Fantasy Hockey Sell-High Candidates: Nugent-Hopkins, Stankoven, and More

Hey folks. One of the most important parts of managing a successful fantasy hockey team is knowing when to sell high on a player. Sometimes a hot start, increased opportunity or an unsustainable scoring pace can create a perfect opportunity to cash in on a player's current value before things eventually cool off.

This time around, we're looking at four players who have been producing at an impressive rate and could be worth shopping around in your fantasy leagues. Whether it's a player benefiting from an excellent situation, someone outperforming their usual production or a player whose current role might not be sustainable, there could be an opportunity to get more value out of these names in a trade.

That doesn't necessarily mean these players are bad fantasy assets or that you should be rushing to get rid of them. It's about recognizing when their current value might be higher than what they can realistically provide over the remainder of the season. 

Let's dive in and see if we can net you some value in trade by taking advantage of some hot starts that are unsustainable.

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Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Edmonton Oilers

Nuge is riding the Mike Babcock wave right now, and he's benefiting tremendously from the offensive explosion we've seen out of Connor McDavid. Babcock has seemingly unlocked another level in McDavid's game, and with the Oilers' captain chasing a potential 200-point season, there is plenty of fantasy production to go around. Nugent-Hopkins has been right there to capitalize, particularly on the powerplay, where he has seven points already this season.

However, Nugent-Hopkins has never been a consistent 100-point player, and his current production is well above anything we've come to expect from him. His career high of 104 points came back in 2023, and he's coming off a 56-point campaign last season. 

While I certainly like what he's doing right now, I don't see him maintaining this pace throughout the season. His 100-point season was a one-off, and I suspect he will be slightly below a point-per-game pace by the time playoffs hit. He's a talented player who benefits from playing alongside elite talent, but I think fantasy managers have an opportunity to cash in on his current production.

Fantasy outlook: I'm selling high on Nugent-Hopkins while McDavid is chasing history and the Oilers' offense is firing on all cylinders. You might be able to get a much more valuable long-term asset in return for a player who is currently producing at a career-best rate. I wouldn't be looking to dump him for pennies on the dollar, but I'd certainly be shopping him around and seeing what kind of assets I could bring back.

Logan Stankoven - Carolina Hurricanes

Stankoven is a good player, maybe even a great player, but I don't think he's a point-per-game player in this league. He's coming off a 44-point season, and while he's taken another step forward offensively, his current goal-scoring pace is unfathomably difficult to sustain for a player of his caliber. 

He's already sitting at 11 goals through 18 games, shooting 20%, and while there's certainly room for him to improve as a player, I don't see this level of production continuing throughout the season.

Is he a Stanley Cup champion? Absolutely. Is he one of the cornerstones of that roster or an elite first-line forward? No. That doesn't take away from his talent or the importance of what he brings to Carolina. He's an excellent depth scorer who fits perfectly into Rod Brind'Amour's smothering style of hockey. 

His work ethic, ability to create offense and willingness to compete make him an important piece of what the Canes do, but that doesn't necessarily translate into elite fantasy production.

Fantasy outlook: I'm looking to sell high on Stankoven while his goal scoring is getting the attention of fantasy managers. I like the player, and I think he has a bright future, but I wouldn't be paying for the production we're seeing right now. His 44-point season last year is a much more realistic starting point for expectations, and I'd rather turn his current hot streak into a more established fantasy asset who can provide consistent production throughout the season.

Jack Roslovic - Toronto Maple Leafs

Roslovic's best asset right now is his deployment, not necessarily his individual skill. He's absolutely benefiting from playing alongside Auston Matthews, and there's no question that sharing the ice with one of the league's elite goal scorers is going to create opportunities and points. 

He's also getting some powerplay exposure, which only adds to his fantasy appeal. However, Roslovic simply isn't an elite top-line forward. He's a complementary piece who is outperforming his established production and riding the coattails of a truly gifted scorer.

That has value, absolutely, but I don't see his current pace continuing throughout the season. He's already established himself as a useful NHL forward, and playing alongside Matthews has given him an opportunity to produce at a much higher level than we've typically seen. 

His deployment is valuable, but the sustainability of this production is quite unlikely. His career high is 45 points, and he's already on pace to blow past that mark by a considerable margin.

Fantasy outlook: I'd be selling high on Roslovic, particularly to a Maple Leafs fan who might be willing to pay a little extra for a player producing alongside Matthews. Take advantage of the current excitement and see if you can get a fan premium in return. I wouldn't expect Roslovic's production to look anything like it does today by the end of the season, and this is a great opportunity to turn a hot start into a more established fantasy asset.

Joel Farabee - Calgary Flames

Who is the best player on the Flames these days? They literally don't have a single elite player on their roster anymore, and that's part of what makes Farabee's current production so interesting. He's come over from Philadelphia and landed in an incredible opportunity for increased ice time and offensive deployment, and he's made the absolute most of it. 

He's playing alongside Mikael Backlund and Matt Coronato while getting top powerplay unit deployment, and he's currently leading Calgary in scoring with 16 points through 17 games.

However, I don't think the underlying numbers support this level of production continuing throughout the season. 

Farabee is a good player, and so are his linemates, but let's be honest, on most other teams in the league, this is a third line. Calgary simply doesn't have the elite offensive talent to surround him with, and right now somebody has to produce points. Farabee happens to be that guy. 

His 14.6% shooting percentage and the 41.9% expected goals share of his line at five-on-five are worth paying attention to. He's taking advantage of his opportunity, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's suddenly become an elite offensive player.

Fantasy outlook: I'm selling high on Farabee while he's leading the Flames in scoring and enjoying a premium role on the top powerplay unit. He's not a bad player, and I think he'll continue to be a useful contributor, but I wouldn't be buying into his current production as something that's going to last. 

If you can turn him into a more established fantasy asset or a player with a higher ceiling, I'd be doing it. This is a classic case of a player benefiting from opportunity and deployment, and I'd rather cash in before the production starts to cool off.