Challenge Questions & Feedback Thread

[Peter_Doherty]

I agree, limit trading but don't ban it...

[bruins72]

Yeah, a few die-hards would be down for doing one no trades after that initial run at the beginning but I don't think too many people would be happy about no trades after that.

[Peter_Doherty]

did you see what i wrote in the other thread b72? You might want to make a new save to have it started on the new patch so we get all the updates Shouldn't be too hard to get Wild to miss playoffs again. Also, are you doing it with the deadline-rosters or the october-rosters?

[bruins72]

Yeah. I'm starting to sim a new one today. I'm using version 7.3 of the DB. I added a test GM unemployed and went on vacation until April 15th. Based on my last test, that should give us plenty of time to scout the draft and even scout some players that we might be interested in for trades. My work computer isn't the fastest but hopefully I'll be able to report back to everyone later today on how the Wild look for the challenge.

[sao.phim]

Guys, I would appreciate to allow at least one UFA signing each post-season. I like to go for European based players and bring them to NHL.

[bruins72]

Maybe for the next challenge after this. The challenge we've got lined up now really doesn't need a UFA signing.

[bruins72]

Well it might be back to the drawing board with the challenge planning. My sim just finished and the Wild were a playoff team.

EDIT:

I looked at the Canucks and they've got too many NTCs for this to work very smoothly.

Once again, it looks like the Panthers are a prime candidate for this. About half their roster is 30 or older. 14 players (including 2 assigned the the AHL, Zanon and Thornton) are 30 or older. Of those 14, 3 of them have NTCs. One of those NTC's has an expiring contract (Jagr). So that leaves 2 NTCs (Luongo and Campbell) to have to get to agree to being traded. Of the 14 players aged 30 or older, 6 of them have expiring contracts and thus won't get any trade deals. So we're left with 8 tradeable players, 2 of which have NTCs. The Panthers finished 23rd in the league so they're liking to pick somewhere around 8th (give or take). They've got some very good young talent to build around but I don't know if I'd say they have much more than the Wild did. The key difference here is that the Panthers will have terrible goaltending once the 30 plus guys are dealt. Luongo, Montoya, and Ellis will all be gone, leaving Brittain and Houser, who look like they'd be lucky to be ECHL goalies.

Ottawa doesn't look as interesting at this point either. They've got 8 players that are 30 plus, 1 of which has a NTC. 2 are in the minors and have expiring contracts. So you've got 6 assets to deal, 1 with a NTC. I don't think you'll get much for these guys either. They're Phillips, Neil, Legwand, Anderson, Michalek, and MacArthur. The bulk of this team's roster is between 24 and 29. Not exactly the youth movement we've discussed.

[Peter_Doherty]

Just make a new sim, a tip for when you are simming is to set every league except NHL on quick sim and remove auto saving, with those settings i sim a season in about 30-40 minutes and my computer is bad.

Edit: If you want me to i can sim a few and upload them, just tell me what db (the pre-season rosters or deadline rosters) and if there is any special setting i should use.

[batdad]

sorry I do not want to play in a challenge where other leagues are on quick sim. Challenges IMHO should have as realistic a world as possible. All should be fully simmed.

Wild making playoffs...does that really matter? Could we still use them even though make the playoffs? Still start over? Is getting a chance in the lottery that big a deal? I dunno. Just asking.

Panthers--do sound somewhat interesting as a group, but with some of their young talent up front and Ekblad on the blue line (Hubie, Bjugstad) ...I am almost betting it would be fairly easy. I know others have issues when have weak goaltending, but we know I do not. Plus in game there are good young goalies to be had for cheap (Khudobin, and htat third guy in Carolina get pretty darn good, plus a few others)....so I do not see that as an issue. Use one of the older vets to deal for a young goalie who has some opportunity.

Panthers may well work, WIld as well.

I am going to start a sim where i am unemployecd and see what happens, provided I can import the database. LOL

[Peter_Doherty]

batdad - You can set the detail levels however you want them, i just set it that way as i sim then set them back, but if 1 season of quick sim turns you off them scratch that idea.

I'm not a fan of using Panthers for this, i think it could be too easy since we already have the core set and we have been in the east so much lately.

And also i don't really care about being in the lottery.

[batdad]

Did not realize you could do that in the game. I have changed it for sim purposes. Cause it was slow.

*Options for teams: what about San Jose as well? I bet always make playoffs year 1.
Toronto? They have absolutely nothing in the pipeline and nothing on the team...used them already though.

