Keeper Q: Denisenko over Perron/Saros/Prospects? REP Given!

[Rockies & Hockeys]

For the bottom team in my sig, should I keep Denisenko (4 years) over Perron (3 years), Saros (2 years), or one of my 5 prospects? If he were kept as a prospect I would lose that prospect completely, but would get to keep Denisenko for 5 years instead of 4.

I am looking to bottom out this season (and maybe next) but be really strong again after that. I just won the league this year and have nothing but super low draft picks this coming season, but I've already begun stockpiling high picks for the two seasons after that.

In Dobber's most recent prospect rankings, Newhook is #4, McMichael is #7, Denisenko is #10, Perfetti is #11, Tomasino is #14, and Holtz is #22 (but considered to have high end potential). Someone is going to be a tough cut, which is why I'm considering keeping Denisenko over a couple years of Saros (when I won't be competing anyway).

What do you guys think i should do? Am I overvaluing one of my prospects?

[sweetcelly]

Honestly with your goalie cats and Grub going to Seattle, I think he is the weakest of the bunch now. I would rank them as:

Hart

Saros
Campbell

Grubauer

Would need more info as to how many goalie starts, and how many goalies usually kept and what not to give more informed advice though. Based on limited info, I think I would keep Hart and Saros, let Grub go and hold onto Denisenko since you're building for future years.

[random-d]

I think I would prefer dropping Perron and keeping your goalies as well as keeping Denisenko over McMichael. By the time there is a prime position open for McMichael Washington should be trending downward. Denisenko appears to have an easier path to top minutes and also has the better although (perhaps) riskier upside. Grubauer might not be a star in Seattle but you might be able to capitalize on the hype and net something that suits your plans a little better.

[Rockies & Hockeys]

Honestly with your goalie cats and Grub going to Seattle, I think he is the weakest of the bunch now. I would rank them as:

Hart

Saros
Campbell

Grubauer

Would need more info as to how many goalie starts, and how many goalies usually kept and what not to give more informed advice though. Based on limited info, I think I would keep Hart and Saros, let Grub go and hold onto Denisenko since you're building for future years.

Great analysis on the goalie side of things. I've actually GOT to keep Grubauer, Hedman & Connor (all 2 year contracts) because I've got them promised to someone in a trade AFTER our draft this fall. Otherwise I agree, I would just drop Grubauer.

The goalie rules are that we choose two per week to start for that whole week. So having a bunch of goalies isn't that helpful unless one gets hurt or has hardly any games that week.

[Rockies & Hockeys]

I think I would prefer dropping Perron and keeping your goalies as well as keeping Denisenko over McMichael. By the time there is a prime position open for McMichael Washington should be trending downward. Denisenko appears to have an easier path to top minutes and also has the better although (perhaps) riskier upside. Grubauer might not be a star in Seattle but you might be able to capitalize on the hype and net something that suits your plans a little better.

I can keep McMichael for as many years as I want for free until he plays 100 games. I'm thinking Denisenko is closer to being full time NHL, so it might make sense to keep him over Saros (2 years left) or Perron (4 years left). Do you think one of those would be the right call?

[stevegamer]

There's no way I keep him over Saros. Saros is a solid starting goalie, and you're in a 12 team league, starting 2 goalies.

I expect you can draft one of the prospects before redrafting Saros, and dealing Grubauer means you'll likely need another goalie, unless you are obtaining one. Kind of hard to answer without knowing the trade that's on hold.

[Belexus75]

CV resigning and emergence of Benett may put Denisenko in AHL for upcoming year...time will tell but it is getting crowded there..

[Rockies & Hockeys]

There's no way I keep him over Saros. Saros is a solid starting goalie, and you're in a 12 team league, starting 2 goalies.

I expect you can draft one of the prospects before redrafting Saros, and dealing Grubauer means you'll likely need another goalie, unless you are obtaining one. Kind of hard to answer without knowing the trade that's on hold.

The trade I've got lined up is just for picks. But I only get Saros 2 more years and at least one of those is a tank year, so that's what's got me undecided. Think Perron keeps it up?

