EHM The Blue Line

True. Very true. The Bruins are almost always terrible in my games where I'm not running them.

52 games in the second season my team has been terrible (if you compare it to the first season). Almost all the guys are worse than last year and I don't know why? Every single one of my prospects in the minors plays just awful (5.xx) if I bring 'em up, so no luck there.

Start with the bad:
- Souray/Lubo have lost their dominating chemistry and are both minus players.
- The other veteran players just doesn't seem to care anymore, their ratings just lowers over the season.
- Gustavsson had a great start of the season and was 0.903% but stagnated down to 0.886%.
- Comrie, Nilsson, O'Sullivan...I thought they already hit the bottom...I was wrong...
- My fourth line that I use for checking is brutal. What happened to Stone?

Pluses:
+ I never got Hemsky going before, but BOY he picked up his game!
+ Mike Richards is stable, too bad he has been injured.
+ Petry plays better than I expected.
+ Mikhnov....never disappoints me!
+ Gilbert and Grebs starting to surpass Souray and Lubo. Good thing or bad, I just don't know.

To my surprise, I won the Stanley Cup in my 2nd season.

I usually have a star player who gets huge amounts of points, but this time it was due to having two good lines, and with a very even distribution of the points. I had 5 players over 100pts, but my top scorer only had 111pts.

I had a lot of injuries in the playoffs, but it didnt really disturb the rythm. Swept away the Sabres in 4 straight games in the final.

Draft was really boring (as the 2008 draft always is). I picked up Brendan Saad with my 30th pick. He might have the potential to become something, but I doubt it.

Decided to strenghten the defence with my UFA signing. Offered contracts to 7 different defencemen, but only one accepted. Luckily he was one of the ones I wanted the most. Scott Hannan.

Just like last season, I'll save my trade until October. I want to bring in a star forward, but it will become tricky to fit one under the cap.

Oh, and Strudwick decided to retire. Not a big loss now that I have signed Hannan.

So after things looking very bright for a while the team suddenly collapsed and eventually went 1-9-0 in the last 10 games of the season... What the Dickens? Whatever, we just won the draft lottery and now I'm one week from the draft and faced with the question: Can I really pass on Hall with the #1 pick? I'm also faced with the question of what I'm supposed to do about my tactics but I guess I'll have to deal with that when I get to preseason 2.

Prospect signings: Bjurling, Petry, Mikhnov, MPS, Nash, Hartikainen, Lander.

Preliminary lineup for 07/08 preseason before trade or FA additions (read: goalie or goalie):
Bjurling/Deslauriers

Souray-Visnovsky
Grebeshkov-Gilbert
Smid-Staios
Strudwick-Plante

O'Sullivan-Horcoff-Hemsky
Cogliano-Gagner-Penner
Moreau-Stone-Pisani
Mikhnov-O'Marra-Stortini

Spare parts: Jacques, Potulny, Nilsson.

In other news: The status page for my laptop repair says it was completed on Tuesday night so why don't I have it yet? Whyyyyy?

who u plan to take if u dont take hall?

hall
Hall looks like that in my game after seson 8. He have made 459p in 404 games for me.

I'm considering RD/LD Cam Fowler ranked at #2 since I already have MPS and Cogliano at LW but maybe I'm shooting myself in the foot if I don't take the best player available. Thanks for posting the screenshot, I thought Hall would be more of a goal scorer but those playmaking attributes are certainly tasty.

Cam Fowler is not bad in my game. With human training and some better micro managment of hes early career he could a norris winner in my game.

fowler

As the oilers are stacked with wingers in this challange mayby better go with fowler for u. But to bad challange will only last 2-3 sesons so the draft players wont hit squad before the its over.

I hate Toskala. I signed him because based on his attributes he should have been a huge improvement over the two goalies we started with. The problem is, he is so streaky and inconsistent. He started off strong, with ratings of 8,9,10, and 8 in his first 4 games this season. In his 5 starts since then he has gotten three 6's, one 5, and one 8 rating. JDD has only had 2 starts so far and he's managed a 9 and an 8. I think I'll stick with him until he loses and then give Toskala another shot.

I am not signing a goalie as a UFA. I hate the ones I can...I did something in the draft that may adress my issue a bit...we shall see.

Here is my 2010 draft:

29th--Mark Pysyk LD Edmonton Oil Kings-A good local kid, and I have always wanted to see how he develops.

