EHM The Blue Line

Not sure if anybody did this before...but...does anybody have a player they can just NEVER get to produce when they're a legitimate 1st/2nd line player.

Mine is Jason Blake, I can't find anybody for him to play with...

First of all, a legitimate 1st/2nd line player is a player THAT PRODUCE! So if he doesn't, he's not a legitimate top player. Simple as that.

Then if he is paid the money of a top player and doesn't produce no matter what you do, the solution is simple: hit the "trade" button...

Well, Jason Blake has the attributes and contract of a top player, and when the best I can get for him is a 6th, I might as well hold on to him...

I always just trade my players that aren't playing to what I think is their best ability. Blake, for me, has been back and forth. On one team, he'll be pretty good, on another team, hes just like Jed Ortmeyer.

Well, I'd rather have him rot on the bench until next season begins to try to get fmv for him.

Attributes don't say it all There are also the hidden attributes, how the player fits in your style of play, how he gets chemistry with his linemates, etc. But if he's paid like a top player and doesn't produce, that's embarassing for sure. You should wait until the deadline, where you'll have a better opportunity to get a decent return for him. Else, let him walk away at the end of his contract.

Oh, and don't set his status to "available", as it would strongly decrease his trade value (in case you didn't know that)

Well, for Blake, I've got him locked up (by deafult) for three or four more years. I know about availability, and all that. Hit the deadline in my newest game and nobody was offering anything, so I'll wait until draft time and see then. I find I can get Blake to produce really well for two-four games when I put him on a new line then it goes straight 6's. It's really wierd because I can bounce him between 1/2/3 lines and keep him prodcing fairly well, except that it hurts my players getting bumped around.

Sounds like you're running your team on Blake's terms. I say trade him.

Joe wrote:I always just trade my players that aren't playing to what I think is their best ability. Blake, for me, has been back and forth. On one team, he'll be pretty good, on another team, hes just like Jed Ortmeyer.

I resent that comment. I've gotten some decent production out of Jed Ortmeyer.

Ortmeyer has been a solid 3rd line guy for me in the past.

Well, like I've said, Blake can rot on the bench (which he's doing). I think what hyuganet means is that sometimes Ortmeyer is good and sometimes he stinks, I've had that experience with him, I don't even chase him now usually.

Ortmeyer was spectacular for me all the time. Even at age of 35, he is one of the best checkers in the game. He's capable to get about 20 points per season, but guys he's a checker and suppose to check the opposite top forwards, r ight? So, any production from him is a bonus for me. Besides, you have 3 more lines to score. .

CrockerNHL wrote:Ortmeyer was spectacular for me all the time. Even at age of 35, he is one of the best checkers in the game. He's capable to get about 20 points per season, but guys he's a checker and suppose to check the opposite top forwards, r ight? So, any production from him is a bonus for me. Besides, you have 3 more lines to score. .

Yeah what I meant about Ortmeyer is that all he is good for is to play defense. And sometimes thats all blake is good at even though he has decent offensive capabilities.

For me, Ortmeyer, not so good...

He looks great on his attributes, should be rocking the rink on the third line, but all I get is 6.2 rating and low morale...

I have the same problem with other checkers like Jay Pandolfo and Stephane Yelle. Also had Alyn McCauley, who had big checking stats in the game and decent offensive skills but was just not doing the job.

During this time, Chris Dingman is having an averaging rating over 8 from the 3rd line Good boy...

Shadd666 wrote:During this time, Chris Dingman is having an averaging rating over 8 from the 3rd line Good boy...

Done the same.. on the 4th with Chris "I only cost 500K" Dingman
Also, averaging 8 bodychecks per game

Tasku wrote:For me, Ortmeyer, not so good...

He looks great on his attributes, should be rocking the rink on the third line, but all I get is 6.2 rating and low morale...

I set him to play with only very defensive mentality, no rush and selective shooting. To Jed's credit, I usually don't find the likes of S.Gagne and P.Elias on a scoresheet when I face Devils or Philly. And perhaps, more PK duties can improve his moral. As for Blake, I did the same thing with Hagman. When I was short on scoring forwards, I put him both on 2nd and 3rd lines with different mentalities, of course (I play the whole game as a coach). It'll be quite useful to ease his practice schedule though. Probably, he can produce decently... and you can forget about low morale and rating.

Hmm... sounds worth a try...

I'd like to point out that just now, as I was setting up EHM on a new machine, that Jed Ortmeyer scored a shorthanded goal against the Montreal Canadiens.

The real Jed, that is.

I was able to get Jason Blake to play with Ovechkin and Jeff Carter. All three went over 100 points during the regular season and had close to 30 points during the playoffs.

I picked up Jay Pandolfo to anchor my checking line on the wing and he had a solid season with 11 goals and 11 assists in 77 games. His rating was 6.5 or so though, with many 5-rated games along the way. I used him on the penalty kill with some spot time on the PP where he was actually pretty productive. I was dismayed at the 6.5 rating until I looked at his history and it was his highest rating since I started the sim. I can live with it.

TW Triton wrote:I was able to get Jason Blake to play with Ovechkin and Jeff Carter. All three went over 100 points during the regular season and had close to 30 points during the playoffs.

In Toronto its him on the right wing with Sundin centering, and Wellwood/Bell on the left so far 12GMs 5Gs 6Asts +11 14PIM he's been fantastic in my defense first system. 3rd leading scorer( Sundin 22pts and Kaberle 15) best PKer I have beating out Arkopov and Davereaux he and Avery are on 1 Tucker and Ponikorovski on the 2.

I feel that most people have to just match attributes of one player to another on the team or line for that matter in order to produce the best outcome.

I myself just find Blake to have a good setup and I use to not draft or sign him at all. Then I finally did, added him on the line with Ovechkin and Carter and boom, he lit the lamp just as much as they did throughout the season.

All in all, he can be a great player if you put the right people around him and that goes for any player in this game.

I was doing some research while playing this game. I noticed that you can really take a player who isn't suppose to be in the NHL on account of his attributes, but if you do stick them with the right people and give them the right set of tools to use, then trust me, they actually do well.

This just doesn't go for NHL player, but also minor league players as well.