I don't know if this is the right forum for this post. The GM's in my league would like to add a farm system to our current keeper league. We currently keep one player from each position plus one utility spot and a rookie (if wanted).

How could we add a farm system to our limited keeper? Would it make more sense to increase the number of keepers we have first?

As you can see, I have no idea how we should appoach this and any guidance or direction would be greatly appreciated.

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12 Team Keeper (1 per position). Start two per forward position, 3 D, 1 Goalie, 1 Util
G=1.5, A=1, PPP/SHP=0.5, W=2, SO=3

C-Giroux, Backstrom
LW-Parise, Tanguay
RW-Ryan (lw), Purcell (lw), Parenteau, Iginla
D-Karlsson, Streit, OEL, Burns, Salo
G-Rask, Smith
Rookie- Galchenyuk, Granlund

Just a thought but have a prospect draft after the draft next season. Set a maximum game requirement that once they reach a certain threshold (ex 50 games) they can no longer be stowed on the farm team. Make sure all your rules (ex call-ups,dropping, adding, etc) are ironed out before proceeding with the draft and everybody understands the parameters.

Maybe start with a small draft of 5 players to start and look at adding more down the road if your league is down with it. Set 3 rounds for the following season but keep those picks separate from your regular draft. Teams can trade them if they wish and will add an extra element to your league.

Honestly I've only been part of leagues that have had prospects from the get-go so I may not be the best person for advice so hopefully some others can chime in on how to get it done.

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16 TM H2H DYNASTY G A +- PIM PPG PPA SHP FW SOG
Hits Blks GS W SV GAA SV% SHO
3C, 3RW, 3LW,2F,6D,1Util,2G,5BN,5IR
25 Player Farm

Penguins
C- Malkin, Crosby,J Thornton, Turris, Johansen, Cullen
LW- Hall, Nash, D Brown, Cooke,
RW- Gaborik, Wheeler, Clutterback, Tarasenko, Dorsett
D-Letang, Goligoski, Salo, Girardi, Faulk, Zanon
G- MAF, Rinne, Gustavsson

Farm - Grimaldi, Faska, JT Brown, Clifford, Rinaldo, Morin, Beach, Tangradi, Pulkinnen, Spooner, Miele, C Conacher, Welsh, Komorov, Rattie, Orlov, Dehann, Klefbom, Clendening, Thrower, Irving, Kuemper, Rynnas, Hovinen

....is good. Have a separate prospect draft after your regular draft. It' done after in case there are people who want to draft "sure thing" prospects at the NHL draft (if your rules have them eligible). In my league, we have 6 "reserve" spots for prospects. We draft them sequentially by e-mail after the NHL draft. We can keep them on our lists for up to 5 years, although before then, any that don't appear to be panning out get dropped. They also are allowed 40 NHL games, but you can buy a 2nd and 3rd block of 40 if you want to hold them back more.

We also allow anyone to be drafted, so Nathan McKinnon was drafted last year.

Finally, when they are called up, we can sign them to an entry deal at $5 for up to 5 years (salary cap league with contracts), which makes them very valuable. This is similar to the 3-year entry-level deals real prospects sign. I drafted both Stamkos and Giroux as prospects, so I still have them at $5 when their open market auction value would be $50+. Leaves a lot of room for buying other scorers.

farm teams are much better for FULL keppers. by the time a farm player reaches his max games and has to be brought up to the main team, he is ussually not as good as a bunch of guys that could be drafted so they dont end up making your keeper list.
so by the time theyre really good someone else gets them.
you could make some different rules to make it work still (as suggested above) but i really recomend going to full keeper first.

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10 team Keeper Roto League
4C-4LW-4RW-6D-2G-5bench-unlimited farm.

C= crosby,m.koivu,malkin,zajak,grabovski,j.jokinen,
LW= ovechkin,nash,s.gagner,dubinsky
RW= downie,hemsky,callahan,voracek,perry,mueller
D= green,doughty,phaneuf,wisniewski,girardi,karlsson
G= rask,lundqvist,ward,price

FARM=kreider,grachev,petrov,enroth,kuznetsov,ennis ,rundblad,bjugstad,radulov,montoya, adam,t.erixon,cowan,s.elliot,j.faulk,cormier,petro v,orlov,stone,eakin,grigorenko,silfverberg,brodin, atkinson

--G,A,P,PPP,SHP,GWG,PIMS,+/-,SOG,hits,FOW,blocks-Wins,GAA,SV%,saves,SO