Last night's slate of NHL contests was not densely packed, but the results offered major contributions by players who are warming up after slow starts and should be targeted by fantasy owners in potential trade offers. Their fantasy value will continue to rise, so maybe it's time to try to pry them away from an unsuspected owner while you can have them at a reasonable price. Patrick Sharp: With another goal and an assist in Chicago's 4-1 victory over Winnipeg, the high-scoring winger is slowly kicking his wheels into high gear with six points (3G/3A) in the last five games. His scoring expoits have always flown under the fantasy radar, mainly because he shares the stage in Chicago with high-profile stars such as Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. He is currently on the team's hottest scoring line at the moment (Toews-Hossa-Sharp) and is playing the point on the top power-play unit, ahead of both Nick Leddy and Brent Seabrook. Brad Richards: In the 5-1 thrashing of the mighty Pittsburgh Penguins, the much-maligned center contributed to the offensive explosion with two assists. Not a huge night on paper, but Brad Richards has shown clear signs so far in the early stages of the season that his offensive game is on the upswing again. With 5 goals and 12 points in 15 games, he is on a scoring pace to match his 66-point output in '11-12, where he made a huge offensive impact in his first year on Broadway in their run to the Eastern Conference Finals. With the return of Ryan Callahan restoring more balance to the Ranger's top-six and adding more punch on Richard's line, this seems to suggest that his numbers could even improve moving forward. And, let's not forget that Rick Nash should be returning at some point, so Richard's fantasy value could be soaring by mid-season. P.A. Parenteau: With a goal and an assist in the 6-4 loss to Nashville, Colorado's leading scorer in '12-13 is way below last season's nearly point-per-game scoring pace with 10 points in 14 games. While there is a wealth of offense in Colorado these days, don't discount his importance on the top line with one of the NHL's hottest and rising stars, Matt Duchene. The two play together both on even strength and on the power-play, so Parenteau will get his share of points moving forward. With the likes of Gabriel Landeskog and first overall pick Nathan Mckinnon, the Av's are stacked up front, but it's looking like a huge career season for Duchene- and that bodes well for Parenteau's scoring production. Great "buy-low" candidate. Cam Fowler: The young defenseman finally scored his first goal of the season for Anaheim after 16 games. With two points last night, both on the power-play, Cam Fowler has 7 points in 17 games, pro-rating his offensive numbers to 34 over a full season. Despite the lack of consistent production, the ultra-talented blueliner has been a mainstay on the top power-play from Day One. It seems reasonable to suggest that if he continues to get the big minutes, and with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry showing elite form early on, it's just a matter of time before the points come in bunches. Carter Hutton: The Nashville goaltender kicked side 27 of 31 shots in the upset 6-4 victory over the Colorado Avalanche, and while his peripheral stats (.908 SP and 2.94 GAA) are not that impressive, his record stands at 4-1-1. With the news that All-Star goaltender Pekka Rinne will be sidelined 6-8 weeks with an E. Coli infection, Hutton's fantasy value has risen considerably, especially since the Predators are starting to play well after road victories over the Kings and the Avalanche. Go get him quick before it's too late. It doesn't seem likely that they will trade for another veteran.