Who to start · 2025-26
Mikael Backlund vs Yegor Sharangovich
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Mikael Backlund projects to 1.13 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Yegor Sharangovich's 1.05.
Backlund had 43 points in 82 games; Sharangovich had 29 in 78 games.
This week Backlund has 2 games left; Sharangovich has 2 left. In ESPN default points scoring we project Backlund for 2.0 to Sharangovich's 2.0 over the games left.
Mikael Backlund has the better number in 27 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
Backlund's biggest edges: Plus/minus +7, Luck Meter +29, Goals above expected +1.6.
Sharangovich's biggest edges: Offensive-zone start % 55.1%, Ascension score 79, Offensive-zone time 41.1%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Mikael Backlund rates ahead, -0.9 to -2.5 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Backlund is steady, ixG/60 1.23 (was 0.58); Sharangovich is surging, ixG/60 1.57 (was 0.50).
- • Backlund, 2026-27 so far: 8 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 24 SOG.
- • Sharangovich, 2026-27 so far: 8 GP, 2 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 16 SOG.
Calgary Flames · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Mikael Backlund
-0.9
category z-score total
Yegor Sharangovich
-2.5
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Mikael Backlund has the edge (Backlund wins 4, Sharangovich wins 2 of 6 categories).
| Category | Backlund | Sharangovich |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.18 | 0.21 |
| Assists / game | 0.25 | 0.20 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.07 | -0.21 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.02 | 0.06 |
| Shots on goal / game | 2.52 | 1.88 |
| Hits / game | 0.49 | 0.26 |
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: Backlund vs Sharangovich
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2021-22 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Backlund 0G 0A, 4 SOG · Sharangovich 1G 0A, 8 SOG
Backlund blocked 1 of Sharangovich's shots; Sharangovich blocked 0 of Backlund's.
Goals each scored with the other picking up an assist (as teammates).
On the ice together
268:07 at 5-on-5 over 36 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27
- Shot attempts
- 308–275
- 52.8%
- Expected goals
- 9.4–11.8
- 44.4%
- Goals
- 3–8
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Backlund | Sharangovich |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-11-08 | CGY 2–3 NJD | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2022-11-05 | CGY 3–4 NJD | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2022-03-16 | CGY 6–3 NJD | 0G 0A 3S | 1G 0A 5S |
| 2021-10-26 | CGY 5–3 NJD | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 2S |
Faceoffs: Backlund vs Sharangovich
Model: Mikael Backlund wins 56.4% of draws against Yegor Sharangovich on average (L shot vs L 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.
| Backlund at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 64% | 48% | 65% | 49% | 57% | 65% | 49% | 66% | 51% |
| Road | 62% | 47% | 63% | 48% | 56% | 63% | 48% | 65% | 49% |
They have not faced each other on a draw in the seasons we track.
Backlund faceoffs · Sharangovich faceoffs · how the model works
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
Chemistry as teammates
How their expected-goal share at 5v5 changed together vs apart (shrunk for sample size), and how closely their DraftKings points moved game to game (raw, that season only; for forward linemates the typical value is about .28).
| Season | 5v5 min together | xG% lift | xGF/60 lift | DK correlation (raw) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 CGY | 237 | −2.0 | −0.24 | .14(−.28 to .51), 18 GP |
| 2024-25 CGY | 178 | +3.3 | +0.01 | .26(−.25 to .66), 13 GP |
| 2023-24 CGY | 105 | −1.1 | −0.17 | .51(−.37 to .91), 6 GP |
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
Mikael Backlund
2games
2.0proj. ESPN default pts
- Thu, Oct 22 vs MIN1.0 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 vs DET1.0 ptsOpp allows 12th-fewest FP to CLikely vs John Gibson (.901)
Yegor Sharangovich
2games
2.0proj. ESPN default pts
- Thu, Oct 22 vs MIN1.0 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 vs DET1.0 ptsOpp allows 12th-fewest FP to CLikely vs John Gibson (.901)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Mikael Backlund or Yegor Sharangovich in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Mikael Backlund projects to 1.13 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Yegor Sharangovich's 1.05. Backlund had 43 points in 82 games; Sharangovich had 29 in 78 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, Mikael Backlund or Yegor Sharangovich?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Mikael Backlund leads in 27 of 36 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Backlund and Sharangovich done against each other?
- In 4 games against each other in our data, Backlund's team went 2–2. Backlund had 0 points (0 goals) and Sharangovich had 1 (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 →