Edgehalla

Who to start · 2025-26

Michael Bunting vs Nathan MacKinnon

Michael BuntingFlyers · Left wing
vs
Nathan MacKinnonAvalanche · Centre
SteadyOn-ice xGF/60 0.79 (was 1.84)
CoolingOn-ice xGF/60 2.51 (was 3.88)

Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nathan MacKinnon projects to 3.08 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Michael Bunting's 0.88.

Bunting had 33 points in 74 games; MacKinnon had 127 in 80 games.

This week Bunting has 2 games left with 1 soft matchup; MacKinnon has 2 left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups. In ESPN default points scoring we project MacKinnon for 5.9 to Bunting's 1.9 over the games left.

Nathan MacKinnon has the better number in 30 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.

Bunting's biggest edges: Net penalties drawn /60 +0.95, Turnover Ledger /60 −0.036, Transition attempts /60 1.86.

MacKinnon's biggest edges: Plus/minus +57, On-ice PDO 1054, Sequence xG 59.5%.

In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Nathan MacKinnon rates ahead, +14.0 to -3.7 in summed category z-scores.

Role trend over the last 5 games: Bunting is steady, On-ice xGF/60 0.79 (was 1.84); MacKinnon is cooling, On-ice xGF/60 2.51 (was 3.88).

  • • 2026-27 so far: 7 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 PPP, 9 SOG.
  • • 2026-27 so far: 10 GP, 6 G, 10 A, 2 PPP, 44 SOG.

Philadelphia Flyers · Colorado Avalanche · Who should I start? · Compare other players

Fantasy value: your scoring

Michael Bunting

-3.7

category z-score total

Nathan MacKinnon

+14.0

category z-score total

Under Standard (6 categories), Nathan MacKinnon has the edge (Bunting wins 0, MacKinnon wins 6 of 6 categories).

Per-stat breakdown under Standard (6 categories)
CategoryBuntingMacKinnon
Goals / game0.130.64
Assists / game0.220.96
Plus/minus / game-0.450.43
Power-play points / game0.140.30
Shots on goal / game1.574.38
Hits / game0.640.68

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: Bunting vs MacKinnon

Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2020-21 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.

BuntingMacKinnon
7Team record in 16 meetings9
14Points in those games25

Bunting 8G 6A, 34 SOG · MacKinnon 7G 18A, 62 SOG

0Shots blocked by the other1

Bunting blocked 0 of MacKinnon's shots; MacKinnon blocked 1 of Bunting's.

On the ice against each other (Bunting's side)

15:52 at 5-on-5 over 6 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27, from Bunting's side

Shot attempts
18–16
52.9%
Expected goals
0.5–1.2
30.8%
Goals
0–0

Games against each other

Games between Michael Bunting and Nathan MacKinnon
DateScoreBuntingMacKinnon
2026-10-19PHI 3–2 COL0G 0A 1S0G 0A 1S
2026-03-18DAL 2–1 COL0G 0A 1S0G 1A 5S
2026-01-16NSH 7–3 COL1G 1A 2S0G 1A 4S
2025-12-13NSH 2–4 COL0G 0A 4S1G 1A 3S
2025-12-09NSH 4–3 COL0G 0A 2S0G 2A 7S
2025-11-22NSH 0–3 COL0G 0A 1S1G 0A 1S
2024-12-10PIT 2–6 COL1G 0A 3S1G 4A 3S
2024-03-24PIT 4–5 COL0G 0A 1S1G 2A 6S
2024-02-08CAR 5–2 COL1G 0A 3S0G 0A 4S
2023-10-21CAR 4–6 COL1G 0A 5S1G 1A 3S
2023-03-15TOR 1–2 COL0G 0A 0S0G 1A 2S
2022-12-31TOR 6–2 COL2G 0A 4S0G 0A 3S

Latest 12 of 16 meetings.

Every stat, side by side

Season values; bars are percentiles at each player's position (longer is better). Click a stat for its explainer.

BuntingMacKinnon

Fantasy box score

Possession & shot quality (5-on-5 on-ice)

Transition, turnovers & faceoffs

Usage

Special teams & discipline

Luck & trend

NHL EDGE tracking

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

Michael Bunting

3games (2 left)

1.9proj. ESPN default pts

Nathan MacKinnon

4games (2 left)

5.9proj. ESPN default pts

  • Mon, Oct 19 @ PHI
    Opp allows 10th-most FP to CLikely vs Joseph Woll (.899)
  • Tue, Oct 20 @ NJDB2B
    Opp allows 16th-most FP to CSchedule edge −9.3 win%Likely vs Jake Allen (.904)
  • Fri, Oct 23 vs TBL2.5 pts
    Opp allows 4th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.912)
  • Sun, Oct 25 @ NSH3.5 pts
    Opp allows 8th-most FP to CSchedule edge +9.3 win%Likely vs Juuse Saros (.893)

Similar matchups

FAQ

Should I start Michael Bunting or Nathan MacKinnon in fantasy hockey?
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nathan MacKinnon projects to 3.08 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Michael Bunting's 0.88. Bunting had 33 points in 74 games; MacKinnon had 127 in 80 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, Michael Bunting or Nathan MacKinnon?
On 2025-26 numbers, Nathan MacKinnon leads in 30 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
How have Bunting and MacKinnon done against each other?
In 16 games against each other in our data, Bunting's team went 7–9. Bunting had 14 points (8 goals) and MacKinnon had 25 (7 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 →