Welcome back to another edition of the Roos Lets Loose monthly mailbag, where I answer your fantasy hockey questions by giving advice that should be useful to all poolies even if they don't own the specific players being discussed. As a reminder, if you want your fantasy hockey question(s) answered in the next mailbag, check out the end of the column, where I explain the ways to get it/them to me as well as the details you should provide when sending. The earlier you send a question the more likely it is to be included in the mailbag, and the deeper dive I can provide with my reply.

This is part 2 of the mailbag, as I received enough questions for not a second edition. As a heads up, I'll be taking next week off, for a break plus to align Goldipucks with Bubble Keeper week, which is coming your way starting August 11th.

Question #1 (from David)

In 10 team keeper league where goalies get 4pts for a win -2 for a loss and +2 for a shutout, I have to decide between Juuse Saros and Thatcher Demko. Who are you keeping?

If you have two "stud" goalies but only can – or otherwise intend to – keep just one, the thing to do first is let all GMs know that one of them is available in trade and see what offers you get for each. This is especially the case where, as here, one is not objectively far better than the other, as you might get GMs who nevertheless value one quite a bit more, whether due to personal preference or perhaps having other players from that team too. Of course, this assumes offseason trading is allowed. But if it is, I suspect you will get no shortage of takers. Yes, there is the possibility that GMs are smart enough to sniff out that you can't – or won't – keep both, and thus might try to lowball you; but, by the same token these are two of the maybe handful or so goalies in the NHL today who not only have a stranglehold on a #1 spot, but also figure to be quite good. Even knowing you're "under the gun" when it comes to keeping one but not both, I'd venture you'll still get some juicy offers.

If, for whatever reason, you do end up having to decide between them, either because trading is not allowed or you don't get offers your feel are fair, who is the better choice? Let's see if a clear answer emerges after taking a closer look at each.

For Saros, I've heard some voice concerns about Yaroslav Askarov, who's looked amazing since coming to North America. But I'd analogize the situation in Nashville now to what it was in Vancouver when they had Roberto Luongo as their highly paid true #1, but also Cory Schneider, who hard great success both before and in the NHL. In the end, Luongo's contract won out, as did the fact Vancouver could get a nice return in trade for Schneider. From where I sit, Askarov worries should not enter the equation.

Unlike Saros, Demko is only signed through 2025-26. Yes, that is two seasons away; however, it is not clear if he'd opt to remain in Vancouver. Or to put it another way, Saros is in Nashville to stay, and the Preds have taken steps this offseason to try to make strides toward becoming a more elite team; but in doing so they brought in mainly older players, whereas Vancouver is a very good team but younger, such that if Demko was to stay in Vancouver, one would think he'd be poised to better over the long haul.

Saros is the only goalie in the NHL to have played 64+ games in each of the last three seasons. Is it taking a toll though? In 2023-24 Saros went from three straight seasons of 20.0+ GSAA to 5.97, and from zero Really Bad Starts in 2022-23 to 11. His SV% and GAA were also career worsts.

Here's the thing – despite his struggles last season, Saros didn't lose more games than usual, as his starts in each of the last three seasons have ranged between 64-67, with 33-38 wins and 23-25 losses. Chances are Saros won't get worse; but even if he does, it's not clear it will matter given the scoring system of this league.

Looking at Demko, the spread between his games won and lost was – beneficially in your league – wider. And it wasn't just this season, as it was a similar story in 2021-22. Demko also had a strong GSAA for 2023-24, and a career best in shutouts. Also, even after being on the shelf with injury, Demko returned at the end of 2023-24 and played great, boding well for 2024-25. Demko also is a bit younger, making it more realistic that he still could continue to improve.

In sum, first you should put both out there in trade to see what offers are received. If a trade is not in the cards, then I think that Demko is likely the more correct pick given his history of a wider spread between wins and losses, plus being on a team that should be as good as Nashville now, but likely better over the longer haul, assuming Demko stays. Really you can't go wrong with either one. Good luck!

