Edgehalla

Who to start · 2025-26

Nathan MacKinnon vs Pius Suter

Nathan MacKinnonAvalanche · Centre
vs
Pius SuterBlues · Centre
CoolingOn-ice xGF/60 2.51 (was 3.88)
SteadyOn-ice xGF/60 1.72 (was 2.33)

Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nathan MacKinnon projects to 3.08 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Pius Suter's 1.20.

MacKinnon had 127 points in 80 games; Suter had 29 in 64 games.

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

Nathan MacKinnon has the better number in 34 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.

MacKinnon's biggest edges: 20+ mph bursts 455, Top skating speed 24.8, Transition attempts /60 1.83.

Suter's biggest edges: Turnover Ledger /60 +0.005, Shorthanded points 2.

Head to head on the dot, MacKinnon leads Suter 15–8.

In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Nathan MacKinnon rates ahead, +14.0 to +0.7 in summed category z-scores.

Role trend over the last 5 games: MacKinnon is cooling, On-ice xGF/60 2.51 (was 3.88); Suter is steady, On-ice xGF/60 1.72 (was 2.33).

  • • MacKinnon, 2026-27 so far: 10 GP, 6 G, 10 A, 2 PPP, 44 SOG.
  • • Suter, 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 3 G, 3 A, 0 PPP, 12 SOG.

Colorado Avalanche · St. Louis Blues · Who should I start? · Compare other players

Fantasy value: your scoring

Nathan MacKinnon

+14.0

category z-score total

Pius Suter

+0.7

category z-score total

Under Standard (6 categories), Nathan MacKinnon has the edge (MacKinnon wins 5, Suter wins 1 of 6 categories).

Per-stat breakdown under Standard (6 categories)
CategoryMacKinnonSuter
Goals / game0.640.25
Assists / game0.960.28
Plus/minus / game0.430.25
Power-play points / game0.300.04
Shots on goal / game4.381.43
Hits / game0.680.94

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: MacKinnon vs Suter

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.

MacKinnonSuter
7Team record in 10 meetings3
15Points in those games3

MacKinnon 5G 10A, 45 SOG · Suter 1G 2A, 14 SOG

15Faceoffs against each other8

MacKinnon's offensive zone 4–4 · neutral 5–3 · MacKinnon's defensive zone 6–1 (2021-22 to 2026-27)

0Hits on each other1
0Shots blocked by the other1

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

1Penalties drawn off the other1

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

7:43 at 5-on-5 over 3 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27, from MacKinnon's side

Shot attempts
10–8
55.6%
Expected goals
0.8–0.1
93.5%
Goals
0–0

Games against each other

Games between Nathan MacKinnon and Pius Suter
DateScoreMacKinnonSuter
2026-10-03COL 6–1 STL0G 3A 4S0G 0A 0S
2026-04-07COL 3–1 STL0G 1A 0S0G 0A 1S
2026-04-05COL 2–3 STL0G 0A 5S0G 0A 3S
2025-02-04COL 0–3 VAN0G 0A 5S0G 0A 1S
2024-12-16COL 1–3 VAN0G 0A 4S0G 1A 1S
2024-03-13COL 4–3 VAN1G 1A 3S0G 0A 0S
2024-02-20COL 3–1 VAN0G 1A 10S0G 0A 2S
2023-03-18COL 5–1 DET1G 2A 3S1G 0A 1S
2023-01-16COL 6–3 DET2G 2A 5S0G 0A 3S
2021-12-10COL 7–3 DET1G 0A 6S0G 1A 2S

Faceoffs: MacKinnon vs Suter

Model: Nathan MacKinnon wins 53.2% of draws against Pius Suter on average (R shot vs L shot). Opposite-handed, so they are both strong or both weak at every dot and the dot barely matters.

Nathan MacKinnon's predicted win % against Pius Suter at each dot, in MacKinnon's attacking direction, at home and on the road.
MacKinnon atOZ leftOZ rightNZ left (att.)NZ right (att.)CentreNZ left (def.)NZ right (def.)DZ leftDZ right
Home51%54%53%55%53%53%55%54%56%
Road50%53%51%54%53%51%54%52%55%

Head-to-head 2023-24 to 2026-27: MacKinnon 11–6 (64.7%). Blended with the model: 53.6%. The record is normal luck for this matchup (z 1.0); pair-specific edges are about ±2 points, so the model carries most of the weight.

MacKinnon faceoffs · Suter 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.

MacKinnonSuter

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)

MacKinnonSuter

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

Colorado Avalanche logo

Nathan MacKinnon

4games (2 left)

5.9proj. ESPN default pts

  • Mon, Oct 19 @ PHI
    Opp allows 12th-most FP to CLikely vs Joseph Woll (.899)
  • Tue, Oct 20 @ NJDB2B
    Opp allows 16th-fewest 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 @ NSH3.4 pts
    Opp allows 9th-most FP to CSchedule edge +9.3 win%Likely vs Juuse Saros (.893)
St. Louis Blues logo

Pius Suter

3games (2 left)

1.9proj. ESPN default pts

  • Tue, Oct 20 vs WPG
    Opp allows 8th-most FP to CLikely vs Stuart Skinner (.888)
  • Thu, Oct 22 vs VGK0.9 pts
    Opp allows 5th-fewest FP to CSchedule edge +3.1 win%Likely vs Adin Hill (.871)
  • Sat, Oct 24 vs CAR0.9 pts
    Opp allows 2nd-fewest FP to CSchedule edge +2.6 win%Likely vs Brandon Bussi (.895)

Similar matchups

FAQ

Should I start Nathan MacKinnon or Pius Suter 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 Pius Suter's 1.20. MacKinnon had 127 points in 80 games; Suter had 29 in 64 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, Nathan MacKinnon or Pius Suter?
On 2025-26 numbers, Nathan MacKinnon leads in 34 of 36 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
How have MacKinnon and Suter done against each other?
In 10 games against each other in our data, MacKinnon's team went 7–3. MacKinnon had 15 points (5 goals) and Suter had 3 (1 goals).
Who wins more faceoffs, MacKinnon or Suter?
Against each other, MacKinnon has won 15 and Suter 8 of their 23 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 →