59 -- Steven Shipley C-Owen Sound Attack
89 -- Colin Bowman-LD-Kelowna Rockets
119--JT Barnett-LW-Vancouver Giants (never drafted a Giant, thought I would try)
149-Brandon MacNally-LW-U Mass
157--Andy Huff-LW-North Dakota U
179-Stanislav Galimov-G-Ak Bars Kazan (22 years old--may be my new starter)
209-Nils Anderson-RD-Bjorkloven J20

Where I picked there was basically nothing. I toyed with taking Galimov in every single round from round 4 on. Being unranked and old, I figured I could wait. We shall see. I already (July 1) had an offer for him, from Columbus.. I signed him immediately...but still cannot do a deal. We shall see how he does.

Right now I have 6 goalies under contract...I will likely deal one (probably Dubnyk) and let Pitton go at end of year. I signed Bjurling, and have JDD as well. I really like Roy and will probably keep him with the big team again this year and do the same as I did last season. Shuffle guys up and down from the farm.

I have made offers for Vasicek and for Madden. I may or may not sign one of them though.

I do have a deal on the table that I delayed with Washington...Morrissonn and Laich for Staios and Nilsson. I may do that one, and see if Boston waives Thomas or Rask again this season. They probably won't but both are under contract. I was going to go after Rask...but they wanted too much for him right now. Both make alot of dough (Rask 3.5 mill, Thomas 5 mill) though.

Nice grab with Galimov. Montreal signed him in my game. He wasn't drafted, so I'm thinking they might have gotten him before the draft.

Did a different deal.

Montreal is well over the cap. They had acquired Jarret Stoll at the deadline from LA, and have now put him on the block

So...I dealt Nilsson and O'Marra to Montreal for Stoll and D'Agostini. I could care less that D'Agostini will probably never play for me.

Now...I wait to see about goalies and waivers etc. Will not sign any of the UFAs I put offers out to. Stoll is now my 2nd line centre.

Montreal could not have got him before the draft. I checked because I really wanted him. He came up as not able to be signed as still eligible for the draft.

Hmmm... I must have missed him. Nobody drafted him though. Montreal must have signed him after the draft.

He showed up on one of my scout reports for the draft. But when I went to find him in the draft I actually had to search by name. Guys did not for some reason did not reccomend him and the sort he was always low in the 3* list for some reason. Anyway...got him done.

I drafted Galimov in the Avalanche challenge and in this one too. He was my backup in season 4 in the Avs and he did a good job. Scouts don't rate him more than 3 stars but I think that's due to his age. With a weak draft like the 2007 draft is I think he's an excellent pick in the late rounds.

So, after the first season went pretty much down the crapper, I'm now in the off season before season two. The first season I ended dead last, and drafted Taylor Hall. I've also signed Vesa Toskela as my UFA. The problem is though that I have a tough time deciding who I'm going to trade for. I have a few deals lined up, so I thought I'd get some imput from you guys on what deal to go for. Sure we can help eachother out even if we're playing a challenge.

1st option: Sam Gagner to the Canadiens for Tomáš Plekanec & Jaroslav Halák
2nd option: Sam Gagner to the Panthers for Stephen Weiss & Kenndal McArdle
3rd option: Toni Rajala & Zach Stortini to the Bruins for Mikko Koivu & Mark Stuart
4th option: Steve Staios & Sam Gagner to NJD for Zach Parise & Travis Zajac

The three first deals would give me the option to swap out Sam Gagner as the 2nd line center (I really don't like the way he plays). I also get a second player (either a goalie, a winger or a defensive D-man). If I go for one of these three deals, I'll be able to play a 2nd line of T. Hall - "New center" - P. O'Sullivan, and move Mike Comrie to the 3rd line.

The 4th deal is just an oppurtunistic one. I just love Zach Parise, and when I saw the Devils not having him as a franchise player, I tried making a deal for him. If I go for this deal, my 2nd line would be Z. Parise - T. Zajac - T. Hall. The problem here is if Hall would develop as nicely when playing on the right wing (accomplished] as on the left wing (natural).

Lots of things to consider, so it's hard to decide what deal is the best one. Hope to get some imput from you.

i like the 2nd one best.

the 3rd one is a rape and make your fraqnchise stronger in long run.But with 2nd one u will play better and get more peices u want.

Salming wrote:(...) the 3rd one is a rape and make your fraqnchise stronger in long run (...)