Question #2 (from Steven)

I’m in a 13 team, keep 13, roto style cap (same as NHL's and using NHL salary, not AAV) league. Our roster consists of 23 players. We dress up to 9F, 6D, and 1G per night. Total games are maxed out at 82 x 16 (i.e., 82 games played times the maximum amount of players we can dress per night, and you’d be surprised at how many people leave goalie man games on the table). We also get 10 FA moves that can be used any time after the draft has occurred. Scoring is G(3), A(2), +/-(1), PIM(0.2), SHG(1), SOG(0.1), W(4), L(-2), GA(-1.6), SVs(0.2), SO(5).

Here is my team, with salaries for the next two seasons denoted:

F: Taylor Raddysh (RFA), Frank Vatrano (3.65M, UFA), Jesperi Kotkaniemi (4.82M, 4.82M), Joel Eriksson-Ek (9.0M, 7.5.M), Leon Draisaitl (8.0M, UFA), Jared McCann (5.5M, 4.25M), Mathieu Joseph (3.3M, 3.3M), Brock Boeser (6.65M, UFA), Evgeni Malkin (5.6M, 4.8M), Philipp Kurashev (2.25M, UFA)

D: Egor Zamula (1.5M, 1.9M), Quinn Hughes (9.5M, 10,25M), K'Anfre Miller (4.646M, UFA), Noah Dobson (4.0M, RFA), John Carlson (6.0M, 6.0M), Mikey Anderson (4.3M, 4.2M), Jackson Lacombe (RFA), Mattias Ekholm (6.4M, 6.4M), Brayden McNabb (2.2M, UFA), Roman Josi (9.0M, 8.0M)

G: Joel Hofer (0.775M, RFA), Stuart Skinner (2.5M, 3.0M), Tristan Jarry (6.4M, 5.25M)

After the season, I made two big trades, surrendering first round picks in the 2024 and 2025 drafts to land Dobson and Josi. My reasoning was I want to try to win this season, before Draisatil gets far more expensive and/or possibly goes to another team where he'd be less potent. Also, top d-men are not easy to get, so having Dobson and Josi, even in the face of Dobson's sure to be big raise, made it worthwhile for now plus the future.

For keepers, I figure it's Skinner and probably Hofer, as I feel Jarry isn't worth that price plus the Pens are fading and Jordan Binnington might be vulnerable to losing the crease, plus Hofer Is eager to get paid. For forwards, it's Draisaitl, JEE, and Boeser. On D, it's the big guns – Josi, Hughes, and Dobson, plus I think Ekholm given how well he's done with the Oilers.

That puts me at 9 keepers, leaving me room for four more. I’m leaning toward Malkin (continues to perform well at that salary, risk is his age obviously), Kurashev (Bedard potential, assume at least some improvement in +/-, great salary, young, recognize that Hall, Bertuzzi, etc. might cut into his playing time, but I think the youthful zest may keep him with Bedard for a while), and Carlson (I understand his pts are declining and that Sandin and Chychrun might eat into his PP time but I still think he's likely the top D option on the Caps). For the final spot, it's Miller or McNabb, or maybe even Zamula. Miller and McNabb both had the same amount of pool points last year. McNabb is better value at salary but Miller has more potential, I think Zamula could run PP1 and isn't too expensive.

That would put me at 6D, 2G, 3F. I'd aim to draft 2D, 1G, 7F. I know for sure players like Alex Debrincat, Owen Tippett, Mason Marchment, Clayton Keller will be available; and although I don’t pick until the 4th round I expect high price players to be still available there.

How does this plan sound to you? What would you differently and why?

In net, I'm not sure I have the same faith in Hofer as you do, as it Binnington remains the chosen one for better or, as more often is the case, worse. Meanwhile, Hofer is inexpensive this season and does have potential. I agree Jarry is not a keep given his performance in 2023-24, plus the Penguins trending worse, not to mention his salary. So let's put Hofer down as a maybe, but yes on Skinner for sure.

