Who to start · 2025-26
Justin Hryckowian vs Ryan Strome
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Ryan Strome projects to 0.92 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Justin Hryckowian's 0.87.
Hryckowian had 30 points in 81 games; Strome had 21 in 52 games.
This week Hryckowian has 2 games left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups; Strome has 2 left. In ESPN default points scoring we project Hryckowian for 1.9 to Strome's 1.8 over the games left.
Justin Hryckowian has the better number in 25 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
Hryckowian's biggest edges: Hits 119, Blocked shots 44, Turnover Ledger /60 +0.024.
Strome's biggest edges: Offensive-zone start % 57.4%, Offensive-zone time 44.2%, Corsi 50.5%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Justin Hryckowian rates ahead, -2.2 to -4.2 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Hryckowian is cooling, 0 P in last 5 (0.35/GP before); Strome is steady, On-ice xGF/60 3.42 (was 1.91).
- • Hryckowian, 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 9 SOG.
- • Strome, 2026-27 so far: 8 GP, 1 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 18 SOG.
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Fantasy value: your scoring
Justin Hryckowian
-2.2
category z-score total
Ryan Strome
-4.2
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Justin Hryckowian has the edge (Hryckowian wins 3, Strome wins 3 of 6 categories).
| Category | Hryckowian | Strome |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.11 | 0.14 |
| Assists / game | 0.12 | 0.25 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.01 | -0.36 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.04 | 0.03 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.02 | 1.50 |
| Hits / game | 1.79 | 0.41 |
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 Strome
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 1G 1A, 3 SOG · Strome 0G 0A, 2 SOG
Hryckowian's offensive zone 0–1 · neutral 0–0 · Hryckowian's defensive zone 1–0 (2025-26)
On the ice against each other (Hryckowian's side)
9:03 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Hryckowian's side
- Shot attempts
- 2–17
- 10.5%
- Expected goals
- 0.1–0.4
- 16.3%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Hryckowian | Strome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-07 | DAL 4–3 CGY | 1G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2026-01-13 | DAL 1–3 ANA | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-12-19 | DAL 8–3 ANA | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
Faceoffs: Hryckowian vs Strome
Model: Justin Hryckowian wins 58.2% of draws against Ryan Strome on average (L shot vs R shot). Opposite-handed, so they are both strong or both weak at every dot and the dot barely matters.
| Hryckowian at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 59% | 56% | 60% | 57% | 58% | 60% | 57% | 61% | 58% |
| Road | 58% | 55% | 59% | 56% | 58% | 59% | 56% | 60% | 57% |
Head-to-head 2025-26: Hryckowian 1–1 (50.0%). Blended with the model: 58.1%. The record is normal luck for this matchup (z -0.2); 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, 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)
Ryan Strome
2games
1.8proj. ESPN default pts
- Thu, Oct 22 vs MIN0.9 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 vs DET0.9 ptsOpp allows 12th-fewest FP to CLikely vs John Gibson (.901)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Justin Hryckowian or Ryan Strome in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Ryan Strome projects to 0.92 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Justin Hryckowian's 0.87. Hryckowian had 30 points in 81 games; Strome had 21 in 52 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 Ryan Strome?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Justin Hryckowian 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 Strome done against each other?
- In 3 games against each other in our data, Hryckowian's team went 2–1. Hryckowian had 2 points (1 goals) and Strome had 0 (0 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Hryckowian or Strome?
- Against each other, Hryckowian has won 1 and Strome 1 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 →