Do you mean that in a good or a bad way? Thanks for the input by the way.

I fired my head coach but of all my staff only one scout wants to take his place. Oh boy...troubling...

fz50 wrote:

Salming wrote:(...) the 3rd one is a rape and make your fraqnchise stronger in long run (...)

Do you mean that in a good or a bad way? Thanks for the input by the way.

Good way. Either Rajala or Stortini was close to an top 6 spot in my team. Koivu and Stuart are both solid top 6 players. If trade had been in my game its like give away 2 bad 3rd liners for 2 boarderline 1line players...

In 2nd trade you at least give away Gagner.Sam

Draft:
#1 RD/LD Cam Fowler (#2)
#31 RD Eric Gudbranson (#47)
#61 RW/C Yasin Cisse (#57)
#91 G Jakub Sedlacek (N/A)
#121 RD/LD Kevin Lind (N/A)
#151 RW Beau Bennet (#99)
#165 C/RW Fredric Weigel (N/A)
#181 C/LW Shane Sooth (#102)

I drafted both Cisse and Weigel in the Avalanche challenge but I never got to see them play beyond the AHL level I think.

Trade:
Thrashers signed Luongo so I went after Lehtonen and only had to give up Pouliot and Dubnyk for him.

Salaries are estimated above the cap so I won't be making any FA signing, don't think we'll hit the cap when the real number is calculated though. If we are I'll just waive Nilsson and/or Staios and the problem's solved.

Change it to "NO ONE wants to be my head coach"! Well a couple of scouts and Buchberger gives me an offer, but they ask for more than I can pay. What should I do? Play head coach-less? Stupid staff...

fz50 wrote:So, after the first season went pretty much down the crapper, I'm now in the off season before season two. The first season I ended dead last, and drafted Taylor Hall. I've also signed Vesa Toskela as my UFA. The problem is though that I have a tough time deciding who I'm going to trade for. I have a few deals lined up, so I thought I'd get some imput from you guys on what deal to go for. Sure we can help eachother out even if we're playing a challenge.

1st option: Sam Gagner to the Canadiens for Tomáš Plekanec & Jaroslav Halák
2nd option: Sam Gagner to the Panthers for Stephen Weiss & Kenndal McArdle
3rd option: Toni Rajala & Zach Stortini to the Bruins for Mikko Koivu & Mark Stuart
4th option: Steve Staios & Sam Gagner to NJD for Zach Parise & Travis Zajac

The three first deals would give me the option to swap out Sam Gagner as the 2nd line center (I really don't like the way he plays). I also get a second player (either a goalie, a winger or a defensive D-man). If I go for one of these three deals, I'll be able to play a 2nd line of T. Hall - "New center" - P. O'Sullivan, and move Mike Comrie to the 3rd line.

The 4th deal is just an oppurtunistic one. I just love Zach Parise, and when I saw the Devils not having him as a franchise player, I tried making a deal for him. If I go for this deal, my 2nd line would be Z. Parise - T. Zajac - T. Hall. The problem here is if Hall would develop as nicely when playing on the right wing (accomplished] as on the left wing (natural).

Lots of things to consider, so it's hard to decide what deal is the best one. Hope to get some imput from you.

I like the 4th option best. It's just too hard to pass up Parise. I really don't like the 2nd deal. I've never had much luck with McArdle. The 3rd option isn't bad though.

visualdarkness wrote:Change it to "NO ONE wants to be my head coach"! Well a couple of scouts and Buchberger gives me an offer, but they ask for more than I can pay. What should I do? Play head coach-less? Stupid staff...

It looks like you'll have to play without a head coach until you can get one of your existing staff members (with you at least 6 months) to agree to become your head coach for the kind of money you can offer.

visualdarkness wrote:Change it to "NO ONE wants to be my head coach"! Well a couple of scouts and Buchberger gives me an offer, but they ask for more than I can pay. What should I do? Play head coach-less? Stupid staff...

Hey visualdarkness!

That's really tough, I had the same problem.... No one wants to be the headcoach, and the few who want to be you can't contract with your 475k - 500k (?) offer!

You just need to wait for the next season, in my game everyone wanted to be headcoach after the new season started, but I experienced some tough stats drops without a good headcoach....

I'm sorry to tell you but I think there's nothing you can do about that

I wish you are a better GM+headcoach than me