For D, of course I agree on Josi, Hughes and Dobson. As for Ekholm, I get that he'll walk into points by virtue of the minutes he logs for Edmonton; but he's not a bargain by any stretch. He's a maybe for me. Of Miller, McNabb, and Zamula, I like none as keepers. McNabb is cheap, but his value in HIT and BLK is wasted in your scoring system. Miller took a step back and looks like his upside, if it is still there, will be delayed long enough to make it not worth holding him. As for Zamula, he too is cheap and was getting PP time; however, keep in mind the very steep price Philly paid to land Jamie Drysdale. If healthy, PP1 is Drysdale's. That is an if; given Drysdale's track record, but I don't know if I'm sold on the idea of keeping Zamula largely in hopes a frequently injured player will get injured again. As for Carlson, at $6M, I think he makes sense despite his points having nowhere to go but down, as I don't see a universe in which he isn't the PP1 stalwart he's always been, which still should allow him to post 50+ points, with a better shot at 55+ than 45 or less.

Turning to forwards, Draisaitl is a must, and I can get behind Boeser, especially after his point per game showing in the playoffs, with 11 of his 12 points coming in the form of goals or primary assists, making it all the more impressive. I think if he gets similar deployment he is a 40G, 30A downside player. I am a fan of JEE, and there's the fact his scoring rate has increased a remarkable six straight seasons; but these categories are not the best for him in that you don't count hits. Also, $9M is not small potatoes. JEE probably will make the cut in the end, but I do not consider him a "must keep" at that price, plus the fact that the Wild will be out from cap hell next season, so who's to say where JEE will figure once the dust settles next summer?

I agree on Malkin though, as he's clearly slowing but he still is going to be a great PP producer and likely is not at risk of the bottom falling out, plus his cap hit is reasonable. I also feel Kurashev makes sense, as although Chicago brought in a lot more talent, Kurashev had undeniable chemistry with Bedard over the last quarter of the season, with Kurashev posting 20 points in his final 20 games. This is a risky keep, but one I think has a better chance of success than failure, plus future home run potential.

Why no consideration for Vatrano or McCann? Vatrano is inexpensive; and despite him slowing after his red-hot start, his ice time stayed constant and he was firing pucks on net as much in Q4 as he was in Q1. As for McCann, he's not going to wow anyone, but he is a lock for prime deployment in Seattle, and at his price, 60 points is quite decent.

All things considered, I see your definite keepers as Skinner, Josi, Hughes, Dobson, Carlson, Draisaitl, Boeser, Malkin, and Kurashev. That's a total of nine, meaning there are five maybes – JEE, Hofer, Vatrano, McCann and Ekholm – for four spots. If defensemen are indeed as coveted as you say, then I suppose I'm okay with Ekholm. Hofer likely is worth the risk too. If you can afford the cap hit, then go with JEE; otherwise, omit him and keep Vatrano and McCann. If you keep JEE and thus must choose between Vatrano and McCann, I'd go Vatrano due to him being cheaper and motivated by playing for his UFA contract. Good luck!

Question #3 (from Julien)

I'm in a 13-team, keep 8 league with 3C, 3LW, 3RW, 4D, 1G and 6 bench rosters. Line-ups are set weekly, and there are unlimited moves and trades.

Here's what my team looks like at each position, although some Fs will have dual eligibility:

C: Nathan Mackinnon, Kent Johnston, Mark Scheifele, Elias Lindholm, Marco Rossi

LW: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Kyle Connor, Jason Robertson, Artturi Lehkonen, Michael Bunting

RW: Matthew Tkachuk, Alexis Lafreniere, Dylan Guenther

D: Roman Josi, Miro Heiskanen, Shea Theodore, Jakub Chychrun, Jamie Drysdale, Rasmus Sandin, Axel Pellikka

G: Andrei Vasilevskiy

I've enjoyed much success over the last several years but worry that my core 8 of Mac, Scheif, Connor, JRob, Tkachuk, Josi, Heiskanen and Vasi might need a slight shakeup or youth injection. I've also been offered Debrincat and a 2nd round pick for Laffy and Guenther; and if I made that trade, I'd try to sell Vas while he still has value. I could also trade Scheif for a pick, with the idea of keeping Johnston in his place. What do you think of all this?

You didn't provide categories, but I'm guessing it's not too much of a banger league, as your core eight are a bit lacking in that area yet you still thrived. Also, with only 20 players rostered on each team, a strong core of eight keepers will go a long way toward positioning your team for success.

