NHL 18 Be A Pro Thread

[Pikesburgh]

It's that time of year again. I started the thread last year so I figured I'd start this year's as well. What type of players is everyone going to make? Now that the AI seems to be smarter, and like to move the puck quicker, we should have more fun with the mode. Those improvements, along with the defensive skill stick should help as well.

I plan on making a 6'1 205 pound shutdown centerman like last year. This year I'll actually follow through (ended up making a playmaking center last year since I was required to be a superstar in order to win). My guy will play in front of both nets. Offensively he will screen the goalie and grind it out in the corners. Defensively he will cover his own net, and be a pest to the other teams star players. Hoping for a 2nd line role, getting 40 or so points a year. Maybe first line role if I still have to be the star in order for my team to win.

Also, one of the best ways to enjoy this mode if you're a stat guy, is to make spreadsheet of the all-time leaders. What I've done (and failed to mention before) is:

-I go to hockey-reference.com and copy the all-time leaders in goals, assists, points, games played, etc etc and paste them into a spreadsheet. There's dozens of stats, you can pick and choose which ones you care about.

-At the end of each season I update all the active players stats in each respective category. If you don't want to do every player, you can just do the leaders (Crosby/Thornton for assists, Ovechkin/Stamkos for goals, and so on)
*if you're in juniors while doing this and players retire before you can check their player card, just pretend they retired without playing any more games or scoring. After you get drafted you can update the all-time list by going to each player's player card, regarding the players who are still active.

This will take a little bit, maybe a half hour, but in the end it's so much more fun to see your player's name move up the all-time list.

Click to read more...

 

[VLU5]

One more day, can't wait. The new AI looks really, really good compared to NHL 17.

Still hate you can't start as a real CHLer or NHLer. Would have picked Puljujarvi from the Oilers

For some reason I find it difficult to just make up players so I tend to create a real player who is not in the game. For me to justify my player being a superstar in the league I've decided to create Mathias Emilio Pettersen and play one year in the OHL. I mostly used really big, heavy and shutdown players in NHL 17 so it's going to be fun playing with a small skilled guy with the new dekes and all. Might end up reporting my progress. I've done it before but was never really consistent.

Again, can't freaking wait. I feel like a little child waiting for Christmas.

 

[SlapshotTheMovie]

I will do the same thing I always do. The Datsyuk story for the most part

I will be a super late draft pick.

I will play in the AHL until i am 24.

Then i will win the calder the last year i am eligible.

I will be a two way center that plays the pk and pp. I will win every award i can and carry me team to a few cups and then disappear.

I casually give this mode a play through once and then stick ith EASHL and GM Mode

 

[TootooTrain]

I casually give this mode a play through once and then stick ith EASHL and GM Mode

This.

I might do one or two seasons as a dman. Then as a center later on. Just to get used to the physics.

By the way this might be a bit of a noob question, but is the speed of play still different from be a pro to eashl? Eashl was always a bit slower (which I didn't mind)

 

[Glennsoe]

First match last night I had 4 goals and 1 assist on the default settings..

Pretty surpriced..

 

[dkollidas]

One more day, can't wait. The new AI looks really, really good compared to NHL 17.

Still hate you can't start as a real CHLer or NHLer. Would have picked Puljujarvi from the Oilers

For some reason I find it difficult to just make up players so I tend to create a real player who is not in the game. For me to justify my player being a superstar in the league I've decided to create Mathias Emilio Pettersen and play one year in the OHL. I mostly used really big, heavy and shutdown players in NHL 17 so it's going to be fun playing with a small skilled guy with the new dekes and all. Might end up reporting my progress. I've done it before but was never really consistent.

Again, can't freaking wait. I feel like a little child waiting for Christmas.

Sometimes what I've done is totally lower the ratings of a player (in this case for you, Puljujarvi), but before I do that, I note all of his ratings, and then use it when i start my be a pro, and effectively I've become that player.

After lowering the ratings of the original Puljujarvi, you can probably just drop him to free agency, no one will pick him up.

 

[BluesTraveller]

I hope they fix Poise. In NHL '17 when you create a major junior player, their poise is stuck at 65. Only thing that I see modify it is puck over the glass penalties, which is a negative adjustment.

 

[JBose7]

Do they force you to start at a superslow speed this year? What is the cap on attributes to start? I hated being forced to be slow to start the game and i wont buy unless they fix the attributes to start. They were way too low

 

[wej20]

I managed to win the 3rd line centre job on the Pens, 3GP-3G-1A so far, clicking really well with Wilson and Rust. The lineup decisions are so annoying in Be a Pro, our first line is Crosby-Malkin - Kessel, leaving Hornqvist to centre the 2nd line (I edited Guentzel and Rust to be wingers). Also Letang and Schultz are paired together on the back-end.

 

[VLU5]

Playing as Mathias Emilio Pettersen, LW playmaker. Played a season in WHL with Spokane Chiefs and ended up going to Oilers 18th overall. Went from 59 to 70 in one season. I mostly simmed the WHL playoffs because my goal was to get to 70 overall.

My notes so far:
+ Like last year, the game felt difficult at first, which I liked. So far it hasn't felt repetitive.
+ The AI is really good and they play different based on their skill. In WHL nobody did saucers or dekes. Now when I'm with the Oilers, I can see Draisaitl go between the legs and then throw a no-look backhand sauce to where I'm going.
+ My player is medium elite and not that bottom AHL bs
+ I really, really like the defensive skill stick
+ I like how players will get into open position for one timers when you have the puck.
+ Playing as a winger is actually fun because your team can play defense now
+ I don't have to drive the play all the time as my teammates can make plays and score. I love when in BAP my line scores and I don't get a point.
- I didn't think I'd care but I actually like the improved coach feedback. You can now get experience for shooting for a rebound, good line change etc.

