Fantasy Hockey: To Keep Or Trade Yakupov?

 As some of my followers know, I'm a fantasy hockey guy.  Mix that with my passion for scouting and prospects and that equals me being involved in NHL keeper leagues.  As it stands, in my league I own the 1st overall pick in our Entry Draft, with the right to pick Nail Yakupov.  I have been fielding offers on the pick for weeks, just to see how it's valued.

I have finally picked up some offers that I feel are worth weighing against each other. With that being said, I will gladly keep the pick if these offers aren't worth it. I am a rebuilding team and finished 2nd last this past season, last the year before and now feel as if I can be a top 8 playoff team this coming year.

I'm not in a win now situation, per say.

The league includes goals, assists, points, +/-, shots, PP points and PIMs. Goaltending stats take up 5 of the 12 categories, with wins, SO, GAA, sv%, saves...so that's something that's very important. It's a deep league, with each of the 14 teams having roughly 100 players, with prospects included.

The offers I have received:

1. James Neal for 1st overall


2. Matt Read, Matt Fraser, Tyson Barrie, 12th overall pick for 1st overall


3. Derek Stepan, Ty Rattie, 15th overall pick, 29th overall pick for 1st overall


4. John Carlson, Devan Dubnyk, 28th overall for 1st overall


Those are the offers. Which one is best? Are any of them good enough to pull the trigger? I am leaning towards two of them, but can't decide which one is the best.

If Yakupov ends up in Edmonton, I wouldn't mind keeping him, unless one of these offers is mind blowing. If he ends up in Columbus, I don't really want him.

Please hit me up with some advice here and/or on Twitter as to what I should do!!




My full team is below...

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I have a fairly young squad, especially up front, with my pro roster looking like this:

Jeff Skinner (.900) - David Backes (3.75) - Jordan Eberle (.788)
Gabriel Landeskog (.925) - Matt Duchene (RFA) - Paul Stastny (6.60)
Colin Greening (.800) - Ryan O'Reilly (RFA) - Jamie McGinn (RFA)
Brooks Laich (4.00) - Antoine Vermette (3.75) - Devante Smith-Pelly (.760)

Dion Phaneuf (6.50) - Erik Johnson (RFA)
Mark Giordano (4.02) - Carlo Colaiacovo (UFA)
Brian Campbell (7.14) - Nikita Nikitin (RFA)

Semyon Varlamov (3.00)
Jose Theodore (1.50)
Jacob Markstrom (.875)


Bench
Zac Rinaldo (.525)
Todd Bertuzzi (1.975)
Braydon Coburn (4.00)
Tomas Kopecky (3.00)

My prospects/minor leagues is as follows:

C (24)
Andrew Cogliano - Anaheim Ducks
Matt Stajan - Calgary Flames
Scott Gomez - Montreal Canadiens
Jim Slater - Winnipeg Jets
Mark Letestu - Columbus Blue Jackets
Nick Bonino - Anaheim Ducks
Jordan Nolan - Los Angeles Kings
Joey Hishon - Colorado Avalanche
Tyler Pitlick - Edmonton Oilers
Oscar Lindberg - New York Rangers
Freddie Hamilton - San Jose Sharks
Teemu Hartikainanen - Edmonton Oilers
Anders Lee - New York Islanders
Tyler Johnson - Tampa Bay Lightning
David Pacan - Florida Panthers
Derek Grant - Ottawa Senators
Maxime Sauve - Boston Bruins
Brendan Shinnimin - Phoenix Coyotes
Gilbert Brule - Phoenix Coyotes
Joe Vitale - Pittsburgh Penguins
Anton Lander - Edmonton Oilers
Jim O'Brien - Ottawa Senators
Kaspars Daugavins - Ottawa Senators
Roman Horak - Calgary Flames

W (16)
Joakim Lindstrom - Colorado Avalanche
Stephane Da Costa - Ottawa Senators
Curtis Hamilton - Edmonton Oilers
Josh Nicholls - Toronto Maple Leafs
Sondre Olden - Toronto Maple Leafs
Nick Petersen - Pittsburgh Penguins
Eric Wellwood - Philadelphia Flyers
Corey Tropp - Buffalo Sabres
Garrett Wilson - Florida Panthers
Craig Cunningham - Boston Bruins
Cody Beach - St. Louis Blues
Kristians Pelss - Edmonton Oilers
Austen Brassard - Winnipeg Jets
Matej Stransky - Dallas Stars
Brandon McMillan - Anaheim Ducks
Erik Condra - Ottawa Senators

D (13)
Alexander Sulzer - Buffalo Sabres
Keith Ballard - Vancouver Canucks
Stefan Elliott - Colorado Avalanche
Thomas Hickey - Los Angeles Kings
Brayden McNabb - Buffalo Sabres
Joel Chouinard - Colorado Avalanche
Matt Donovan - New York Islanders
Mark Cundari - St. Louis Blues
Sebastian Erixon - Vancouver Canucks
Brandon Davidson - Edmonton Oilers
Brenden Dillon - Dallas Stars
Aaron Johnson - Columbus Blue Jackets
Derek Smith - Calgary Flames

G (11)
Martin Biron - New York Rangers
Calvin Pickard - Colorado Avalanche
Matt Hackett - Minnesota Wild
Zane Gothberg - Boston Bruins
Jaroslav Janus - Tampa Bay Lightning
Anders Nilsson - New York Islanders
Mathieu Corbeil-Theriault - Columbus Blue Jackets
Magnus Hellberg - Nashville Predators
Nathan Lieuwen - Buffalo Sabres
Iiro Tarkki - Anaheim Ducks
Joacim Eriksson - Free Agent

2011 Draft Picks
Mark McNeill - Chicago Blackhawks
Matt Puempel - Ottawa Senators
John Gibson - Anaheim Ducks
Oscar Klefbom - Edmonton Oilers
Adam Lowry - Winnipeg Jets
Duncan Siemens - Colorado Avalanche
Shane McColgan - New York Rangers
Reid Boucher - New Jersey Devils
Jamie Oleksiak - Dallas Stars
William Karlsson - Anaheim Ducks
Colin Jacobs - Buffalo Sabres
Tobias Rieder - Edmonton Oilers
Alan Quine - Detroit Red Wings
Alexei Marchenko - Detroit Red Wings
Keegan Lowe - Carolina Hurricanes
Garrett Meurs - Colorado Avalanche