The other helpful thing about knowing you've done well is it gives me an idea of what kind of talent you can get via the draft or as FAs. In your case, whether done purposefully or not, you ended with several younger guys. That's important, since it shows me if you did want to continue sticking with your core of eight, then once you decide to no longer do so it should be pretty easy to rebuild.

In truth, I do think you stick with what you've been doing, namely riding the core eight. The only swap I'd consider is RNH for Scheifele. But with Edmonton bringing in Jeff Skinner and Victor Arvidsson, it could be that fewer points will be available for RNH. And there might even be a universe where he loses his coveted spot on PP1. Although Scheifele is older and should at best continue to produce as he has been, I still favor that over RNH given the question marks for RNH that exist entering 2024-25 that were not there for 2023-24, which still saw RNH come back to earth in a big way.

Part of me feels I'm shortchanging you by basically just saying I agree with your core eight; but I do see that as the best approach, again, especially since it seems like you could rebuild/retool fairly easily. So stick with your core eight and hope they continue to serve you well. Good luck

Question #4 (from Robert)

I'm in a 10 team dynasty league with categories of Forward Goals, Forward Assists, Defensemen Goals, Defensemen Assists, +/-, BLK/HIT, PPG, PPA, GA, SV%, W. I can keep 6F, 3D, 1G and 4 rookies. Here are my options, listed in order of who I think should be kept, meaning the first 6F, the first 3D, the first G, and the first 4 Rookies:

F: Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov, Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Quinton Byfield, Timo Meier, Alex Ovechkin, Martin Necas, Lucas Raymond

D: Evan Bouchard, Miro Heiskanan, Dougie Hamilton, Filip Hronek, Jake Sanderson, Jamie Drysdale, G: G: Connor Hellebuyck, Ilya Sorokin

Rookies: Logan Stankoven, Simon Nemec, Matvei Michkov, Alexander Nikishin, Yaroslav Askarov, David Jiricek

What are your thoughts on my order? Would you change anything?

Starting with your forwards, I think without SOG Ovi is indeed a non-keep. Boeser took a major step and looks to be on firm footing in the top six and on PP1. Byfield also made strides and will benefit for the time being by not having to be a focal point yet also getting good enough deployment to do well. Meier would be better if SOG were counted, and I do like how Raymond was trending; however, I don't like that Raymond's SOG rate was low as it was, plus he seems to not be able to connect the dots on the PP. Plus, Meier's Q4 saw him explode, right as he was finally put alongside Nico Hischier, who is a capable scorer but also can let Meier be unleashed. It's not quite Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak, but it's closer than not.

For your D, I worry about Hamilton. Will he be the same talent, and how will he fare when he's not the unquestioned top dog? People might have forgotten, but before Hamilton got hurt Luke Hughes was manning PP1. That could well continue. Sanderson also makes for an intriguing keep option, as gone is Jakub Chychrun, a big impediment. Say what you want about Thomas Chabot, but he has never thrived on the PP, logging the 8th most cumulative PP minutes among d-men from 2018-19 through 2022-23 but tallying only the 22nd most PPPts, such that Sanderson should be able to step up and run the top unit. Let's wait to make a final decision though until we see the rest of the landscape.

For your goalies, I think most everyone can agree Sorokin is better than what we saw in 2023-24. His team did him no favors, as he saw the most SOG of any goalie. Although his GAA was north of 3.00 his SV% was still nearly .910 and his GSAA still double digits. Those show Sorokin is still an elite talent. Also, Patrick Roy might have had favoritism toward Semyon Varlamov because of their history together when Roy coached in Colorado, but I can't see a universe where Sorokin doesn't start at least two-thirds of New York's games due to being paid $8M.

One of the other GMs in your league will be astute enough to realize the value of Sorokin, such that he can be traded with Hamilton to either upgrade your rookie keepers, or to get another d-man to keep, which would mean tossing Sanderson back into the draft pool. But Sanderson is not likely to be so coveted as to prevent you from redrafting him. If you can't pull off a trade though, I'd keep Sanderson over Hamilton, as even if it doesn't pay off this season it should sooner rather than later.

