Who to start · 2025-26
Nick Cousins vs Sean Couturier
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Sean Couturier projects to 0.94 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nick Cousins's 0.93.
Cousins had 23 points in 81 games; Couturier had 36 in 78 games.
This week Cousins has 3 games left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups; Couturier has 2 left. In ESPN default points scoring we project Cousins for 2.7 to Couturier's 1.9 over the games left.
Nick Cousins has the better number in 17 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Cousins's biggest edges: Offensive-zone time 44.1%, Offensive-zone start % 58.1%, Forecheck xG /60 0.54.
Couturier's biggest edges: Faceoffs won 632, Ice time per game 16:39, Ice-time share 27.2%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Sean Couturier rates ahead, -2.3 to -3.0 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Cousins is falling, On-ice xGF/60 1.08 (was 2.12); Couturier is steady, On-ice xGF/60 1.46 (was 2.41).
- • Cousins, 2026-27 so far: 10 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 5 SOG.
- • Couturier, 2026-27 so far: 12 GP, 0 G, 3 A, 0 PPP, 14 SOG.
- • Couturier, last 10 games (Oct 3–Oct 21): 0 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 12 SOG.
Ottawa Senators · Philadelphia Flyers · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Nick Cousins
-3.0
category z-score total
Sean Couturier
-2.3
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Sean Couturier has the edge (Cousins wins 3, Couturier wins 3 of 6 categories).
| Category | Cousins | Couturier |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.11 | 0.09 |
| Assists / game | 0.14 | 0.28 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.10 | -0.11 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Shots on goal / game | 0.79 | 1.37 |
| Hits / game | 2.01 | 1.45 |
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: Cousins vs Couturier
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2017-18 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Cousins 2G 2A, 29 SOG · Couturier 4G 6A, 37 SOG
Cousins's offensive zone 1–0 · neutral 0–0 · Cousins's defensive zone 0–0 (2023-24)
Cousins blocked 0 of Couturier's shots; Couturier blocked 1 of Cousins's.
On the ice against each other (Cousins's side)
12:38 at 5-on-5 over 4 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27, from Cousins's side
- Shot attempts
- 12–10
- 54.5%
- Expected goals
- 0.5–0.3
- 61.3%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Cousins | Couturier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-17 | OTT 1–3 PHI | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2026-10-08 | OTT 2–1 PHI | 1G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2026-02-05 | OTT 2–1 PHI | 1G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2025-11-08 | OTT 3–2 PHI | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2025-10-23 | OTT 2–1 PHI | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2025-04-13 | OTT 4–3 PHI | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2024-03-24 | FLA 4–1 PHI | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2024-03-07 | FLA 1–2 PHI | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2024-02-06 | FLA 1–2 PHI | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2020-01-16 | MTL 4–1 PHI | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 0A 5S |
| 2019-11-30 | MTL 3–4 PHI | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2019-11-07 | MTL 2–3 PHI | 0G 1A 2S | 1G 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.
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
Nick Cousins
3games
2.7proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 vs FLA0.9 ptsOpp allows 12th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Akira Schmid (.892)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs NYR0.8 ptsOpp allows 5th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Dylan Garand (.948)
Sean Couturier
3games (2 left)
1.9proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 vs COLOpp allows 15th-most FP to CLikely vs Mackenzie Blackwood (.903)
- Wed, Oct 21 @ BUF1.0 ptsOpp allows 11th-most FP to CLikely vs Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (.910)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs ANA1.0 pts
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Nick Cousins or Sean Couturier in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Sean Couturier projects to 0.94 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nick Cousins's 0.93. Cousins had 23 points in 81 games; Couturier had 36 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, Nick Cousins or Sean Couturier?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Nick Cousins leads in 17 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Cousins and Couturier done against each other?
- In 16 games against each other in our data, Cousins's team went 8–8. Cousins had 4 points (2 goals) and Couturier had 10 (4 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Cousins or Couturier?
- Against each other, Cousins has won 1 and Couturier 0 of their 1 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 →