Who to start · 2025-26
Nikolas Matinpalo vs Uvis Balinskis
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Uvis Balinskis projects to 0.93 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nikolas Matinpalo's 0.79.
Matinpalo had 5 points in 50 games; Balinskis had 15 in 54 games.
This week Matinpalo has 3 games left with 1 soft matchup; Balinskis has 3 left with 2 soft and 1 tough matchups. In ESPN default points scoring we project Balinskis for 2.9 to Matinpalo's 2.3 over the games left.
Uvis Balinskis has the better number in 23 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Matinpalo's biggest edges: Ascension score 43, Plus/minus −1, High-danger chances 49.8%.
Balinskis's biggest edges: Power-play time per game 1:15, Power-play share 36.8%, Turnover Ledger /60 +0.003.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Uvis Balinskis rates ahead, -0.5 to -3.6 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Matinpalo is cooling, On-ice xGF/60 1.40 (was 3.02); Balinskis is falling, −4:55 TOI a game.
- • Matinpalo has played 7 of the Senators' 9 games since Oct 3 (in and out of the lineup).
- • 2026-27 so far: 7 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 5 SOG.
- • Balinskis has played 6 of the Panthers' 8 games since Oct 1 (in and out of the lineup).
- • 2026-27 so far: 6 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 2 SOG.
Ottawa Senators · Florida Panthers · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Nikolas Matinpalo
-3.6
category z-score total
Uvis Balinskis
-0.5
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Uvis Balinskis has the edge (Matinpalo wins 1, Balinskis wins 5 of 6 categories).
| Category | Matinpalo | Balinskis |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Assists / game | 0.07 | 0.18 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.08 | -0.03 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Shots on goal / game | 0.73 | 0.97 |
| Hits / game | 0.85 | 1.32 |
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: Matinpalo vs Balinskis
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2024-25 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Matinpalo 0G 0A, 0 SOG · Balinskis 0G 0A, 4 SOG
On the ice against each other (Matinpalo's side)
8:44 at 5-on-5 over 1 games, 2025-26, from Matinpalo's side
- Shot attempts
- 8–2
- 80.0%
- Expected goals
- 0.1–0.0
- 99.0%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Matinpalo | Balinskis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-11 | OTT 2–6 FLA | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2025-04-05 | OTT 3–0 FLA | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2025-02-08 | OTT 1–5 FLA | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 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.
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
Nikolas Matinpalo
3games
2.3proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 vs FLA0.8 ptsOpp allows 14th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Akira Schmid (.892)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs NYR0.7 ptsOpp allows 12th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Dylan Garand (.948)
Uvis Balinskis
3games
2.9proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 @ OTT0.9 ptsOpp allows 8th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Linus Ullmark (.891)
- Sun, Oct 25 @ CHI1.0 ptsOpp allows 2nd-most FP to DLikely vs Spencer Knight (.902)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Nikolas Matinpalo or Uvis Balinskis in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Uvis Balinskis projects to 0.93 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nikolas Matinpalo's 0.79. Matinpalo had 5 points in 50 games; Balinskis had 15 in 54 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, Nikolas Matinpalo or Uvis Balinskis?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Uvis Balinskis leads in 23 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Matinpalo and Balinskis done against each other?
- In 3 games against each other in our data, Matinpalo's team went 1–2. Matinpalo had 0 points (0 goals) and Balinskis had 0 (0 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 →