EHM The Blue Line

I know, but I dont want to be the guy who built a winning team for a successor...

I'm guessing that if you're still struggling at this point, it may be your tactics that are the problem.

I know that this is resurrecting an old thread, but with everyone saying how good the Hawks are as a team to start a game with, especially for long term development/prospects, I decided to give it a try. I became bored with the Panthers, because despite the great prospects, you are too pigeon holed with long term contracts.

I am using the TBL 1.3 database. Looking at the team, my plan is to rebuild it rather than try and win right away. Though it looks playoff capable, I don't think it's ready to take the next step. My goal is also to be realistic in trades/making moves as much as possible. The cap is 50.3 million and the board is sticking me with a 42.8 million budget, despite their total salaries being 59 million when everyone is called up.

I started by replacing Savard and most of the rest of the coaching staff. I hired Greg Poss from Mannheim as coach (great attributes), and brought in St.Laurent (goalies), Yawney (defense), and Nieuwendyk (19 in coaching forwards). I also replaced all of the bad scouts and trainers.

Then, I resigned Ruutuu, Samsonov and Bourque for 2 more years at similar salaries to their current salaries. I signed Toews to get him in juniors instead of college.

With the unsigned players, I have signed the following guys to come over from European teams next year. Vaanenen (3 yrs, 1.7m/year), Chistov (3 years, 1m/year), Nedved (3 yrs, 990,000/yr), Esche (3 yrs, 2.2m/yr). I also signed Dingman for the minimum for this year for an enforcer.

The biggest problem with this roster IMO is Khabibulin's huge contract. It would be acceptable if he was Brodeur or Luongo, but he is really just slightly above average, and it kills to be paying him this much, especially when the board is squeezing you 8 million under the cap to begin with. The idea is replacing him with Esche next year for 1/3 of the salary, and probably 90% of the production. It will probably be hard to find a team willing/able to take that contract though. My hope is one of two things. The Wild or Preds who have the cap space and have terrible goaltending situations with this database realize that early and are willing to make the trade. Or, a contending team loses their goalie to injury around the trade deadline and is willing to pick Khabibulin up. If not, I may be stuck with both him and Esche next year and spending 9 million on goalies for a year.

A big need is obviously defense, so I sent Lang (he will be useless by the time I am ready to make a run for it) and a 2nd round pick to the Flames for Robyn Regehr and his juicy 2.1 million contract for the next 6 years. Dallas wanted to give away Hagman, so I gave them a 6th round pick for him.

Once I set my roster down to 23 men, I was sitting 13 million under the cap, with the total player salary going under the budget. I picked up Marek Malik and his 2.5 m contract off waivers from the Rangers. Because this game has Barker and Blunden signed to big dollar deals, sending them down really decreases your cap usage. I am going to leave most of the young talent in the AHL for this year, except for Seabrook and Keith, who are apparently NHL ready.

Overall, any comments or suggestions so far?

Khabibulin salary kills your cap. I know that only Washington would take him with the default rosters (ie 3.0.4 or unfaked DB), but i have no clue with the updated rosters.

I also seen many people in the Blackhawks challenge being fed up with Duncan Keith... But maybe you were talking about another Keith. Btw, Seabrook rocks! In season 3, he just won the Norris with me

Oh, and Dingman can do way more than just being an enforcer! I generally use him as a 3rd line checker allowed to fight (not encouraged) and as a 1st line penalty killer. He usually ends with about 30-35 pts, a positive plus-minus rating, and one of the biggest (if not the biggest) fights winner of the league, although being just allowed to fight. With me, he won the Selke trophy in season 2, and was runner-up in season 3. I also loved when he scored the double-overtime winning goal in the Finals for me This gives you an idea of what he can really bring to your team, which is way more than just kicking asses (which he does perfectly by the way )

I played through the first season, and got absolutely killed (finished with 65 pts) which was pretty much expected. Here are the major moves I made.

