Who to start · 2026-27
Noah Cates vs William Stromgren
In 2026-27, William Stromgren scored 1.10 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Noah Cates's 0.87.
Cates had 5 points in 22 games; Stromgren had 2 in 5 games.
This week Cates has 1 game left with 1 tough matchup; Stromgren has 1 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Cates for 0.9 to Stromgren's 0.9 over the games left.
William Stromgren has the better number in 1 of the 1 stats both are ranked on.
Stromgren's biggest edges: Luck Meter +43.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, William Stromgren rates ahead, -3.4 to -4.5 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Cates is steady, +1:43 5v5 TOI; Stromgren has no recent trend.
- • Cates, last 10 games (Oct 24–Nov 14): 2 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 11 SOG.
- • William Stromgren is a rookie: 3 NHL games before this season.
- • Stromgren has played 5 of the Flames' 6 games since Nov 2 (in and out of the lineup).
- • Stromgren, last 5 games (Nov 2–Nov 14): 2 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 4 SOG.
Philadelphia Flyers · Calgary Flames · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Under Standard (6 categories), William Stromgren has the edge (Cates wins 3, Stromgren wins 2 of 6 categories).
| Category | Cates | Stromgren |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.09 | 0.40 |
| Assists / game | 0.14 | 0.00 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.05 | 0.20 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal / game | 0.95 | 0.80 |
| Hits / game | 0.95 | 0.20 |
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: Cates vs Stromgren
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2026-27 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Cates 0G 0A, 1 SOG · Stromgren 0G 0A, 0 SOG
On the ice against each other (Cates's side)
1:57 at 5-on-5 over 1 games, 2026-27, from Cates's side
- Shot attempts
- 2–0
- 100.0%
- Expected goals
- 0.0–0.0
- —
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Cates | Stromgren |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-08 | PHI 3–4 CGY | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 0S |
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, Luck & trend, NHL EDGE tracking continue below
Every stat, side by side (continued)
Transition, turnovers & faceoffs
Usage
Special teams & discipline
This week's schedule
Nov 9 to Nov 15. 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
Noah Cates
4games (1 left)
0.9proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Nov 9 @ VANB2B
- Wed, Nov 11 @ EDMOpp allows 9th-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Tristan Jarry (.908)
- Sat, Nov 14 @ CBJOpp allows 13th-most FP to LWLikely vs Jet Greaves (.875)
- Opp allows 9th-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Tristan Jarry (.908)
William Stromgren
3games (1 left)
0.9proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Nov 11 vs NYROpp allows 5th-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Joonas Korpisalo (.931)
- Sat, Nov 14 @ LAKOpp allows 6th-most FP to LWLikely vs Anton Forsberg (.908)
- Opp allows 4th-most FP to LWLikely vs Ville Husso (.868)
Player data stories
How the game changed, told through the numbers.
- In 2022-23, Four NHL Players Wore a Number in the 90s for Every One in No. 9 The count was 53 to 13, and the incomplete 2025-26 rosters show the same split, 51 to 12.
- The 1,000-Game Club Had Its Biggest Year. Getting In Is No Easier. Seventeen players reached 1,000 NHL games in 2025-26, more than in any season before, in the biggest league the NHL has had.
- Only 14 NHL Defencemen Still Score Like Ken Daneyko A stay-at-home defenceman stays back to defend and leaves the scoring to others.
- How Much Lighter Did the NHL Really Get? Teams write down NHL weights.
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Noah Cates or William Stromgren in fantasy hockey?
- In 2026-27, William Stromgren scored 1.10 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Noah Cates's 0.87. Cates had 5 points in 22 games; Stromgren had 2 in 5 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, Noah Cates or William Stromgren?
- On 2026-27 numbers, William Stromgren leads in 1 of 1 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Cates and Stromgren done against each other?
- In 1 games against each other in our data, Cates's team went 0–1. Cates had 0 points (0 goals) and Stromgren had 0 (0 goals).
2026-27 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 →