Who to start · 2025-26
Matvei Michkov vs Michael Brandsegg-Nygård
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Matvei Michkov projects to 1.51 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Michael Brandsegg-Nygård's 1.02.
Michkov had 51 points in 81 games; Brandsegg-Nygård had 1 in 14 games.
This week Michkov has 2 games left with 1 soft matchup; Brandsegg-Nygård has 2 left with 2 soft matchups. In ESPN default points scoring we project Michkov for 3.7 to Brandsegg-Nygård's 2.7 over the games left.
They split the 2 stats both are ranked on 1–1.
Michkov's biggest edges: Luck Meter +6.
Brandsegg-Nygård's biggest edges: Ascension score 86.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård rates ahead, +1.3 to -0.3 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Michkov is rising, ixG/60 1.66 (was 0.80); Brandsegg-Nygård is steady, +3:12 TOI a game.
- • 2026-27 so far: 11 GP, 6 G, 1 A, 3 PPP, 14 SOG.
- • Last 10 games (Oct 1–Oct 19): 6 G, 1 A, 3 PPP, 13 SOG.
- • Michael Brandsegg-Nygård is a rookie: 14 NHL games before this season.
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 0 PPP, 22 SOG.
Philadelphia Flyers · Detroit Red Wings · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Matvei Michkov
-0.3
category z-score total
Michael Brandsegg-Nygård
+1.3
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Michael Brandsegg-Nygård has the edge (Michkov wins 3, Brandsegg-Nygård wins 3 of 6 categories).
| Category | Michkov | Brandsegg-Nygård |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.37 | 0.08 |
| Assists / game | 0.26 | 0.21 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.27 | 0.11 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.20 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.70 | 1.81 |
| Hits / game | 0.31 | 3.50 |
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: Michkov vs Brandsegg-Nygård
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2026-27 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Michkov 1G 0A, 1 SOG · Brandsegg-Nygård 0G 0A, 3 SOG
On the ice against each other (Michkov's side)
1:35 at 5-on-5 over 1 games, 2026-27, from Michkov's side
- Shot attempts
- 1–4
- 20.0%
- Expected goals
- 0.0–0.2
- 14.1%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Michkov | Brandsegg-Nygård |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-15 | PHI 1–2 DET | 1G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 3S |
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
Matvei Michkov
3games (2 left)
3.7proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 vs COLOpp allows 11th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Mackenzie Blackwood (.903)
- Wed, Oct 21 @ BUF1.9 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 vs ANA1.8 ptsOpp allows 12th-most FP to RWLikely vs Lukas Dostal (.888)
Michael Brandsegg-Nygård
3games (2 left)
2.7proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 @ SEAOpp allows 16th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Philipp Grubauer (.909)
- Thu, Oct 22 @ VAN1.4 ptsOpp allows the most FP to RWLikely vs Kevin Lankinen (.875)
- Sat, Oct 24 @ CGY1.4 ptsOpp allows 8th-most FP to RWLikely vs Dustin Wolf (.899)
Similar matchups
- Matvei Michkov vs Connor McDavid
- Matvei Michkov vs Nathan MacKinnon
- Matvei Michkov vs Macklin Celebrini
- Matvei Michkov vs Nikita Kucherov
- Michael Brandsegg-Nygård vs Connor McDavid
- Michael Brandsegg-Nygård vs Nathan MacKinnon
- Michael Brandsegg-Nygård vs Macklin Celebrini
- Michael Brandsegg-Nygård vs Nikita Kucherov
FAQ
- Should I start Matvei Michkov or Michael Brandsegg-Nygård in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Matvei Michkov projects to 1.51 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Michael Brandsegg-Nygård's 1.02. Michkov had 51 points in 81 games; Brandsegg-Nygård had 1 in 14 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, Matvei Michkov or Michael Brandsegg-Nygård?
- On 2025-26 numbers they split 1–1 across 2 stats where both qualify.
- How have Michkov and Brandsegg-Nygård done against each other?
- In 1 games against each other in our data, Michkov's team went 0–1. Michkov had 1 points (1 goals) and Brandsegg-Nygård had 0 (0 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 →