Fantasy Trade Targets: Buy Brayden Point, Sell Cutter Gauthier

Recent deployment shifts and early-season streaks are creating clear fantasy trade windows. A few big names are underperforming their true talent, while some early breakouts are vulnerable to role changes. Let’s break down who actually wins and loses from these situations and turn the news into concrete buy/sell moves for fantasy managers.

What’s New & Why It Matters

The key storyline is in Tampa Bay, where Brayden Point is working his way back from a slow start and missed time, while the blue line is juggling minutes due to Victor Hedman's injury. Point has recently produced with a goal and assist, suggesting his usage and finishing touch are stabilizing. That makes him a deployment winner: a top-six center with strong power-play exposure whose surface numbers haven’t yet caught up.

Hedman’s status is the pivot point for the entire Lightning defense. When he’s out, Darren Raddysh can step into premium minutes and first-unit power-play work. When Hedman returns, Raddysh likely slides back into a more modest top-four role, capping his ceiling and making his current production look inflated. That’s why he’s flagged as a sell-high candidate.

On the forward side elsewhere, Tim Stutzle in Ottawa is grinding his way out of a slump while holding strong deployment as a top-six forward and PP1 fixture for the Ottawa Senators. The underlying role never went away, and as the puck starts going in again, his counting stats should better reflect his usage.

Two young risers, Cutter Gauthier in Anaheim and Dan Vladar in Philadelphia, are more fragile. Gauthier’s blistering start on the top line for the Ducks comes with sustainability questions, while Vladar’s strong early run as the Flyers’ starter is clouded by his limited track record as a true workhorse. Both look like deployment winners today, but the combination of risk and trade value makes them prime candidates to flip.

Fantasy Implications

Points-Only

In pure scoring formats, your focus is on who is stapled to elite offensive roles and top power-play units.

Brayden Point is the headliner. He remains a top-six centerpiece for the Lightning with clear exposure to Tampa Bay’s best offensive talent and prime power-play time. The recent bump in production hints that the worst of his slow start is behind him. This is the type of profile you want to acquire before the box scores catch up—his ice time and role support a much stronger rest-of-season scoring pace than his early totals show.

Tim Stutzle is in a similar bucket. As a top-six forward and PP1 driver for Ottawa, his slump looked more like shooting luck and perhaps confidence than a deployment issue. Managers frustrated by a quiet stretch might discount his true upside. In points-only leagues, he’s a classic buy-low: the role never dipped, and there’s room for a notable hot streak.

On defense, Victor Hedman is still the offensive engine from the back end when healthy. Even with injury concerns, his spot as Tampa’s PP1 quarterback gives him bankable point production as long as he’s in the lineup. That makes him more of a hold than a buy or sell in most points-only setups unless your league-mate is panicking about the injury.

Darren Raddysh, by contrast, has a fragile scoring profile in these formats because so much of his recent value is tied to temporarily elevated usage. Once Hedman returns to full strength and resumes his PP1 role, Raddysh’s scoring opportunities are likely to fall off. This is a textbook spot to move him for a more stable offensive piece before that regression hits.

Among forwards, Cutter Gauthier is exciting but risky. His early surge as a top-line winger in Anaheim may not be fully supported by repeatable percentages or a locked-in role over an entire season. In points-only redraft leagues, turning that hot start into a more established scorer can protect you from a second-half slowdown.

Categories / Bangers

In multi-category formats, deployment still leads the way, but peripherals like shots, hits, and special-teams time help separate close calls.

Brayden Point is less dominant than pure volume shooters, but his combination of goals, assists, and power-play production keeps him extremely valuable. If your league counts PPP or plus/minus, Tampa’s offensive environment amplifies his impact. Buying him now is especially appealing if your opponent is fixated on his slow start.

Tim Stutzle offers a diversified category profile when his game is clicking—shots, power-play points, and solid assist totals. Even if he’s not a heavy hits or PIM contributor, his role on the Senators’ top unit ensures strong category coverage in scoring-related stats, making him a cross-format trade target.

