Who are my Top 5 players - Potential drop in keeper amount strategy

[Kylegary Flames]

Our league is in talks of reducing the keeper amount from 6 to 5. I'm pretty fortunate to have a lot of good players, but I'm going to have to make a few strategic trades if we do end up dropping a keeper spot.

How would you rank these players (position in signature):

Aho
Q. Hughes
Josi
Kucherov
Laine
Matthews
Ovechkin
Pettersson
Vrana

I'll probably end up making a package deal because I don't want to lose (drop) any player for nothing in return.

[Axeman33]

Vrana is easily at the bottom of this list. Kucherov is easily at the top for me. It's the others in between those two that is where it gets shakey. This is my ranking for your league setup:


Kucherov
Ovechkin
Matthews
Pettersson
Aho
Laine
Josi
QHughes
Vrana

Laine is tough to read. In a league that rewards more for goals, I want to move him to #5 on my list but not sure how to read him going forward. I guess I am more confident in Aho being the more consistent scorer so I will put him in my top 5.

In a limited keeper, I rarely keep a D unless they are something special. Both Josi and Hughes are excellent fantasy options, but I'd rather redraft them and keep the forwards ahead of both D.

[MZac]

My automatics in this setup:
Kucherov
Ovechkin
Matthews

I can see trading Pettersson/Aho if you fall out of contention as I'm not sure we want to keep 2 centers in this format. Easiest position to re draft and they should bring alot of value.

Easy drop is vrana. He's good but not guaranteed deployment moving forward and we want guarantees in a keep 5.

That leaves Hughes/Josi/Laine and I can make strong arguments for all 3. Gun to my head I think josi is the odd man out but could see cutting Laine as well and it may be league dependent on positional availability come draft time (I don't think I'm letting Hughes go here).

We'll have to draft a goalie early-ish but I'm ok with that. Also go for the win this year before trading your additional assets. If I'm you I'm arguing to remain a keep 6 league rather than go to 5, as your bottom end keepers are very strong.

[Pengwin7]

The position component is the most important part of your pool.
Everything needs to be evaluated relative to positions.
In play:
28C
28LW
28RW
56D
14G


Kucherov (RW)
Matthews (C)
...
Ovechkin (LW)
...
Pettersson (C)
Josi (D)
Q.Hughes (D)
...
Laine (LW)
Aho (C)



Some explanations on my ranks:
1. Kucherov. Must keep. He's an elite player at a thin position. Go check RW#29... Kucherov's value over RW#29 may be top differential in this league fromat.
2. Matthews. I'm a big fan, I think he's still gonna pop... and there'll always be big trade market for a young TOR player like him.
...
3. Ovechkin. He's going to have MASSIVE trade value... but he's also a superstar for rest of this year and definitely next year. You put him on BLOCK, but he's a keeper if offers aren't INSANELY great.
...
4. Pettersson. He's right there with Matthews, except the difference btw. Pettersson and C#29 isn't as big as what is on the wings or D. He's still a bonafide superduperstar and a top player for you, but you lose flexibility in rostering.
5. Josi. D is BY-FAR, going to be thinnest position. Those D#57 is not going to be good and you will be happy having good D.
...
6. Quinn Hughes - I'd really love to see you keep Hughes, in scoring-weighted formats, he's possibly a future top10 every-year producer. He's THAT good.
7. Laine. Winger, so thin position.


What I'd do:
*If you are competing... just hold your player, make decision at end of year.
*If you fall out of top competition... since this appears to be a re-draft league, I'd trade Ovechkin & Aho (LW-eligible!, but only for this year)... for 1st round re-draft picks.


The strongest team for 2020-2021 will be:
*Kucherov(RW),Matthews(C),Pettersson(C),Josi(D),Q. Hughes(D)... and your return picks for Ovechkin & Aho.
Compare those 7 to any other 7... I think this group wins.



***End Note: IF, by chance, you don't have a die-hard TOR/Canadian in your pool... bump Matthews down below Pettersson.

[Kylegary Flames]

All awesome responses, thank you!