How to Start a Keeper League – Version #2
This one is an interesting twist – you have a limited number of “keepers” – for two, three, and four years, and after that they cannot be re-signed – check it out….Sent in by Freddy….

Freddy’s League Features Summary:

1. Up to four “keeper” league

2. Various “keeper” contract lengths

3. No-resigning once keeper contract expires

4. No off-season trading

5. Player with expiring contract may be resigned by new team after trade

6. May trade picks for up to 3 years in the future

7. Limited- Release System: only for retirement, NHL exit or career threatening injury

8. Unique draft order

9. Defunct owner and expansion structure

10. Yearly league vote category evaluation

RULES AND REGULATIONS:

Keepers

1. Each team begins with four "keepers" total: two with two years, one three-year, and one four-year keeper. At the end of Year One, you are left with one two-year, one three-year, and you would then add one four-year. The two two-year guys become one year guys, so they will no longer be keepers for next season. At end of Year Two, you are left with one two-year.
2. No re-signing allowed.
3. At the end of each season, everyone keeps three players from their team: one for two years, one for three years, and one for four years. At the end of next season you would get to keep one additional person. This brings your total of keepers up from three to four.
4. You must notify the commissioner 14 days prior to the new season's draft of your keepers from the previous year. This gives the league enough time to notify each team of everyone's keepers.

Trading

1. Trading can only be done while we have an open Yahoo league. No trading during the summer months when people can’t voice their opinions about the trade.
2. There are two “Categories” of keepers:
A. Those with less than one year remaining on their “contract” (meaning their keeper status will expire at the end of the present season);
B. Those with more than one year remaining on their “contract”.
NOTE: If you own a player in Category A, it is in your best interest to trade them for value since you CANNOT resign the player for another contract at the end of the season. If you trade a player with less than one year left, the new owner IS able to sign them to a new contract.
NOTE#2: If you trade a player in Category B, the new owner IS NOT able to resign the player at the expiration of the contract. The new owner is, however, able to keep that player through the remainder of the original contract.
3. You can trade draft picks up to three seasons away.
4. Keep in mind that the first three rounds of the second season's draft and the first four rounds of drafts in the ensuing years after that are for the keepers with expired contracts. Trading a first round draft pick refers to the first round that you have an actual draft pick in. Remember that it is possible for someone to have more or less than the four keepers.
5. Draft picks will stand if the trade goes through NO MATTER WHAT.
6. Draft picks received in a trade can also be traded away.
NOTE: An email outlining the trade must be sent to the commissioner immediately after any trade involving a draft pick. Please make an effort to post it to the Yahoo league page too.
NOTE#2: Let’s say Owner A trades Player X to Owner B for Player Y. If both players are then kept after the trade and when X and Y’s contract expire later down the road, Owner A and B can only swap the players back if a third of the league votes that it is ok. This prevents two teams from trading back key stellar players every three or four years with each other.

Dropping a Contract

1. You are only allowed to release a player based on a few reasons. These are:
A. The player retired (Steve Yzerman);
B. The player is no longer playing in the NHL (Varada from Ottawa left to play in Europe);
C. The player is injured long term and there is skepticism about their return (Keith Primeau for example). However, if the player busts an MCL in the first month and is out for the season, it’s your loss until we hear word they might be done forever, or something along those lines.
2. If it’s agreed upon by the commissioner that you can release a player from their contract for these reasons, you will be allowed to replace that contract with someone from your roster from the previous season. Otherwise if you drop that person from your team in Yahoo, you’re screwed. You’re out the contract and the player. Make sure if you drop a keeper you come to the commissioner first to figure out if you can keep the contract.

Draft Order

1. Draft order is determined after the playoffs end.
2. If there are 14 teams, the draft order would look like this:
5th/3rd
6th/4th
7th/5th
8th/6th
9th/7th
10th/8th
11th/9th
12th/10th
3rd/11th
4th/12th
2nd/13th
1st/14th
13th/2nd
14th/1st

3. After 12 teams, any teams left are not entered into the playoffs. If we ever get higher than 16 teams it will follow a similar pattern.

Defunct Owners

1. If an owner decides to leave and no longer participates in our awesome league, then we have to replace them. A new owner would pick from available open teams and pick up where the previous owner left off. If the new owner decides not to pick a team and wants to start their own, they can choose from any available players.
NOTE: Players already “under contract” are protected. Available players for a new owner declining an already established team would be any player not currently under contract, except for ANY player on the roster of the team they declined. They will choose the appropriate amount of players to be kept that would be consistent with the league. Never more than four players. Any new owner will pick players AFTER every returning team has picked their contract players for the new season.

Expansion Teams

1. This will work similar to the above, except that there are no restrictions on the open players (players under contract are still protected). Any new owner will pick players AFTER every returning team has picked their contract players for the new season.

Category Changes

1. This will be voted on by the league for future years.