Cutter Gauthier can help in goals and potentially shots in the near term, but the question is how much of his current pace is driven by a hot finishing streak or extra ice time that could be reeled back. In redraft categories leagues, selling high for a more proven multi-category producer mitigates the risk that his scoring or usage normalizes.

Darren Raddysh benefits in the short term from added power-play and offensive-zone deployment, which can boost assists and PPP. But when Hedman is back and reclaiming his usual minutes, Raddysh’s counting stats could slide quickly. If you can flip him for a defenseman with more stable hits/blocks or shot volume, that’s a worthwhile rebalancing move.

In net, Dan Vladar is the classic high-risk, medium-reward category goalie. He may currently be helping with wins and save percentage, but his lack of a long-term track record as a starter raises the odds of volatility. In leagues where goalie performance can swing matchups, moving him for a safer option while his perceived value is elevated is a very reasonable strategy.

Dynasty / Keeper

In longer-term formats, the calculus changes slightly—age, role security, and development curves matter more than just this year’s stat line.

Brayden Point is already an established core piece for keeper and dynasty builds. A temporary dip in scoring due to a slow start or missed games doesn’t change his long-term trajectory as a high-end producer in a strong Lightning offense. If a contending team in your league is overly worried about this season’s totals, it may open a window to acquire a long-term building block at a relative discount.

Tim Stutzle is even more intriguing in dynasty. As a young top-six forward and PP1 anchor in Ottawa, his best seasons may still be ahead of him. Any slump that creates trade value friction is a buying opportunity. In keepers, he’s a target both for rebuilding teams and contenders who can ride out short-term volatility.

Cutter Gauthier is the trickiest case. In redraft, he’s a clear sell-high; in dynasty, you need to weigh the long-term upside of a talented top-line winger in Anaheim against the temptation to cash out now. If another manager believes in him as an immediate star, you might be able to turn him into a more established young asset. Otherwise, his pedigree and current deployment make him a reasonable hold in deeper keeper setups.

Victor Hedman is aging but still projects as a high-end defenseman when healthy. In dynasty, you don’t want to overreact to short-term injury news, but you can be open to moving him if you’re retooling and can fetch younger elite assets. In contending windows, he remains a foundational blueliner.

Darren Raddysh and Dan Vladar profile more as short- to medium-term assets than cornerstone dynasty pieces until they prove they can hold elevated roles over multiple seasons. In deep dynasties, you can justify holding them as depth, but if you’re offered more stable long-term value, it’s a reasonable time to pivot.

Who to Add / Stream / Watch

Brayden Point – Trade target (all formats): Buy-low on a proven top-six Lightning forward whose role and recent uptick suggest a strong rebound.
Tim Stutzle – Trade target (all formats): Secure a slumping but heavily deployed Senators PP1 forward before his scoring fully heats back up.
Cutter Gauthier – Sell-high (redraft): Flip his hot start and top-line role in Anaheim for a more stable, established scorer.
Darren Raddysh – Sell-high (all formats): Move him now while he’s benefiting from Hedman’s absence and inflated power-play usage.
Dan Vladar – Sell-high (all formats): Use his strong early run as the Flyers’ starter to acquire a safer, more proven goalie.
Victor Hedman – Hold / buy-low (points-heavy): Injury risk aside, his PP1 quarterback role for Tampa keeps his ceiling elite when active.

Fantasy Takeaways

Target Brayden Point as a buy-low while his usage and recent production point to a looming rebound.
Acquire Tim Stutzle where possible; his top-six and PP1 deployment in Ottawa supports a strong rest-of-season surge.
Sell high on Cutter Gauthier in redraft leagues before his early scoring pace and top-line role have a chance to regress.
Shop Darren Raddysh aggressively, as his value likely falls once Victor Hedman is back running Tampa’s top power play.
Consider trading Dan Vladar while he’s producing like a starter, since his long-term workload and consistency remain uncertain.
Use tools like the NHL Trade Analyzer to benchmark offers and avoid overpaying in these buy/sell situations.

Source: RotoWire. See the original for full details.