Traded Yanic Perreault to the Oilers who came banging on my door for him for a 2008 3rd rd pick
Traded Lapointe to the Islanders for Trent Hunter. I then extended Trent Hunter for 2 years, 1.7 million
Traded Khabibulin to the Lightning for Johan Holmgvist. Extended Holmqvist for 2 years at 1.1 million/year. The hope is he will be a reliable backup to Esche.

Khabibulin was actually getting massively outplayed by Lalime and then was becoming unhappy and grumbling at me when I started giving Lalime around 40% of the starts. When he got to Tampa, he started playing just as bad, with a GAA around 3.80. He is the biggest waste of salary space ever.

I got unlucky and only got 5th pick. Since Gagner and Couture were off the board, and I don't trust Angelo Esposito, I took a chance and took Petrecki.

In the offseason, the board still did not raise my budget, so despite having the cap room, I couldn't go out and sign Hossa or Demitra. I had to settle for Langkow as my top acquisition. Philly also left Mike Richards unsigned, so I gave him an offer sheet, which he accepted and the Flyers declined to match. That cost me a 2nd round pick, but he is obviously worth it. I signed Asham to go along with Dingman and Walz (waiver add last year) to complete a checking line.

Here is what my lineup should look like going into year 2:

Esche
Holmqvist

Regehr-Seabrook
Malik-Sopel
Vaanenn-Keith

Samsonov-Langkow-Havlat
Hunter-Richards-Ruutuu
Chistov-Sharp-Hagman
Dingman-Walz-Asham

I am going to be putting Havlat on the point on PP1, with Hunter moving to PP1 and Chistov to PP2. I still don't see the need to rush Barker, Bickel, Bolland, etc yet. Maybe next year, I will not resign Malik and put Barker in his place.

Don't expect Havlat to score when needed I ended signing Hossa from FA and dealt Havlat's lazy ass away.

You have a good team for season 2 though. I wonder about Samsonov and Havlat impact in crucial games, but other than that you should have a good season

If you ask me though you shouldn't put too much value on stanislav chistov. He's never been a real value in any of my games.

I think Holmqvist has starting potential. Excellent backup.

Well managed, Mikael Holmqvist should turn to be a reliable 3rd/4th liner and penalty killer. He didn't turn outstanding for me, but wasn't a liability either.

Johan Holmqvist, the TB G is the guy I have on that team, not Mikael Holmqvist. He is a guy that I now try to target wherever possible, because he makes a great backup goalie especially if you have a shaky #1 starter and want to run something like a 60/40 goalie split.

Oh, so Johan it is ^^ I thought about Mikael because he is in the original roster of the Hawks with the original DB. I have Johan Holmqvist in the Hawks challenge, along with Price. The thing i don't like in my game is that you never know which Johan will show up when you give him the start. Most of the time he does an okay job (ie around 90%), is sometimes on a wall streak including 50 saves nights, and sometimes is worse than Cloutier in his worst days. But he rarely has a long streak at the same pace. I wanted as a n°1= goalie along with Price to bring the talented youngster slowly, but Price was just so more consistent that he ended n°1 goalie once and for all and ended as a monster in the playoffs.

So i wouldn't put Holmqvist as a starting goalie. He just doesn't show up often enough for that. At least, not in my game. May be different in yours, depending on your coaches, players and tactics. Interesting and cheap backup though.

Decided to bump this as I am thinking of starting a long term save with the Hawks.

Does Toews ever turn out any decent? How are the other prospects they have? Only know that Seabrook turns out good from my previous saves.
Is Mr. Wirtz a burden? Are the finances always poor? Is it easy to offload Aucoin and Khabby?

Anything else I should know about?
Running the unfaked tbl:db btw.

I turned Toews into a star in the Hawks challenge. Go have a look at the challenge thread for the Hawks.

Wirtz...no problem.

Not sure on Aucoin and Khabby. But I know he became a Sen in my game, and Heatley a Hawk....

Keith sucks

If you're using Lidas DB, you're going to be looking good.

Skille, Toews, Kane...

Seabrook...

Huet...