The dreaded offseason cap/keeper decisions (rep to anyone who responds)

[gerbernomics]

Good day folks - small preamble - i'm in a 15 team partial keeper league (pts-only) with salary cap (cap system is custom as you'll note below) - it's time for me to start thinking about keepers (we keep 6F, 3D, 1G) and some decisions coming up. In-season, we can trade for players and take our cap number up to 85, but now i have to trim back down accordingly before next october via trade or dropping.

Here's my team and their cap hits - we need 12F, 6D, 2G in our lineups at all times, and total cannot exceed 60M in cap.

Here's my team and my estimated "tiers" from top to bottom on who i may keep, sign or drop. Players we keep cannot be touched, players we sign can be plucked in a 3 round, 45 pick dispersal draft later in the summer (which encourages team turnover ultimately) - so anyone "signed" is at risk, similar to an expansion draft in the NHL

Goalies:
Bobrovsky - 4.4
Binnington - 2.8
Fleury - 4.6
Thompson - 0.7
Gustavsson - 0.6

Defense:
Hedman - 4.3
Sergachev - 1.8
Severson - 2.2
Slavin - 2.5
Morrissey - 1.8
Kylington - 0.9
Skjei - 1.1
Sanheim - 1.5

Forward:
Robertson - 2.1
Scheifele - 4.6
DeBrincat - 2.9
Marchessault - 3.5
Ovechkin - 10.9
Bjorkstrand - 2.7
Terry - 2.3
Backstrom - 5.5
Mangiapane - 1.8
Saad - 1.4
Kerfoot - 1.4
Roslovic - 2.5
Kapanen - 1.1
Comtois - 1.2
Joseph - 1.0
Formenton - 1.5



Initial thoughts:

goalie - keeping binnington, attempt to sign bob and fleury, probably dropping thompson and gustavsson
defense - keeping hedman, sergachev and severson (although up in the air about morrissey maybe instead), signing the rest
forward - keeping jrob, debrincat, scheifele, terry, bjorkstrand and marchessault, looking to unload ovi/backstrom for better goaltending or cheaper options, signing mangiapane, roslovic, comtois, joseph, kerfoot, kapanen, and still mulling over formenton, saad

we can only protect or sign a total of 27, my strategy above puts me at 23 signed including keepers, with total cap of 55M

anyone who can assist will be greatly appreciated!

[Eskimo Brother]

I'm sure I'm missing something with how signing vs keeping works, so I'll stick with the general strategy.

Bobrovsky looks to be worthwhile, and Thompson looks like a bargain.

In addition to your list, Slavin and Kylington look well worthwhile keeping. Severson is risky because he's no lock for PP time in NJ.

Forwards looks like you have it sorted about right.

[stevegamer]

Goalies:

Keep one, sign the other 2:
Bobrovsky - 4.4
Thompson - 0.7
Gustavsson - 0.6

Drop one, maybe sign one:
Binnington - 2.8
Fleury - 4.6


Defense:
Keep:
Hedman - 4.3
Sergachev - 1.8

Keep one, sign others:
Severson - 2.2
Slavin - 2.5
Morrissey - 1.8
Kylington - 0.9

Sign:
Skjei - 1.1

Drop:
Sanheim - 1.5

Forward:
Keep:
Robertson - 2.1
Scheifele - 4.6
DeBrincat - 2.9
Marchessault - 3.5
Bjorkstrand - 2.7
Terry - 2.3


Trade/sign for less money:
Ovechkin - 10.9

Sign most?:
Mangiapane - 1.8
Kerfoot - 1.4
Roslovic - 2.5
Kapanen - 1.1
Comtois - 1.2
Joseph - 1.0
Formenton - 1.5
Saad - 1.4

Drop/trade:
Backstrom - 5.5