair-specific edges are about ±2 points, so the model carries most of the weight.
Hryckowian faceoffs · Celebrini faceoffs · how the model works
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, Luck & trend, NHL EDGE tracking continue below
Every stat, side by side (continued)
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
Justin Hryckowian
3games (2 left)
1.9proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs BOSOpp allows 3rd-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jeremy Swayman (.908)
- Thu, Oct 22 vs WPG1.1 ptsOpp allows 8th-most FP to Cvs Stuart Skinner (.888)
- Sun, Oct 25 vs NYI0.9 ptsOpp allows the fewest FP to CLikely vs Ilya Sorokin (.906)
Macklin Celebrini
4games (2 left)
5.3proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 @ TOROpp allows 10th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Sergei Bobrovsky (.877)
- Tue, Oct 20 @ MTLB2B
- Thu, Oct 22 @ OTT2.8 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 @ BOS2.5 ptsOpp allows 3rd-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jeremy Swayman (.908)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Justin Hryckowian or Macklin Celebrini in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Macklin Celebrini projects to 3.20 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Justin Hryckowian's 0.87. Hryckowian had 30 points in 81 games; Celebrini had 115 in 82 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, Justin Hryckowian or Macklin Celebrini?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Macklin Celebrini leads in 25 of 36 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Hryckowian and Celebrini done against each other?
- In 3 games against each other in our data, Hryckowian's team went 2–1. Hryckowian had 2 points (2 goals) and Celebrini had 5 (0 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Hryckowian or Celebrini?
- Against each other, Hryckowian has won 2 and Celebrini 0 of their 2 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 →