Who to start · 2025-26
Morgan Rielly vs Neal Pionk
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Neal Pionk projects to 1.66 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Morgan Rielly's 1.61.
Rielly had 36 points in 78 games; Pionk had 12 in 51 games.
This week Rielly has 2 games left with 1 tough matchup; Pionk has 2 left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups. In ESPN default points scoring we project Pionk for 3.5 to Rielly's 2.7 over the games left.
Morgan Rielly has the better number in 19 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Rielly's biggest edges: Top skating speed 22.7, 20+ mph bursts 71, Goals above expected +2.4.
Pionk's biggest edges: Ascension score 85, Hits 111, Plus/minus +1.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Neal Pionk rates ahead, +3.7 to +0.0 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Rielly is cooling, 18% of team PP time (was 30%); Pionk is surging, 5 P in last 5 (0.30/GP before).
- • 2026-27 so far: 11 GP, 0 G, 7 A, 1 PPP, 14 SOG.
- • Last 10 games (Sep 30–Oct 20): 0 G, 6 A, 1 PPP, 13 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 1 PPP, 17 SOG.
Toronto Maple Leafs · Winnipeg Jets · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Morgan Rielly
+0.0
category z-score total
Neal Pionk
+3.7
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Neal Pionk has the edge (Rielly wins 3, Pionk wins 3 of 6 categories).
| Category | Rielly | Pionk |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.08 | 0.08 |
| Assists / game | 0.45 | 0.32 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.29 | 0.05 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.08 | 0.07 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.58 | 1.90 |
| Hits / game | 0.45 | 2.11 |
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: Rielly vs Pionk
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2018-19 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Rielly 2G 13A, 57 SOG · Pionk 1G 14A, 47 SOG
Rielly blocked 0 of Pionk's shots; Pionk blocked 3 of Rielly's.
On the ice against each other (Rielly's side)
5:24 at 5-on-5 over 1 games, 2025-26, from Rielly's side
- Shot attempts
- 3–9
- 25.0%
- Expected goals
- 0.1–0.7
- 17.9%
- Goals
- 1–1
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Rielly | Pionk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-01 | TOR 6–5 WPG | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2024-12-23 | TOR 2–5 WPG | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2024-10-28 | TOR 6–4 WPG | 1G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2024-01-27 | TOR 4–2 WPG | 0G 2A 2S | 0G 0A 5S |
| 2024-01-24 | TOR 1–0 WPG | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2023-01-19 | TOR 4–1 WPG | 0G 1A 3S | 0G 0A 6S |
| 2022-10-22 | TOR 4–1 WPG | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2022-03-31 | TOR 7–3 WPG | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2021-12-05 | TOR 3–6 WPG | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 2A 3S |
| 2021-04-24 | TOR 4–1 WPG | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2021-05-14 | TOR 2–4 WPG | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2021-04-22 | TOR 5–3 WPG | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 4S |
Latest 12 of 24 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.
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
Morgan Rielly
4games (2 left)
2.7proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 vs SJSOpp allows 8th-most FP to DLikely vs Yaroslav Askarov (.884)
- Tue, Oct 20 @ CBJB2B
- Thu, Oct 22 vs NYR1.4 ptsOpp allows 12th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Dylan Garand (.948)
- Sat, Oct 24 @ EDM1.3 pts
Neal Pionk
3games (2 left)
3.5proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 @ STLOpp allows 11th-most FP to DLikely vs Joel Hofer (.910)
- Thu, Oct 22 @ DAL1.6 ptsOpp allows the fewest FP to DLikely vs Jake Oettinger (.899)
- Sun, Oct 25 vs MTL1.9 ptsOpp allows 6th-most FP to DLikely vs Jakub Dobes (.901)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Morgan Rielly or Neal Pionk in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Neal Pionk projects to 1.66 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Morgan Rielly's 1.61. Rielly had 36 points in 78 games; Pionk had 12 in 51 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, Morgan Rielly or Neal Pionk?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Morgan Rielly leads in 19 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Rielly and Pionk done against each other?
- In 24 games against each other in our data, Rielly's team went 15–9. Rielly had 15 points (2 goals) and Pionk had 15 (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 →