Who to start · 2025-26
Luke Hughes 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 Luke Hughes's 1.37.
Hughes had 35 points in 68 games; Celebrini had 115 in 82 games.
This week Hughes has 2 games left with 1 soft matchup; Celebrini has 2 left with 1 tough matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Celebrini for 5.2 to Hughes's 3.3 over the games left.
Macklin Celebrini has the better number in 25 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Hughes's biggest edges: Top skating speed 23.4, Corsi 53.8%, Fenwick 52.7%.
Celebrini's biggest edges: Goals above expected +5.9, Luck Meter +76, Blocked shots 53.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Macklin Celebrini rates ahead, +13.2 to +4.1 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Hughes is steady, PP1 in 5 of last 5 (was 10 of 20); Celebrini is surging, ixG/60 1.94 (was 1.10).
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 3 G, 1 A, 1 PPP, 28 SOG.
- • Celebrini has played 8 of the Sharks' 10 games since Oct 1 (in and out of the lineup).
- • 2026-27 so far: 8 GP, 5 G, 9 A, 8 PPP, 37 SOG.
New Jersey Devils · San Jose Sharks · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Luke Hughes
+4.1
category z-score total
Macklin Celebrini
+13.2
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Macklin Celebrini has the edge (Hughes wins 0, Celebrini wins 6 of 6 categories).
| Category | Hughes | Celebrini |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.18 | 0.58 |
| Assists / game | 0.31 | 0.95 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.04 | 0.06 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.16 | 0.61 |
| Shots on goal / game | 2.55 | 3.89 |
| Hits / game | 0.26 | 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: Hughes vs Celebrini
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2024-25 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Hughes 0G 1A, 4 SOG · Celebrini 1G 2A, 9 SOG
Hughes blocked 0 of Celebrini's shots; Celebrini blocked 1 of Hughes's.
On the ice against each other (Hughes's side)
16:48 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Hughes's side
- Shot attempts
- 14–9
- 60.9%
- Expected goals
- 0.3–0.2
- 60.3%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Hughes | Celebrini |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-30 | NJD 2–5 SJS | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 3S |
| 2025-10-24 | NJD 3–1 SJS | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 1A 4S |
| 2025-01-04 | NJD 2–3 SJS | 0G 1A 0S | 1G 0A 2S |
| 2024-11-10 | NJD 0–1 SJS | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 0S |
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
Luke Hughes
3games (2 left)
3.3proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs COL
- Thu, Oct 22 vs ANA1.5 ptsOpp allows 16th-most FP to DLikely vs Lukas Dostal (.888)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs LAK1.8 ptsOpp allows 7th-most FP to DLikely vs Darcy Kuemper (.891)
Macklin Celebrini
4games (2 left)
5.2proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 @ TOROpp allows 13th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Sergei Bobrovsky (.877)
- Tue, Oct 20 @ MTLB2B
- Thu, Oct 22 @ OTT2.9 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 @ BOS2.4 ptsOpp allows 2nd-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jeremy Swayman (.908)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Luke Hughes 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 Luke Hughes's 1.37. Hughes had 35 points in 68 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, Luke Hughes or Macklin Celebrini?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Macklin Celebrini leads in 25 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Hughes and Celebrini done against each other?
- In 4 games against each other in our data, Hughes's team went 1–3. Hughes had 1 points (0 goals) and Celebrini had 3 (1 goals).
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 →