Who to start · 2025-26
Nikolaj Ehlers vs Sidney Crosby
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Sidney Crosby projects to 2.18 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nikolaj Ehlers's 1.65.
Ehlers had 71 points in 82 games; Crosby had 74 in 68 games.
This week Ehlers has 1 game left with 1 soft matchup; Crosby has 1 left. We project Crosby for 2.0 ESPN points to Ehlers's 1.8.
Nikolaj Ehlers has the better number in 17 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Ehlers's biggest edges: Net penalties drawn /60 +0.44, Expected goals 56.5%, Sequence xG 56.1%.
Crosby's biggest edges: Faceoffs won 773, Penalty minutes 44, On-ice PDO 1016.
- • 2026-27 so far: 2 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 6 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 1 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 3 SOG.
Fantasy value: your scoring
Nikolaj Ehlers
1.65
fantasy points per game
Sidney Crosby
2.18
fantasy points per game
Under ESPN default points, Sidney Crosby has the edge.
| Points per game from | Ehlers | Crosby |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (+2) | 0.56 | 0.80 |
| Assists (+1) | 0.48 | 0.68 |
| Power-play points (+0.5) | 0.15 | 0.16 |
| Shorthanded points (+0.5) | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal (+0.1) | 0.26 | 0.24 |
| Hits (+0.1) | 0.03 | 0.10 |
| Blocks (+0.5) | 0.16 | 0.21 |
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 Crosby
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 3G 10A, 34 SOG · Crosby 4G 7A, 39 SOG
Ehlers's offensive zone 0–1 · neutral 0–0 · Ehlers's defensive zone 0–0 (2024-25)
Ehlers blocked 0 of Crosby's shots; Crosby blocked 2 of Ehlers's.
On the ice against each other (Ehlers's side)
8:18 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Ehlers's side
- Shot attempts
- 4–8
- 33.3%
- Expected goals
- 0.1–0.1
- 37.7%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Ehlers | Crosby |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-22 | CAR 5–1 PIT | 1G 1A 4S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2026-03-18 | CAR 6–5 PIT | 0G 3A 1S | 1G 1A 4S |
| 2025-12-30 | CAR 1–5 PIT | 0G 0A 1S | 1G 0A 3S |
| 2024-11-22 | WPG 4–1 PIT | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2024-10-20 | WPG 6–3 PIT | 0G 2A 3S | 0G 0A 5S |
| 2024-02-10 | WPG 2–1 PIT | 0G 1A 6S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2024-02-06 | WPG 0–3 PIT | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2023-01-13 | WPG 4–1 PIT | 1G 0A 5S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2021-11-22 | WPG 1–3 PIT | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2019-10-13 | WPG 2–7 PIT | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 2A 2S |
| 2019-10-08 | WPG 4–1 PIT | 1G 0A 3S | 1G 0A 4S |
| 2019-01-04 | WPG 0–4 PIT | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 1A 2S |
Latest 12 of 15 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)
Sidney Crosby
2games (1 left)
2.0proj. ESPN pts
- Wed, Sep 30 @ PHIOpp allows 7th-most FP to CLikely vs Dan Vladar (.906)
- Sat, Oct 3 vs MTL2.0 ptsOpp allows 14th-most FP to Cvs Jakub Dobes (.901)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Nikolaj Ehlers or Sidney Crosby in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Sidney Crosby projects to 2.18 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nikolaj Ehlers's 1.65. Ehlers had 71 points in 82 games; Crosby had 74 in 68 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 Sidney Crosby?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Nikolaj Ehlers 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 Ehlers and Crosby done against each other?
- In 15 games against each other in our data, Ehlers's team went 8–7. Ehlers had 13 points (3 goals) and Crosby had 11 (4 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Ehlers or Crosby?
- Against each other, Ehlers has won 0 and Crosby 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 →