Who to start · 2025-26
Nikolaj Ehlers vs Ryan O'Reilly
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Ryan O'Reilly projects to 1.90 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nikolaj Ehlers's 1.65.
Ehlers had 71 points in 82 games; O'Reilly had 74 in 81 games.
This week Ehlers has 1 game left with 1 soft matchup; O'Reilly has 1 left with 1 soft matchup. We project O'Reilly for 2.0 ESPN points to Ehlers's 1.8.
Nikolaj Ehlers has the better number in 22 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Ehlers's biggest edges: Transition attempts /60 1.78, Hardest shot 93.6, Offensive-zone start % 67.3%.
O'Reilly's biggest edges: Faceoffs won 739, Blocked shots 66, On-ice PDO 1023.
- • 2026-27 so far: 2 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 6 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 4 SOG.
Fantasy value: your scoring
Nikolaj Ehlers
1.65
fantasy points per game
Ryan O'Reilly
1.90
fantasy points per game
Under ESPN default points, Ryan O'Reilly has the edge.
| Points per game from | Ehlers | O'Reilly |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (+2) | 0.56 | 0.58 |
| Assists (+1) | 0.48 | 0.57 |
| Power-play points (+0.5) | 0.15 | 0.12 |
| Shorthanded points (+0.5) | 0.00 | 0.02 |
| Shots on goal (+0.1) | 0.26 | 0.20 |
| Hits (+0.1) | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| Blocks (+0.5) | 0.16 | 0.38 |
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 custom weights are saved in this browser only.
Head-to-head: Ehlers vs O'Reilly
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2017-18 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Ehlers 6G 13A, 78 SOG · O'Reilly 8G 11A, 79 SOG
Ehlers's offensive zone 0–1 · neutral 0–0 · Ehlers's defensive zone 0–0 (2025-26)
On the ice against each other (Ehlers's side)
9:29 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Ehlers's side
- Shot attempts
- 5–6
- 45.5%
- Expected goals
- 0.2–0.0
- 81.2%
- Goals
- 1–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Ehlers | O'Reilly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-17 | CAR 4–1 NSH | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 1A 4S |
| 2025-12-06 | CAR 6–3 NSH | 1G 2A 5S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2025-02-27 | WPG 1–2 NSH | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 1A 5S |
| 2025-01-07 | WPG 5–2 NSH | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2024-12-30 | WPG 3–0 NSH | 0G 2A 1S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2024-11-23 | WPG 1–4 NSH | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 1A 3S |
| 2024-04-09 | WPG 4–3 NSH | 0G 0A 2S | 1G 0A 3S |
| 2024-03-13 | WPG 2–4 NSH | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2023-11-26 | WPG 2–3 NSH | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2023-11-09 | WPG 6–3 NSH | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2022-03-13 | WPG 4–3 STL | 1G 1A 5S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2021-12-19 | WPG 4–2 STL | 1G 3A 2S | 0G 0A 2S |
Latest 12 of 29 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
Sep 28 to Oct 4. 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 use ESPN default points for the games left.
Nikolaj Ehlers
3games (1 left)
1.8proj. ESPN pts
- Tue, Sep 29 vs FLAOpp allows 13th-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Jacob Markstrom (.883)
- Fri, Oct 2 vs WSHOpp allows 10th-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Logan Thompson (.912)
- Sat, Oct 3 @ PHIB2B1.8 ptsOpp allows 4th-most FP to LWSchedule edge −8.7 win%vs Joseph Woll (.899)
Ryan O'Reilly
2games (1 left)
2.0proj. ESPN pts
- Thu, Oct 1 vs MINOpp allows 11th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jesper Wallstedt (.916)
- Sat, Oct 3 vs DAL2.0 ptsOpp allows 3rd-most FP to CSchedule edge +13.0 win%Likely vs Casey DeSmith (.907)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Nikolaj Ehlers or Ryan O'Reilly in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Ryan O'Reilly projects to 1.90 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nikolaj Ehlers's 1.65. Ehlers had 71 points in 82 games; O'Reilly had 74 in 81 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, Nikolaj Ehlers or Ryan O'Reilly?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Nikolaj Ehlers leads in 22 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Ehlers and O'Reilly done against each other?
- In 29 games against each other in our data, Ehlers's team went 17–12. Ehlers had 19 points (6 goals) and O'Reilly had 19 (8 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Ehlers or O'Reilly?
- Against each other, Ehlers has won 0 and O'Reilly 1 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 →