Who to start · 2025-26
Nathan MacKinnon vs Teddy Blueger
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nathan MacKinnon projects to 3.08 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Teddy Blueger's 0.94.
MacKinnon had 127 points in 80 games; Blueger had 17 in 35 games.
This week MacKinnon has 2 games left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups; Blueger has 2 left with 2 tough matchups. In ESPN default points scoring we project MacKinnon for 5.9 to Blueger's 1.3 over the games left.
Nathan MacKinnon has the better number in 34 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
MacKinnon's biggest edges: Scoring chances 59.3%, Expected goals 59.7%, Sequence xG 59.5%.
Blueger's biggest edges: Turnover Ledger /60 +0.051, Shorthanded points 3.
Head to head on the dot, Blueger leads MacKinnon 22–21.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Nathan MacKinnon rates ahead, +14.0 to -3.8 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: MacKinnon is cooling, On-ice xGF/60 2.51 (was 3.88); Blueger is cooling, On-ice xGF/60 1.41 (was 2.16).
- • MacKinnon, 2026-27 so far: 10 GP, 6 G, 10 A, 2 PPP, 44 SOG.
- • Blueger, 2026-27 so far: 11 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 11 SOG.
- • Blueger, last 10 games (Sep 30–Oct 20): 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 10 SOG.
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Fantasy value: your scoring
Nathan MacKinnon
+14.0
category z-score total
Teddy Blueger
-3.8
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Nathan MacKinnon has the edge (MacKinnon wins 5, Blueger wins 1 of 6 categories).
| Category | MacKinnon | Blueger |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.64 | 0.15 |
| Assists / game | 0.96 | 0.13 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.43 | -0.31 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.30 | 0.02 |
| Shots on goal / game | 4.38 | 1.26 |
| Hits / game | 0.68 | 1.41 |
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 Blueger
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2019-20 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
MacKinnon 9G 5A, 71 SOG · Blueger 3G 1A, 21 SOG
MacKinnon's offensive zone 8–9 · neutral 9–9 · MacKinnon's defensive zone 4–4 (2019-20 to 2026-27)
MacKinnon blocked 0 of Blueger's shots; Blueger blocked 1 of MacKinnon's.
On the ice against each other (MacKinnon's side)
10:03 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27, from MacKinnon's side
- Shot attempts
- 14–5
- 73.7%
- Expected goals
- 0.5–0.3
- 61.7%
- Goals
- 1–1
Games against each other
| Date | Score | MacKinnon | Blueger |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-10 | COL 3–6 TOR | 2G 0A 8S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2026-04-01 | COL 6–8 VAN | 1G 0A 7S | 2G 0A 2S |
| 2025-02-04 | COL 0–3 VAN | 0G 0A 5S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2024-12-16 | COL 1–3 VAN | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2024-03-13 | COL 4–3 VAN | 1G 1A 3S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2024-02-20 | COL 3–1 VAN | 0G 1A 10S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2023-11-22 | COL 5–2 VAN | 0G 1A 7S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2023-02-07 | COL 1–2 PIT | 1G 0A 8S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2022-04-05 | COL 6–4 PIT | 2G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2022-04-02 | COL 3–2 PIT | 0G 2A 4S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2020-01-10 | COL 3–4 PIT | 1G 0A 6S | 1G 1A 5S |
| 2019-10-16 | COL 2–3 PIT | 1G 0A 6S | 0G 0A 1S |
Faceoffs: MacKinnon vs Blueger
Model: Nathan MacKinnon wins 48.7% of draws against Teddy Blueger 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.
| MacKinnon at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 48% | 48% | 49% | 50% | 49% | 49% | 50% | 50% | 51% |
| Road | 47% | 47% | 48% | 48% | 48% | 48% | 48% | 49% | 49% |
Head-to-head 2023-24 to 2026-27: MacKinnon 15–14 (51.7%). Blended with the model: 48.9%. The record is normal luck for this matchup (z 0.3); pair-specific edges are about ±2 points, so the model carries most of the weight.
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
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
Nathan MacKinnon
4games (2 left)
5.9proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 @ PHIOpp allows 12th-most FP to CLikely vs Joseph Woll (.899)
- Tue, Oct 20 @ NJDB2B
- Fri, Oct 23 vs TBL2.5 ptsOpp allows 4th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.912)
- Sun, Oct 25 @ NSH3.4 pts
Teddy Blueger
4games (2 left)
1.3proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 vs SJSOpp allows 4th-most FP to CLikely vs Yaroslav Askarov (.884)
- Tue, Oct 20 @ CBJB2B
- Thu, Oct 22 vs NYR0.7 ptsOpp allows 6th-fewest FP to Cvs Dylan Garand (.948)
- Sat, Oct 24 @ EDM0.7 pts
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Nathan MacKinnon or Teddy Blueger 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 Teddy Blueger's 0.94. MacKinnon had 127 points in 80 games; Blueger had 17 in 35 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 Teddy Blueger?
- 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 Blueger done against each other?
- In 12 games against each other in our data, MacKinnon's team went 5–7. MacKinnon had 14 points (9 goals) and Blueger had 4 (3 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, MacKinnon or Blueger?
- Against each other, MacKinnon has won 21 and Blueger 22 of their 43 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 →