For your rookies, I like the first three, but Askarov has to be the fourth. Yes, he will likely follow the path of Cory Schneider and take a while to make his mark; but chances are he will be well worth the wait. Although Nikishin is nothing to sneeze at, he can't be the pick over Askarov. Good luck!

Question #5 (from Jerrad)

I’m in a 14 team H2H, keep 8 league. Rosters are 3C, 3RW, 3LW, 4D, 2G, 5 Bench, plus we get to carry 8 players on our farm. Categories are G(3), A(2), Defense(0.7), Special Teams Goals(0.5) Special Teams Assists(0.3), BLK(0.19), Takeaways(0.19), HIT(0.17), SOG(0.17), SOG(0.17); Wins(3), Shutouts(3.5), Games Started(1), Goals Against(-0.6), SVs(0.12). I'm rebuilding, but my sense is my team is starting to turn a corner, plus I have 7 picks in the first 4 rounds of the draft: 1st overall, 2 second rounders, a third rounders, and two fourth rounders.

I'm pretty set on seven of my keepers, those being Roman Josi, Zach Werenski, Roope Hintz, Tomas Hertl, Dylan Strome, Jakub Chychrun, and Alexis Lafreniere, but can't decide on the eighth, with the possibilities being Evander Kane, Shane Pinto, Phillip Kurashev, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and Sean Monahan. In case it matters, my farm consists of Stuart Skinner, Adam Fantilli, Zach Benson, Maklin Celebrini, Kirill Marchenko, Lucas Reichel, Oliver Moore, Mavrik Bourque, and Lane Hutson. Do you agree that I can start to compete again? And either way, who should my eighth keeper be, assuming you agree with the other seven?

I won't pull punches – you are not emerging from your rebuild if, in a league where under 100 players are kept, three of your sure things are Tomas Hertl, Dylan Strome and Jakub Chychrun. As such, you need to still be making decisions with the future in mind. The good news is your farm is undoubtedly well above average, so things are trending in the right direction. But let's figure out how to keep you on the path toward contending again.

For certain you keep Kurashev and UPL. As noted above, Kurashev showed superb chemistry with Connor Bedard over the last quarter of 2023-24. Although Chicago did bring in far better talent such that Kurashev is no longer guaranteed prime deployment, the team realizes Kurashev is a key piece of their future, such that he should remain a focal point. As for UPL, he received a nice vote of confidence from the team, and looks poised to be to the Sabres what Linus Ullmark was to the Bruins, except more likely to enjoy at least a couple of years of being "the guy" in net, what with James Reimer also signed, likely ticketing Devon Levi to the minors for 2024-25 if not longer.

Who can you trade? I'd try to unload Strome, who you can rightfully point to having improved despite Washington as a team starting to unravel. Will you get takers? Unlikely, but it can't hurt to try. And do also put Chychrun on the block, as I've always felt he was a player who had more name value than he deserved. Your fellow GMs might have visions of him elbowing aside the aging John Carlson, when in truth I don't envision a universe where that happens, at least not yet. Give a shot to dealing Kane, who fits these categories so well but likely has no path to the top six given the additions of Victor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner. Give it a try anyway.

I like keeping Hertl though because my guess is he will do well in Vegas, such that you can flip him for a nice asset. So that would put your keepers as Josi, Werenski, Hintz, Hertl, Laffy, Kurashev, UPL, plus, if you can't trade him, Strome, in hopes he does well enough for you to do so during the season. Just get picks in return, to bolster your farm. Yes, I realize you can only carry eight farm guys, but there is room for at least a couple of upgrades. Next offseason you likely trade Josi. Good luck!

Question #6 (from Blair)

I'm in a limited H2H 10 team league. Rosters are 9F, 6D, 2G, 4 Bench, 2 IR. Skater scoring is 1 point for a goal or assist, +/- is worth 0.25 points, PPPts and SHPs are both worth 0.75 points, HIT and BLK are worth 0.1 points.

