Early Keeper Opinions

[HRM Fantasy Fan]

Thought I’d get a jump on some keeper opinions. Looks like I am winning again this year barring some kind of catastrophe. I have a very deep team and I will have to leave some pretty good players unprotected.

The way our league works is if a player you leave unprotected gets picked in the draft you are allowed to protect one of your remaining unprotected players. So there is value in leaving players unprotected as for me the player I would be able to protect will be worth more than I could get if I trade them. Hope that makes sense.

It is for the league in the signature, however ignore the roster that was my old one about 4 years ago before I blew it up and rebuilt to what I will post here.

Scoring categories are the same in the signature except +/- is now worth 0.5 and goalie losses are worth -1. There are 15 teams.

I get 17 I have 16 I am pretty sure have their spots, so I have one left. I am leaning towards Larkin but maybe I am wrong so I thought I’d ask some opinions.

My current roster:

keepers

1)S Crosby 2)E Kane 3)P Kane 4)B Marchand 5)M Marner 6)M Pacioretty ]7)D Pastrnak 8)M Scheifele ]9)J Eichel 10)E Malkin

11)J. Carlson
12)D. Hamilton
13)M. Rielly (Tor)
14)S. Theodore
15)C. Hellebuyck
16)K. Lankinen

I. Prosvetov (auto protected)

Best next:

P Bergeron
D Larkin
J. Petry
B. Holtby (if traded to be a starter)
A. Rannta (if signs as a starter)

The rest:

D. Strome
J Eberle
D Krejci
R Getzlaf
C Kreider
B. Burns
M. Grzelcyk
R. Suter
Z. Chara

[HRM Fantasy Fan]

Bump

[COLT.45]

I would say Larkin, however if one of Holtby or Raanta sign as a started then it may be them as I am sure starters are worth a premium in your league with so many teams.

[Turbo_Supremo]

Larkin gets my vote; Bergeron is a close second.

[HRM Fantasy Fan]

I would say Larkin, however if one of Holtby or Raanta sign as a started then it may be them as I am sure starters are worth a premium in your league with so many teams.

Yes they are. Goalies are near impossible to acquire and they cost.

[HRM Fantasy Fan]

Thanks. Would any see a scenario where I cut any of the 16 for any of the others? The only one I could really see swapping out would be E Kane.

[stevegamer]

First, I doubt Holtby or Raanta get clear starting gigs. So I'd leave them unprotected and hope they get taken.

Holtby had that shot this year, is still under contract for next year, and his primary option is Seattle - who will have better younger options.
Raanta needs to end up somewhere he can stay healthy and beat out whatever competition there is there already. The teams where he's a clear upgrade over their talent already under contract for next year, yet the team is good are few. Toronto, Edmonton, may be reasonable.

I agree it's between Larking & Bergeron as the protect, and I'd either protect Larkin or protect Bergeron, expecting Larkin to get taken, and then figure out the extra protect is. I think Larkin will go if you leave him unprotected, but there's a risk there.