How’s your fantasy hockey team looking? Whether good, bad, or ugly, trades can always be made with an eye for now and toward the future.

With that in mind, let’s look at some names to buy/sell as it stands.

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NHL Fantasy Hockey Week 7 Buy/Sell Advice

Buy

Jakob Chychrun (D – ARI)

Heck, Chychrun might even be on waivers in your fantasy league (he was in mine) as he’s rostered in 78.2% of ESPN leagues, but even if he isn’t, it’s worth exploring a trade for the Coyotes’ blueliner.

Chychrun has probably been the most talked about defenseman in the league over the last year-plus, as he’s almost certainly going to be traded from Arizona to a superior team either before the trade deadline or sometime this summer. If we’re trading for him now, we’d obviously like a deal sooner than later, but let’s put that debate aside for the moment.

Chychrun has appeared in just four games this season due to a lingering wrist issue, but he’s been a monster since returning to the lineup. In those four games, he’s notched a goal and three points with an eye-popping 22 shots on goal. He’s managed eight shots in two of those four games while he’s also thrown 10 hits and managed a plus-three rating.

The quarterback of the No. 1 power-play unit in the desert doesn’t have a man-advantage point yet, but the Coyotes’ power play is humming at a healthy 23.2% on the season, tied for 13th league-wide. Those power-play points are going to come.

He’s producing just fine so far despite a low-octane offense in the desert. Still, if he is traded to a contender and surrounded by star power, his value would skyrocket in a hurry, with his ceiling being raised substantially in the process.

Jeff Skinner (LW, RW – BUF)

Like Chychrun, perhaps Skinner is still available on the waiver wire, as he’s rostered in just 71.4% of ESPN leagues. Regardless, given how he’s performed and where he sits in the Sabres’ pecking order, he’s worth a look.

His Sabres tenure has been a bit of a whirlwind from 40-goal man to the doghouse, but he’s back in business this season after a healthy 63-point campaign a year ago. Skinner has caught fire of late and finds himself with 10 goals and 22 points in as many games. Skinner is averaging exactly three shots on goal per game with 66 on the season, owns a plus-four rating, and has collected five points on the power play.

That in itself is worthy of ownership. However, let’s also remember that Skinner is riding shotgun to one of the most impressive players in the NHL this season, Tage Thompson. Thompson broke out last season but has been a full-blown superstar this season with 14 goals and 28 points in 22 contests. To be sure, the fact that Skinner skates with Thompson on the top line and top power-play unit make him a variable fantasy asset.

He’s also not been totally reliable in the penalty minutes (eight) and hits (12) departments. Not above-average production there, but there’s at least something to add to his excellent numbers in the goals, assists, shots, and plus-minus columns.

If you missed him on waivers, see what it might cost to get the 30-year-old into your lineup via trade.

Sell

Matt Murray (G – TOR)

Matt Murray’s first season with Toronto in limited action has been fantastic. That said, now might be the time to explore what you could nab in a trade for the veteran goaltender.

Few want to trade a netminder sporting a 2.44 GAA and .927 Sv% on the season. However, those numbers come in just seven appearances, as Murray missed time with an adductor injury. Of course, injuries have decimated Murray in recent seasons, as he hasn’t appeared in more than 38 games in a season since getting into 50 games with the 2018-19 Pittsburgh Penguins. That season marked a career-high in appearances.

Aside from injury, there’s also the fact that Ilya Samsonov has returned from a knee injury that cost him considerable time. Samsonov has also performed well in his first season in Toronto, posting a 2.23 GAA and .921 Sv% in eight outings.

With both goaltenders missing significant time already through just the quarter mark of the season, expect a timeshare moving forward to keep both goalies fresh and healthy. Barring another injury to Samsonov, Murray won’t get a full No. 1 workload as the injury risk is too high, given the track record.

Selling high right now is the best option while you still can.

Elias Lindholm (C – CGY)

This is a bit of a sell-low case as Lindholm hasn’t produced at his best so far this season, but given his 96.2% rostership in ESPN leagues, managers are clearly still valuing him across the board.

In 22 games this season, Lindholm has notched six goals and 16 points. He’s averaging just 2.36 shots per game and owns a minus-three rating on the campaign. He’s producing decently with five power-play points and 20 hits, but this type of production doesn’t warrant 96% ownership whatsoever.

He’s yet to fully click with Jonathan Huberdeau, but it also seems he’s missing Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, both at even strength and on the power play. Lindholm’s 42 goals and 82 points in as many games last season are the main reason he’s owned at this level but keep in mind he also shot at 17.9% last season while his 11.5% mark this time around is much more in line with his 12.6% career mark.

He’s pointless over his last five, so he was hovering around a point-per-game before the drought, but I’d take advantage of last year’s career highs across the board and put Lindholm on the block sooner than later.

View daily consensus odds from all major sportsbooks for the NHL at BettingPros _