I won last season but am unsure who I should keep. We have 4 keeper slots and I need to pick between: Connor McDavid, Tim Stutzle, Tage Thompson, Jake Guentzel, Filip Forsberg, Sebastian Aho, and Victor Hedman. Obviously I'm keeping McDavid, and I really like Stutzle as a keeper but am unsure for the other two slots. Note that other GMs have decided to keep a lot of defensemen (e.g., Makar, Josi, Fox, Bouchard, Dahlin, Dobson, Heiskanen) so the best D available in our draft if I keep Hedman would be Morrissey/Rielly/McAvoy. What would you recommend?

Let's look at Hedman first. While it is relevant that many GMs will be keeping the best of the best when it comes to defensemen, is that a big surprise really? They not only you points, but – and this is definitely the case with Hedman – often chip in far more when it comes to HIT and BLK than forwards. Hedman would be the oldest by far of those top d-men keepers, but he is a safe bet for point per game output, likely to be a plus player, and gives you HIT and BLK.

Also, while there were two question marks for Hedman this offseason, the first being Mikhail Sergachev ready for prime time and making more money than Hedman, plus will the team's offense start to decline. Well, they got rid of Sergachev, and swapped Steven Stamkos for Jake Guentzel. In all, that is at worst a wash in terms of how it impacts Hedman, and more likely improves his situation, as although Stamkos was huge on the PP, perhaps there will be fewer PPGs but Hedman may well get more PPPts. Given your other options, and what Hedman brings to the table, I believe he's a keep.

So that leaves two spots for Stutzle, Thompson, Guentzel, Forsberg, and Aho. I think the first to remove from consideration is Aho, who is superbly talented but throttled due to playing in Carolina. He doesn't get the TOI, overall or on the PP, that a star like him would receive on another team. Need proof: his Pts/60 put him 12th among forwards in 2023-24, but he only finished 16th in forward scoring. As such, I don't see a path to him getting more than 90 points. That said, I also don't see how Aho tallies fewer than 80 points; but given your other options, he does not make the cut.

Guess what – neither does Stutzle. I still believe he can be a major star; but coming off his 2023-24 disappointment, and given your other options, he's a redraft. Or to put it another way, there will be players even better than Stutzle who won't be kept by other teams, and with only four keepers, you can't afford to keep Stutzle and have the Sens stay stuck in neutral, which could well happen.

That leaves Guentzel, Forsberg, and Thompson for the last two spots. And by the same logic as Stutzle, I think Thompson is not a keep. Buffalo has a new coach, but they too have to connect the dots. Also, it is unclear whether Thompson will be able to tally as many points given the stronger supporting cast he'll have as compared to his breakout 2022-23. He'd also be the cheapest redraft.

In Forsberg, you have a player who stepped up after getting paid, showing many – myself included – he is very much for real. And with the added firepower Nashville brought in, the team should score more goals. And although some of the points from those goals figure to be spread around, Forsberg has a history of strong IPPs, suggesting he has a nose for scoring such that he should benefit more so than lose out when it comes to those added points. He also stuffs your stat sheet quite well.

In Guentzel, you have a player who'll step into a dream role, namely playing alongside Nikita Kucherov at ES and on the PP. And if Brandon Hagel was able to score 66 ES points skating mainly with Kucherov, imagine what Guentzel will do in that spot, plus with all the PP time he can handle. The best part is we know he can skate with superstars, having done so with Sidney Crosby. Lest you think that a gig alongside Crosby makes someone a lock to produce, consider that since Crosby came into the league the only two wingers to do fairly well while skating predominantly with Crosby were Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis (Phil Kessel and James Neal were mainly paired with Evgeni Malkin), neither of whom came close to the production Guentzel had. Plus, Guentzel would give you two of the five on Tampa's PP1, which, even without Stamkos, still figures to be among the very best in the NHL.

So my four would be McDavid, Hedman, Forsberg, and Guentzel. If you believe that much in Stutzle, try to target him as a redraft. Good luck!

Question #7 (from Jason)

I'm in a 10 team, H2H league with categories of G, A, PPP, SOG, HIT, BLK, W, GAA, SV, SO. It's a limited keep 4, where you need to keep players in round you drafted them, and you can only keep them for 3 years. You also can't keep players drafted in the first two rounds. No offseason trading is allowed. For rounds 1 and 2, I'm picking at the turn, namely picks 10 and 11.

