Starting to ponder keepers for next year. Thoughts?

[Starstruck]

Team and league config in signature.
Keeping one C: Crosby
Keeping one L: Gaudreau? Laine (or at R)?
Keeping one R: Wheeler? Pastrnak?
Keeping one D: Josi?
That leaves two other spots for keepers, no positional restrictions. Holtby is a must. So who gets the 6th slot?
Talbot, Stamkos, or one of the other honourable mentions above?

Thanks.

[Eskimo Brother]

Crosby
Laine
Wheeler
Josi
Holtby
Stamkos

Pastrnak is my next choice, then Gaudreau, then Talbot.
Talbot loses value because of the number of teams. Pasta is such a tough cut, but Wheeler has just been so good the last two years, I think you're still in it to win it the next couple years and you have to keep as such.

[DudeImJason]

I go Crosby, Laine, Pastrnak, Josi, Holtby, Stamkos

Wheeler may be a slightly better option then Pasta now but Wheeler is about as good as he'll get and Ehlers/Laine/Scheifele and soon enough Connor are gonna require more ice time ES & PP while aside from Marchand Boston has no winger who can even attempt to take Pastrnaks role from him

[FFleming5]

I agree with Eskimo... Although at the same time I'm really on the fence about keeping Wheeler over Pasta. Wheeler has been a beast for a few years now, however, Pasta is so young and talented and is really a future star. It'd be really hard for me to give up a 20 yo Pasta for a 30 yo guy on a team beaming with young talent waiting to take over.

[Nehithaw]

Crosby
Laine
Pastrnak
Werenski
Holtby
Talbot

"Wheeler may be a slightly better option then Pasta now but Wheeler is about as good as he'll get and Ehlers/Laine/Scheifele and soon enough Connor are gonna require more ice time ES & PP while aside from Marchand Boston has no winger who can even attempt to take Pastrnaks role from him" - wise words spoken by DudeImJason.

Werenski has 47 points (3 points off from being tied for 4th in D-scoring). He is a 19 year-old rookie. Think about that last one. We know what the others can do. If guys like Hamilton, Josi, Carlson can be redrafted why not swing for the home-run? If Werenski can get close to 50 points as a rookie, is it out of the realm of possibility that he gets close to 60 in his 2nd year as a 20 year-old? Stats like those scream 'the next big thing at D'.

Talbot has 2 less wins, 1 less shut-out than Holtby and the most saves in the NHL. Nothing against Stamkos, but the drop-off from Stamkos to Wheeler and Gaudreau is smaller than the drop-off from Talbot (37 wins and 1795 saves) to Pekka Rinne (1477 saves) or Henrik Lundqvist (30 wins each ). The Oilers are only getting better.

One has got to keep in mind that both Werenski and Talbot are in a great position to improve upon already impressive numbers. Although Josi has already put up 61 points in the past and is still producing nicely this season, the 'gamble' that Werenski could put up stats similar to the best producing D-men is intriguing to me. If you were to drop him and he were to get redrafted by someone else, then he put up some sick stats next year, you'll be kicking yourself.

You would have a team that is built to compete now but still be young enough to improve with the chance to become better.

[Sulla]

As shots and face offs aren't categories I don't really mind dropping Stamkos here if I'm honest but I also consider my other GMs - would one over pay for him? I'm pretty confident they would for Laine and maybe Pasta too hence I'd probably keep them so my 6 would be -

Holtby, Sid, Laine, Pasta, Josi and my toes up would be Wheeler and Talbot primarily as I like to get my goalies done early but again that depends on who everyone else keeps and where you are picking - you have a hell of a goalie in Holtby but unless I know I can draft Talbot or better I take says the headache and keep him even if it means losing a guy like Wheeler.

Re Wheeler I am loathe to leave him off but again depends on the nuance of your league - would someone trade him + for Pasta or would the + come from the pasta side? Depending on your answer would determine if I do bump him up

[RizzeeDizzee]

Keep in mind that only 48 players will be kept, so you will be able to draft talented guys and other teams will have similar dilemmas over who to keep. Personally, I 'm not keeping Pasta. I see him as a 65 point guy. Sure - maybe 40 of those points will be goals, but I see Wheeler as still very much a 70+ guy.

[Starstruck]

Just swapped Guentzel out for Letang. Don't think he's better on the year than Josi but I have him nonetheless.