Who to start · 2025-26
Mark Kastelic vs Ryan Strome
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Mark Kastelic projects to 1.29 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Ryan Strome's 0.92.
Kastelic had 22 points in 82 games; Strome had 21 in 52 games.
This week Kastelic has 2 games left with 2 soft matchups; Strome has 2 left. In ESPN default points scoring we project Kastelic for 2.4 to Strome's 1.8 over the games left.
They split the 36 stats both are ranked on 18–18.
Kastelic's biggest edges: Hits 215, Blocked shots 64, 20+ mph bursts 171.
Strome's biggest edges: Offensive-zone time 44.2%, Offensive-zone start % 57.4%, High-danger chances 51.3%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Mark Kastelic rates ahead, -0.2 to -4.2 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Kastelic is cooling, ixG/60 0.54 (was 0.98); Strome is steady, On-ice xGF/60 3.42 (was 1.91).
- • Kastelic, 2026-27 so far: 10 GP, 1 G, 4 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
Mark Kastelic
-0.2
category z-score total
Ryan Strome
-4.2
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Mark Kastelic has the edge (Kastelic wins 2, Strome wins 4 of 6 categories).
| Category | Kastelic | Strome |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.13 | 0.14 |
| Assists / game | 0.23 | 0.25 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.12 | -0.36 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.01 | 0.03 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.09 | 1.50 |
| Hits / game | 2.49 | 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: Kastelic vs Strome
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2021-22 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Kastelic 1G 1A, 6 SOG · Strome 3G 2A, 13 SOG
Kastelic's offensive zone 0–0 · neutral 0–0 · Kastelic's defensive zone 1–1 (2022-23 to 2023-24)
On the ice against each other (Kastelic's side)
2:28 at 5-on-5 over 1 games, 2025-26, from Kastelic's side
- Shot attempts
- 3–4
- 42.9%
- Expected goals
- 0.0–0.2
- 4.4%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Kastelic | Strome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-19 | BOS 3–4 ANA | 0G 0A 2S | 1G 0A 4S |
| 2025-02-22 | BOS 2–3 ANA | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2024-03-06 | OTT 1–2 ANA | 1G 0A 1S | 1G 0A 1S |
| 2024-02-15 | OTT 1–5 ANA | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 2A 0S |
| 2022-12-12 | OTT 3–0 ANA | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2022-04-09 | OTT 1–5 NYR | 0G 1A 0S | 1G 0A 4S |
Faceoffs: Kastelic vs Strome
Model: Mark Kastelic wins 62.0% of draws against Ryan Strome on average (R shot vs R 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.
| Kastelic at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 55% | 68% | 56% | 69% | 62% | 56% | 69% | 57% | 70% |
| Road | 54% | 67% | 55% | 68% | 62% | 55% | 68% | 56% | 69% |
Head-to-head 2023-24: Kastelic 1–0 (100.0%). Blended with the model: 62.0%. The record is normal luck for this matchup (z 0.8); 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
Mark Kastelic
3games (2 left)
2.4proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 @ DALOpp allows 8th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jake Oettinger (.899)
- Thu, Oct 22 vs NSH1.2 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 vs SJS1.2 ptsOpp allows 4th-most FP to CLikely vs Yaroslav Askarov (.884)
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 Mark Kastelic or Ryan Strome in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Mark Kastelic projects to 1.29 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Ryan Strome's 0.92. Kastelic had 22 points in 82 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, Mark Kastelic or Ryan Strome?
- On 2025-26 numbers they split 18–18 across 36 stats where both qualify.
- How have Kastelic and Strome done against each other?
- In 6 games against each other in our data, Kastelic's team went 1–5. Kastelic had 2 points (1 goals) and Strome had 5 (3 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Kastelic or Strome?
- Against each other, Kastelic 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 →