What teams have we not used in a challenge? I do not feel like going through a list. LOL

[batdad]

Started my sim. LOL. Flyers start 4-1-0, and by end of November 4-10-2.

Lightning? 16-2-1

[Peter_Doherty]

I think we should be in West since we have been alot in the East the last few challenges and i think Wild is the best option...

[batdad]

Yes Peter, I am pretty sure B72 knows what you would like.

[bruins72]

I just did another season sim with only NHL set at full detail. Results were about the same.

So back to that first season I simmed today. Sharks barely made the playoffs. Bottom seed in the West. They're just not that interesting for a team to blow up and go with youth. Most of their team is in their mid to late 20's or 30 plus. We might do well in our first season, then have a bunch of guys we can trade again in the next season, still do well, and so on. The Leafs finished as the 4th worst team in the league. They've got lots of guys who are 25 or older. They've got a few guys like JVR, Kessel, and Bernier that should make them a team we could do alright with. That being said, they're blah to me. There's nothing about them that makes me excited to rebuild them. They don't have any youngsters I'm itching to develop.

So this version of the Wild could still be a possibility. They did barely make the playoffs but after we trade away the vets they'll be pretty thin. Also, They've made 1 trade. They sent Dubnyk and the rights to Chase Lang to Tampa for their 1st round pick. The Lightning had the 5th best record in the league, so it won't be a high 1st round pick. This move does lessen the team's goaltending talent though. They're still left with Kuemper though and he's really good in this DB.

One other team I found interesting was the Red Wings. They were the 2nd best team in the league (best in the East) but looking at their roster, it's pretty top heavy. They would lose their top 2 goalies. They'd also lose a ton of veteran talent. Another thing to note is that they made 1 trade during the simmed season. They sent Oullett (a good young player), the rights to Larkin (an NCAA forward), and their 1st round pick to the Leafs for Phaneuf. So this team would not have a 1st round pick in this draft. Also now that I look, they don't have a 2nd round pick either. That must be gone from so real life deal.

Take a look a the Wings... Ages and contracts.

[Peter_Doherty]

I would not like to do Wings without Larkin and the 1st rounder, add to that we have to deal with Phaneuf?

[batdad]

They do look interesting. Not sure that guys would like to play without a 1st round pick though, and then no 2nd? Would need to sim a save until they have at least one of those two, preferably the 1st one. I know we can try and deal for one, but that may be annoying to many.

Mrazek-stud in the making. Mantha stud in the making....but yeah like Coyle and Kuemper. Young dmen in DeKeyeser who is a stud in the game, and Smith. Hmm......

Wings do look somewhat interesting. They are running well in my sim. Not at my end point yet.

I do understand where Peter is coming from wanting a western team though, and DeToilet in the east.

Was just throwing Laffs and Sharks out there to see....not really interested in them either.

Minnesota still looks decent to me, but Detroit possibilities.

[bruins72]

Yeah, Detroit not having a 1st or a 2nd could be a bummer but you'll have ample opportunity to deal for picks. The more I look at them, the more I'm interested in them.

Looking at West... you've got the Canucks and Sharks that we've already discussed. We've used the Coyotes a couple times before. They're a junk team they'd be losing some of their better players. I don't know if they'd be that fun though. We've also used the Avs before and they don't look like they'd be too difficult after getting rid of the over 30's. Same applies to the Oilers. I think the Stars would be better off after dealing away all of their 30 plus guys. The Predators (who we've used) aren't hurt too much by trading over 30s. Same goes for the Flames. The Ducks are a team we haven't used but trade away 30 plus guys doesn't hurt them in the least. Kings we've used and they wouldn't be hurt too badly. Same goes for the Blackhawks and Blues.

[batdad]

Avalanche are 2nd in the west at trade deadling in my game. LOL.
Oilers-no way no how. Too good too fast with guys like Hall and Eberle in the game.
Flames same thing
Stars-same thing
Ducks---too good
Kings-too good
Hawks/Blues-too good

Phoenix drawback is having used them too many times. No question about it.
Wild-interesting
Canucks-still interest me, but yeah the NTC's could be an issue. piddle off whole team disciplining that many guys to force trades.
Sharks-younger than I Thought so get not wanting them
Preds--that defense and goaltending is too good,
Jets---not looking enough at them, myself, but first thought is too young and too many prospects with Trouba, etc. Would love to do them, but look like on paper will get good fast. Although they sucked for all 4 years in Philly challenge game. Fired coach 3x. LOL..in 4 years.


To me Western options (elim Yotes as used too often)-Minnesota, Vancouver (NTC Hell), so Minny is it to me on this side.