My keeper options are: Aleksander Barkov (round 3, first year), Evan Bouchard (round 4, first year), Igor Shesterkin (round 5, final year), Roman Josi (round 6, final year), Andrei Svechnikov (round 7, final year). Thatcher Demko (round 8, first year), Evander Kane (round 15, final year), Timo Meier (round 16, final year), and Mathew Barzal (round 16, first year)

My view is Bouchard, Shesterkin, Josi, and Meier are my keeps. Do you agree?

Let's start in net. You have – in Shesterkin and Demko – two truly elite netminders and unquestioned #1 guys. I discussed Demko at length above; and inasmuch as your league has only one non-volume stats among four for goalies, I favor him at round eight over Shesterkin at round five. Although Demko is really more of a seventh rounder, as he'd replace a pick that would be the first in round eight, Shesterkin is more of a sixth rounder, in that he'd replace a pick which would occur at the end of round five. Also, Demko being first year and Shesterkin being on his last year is huge, and pushes me toward Demko. It's a shame that no offseason trading is allowed, as you likely could've ransomed off Shesterkin. But the best keep for your team is Demko, since the dividends will be paid for several seasons to come and the edge Shesterkin would hold this season is lessened by your league's categories being nearly all volume-based and smaller than would appear draft gap.

In terms of the other three, you nailed it. They're exactly who I'd keep. In Bouchard you have a d-man who, going back to the end of last season and including both playoffs, has 147 points in his last 136 games. That is huge, and he might not have even peaked. Keep him and reap the rewards he'll provide.

Josi is a bit of a concern given his age and him not being a huge bargain, plus the influx of forward talent in Nashville; however, he'll pile on PPPts likely even more so than before, plus he figures to still factor into scoring, since his secondary assist rate last season was below 40%, which, for a d-man, is very low. Also, his IPPs are always strong. In short, he's a player who had a direct link to many of the Nashville goals last season. This season he might have more of what were his primary assists and goals become secondary assists, but the result should be scoring as good if not better than it's been.

Meier, given his round, his stat stuffing, and, as noted above, his scorching Q4 once he was finally put on a line with Nico Hischier, make him a lock. In Hischier, you have a player who is a two-way star, and perfect for allowing Meier to focus entirely on offense. After Meier posted ten PPPts in Q4 alone, he figures to have a lock on the fourth forward spot on New Jersey's PP1. The stage is set for Meier to finally have his first point per game season, which, considering his round and multicat contributions, make him an amazing keep.

I'm on board with your suggestions of Bouchard, Josi, and Meier, but would swap in Demko for Shesterkin. Igor is amazing, but he's on his last year and his arguably best stat, namely his SV%, is not even counted in your league. Go with Demko, for the extra years, smaller draft gap that it seems, and because of his higher volume of starts suiting your categories quite well. Good luck!

I'm always looking for mailbag questions, so don't hesitate to sent them to me. You can get do so in one of two ways: (1) by emailing them to [email protected] with the words "Roos Mailbag" as the subject line, or (2) by sending them to me via a private message on the DobberHockey Forums, where my username is "rizzeedizzee".

When sending me your questions, remember to provide as much detail about your league/situation as possible. Examples of things I need to know include what type of league you're in (i.e., limited keeper, dynasty, or one-year; roto vs. H2H; auction – if so, what the budget is – or non-auction), how many teams are in the league, does the salary cap matter, how many players are rostered (and of those, how many start at each position as well as how many bench and/or IR spots there are), what categories are scored and how are they weighted, plus other details if pertinent. If your question involves whether to pick up or drop a player, give me a list of top free agents available and let me know if the number of pick-ups is limited or if there is a priority system for pick-ups. If you're thinking of making a trade, it would be good to know not only the roster of the other team you might trade with but also where you stand in your categories. If your question involves keepers, in addition to giving me the options for who to keep, let me know if offseason trading is allowed and to what extent it is a viable option given your league. In sum, the key is to tell me enough for me to give you a truly proper answer, and for readers of this column to benefit from the answer/advice I provide. When in doubt, it's best to err on the side of inclusion since I can always omit or disregard things that don't matter.