I've entertained a couple proposals, and it has been suggested here that I may suffer from anal-cranial inversion if I consider any of them. So, i'll put out all the details I can, and see if anyone thinks there is anything to be done at all.

So, first the somewhat confusing format. It is a contract pool (not a $ cap pool). When a player is drafted he can be signed for a term of 1-4 years with a max of 40 years of contract at a time. And we can re-sign ONE player a year who's contract has run out. But a player can only be re-signed ONCE. For the most part when a player's contract is about to expire, and you can't re-sign them, you look for a team who doesn't have anyone to re-sign and trade them for a draft pick. A player can also be dropped into a 3 player minor system for up to 3 years, after that they must be given a contract or dropped. The cats and my team are in the sig. I'll mark years of contract in (#) and designate if they have been re-signed with (R) and Minor eligable with (M). Youll notice a lot of players with no numbers, because we still drafted back in September, but contracts are never due till the day before the first game. As I said, my team is in the sig, and here are the 2 teams in play for Malkin.

Team 1
C-Backstrom(4),Crosby(1)(untouchable),Cammy(dual)(1)
W-Heatly(1),neal(1),Ryan(3),Vanek(1)Downie,Perron,St ewart(3),JVR,
D-Erhoff,Ellis(4),Giordano(1),Green(1)Markov
G-Howard(3)Halak(3)Lindback
M-Galchenyuk,Kuznetsov,Enroth
What I'm looking for: A replacement #1C,a top line W, a top D, a backup G
What has been thrown around:Backstrom,Neal,Green,Lindback for Malkin, Zidlicky,Nabby,Palmieri. Vanek has come up in place of Neal, and Havlat has come up from my end in place of Palmieri.
My main target: Backstrom. He has 4 years left, and then is still eligable to be re-signed for another 4. Malkin has 3 years left, then has to be moved. There so far havn't been any sticking points, as I havn't asked for Crosby, we just havn't found the right mix.

Team 2
C-kesler(3)Tavares(3)Couture(dual)(2)Zetterberg(dual )(3)(R)
W-Franzen(2)nash(1)Ovie(4)Perry(2)Clarkson,Rattie
D-Harmonic(2)keith(1)Weber(1)Burns,Erixon,Gonchar,Mc uaid
G-Lundqvist(3)Hiller
M-Strome,Landeskog,Holtby
His best offer so far:Zetterberg,Keith,Franzen,Hiller for Malkin,Barberio,Nabby
My Target: Tavares
Sticking point:Tavares. He thinks he is ready to be lumped in with Malkin, I think that's totally plantntains! I was looking for Tavares,Zett,Keith,Hiller or Tavares,Franzen,Weber,Hiller and throwing back a player like Havlat to make it worth it. I've also been offered Couture in place of some players, and Ovie with much less extra coming back.

So, there you go. I would really like to use Malkin to improve my team while he still has some contract left to sell. If I wait until it runs out I may get a first and a decent player, but nothing spectacular. I actually aquired him from team B for Zetterberg when they both had expiring contracts and neither of us could re-sign the one we had, so we switched them.

Have a little fun, gain a little rep, and see what you would do if it were you.

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H2H CONTRACT POOL
C-, Grabovski(1), Thorton (3),Colin Wilson (1) (dual), Lokitonov(3) (dual)
W- Lucic(3), Brunner(3), Semin(1), Conacher (4)
D-Kieth, Voyanov(3), Zidlicky(1),) Faulk(3), Diaz (3), Tyutin (1)
G-Quick(4), Fasth (2)
MINORS- Redmond), Krieder(m), Morrow (m)
IR Malkin(3), Filppula (dual)(2)

CATS:SKATER +-/G/A/SOG/PM
CATS:GOALIE GAA/W/SO/S

ANY WEEK WE PLAY 2C,4W,4D,1G

If you are really concerned about losing Malkin in three years then I'd offer him up to team 2 for either Ovechkin or Tavares straight up because it buys you like 4-5 years extra service time.

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Also on Twitter @SteveLaidlaw

So let me get this straight... you have THREE years left of owning Malkin and you're worried?

