Edgehalla

Who to start · 2025-26

Nikita Kucherov vs Tyson Foerster

Nikita KucherovLightning · Right wing
vs
Tyson FoersterFlyers · Right wing
Steady63% of team PP time (was 72%)
CoolingixG/60 0.56 (was 1.23)

Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nikita Kucherov projects to 2.87 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Tyson Foerster's 1.46.

Kucherov had 130 points in 76 games; Foerster had 17 in 29 games.

This week Kucherov has 2 games left with 1 soft matchup; Foerster has 2 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Kucherov for 5.7 to Foerster's 3.2 over the games left.

Nikita Kucherov has the better number in 29 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.

Kucherov's biggest edges: Assists 86, Corsi 56.2%, 20+ mph bursts 138.

Foerster's biggest edges: Turnover Ledger /60 +0.070, Faceoffs won 1, Hardest shot 92.9.

In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Nikita Kucherov rates ahead, +13.3 to -0.4 in summed category z-scores.

Role trend over the last 5 games: Kucherov is steady, 63% of team PP time (was 72%); Foerster is cooling, ixG/60 0.56 (was 1.23).

  • • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 4 G, 9 A, 4 PPP, 26 SOG.
  • • 2026-27 so far: 10 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 22 SOG.

Tampa Bay Lightning · Philadelphia Flyers · Who should I start? · Compare other players

Fantasy value: your scoring

Nikita Kucherov

+13.3

category z-score total

Tyson Foerster

-0.4

category z-score total

Under Standard (6 categories), Nikita Kucherov has the edge (Kucherov wins 5, Foerster wins 1 of 6 categories).

Per-stat breakdown under Standard (6 categories)
CategoryKucherovFoerster
Goals / game0.530.31
Assists / game1.080.08
Plus/minus / game0.52-0.15
Power-play points / game0.470.08
Shots on goal / game2.982.14
Hits / game0.341.28

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: Kucherov vs Foerster

Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2023-24 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.

KucherovFoerster
5Team record in 7 meetings2
14Points in those games2

Kucherov 5G 9A, 19 SOG · Foerster 2G 0A, 17 SOG

1Penalties drawn off the other0

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

4:05 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27, from Kucherov's side

Shot attempts
4–7
36.4%
Expected goals
0.2–0.1
53.3%
Goals
1–0

Games against each other

Games between Nikita Kucherov and Tyson Foerster
DateScoreKucherovFoerster
2026-10-05TBL 4–1 PHI0G 2A 1S1G 0A 4S
2025-11-24TBL 3–0 PHI0G 3A 0S0G 0A 3S
2025-03-17TBL 2–0 PHI1G 1A 3S0G 0A 3S
2024-11-07TBL 1–2 PHI1G 0A 4S0G 0A 2S
2024-03-09TBL 7–0 PHI0G 1A 1S0G 0A 2S
2024-02-27TBL 2–6 PHI0G 1A 5S1G 0A 2S
2024-01-23TBL 6–3 PHI3G 1A 5S0G 0A 1S

Every stat, side by side

Season values; bars are percentiles at each player's position (longer is better). Click a stat for its explainer.

KucherovFoerster

Fantasy box score

Possession & shot quality (5-on-5 on-ice)

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

Nikita Kucherov

3games (2 left)

5.7proj. ESPN default pts

  • Tue, Oct 20 @ VGK
    Opp allows 4th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Carter Hart (.891)
  • Fri, Oct 23 @ COL2.6 pts
    Opp allows 13th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Scott Wedgewood (.921)
  • Sat, Oct 24 @ UTAB2B3.2 pts
    Opp allows 9th-most FP to RWSchedule edge −11.4 win%Likely vs Karel Vejmelka (.897)

Tyson Foerster

3games (2 left)

3.2proj. ESPN default pts

Similar matchups

FAQ

Should I start Nikita Kucherov or Tyson Foerster in fantasy hockey?
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nikita Kucherov projects to 2.87 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Tyson Foerster's 1.46. Kucherov had 130 points in 76 games; Foerster had 17 in 29 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, Nikita Kucherov or Tyson Foerster?
On 2025-26 numbers, Nikita Kucherov leads in 29 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
How have Kucherov and Foerster done against each other?
In 7 games against each other in our data, Kucherov's team went 5–2. Kucherov had 14 points (5 goals) and Foerster had 2 (2 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 →