Happy Monday y'all!

This week is Bubble Keeper Week at DobberHockey so we'll focus on some players who are on the edge of being a keeper in certain formats and some guys that could be kept because they are on the verge of a breakout. But the most important thing to remember is that every league is different and what makes sense for your team, may not make sense for another.

I have been trimming down the amount of leagues I have been in recently (two young kids, not enough time to give to each team) and am currently only in a dynasty league that I've been in for nine years. Since it is a dynasty, I obviously do not need to make any decisions on who to keep, but I have to look at the makeup of my squad and see where to go. Below are some players from the Western Conference that I have some thoughts on.

I have received a few questions about Carlsson and he is an absolute, must keep player. The Swedish center was in the headlines a lot this summer because of his contract situation and I think everyone forgot he was the leagues leading scorer in November. Then Leo suffered a rare and brutal lower body injury that affected his play. He ended up having surgery, missing 12 contests and the Olympic Games.

After a full offseason of recovery (and reward with that contract), the former second overall pick will be the highest paid player in the league for one year (until Macklin Celebrini's new contract starts in 2027) and while his production won't match the $18 million, I still expect 35 goals and 100 points if he stays healthy.

Mason McTavish

McTavish is a player I have on my dynasty squad and he was a guy I was going to try and move this summer because he fell out of good graces last season in Anaheim, but luckily a fresh start was granted when he got moved to St. Louis.

The former third overall pick didn't magically forget how to play hockey, he just wasn't a fit in Coach Quenville's system that had guys down the middle like Leo Carlsson, Mikael Granlund, and Ryan Poehling. That pushed him down the lineup and eventually onto the Blues. The Canadian center plays a gritty game and uses his body to control the puck and I expect him to get up to that 65-point plateau in 2026-27.

Vincent Trocheck

Trocheck was acquired by the Utah Mammoth over the offseason in a surprise landing spot. The American center is a player who I am looking to sell and would not be a keeper if I had to make that decision. He has averaged over 20 minutes of ice time, with over three of those minutes being on the powerplay, the last three seasons, and almost 30% of his points during this stretch have come with the extra man (27.5% to be exact).

He'll join a Mammoth squad that has their top powerplay unit set (Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, Nick Schmaltz, Clayton Keller, and Mikhail Sergachev) so you can expect a decline in those powerplay totals, and subsequently, his five-on-five production. Also, moving to the Western Conference will see him match up a lot more frequently with the top centers in the league; if we take the same three-year period, Trocheck has played 89 games against the West and recorded 67 points, with 31 of those points coming 2023-24.

Steven Stamkos

After nine points in 25 games during the first two months of the 2025-26 season, it looked like Stamkos was washed and lost. However, once the calendar turned to December, he tallied 57 points in 57 games to finish the campaign and looked like his former self. I'm not sure if Stammer is a big holiday season guy, but he sure turned it on at that point. He still has two years left on his contract so I am still willing to invest in the former first overall pick. The Predators infused some youth into their lineup this offseason and I believe this will keep Stamkos energized and keep him playing at a point-per-game pace.

Mark Stone

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Stone is an interesting case because he always suffers at least one injury every year. However, this is a contract year for the 35-year-old so we may see a different player. The Golden Knights are a business first organization and they do not care who you are or what you have done for them; they will move on if management does not see value in keeping you. Maybe the winger plans on retiring after this season and that is why he does not have an extension yet or maybe they have already discussed moving on. If that's the case, I could easily see another 70+ point season from him in hopes of landing a lucrative contract next summer.

Have a great week everyone and if you have any draft questions, hit me up on Twitter, @LAM1926.