EHM The Blue Line

All chat about your first Chicago Blackhawks season goes here.

I will be doing a monthly or so (game time) blog about my Hawks team, in the blog section.


Have fun.

Please still ask the general challenge questions in the challenge ideas thread.


Changed title to reflect this is now Season 1 and Season 2 thread only...batdad

Is Lalime a reliable starter ?

Why don't you find out for us????

Just started, evaluating and doing some deals "on paper" currently to see how the lines would work out. It's quite a challenge with those new rules.

So, who's spending a third of his budget on Khabby and Havlat ?

I would keep both but I didn't start yet. i'm still reading the rules.
Havlat is a natural choice, don't you think?

I won't keep both, that's too much, only 23m left to spend on the other 18 players then.
Just a question of who of those two is easier to replace for about half the money.

The one good thing about keeping those bigger contract guys is that you can always ditch one from your core in the next season. If you can keep your team under the TBL cap for the first season, it's a big help in the second season.

Hey guys...since this is the first challenge in this format. I will let you in on something.

If you pick Nick Khabibulin from group A as part of your core...do not pick either Boucher or Lalime. You will not be able to make the minutes of both goalies if you have both Khabi and one of the other 2 in your core.

However, this does not mean you cannot have Khabibulin and Lalime or Boucher...just make sure you don't name Lalime or Boucher as part of your core when you name Khabi.


Khabi in core OK

Khabi and Lalime(or Boucher) in core...no good

Lalime and Boucher in core...OKAY

Goes without saying...so why did you say that ?! I was hoping to see some people getting trapped

I'm keeping Khabbi and Boucher, Boucher not as a core player though.
I think I'll give Bolland some time in the AHL and use him as homegrown in 07-08.

There's a couple guys who are really tempting to keep on the roster but I sent them down so they can be homegrowns in coming seasons. I can think of 3 right off the bat.

I can't believe how long I've sat there looking at the starting roster and the core choices, weighing the different possibilities. I spent a good hour or so without advancing the game a day! LOL!

Yeah... I am sure that is coming my way. I will not be able to start until Monday. Busy family weekend. But hopefully I have my roster set by the end of the day Monday.


Oh and I did it, cause this is our first challenge this way, and I want to make sure noone gets upset in the end with stuff that could have been avoided with a little help.

Trust me...there will be alot of help this time around.. I want everyone to contend and have fun....but next time. All bets is off baby.

Do i need to pick a golie to be part of my core group? Can I pick only skaters?javascript:emoticon(':-k')
My inicial ideia was to be as flexible as possible because of Khabi contract.

Nope. You can pick whoever in each group you want. As long as you pick the correct number of players, from each group, it does not matter what position they play.

Personally, I left the Bulin wall off my core list. That way, if he doesn't earn his 6.75 (which I suspect he won't) he can be shown the door. During the specified trade periods only, of course.

I spent a while working out my core of players and I sent down a few that I've got my eye on for possible homegrowns for next year. I've got my 10 and their combined cap hit is only 12.742!

Yeah...but you took Augroin and Cullislug.

batdad wrote:Yeah...but you took Augroin and Cullislug.

Very true. But I knew right away I didn't want to be tied to Khabi's contract, so he's out. Ruutu is tasty at 1.5 so he was a no-brainer. So it came down to Havlat or Aucoin and I can plug someone else into the top line RW spot that make a heck of a lot less than 6. So there ya go, Augroin it is.

As for Cullimore, well, I've got no excuse there...

Hee. I want to start today. Not sure if I am going to get much of a chance though, and may have to wait to tomorrow.

I am at least gonna have a look at the guys and maybe just maybe...try and sim to training camp so I can name my core.

However...I must...I must...deal with staff issues etc in the off season first. My first day takes forever.

So it likely won't be til tomorrow.

Note: remember you do not have to name your core til after training camp.

batdad wrote:Note: remember you do not have to name your core til after training camp.

Oh well, I doubt I'll want to change anything anyway. I think I'm set.

Hee. You funny dude.


Hmm..just noticed I never put Lasse Kukkonen on one of the lists. Cool! I thought I had. No Salmy or Wisniewski either. But they are not as major. Cool.

I traded Kukkonen for Morrisonn and a 3rd

When? I Want the screenshot!!!!!!!

Just bugging you..now if you had done it for OVechkin..or Nittymaki...or Marleau it would be different. BWAH HAHAHAHAHA

I'm wondering what about waivers? I mean i'm free to do wherever i want if under U$36m?
The same goes to coaches? There are a lot of guy really weak.
I didn't undestand why Handzus wasn't include into core roster rules?

Silly questions i know, but...
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1. Waivers--do what you want. Remember the cap and core roster players needing the ice time.

2. Coaches and all staff-Yep do what you want.

3. For some players we leave them off on purpose. In this case it was the 4th and 5th highest paid players (Handzus and Lapointe). Gives you something to move/play with that you do not have to declare, and allows for flexibility.

Kukkonen I thought I had on the list..but meh, more flexibility so there you go.


In the test challenge, we left off Rick Nash, and David Vyborny from the list. When we did these rules we did not want to kill off all flexibility, but we wanted to make things a little more challenging. If we had put Handzus in Group A would have been pick 3 of 5...so it would have been much less in terms of having guys who had some trade value, that you could actually move during appropriate times.

Thanks! batdad.

Here's a begginners question: I need to be with budget under control during all game or only when after the 1st game of the season start? (i think i got it right!?) mostly because i wanted to sign 1 free agent and i'm already over the budget, but i'm still in August.

Under $36 Million for your Blackhawks roster by the end of the first 20 games. You will have to put in the screenshot at 20 games showing finances.


The important figure is Est. Average Club Salary. That is the $ value that goes with our $36 mill US Cap. You won't be able to tell if you are under without manually calculating (outside the game) until after training camp...when reg season begins if you are under this $36 mill,...because the game always counts your 24 highest salaries during the off-season and training camp.


Ok so I am still on Day 1....argghhh