[Rockies & Hockeys]

CV resigning and emergence of Benett may put Denisenko in AHL for upcoming year...time will tell but it is getting crowded there..

For sure, I'm wondering the same thing. It's mostly just him being in the top 10 of Dobber's prospect list that's got me undecided, haha.

[stevegamer]

The trade I've got lined up is just for picks. But I only get Saros 2 more years and at least one of those is a tank year, so that's what's got me undecided. Think Perron keeps it up?

To be honest, I'm really bad at judging tank year strategy. I simply don't do that. My theory is that if there are playoffs, I can win them. If it's season long accumulation of stats, rebuilding can make sense as I've seen in baseball, but I have played exactly one season of fantasy hockey like that in my life, it was this past season, it was supposed to be a rebuilding team, and I won the league anyway. So take my advice as that of a guy who sucks at tanking.

I'd think you can move Saros for picks after next year like you are moving Grubauer this year, and likely net more than Denisenko.

[Rockies & Hockeys]

To be honest, I'm really bad at judging tank year strategy. I simply don't do that. My theory is that if there are playoffs, I can win them. If it's season long accumulation of stats, rebuilding can make sense as I've seen in baseball, but I have played exactly one season of fantasy hockey like that in my life, it was this past season, it was supposed to be a rebuilding team, and I won the league anyway. So take my advice as that of a guy who sucks at tanking.

I'd think you can move Saros for picks after next year like you are moving Grubauer this year, and likely net more than Denisenko.

1) I should clarify my tanking comment. What actually happened is I sacrificed all my picks for next season to have an absolutely, over the top dominant team that would have no chance of losing, and I won this past season (my first in that league) handily while going something like 24-1. It was my first year of head to head and I decided if I as going to make a run, I'd go all out. I was concerned about having a "strong" team but getting taken out in the early playoff rounds due to one bad week in an otherwise solid season.

The way the league is set up has guys on max 5 year contracts, and I was able to do what I did by obtaining ALL the top expiring contracts in the league, such as McDavid, Draisaitl, Panarin, Pastrnak, and the list goes on. So really what I did is "sacrifice" this coming season to ensure I won this past one, haha.

2) I like your analysis that moving Saros could get me more return than Denisenko. Saros is pointlessly good on my terrible team next season, but if I can trade him after the draft sometime for more picks than Denisenko would be worth (either in a trade or as one of my 10 keepers for the next 4 years), then Saros is the winner and I should keep him. I've already stockpiled some top picks in the two seasons after this one, so it's unlikely Denisenko grows enough to be a keeper for me in a couple years when I'm ready to take a run again.

[Rockies & Hockeys]

Any more thoughts on this tough call?

[stevegamer]

1) I should clarify my tanking comment. What actually happened is I sacrificed all my picks for next season to have an absolutely, over the top dominant team that would have no chance of losing, and I won this past season (my first in that league) handily while going something like 24-1. It was my first year of head to head and I decided if I as going to make a run, I'd go all out. I was concerned about having a "strong" team but getting taken out in the early playoff rounds due to one bad week in an otherwise solid season.

The way the league is set up has guys on max 5 year contracts, and I was able to do what I did by obtaining ALL the top expiring contracts in the league, such as McDavid, Draisaitl, Panarin, Pastrnak, and the list goes on. So really what I did is "sacrifice" this coming season to ensure I won this past one, haha.

2) I like your analysis that moving Saros could get me more return than Denisenko. Saros is pointlessly good on my terrible team next season, but if I can trade him after the draft sometime for more picks than Denisenko would be worth (either in a trade or as one of my 10 keepers for the next 4 years), then Saros is the winner and I should keep him. I've already stockpiled some top picks in the two seasons after this one, so it's unlikely Denisenko grows enough to be a keeper for me in a couple years when I'm ready to take a run again.

Thanks for clarifying. That's not tanking, that's sacrificing.

I have been the guy getting massively upset, and the guy doing the upsetting. I know that sometimes you simply have a matchup you lose due to whatever reason, especially injury.