Which 3 of 6 to keep??

[RizzeeDizzee]

In my league, each team can keep up to 6 players, and no player can be kept for more than 3 years. Categories are G, A, PPP, SHP, +/-, H, BS, SHT%. There are 8 total teams and each team ices 13F, 7D, plus can have several of each on the bench.

I already have 3 definite keepers, but given my league categories, which are the three best keeper values among these 6 guys?

Datsyuk - 3rd round (23rd overall pick)
E. Staal - 5th round (39th overall pick)
Skinner - 12th round (90th overall pick)
Enstrom - 13th round (103rd overall pick)
Horton - 18th round (138th overall pick)
Mueller - 32nd round (250th overall pick)

Just to clarify, when I say 23rd overall pick, that means I'd pick 23rd if I didn't retain Datsyuk. Also, since there are 7 other teams, there will be 48 players kept, so the 23rd pick will not be the 23rd best overall NHL player.

I'm definitely leaning toward Datsyuk and Skinner, since I think they provide solid value at their draft spot - sort of like VORP or WAR in a fantasy baseball sense. But the third guy is where I keep going back and forth. If Horton or Mueller didn't have health question marks, I'd go with one of them. I think that Staal might be only a 70-75 point player at this point, in which case I can likely get something comparable at that draft spot without costing me a retention. Enstrom also is solid, but I'm not sure he makes for a better retention than the others.

I'd really like to get other opinions, whether about the third guy, or even to suggest that I not retain Datsyuk and/or Skinner.

[hockeyrulez69]

how many Dmen are kept usually? Id say keep Datsyuk, Staal, and Enstrom

[CascadeFilly]

I also like Datsyuk, Staal and Enstrom. I wouldn't count Staal as stuck in the 70-75 point range. He's a star in my books, and he's finally getting a supporting cast around him. He's also going to be entering his prime in a year or two.
I like Enstrom because 50 point defensemen don't grow on trees. That's another team that will be on the rise in the coming years, so we may not have seen his best yet. 38 points as a rookie, back to back 50 point seasons, and last season's 51 points were in only 72 games (a 58 point pace). He's also entering his prime. We COULD be looking at a perennial 60 point d-man in Enstrom.

[RizzeeDizzee]

Usually each team keeps 1 or 2 defensemen at most, very rarely 3.

I'm more surprised at both responders picking Staal than Enstrom. Is Staal at 39th overall a better value than Skinner at 90th? I suppose it's possible that Skinner regresses as a sophomore, but all signs point to that not happening, in which case Staal would likely finish no more than 10-15 points of ahead of Skinner, if that.

Also, to give some context, guys who were available around the 5th round last year were Mike Richards, Lecavalier, Toews, and Vanek, whereas by the 12th it was Elias, Bergeron, Setoguchi, and Havlat.