East

Florida-yes
Detroit-maybe
Tampa/NYR

Hey are Crosby and Malkin over 30? LOL--Pens if they are could be an option. They would suck without them, but maybe those two bring back TOO Much in a trade, and all of us would get fired for dealing them.

Montreal-force Price trade? Go from there.

Still think the Devils could be fun....have what 300 trades to make? Except I know for a fact have some real good prospects in the pipeline, and Schneider is too good for me.


I only want to play with a team that ends up with weak goaltending. Real weak.

[bruins72]

Crosby and Malkin are both under 30. Plus we just used the Penguins (a future version) a while back. Rangers are an interesting idea though. They'd be a situation very similar to Detroit. They'd still have a fair amount of talent though. I do wonder what trading guys like Lundquist and Nash could get you (other than fired). Also, in my save the Rangers traded Desjardins (a young goalie) for Briere. Still, I think they'd be pretty easy to win with. Tampa I believe we used recently. They also don't have many guys that are 30 plus. No NTCs. Most of the 30 plus guys are defensemen. They'd still have too much talent. And Devils we just used like 2 challenges ago.

[Peter_Doherty]

Rangers have a really solid core in their mid 20s, don't think it would make for a fun challenge.

[batdad]

My sim results to April 15.

Florida 15th in east. Dealt Upshall to Kings for Clifford and Forbort. That is interesting. Of the 30 plus year olds....Montoya, Jokinnen, Boyes, Mackenzie, Campbell, Luongo and Thornton have contracts for next season, and would need to be moved. 7 guys. Not much that would get us a big pick

Minnesota-7th in West, in playoffs--Dealt away John Curry and Jon Blum to other teams for Victor Barley and a couple of minor leaguers, as well as Chase Lang and Dubnyk to Chicago for 3rd, 4th, Nick Schmaltz (1st rounder but looks weak), Over 30 with deals for next year....Backstrom, Pomminville, VAnek, Suter, Parise, Koivu. 6 guys...bet we could get more for these guys than in Florida. However.....like B72 said, need players back to fill roster or the team is real bad.

Flames Sharks Oilers Preds and Jets miss playoffs in West. But....all those teams have some young power studs. Do not want to use them.

East other options--

WIngs--Did not make a big trade like in B72 save, but dealt 2 prospects to Buffalo for Meszaros who is only 29 and turns 30 in October after season begins. Dealt McCollim a 3rd and 4th to Laffs for Trevor Smith, who is 30 and just becomes a guy to move. With the fact they just got him, may not have much value either.
Others on Wings to move...well tons....Datsyuk, Kronwall, Zetterberg, Weiss, Miller, Franzen, Ericsson and Howard..again betting Wings could get alot for these guys in deals. Noticed Smith is UFA...so no big deal there.

OThers miss playoffs in East- Isles, Canes, Sens, Leafs, Flyers, Devils, Sabres.

Of those only one I see as possible--New Jersey. Rest elim for one reason for another.


Devils-No moves made at all. Elias, Zubrus ,Ryder, Havlat Cammalleri, Clowe, Greene, Harrold, GIonta, Ruutu to move. Lots there again, not maybe first round worthy but a ton of guys. TEN of them, to deal, and two 29 year olds in Schneider and Zajac. Both will be 30 late in 2015-16 season.

I dunno...to me the best options are Minnesota in the west, and Florida in the east. I like Florida better but I do get the idea of playing a western team.

Over to you B72

[bruins72]

So the DB seems to be simming these teams fairly consistently with maybe 1 or 2 teams surprising each time.

I was just looking at my simmed save and the Wild have got Scandella on defense still. In that other save, he was gone (traded I assume). Interesting to note, as of April 15th, Brodin is out for 6 months with a torn ACL. Is that going to be something that comes back to haunt him? The one drawback with using the Wild is that they're currently in the playoffs. Do we even want to be dropped into that situation? The only reason we're taking over April 15th is because it allows us just enough time to do some scouting.

I'm going to run a test with the Panthers and see how they work out. I know PD doesn't like the idea of using them but they're looking like they could be the right choice. We'll see.

[Peter_Doherty]

I mean, Florida already has everything setup, great young D-core with Ekblad as the stud. A young forwards core with 2 good C and some scoring wingers, all you need to do is send Jokinen+Boyes/Campbell for a solid young goalie and ur set for the rest of the challenge, that's how i see them atleast

[Manimal]

What about the Coyotes? You say we have done them before but that was way back in challenge #10 (my first) and Florida was challenge #22