Another fantasy week is winding down and I thought it would be a good time to highlight a few players who have really stood out in the early going that potentially could be snagged in various leagues and formats. As is with every season, we've had our fair share of surprise standouts, as well as players who have failed to live up to expectations. It's still a little early to give up on players you may have drafted, but it's certainly time to start considering some buy-low or sell-high candidates. For now, though let's look at a few players who have gotten off to hot starts.

Kevin Hayes

Hayes, and the Philadelphia Flyers for that matter, were totally off my radar while prepping for the upcoming hockey season. Though in hindsight, maybe I shouldn't be all that surprised. Coach John Tortorella has come in and immediately put his stamp on the organization. The effort and compete level have immediately risen, and despite being in the midst of a rebuild, as well as having some key injuries, the Flyers are competing. Will they be playoff contenders? Doubtful. But guys like Hayes and a few others may actually have some fantasy relevance this year after all.

Hayes is an interesting case. At the age of 30, he is a player who seemed to be on the verge of breaking out once or twice throughout his career, but never truly emerged as a high-end fantasy asset. This season however, he is off to a fantastic start. Through eight games he has a goal and nine assists for an even ten points. He is getting tons of deployment both in even strength and power-play scenarios. He's averaged 19:05 TOI so far, and that seems to indicate he has at least for now gained a bit of trust with coach Tortorella. 

Hayes has most frequently been centering a line with Joel Farabee and Travis Konecny, and the three seemed to mesh well. Hayes shoots a fairly average rate so he will carry his weight in the shots department. He will chip in with the odd hit or two every so often as well, but don't expect much from him in the bonus peripheral categories. It should be noted Hayes is a prime member of Dobber's Band-Aid Boy club, so fingers crossed that he can stay healthy this season.

At least for the time being, Philly has been playing decently, and Hayes has been a big part of that. He is pretty widely available on all platforms and formats. In Yahoo leagues he is 25% rostered, while on Fantrax he is up to 47% owned. Continue to monitor both Hayes' health and the overall success of the Flyers, as both will have a big impact on how the rest of the season goes for him. For now, though, if you have room to stream an extra player, Hayes is a deserving candidate.

Filip Hronek

In Detroit we have quite the unexpected and mystifying case on our hands. You have the reigning Calder Trophy winner on your roster and yet, despite his monstrous performance last season, Moritz Seider finds himself battling Hronek for time on the top power-play unit. This must drive Seider fantasy owners absolutely bonkers. Every draft I was in this offseason, Seider was a high pick and a consensus lock to have a great season, and he still may. But to start off the first handful of games this season, it has been Hronek getting the best deployment opportunities. Hronek has the upper hand over his teammate in both offensive zone starts and power play time. 

In a lot of ways, Hronek was the original cornerstone d-man for the Red Wings when their rebuild first started. There's been some lean years in Detroit as of late, and it's crazy to think that Hronek (still only 24) is entering his fifth season with the franchise. His development has been decent, but he still hasn't bloomed into an elite defenseman. He certainly is serviceable, but he has yet to break the 40-point plateau thus far. So far this season though, he has gotten off to a decent start with five assists over eight contests, with three of those helpers coming on the power play. 

It's hard to say if Hronek will hang on to his top-unit power-play time, but if he can, it's a great opportunity. This is by far the best roster he's gotten to be a part of in his NHL career to this point, so I'm excited to see if he can elevate his numbers a bit. Aside from scoring, Hronek is usually a lock for a hit or two most games and also averages about one block per game. 

I would suggest keeping a close eye on him and Seider to see who is getting the most ice time on the man advantage. Hronek is especially a decent waiver heading into next week as the Red Wings play four times next week. In Yahoo leagues Hronek is on 25 percent of all rosters while over at Fantrax, he's being held in just over 60 percent of leagues. I do think at some point Seider will win his power-play time back, but for now Hronek is earning his keep.

Stuart Skinner

I don't often engage in a lot of goalie chatter in my weekly column, but in this case, I am very curious to see how everything will play out. The Oilers are a powerhouse, and with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl both in the primes of their careers, the team is one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup this season. They made it to the conference final last year, and managed to do so with 40-year-old Mike Smith manning the crease. While Smith did have great moments, goaltending was a clear area of weakness.

Right at the beginning of free agency this summer, the league's worst-kept secret was announced when Jack Campbell signed a five-year deal with Edmonton. Campbell found stardom during his time in Toronto and even got an All-Star nod. Though he did have some shaky spots throughout his tenure, he did seem like a pretty steady option when healthy. It's early, but so far Campbell has not looked good. It's a small sample size, but in six games he is 4-2, which doesn't seem awful right? Well, his goals-against average is 3.89 and his save percentage is .888.  Yikes!

Enter Skinner. He's just 23 years of age, which for a goalie in the NHL is basically a baby. Last season he was used sparingly, but when he did play, he was mostly fine. Heading into this season he was seen as the clear understudy to Campbell. He's made four appearances so far in the early going, and he has looked sharp. He's posted a 2-1 record with a GAA of 1.59 and a save percentage of .955. Obviously these numbers aren't really sustainable, but they are impressive nonetheless. His play has especially stood out in contrast to just how horrible Campbell has played thus far. This past week Skinner made 38 saves to top a very solid St. Louis Blues squad. After the game coach Jay Woodcroft praised Skinner while addressing the media. 

The following night Campbell took the crease, and while the Oilers won the contest, they needed six goals to do so and barely came out with a victory over the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks. Fast forward to last night where Skinner was back in net for the Battle of Alberta. It doesn't get much more high-profile than that in Edmonton, and Skinner rose to the occasion once again, stopping 42 of 44 shots and leading the Oilers to another victory. 

Now the question is, what do we make of all of this. Well, for now I think Campbell still has a bit of a leash. But I think we've already found ourselves in a platoon situation, at least for the time being. I think Campbell will get a chance to get himself right. The fact the Oilers are paying him $5 million dollars a year kind of ensures he will get ample opportunities. However, Skinner has undoubtedly made his mark on the team and impressed his coach and teammates alike.

If you have the roster space for it, I think Skinner warrants a speculatory add. On Yahoo he is owned in 23 percent of leagues, while on Fantrax he is sitting just under half owned at 48 percent. Every season there are a couple of goalies who sneak up out of nowhere and become bonafide studs. Being able to go out and find one can be a huge difference maker for your team. If you can afford to, hold him for a few weeks and see how things play out. 

Well folks that's a wrap for another week. Hope everyone has a happy Halloween whether you partied last night, or are enjoying it today or tomorrow!  I will be back next Sunday, until then thanks for reading and best of luck!