Dude... you may not even be alive in 3 years. Enjoy Malkin and stop worrying.

It's not just the time I'm worried about. It's the lack of depth on my team. There is only one guy on my roster that can bring me that. For the first time, I'm not at a competing level. And probably won't be in the next couple years. I've been competitive so long that I lack high end prospects. I got lucky with Faulk, i picked him up as a FA last year.

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H2H CONTRACT POOL
C-, Grabovski(1), Thorton (3),Colin Wilson (1) (dual), Lokitonov(3) (dual)
W- Lucic(3), Brunner(3), Semin(1), Conacher (4)
D-Kieth, Voyanov(3), Zidlicky(1),) Faulk(3), Diaz (3), Tyutin (1)
G-Quick(4), Fasth (2)
MINORS- Redmond), Krieder(m), Morrow (m)
IR Malkin(3), Filppula (dual)(2)

CATS:SKATER +-/G/A/SOG/PM
CATS:GOALIE GAA/W/SO/S

ANY WEEK WE PLAY 2C,4W,4D,1G

I've looked at this and I'm afraid I'm with Blayze here. The Malkins' and Crosbys' of this world are guys you do everything you can to acquire. You do NOT trade them. If someone were to offer Taveres and Giroux for Malkin, OK maybe. That's not likely to happen. You have 3 years, build around Malkin, don't lower the bar and finish middle of the pack.

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13 team partial keeper league. Keep 10 plus 2 Rookies; 27 player roster, 20 starters; 12-F, 6-D, 2-G, 7 Bench, no positional requirement, no salary cap. Yahoo Roto Scoring Cats: Skaters - Pts, G, A, +/-, PIM, PPP, SOG; Goalies - Wins, GAA, Saves

F- Stamkos, Crosby, Bobby Ryan, Roy, Skinner, Yakupov, Granlund, M Koivu, Berglund, Elias, Justin Williams, Dubinsky, Marleau, Lupul, Brunner, Perreault, Lapierre

D- Goli, Ehrhoff, Hedman, Campbell, Kindl, Bieksa

G- Rask, Ward, Pavelec, Khubodin

Not getting an offer of Tavares and Girouux, but I AM getting Tavares and Weber. And being painfully weak at D, it looks pretty good

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H2H CONTRACT POOL
C-, Grabovski(1), Thorton (3),Colin Wilson (1) (dual), Lokitonov(3) (dual)
W- Lucic(3), Brunner(3), Semin(1), Conacher (4)
D-Kieth, Voyanov(3), Zidlicky(1),) Faulk(3), Diaz (3), Tyutin (1)
G-Quick(4), Fasth (2)
MINORS- Redmond), Krieder(m), Morrow (m)
IR Malkin(3), Filppula (dual)(2)

CATS:SKATER +-/G/A/SOG/PM
CATS:GOALIE GAA/W/SO/S

ANY WEEK WE PLAY 2C,4W,4D,1G

to be honest i think you might be trying to force something that just isnt there

did you offer malkin to everyone i dont remember

I put him on the block, Received 2 decent starting point offers and have gone from there. I still have a 3rd offer out there for Stamkos and Carlson that I made, but thats a guy that rarely gets back to offers.

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H2H CONTRACT POOL
C-, Grabovski(1), Thorton (3),Colin Wilson (1) (dual), Lokitonov(3) (dual)
W- Lucic(3), Brunner(3), Semin(1), Conacher (4)
D-Kieth, Voyanov(3), Zidlicky(1),) Faulk(3), Diaz (3), Tyutin (1)
G-Quick(4), Fasth (2)
MINORS- Redmond), Krieder(m), Morrow (m)
IR Malkin(3), Filppula (dual)(2)

CATS:SKATER +-/G/A/SOG/PM
CATS:GOALIE GAA/W/SO/S

ANY WEEK WE PLAY 2C,4W,4D,1G

i just feel like these deals are coming up a bit short but thats me

I'll try to help.
How many teams in your league?
I'm guessing this is a 20 or 24 team-league?
(Based on seeing 6F/4D/1G, and your note that you feel you don't have "depth")
Daily or weekly starts?
(I'm guessing "weekly")

We need to start there.