- I hate the fact that the lines are still a mess in BAP. If you're playing as a winger, there is a good change the 2nd line center position is played by 3rd line winger. It's been a bug as long as I remember and they haven't fixed that. Only if your team has two very good centers (like my team has McDavid (95) and Draisaitl (90)) the lines will be okay.
- I'm 18 yo LW playmaker, do I really need to be on first PK? Or play center in 5v3 PK? I'm disappointed with that. Also 3v3 lines should be fixed. I should not play center on OT as I should be on D spot and have a real center taking faceoffs.
- My attributes do not grow evenly. My shot power grows very slowly for example. Also offensive awareness develops too easily IMO. My guy is 74 overall and has 91 OA.
- GMs in BAP are so stupid. Oilers have acquired like three guys with 4M+ contracts that have 3-4 years left. That would never happen in real life if you consider all the players they have signed / have to sign in coming years. Stupid.

 

[Pikesburgh]

So far it's been awesome. 3 GP in the Memorial Cup. I'm playing as my defensive TWF Center. 1G 2A 3P. My goal was a tip in, I love how you can screen goalies easier this year. My 2 assists were realistic as well. I'm a +1. I like it.

I'm still trying to figure out if I wanna make an Offensive Defenseman or a Two Way Defenseman. I have 2 different careers going. A center, a goalie and I'll add a defenseman as a 3rd. I'm playing every single game, authentic 20 minute periods, sim to next shift. I'd like to start and finish a full career finally. Have about 734 games played on my 16 character. This will be the year I play a full career and actually finish it.

 

[VLU5]

Finished 2018-2019 season with the Oilers. I was quickly promoted to first line to play with McDavid (95) and Puljujärvi (83). We made some moves on the deadline by acquiring Phaneuf (and his 7M contract). He was pretty good for us so I liked the move. We ended up winning president's trophy and our line helped a lot with the team's success. I was 21+63, McDavid was 49 + 38, and Pulju 32 + 52.

Unfortunately I had to face the Blackhawks in the first round. They went all-in in the deadline by acquiring Erik Karlsson. We lost the series 4-2 and the Blackhawks went all the way and won the Stanley Cup. Their first line of Saad - Toews - Kane and top pairing of Keith and Karlsson was just too much for us to handle.

I won the calder trophy and got a long off-season to work on my skating. Now starting 2019-2020, playing again on the first line. McDavid dropped to 94 but Puljujärvi grew to 88.

I honestly think there is no salary cap in BAP. We have fourth liners making 4M+ dollars and we also have Russel and Hickey scrached who's combined salary is close to 8M. We haven't lost any players and we have players like Lucic, RNH, Phaneuf and Bouwmeester in the lineup.

 

[Stud Muffin]

Sucks to once again not be able to play as NHL/CHL player. It's something they had in before, and would not take them long to implement.

 

[SlapshotTheMovie]

Sucks to once again not be able to play as NHL/CHL player. It's something they had in before, and would not take them long to implement.

agreed.



Has anyone successfully request a trade?

I keep getting request denied and that i am not important enough. So then i go and and play 1st line minutes all season and my overall is in the mid 80's and they tell me i am too important to trade right now. ****s the point of requesting a trade if it doesnt work.

 

[FlyTimmo]

Haven't owned and NHL game since 2015, until this year. I am pretty disappointed with be a pro. I'll probably play through a few seasons, then stick to GM/EASHL. This mode just needs a big-time facelift. It needs more decision making, more bells and whistles, more... well... substance.

 

[Pikesburgh]

I'm sticking with the 1.00 tuner set. It seems to play best. Already played over 20 games. Getting a nice groove. Last game as a TWD man (I have 3 careers), I had 1 hit, a +2 and we won 2-1 without me having to do anything offensively.

 

[bluef0x]

I'm creating Jonathan Cheechoo 2.0.... the great rocket richard winner in the history of the NHL.

Going to wear this while grinding:

 

[Shrimper]

Started in the Memorial Cup.

4 Games with 2 G and 2 A. Drafted 21st overall by the New York Rangers. Scored twice in my first game. A neat finish on Varlamov and an Empty Netter to finish it off. I'm playing on All Star but had to turn down the Period length to 7 minutes. Took too long otherwise. Enjoying it.

 

[Tryblot]

It's so easy to get penalties in this mode. In 54 games I have 285 penalty minutes as a sniper. Seems almost every time I lay a hit it's a penalty, and then sometimes a fight.

 

[SlapshotTheMovie]

So right now i am playing through 1 season of be a pro in the whl to get drafted in 2018. I currently have 75 goals and 63 assists as a right wing sniper in 35 games. They are saying i am going to go in the first round. If i sim a few games and lose that spot i am going to be livid.

 

[khawks81]

I started with the golden knights to make them into a cup contender. I'm a 6'1 215lb two way center. I'm having a hard time generating any offense. Im not sure if I suck or if the golden knights are highly out matched by every team.

 

[SlapshotTheMovie]

So after doing one year in the WHL i had 118 goals and 98 assists. I was injured the last 18 games and the first two weeks of the play offs. I came back when we were 1 game from elimataion in the plays offs and won them both and eventually went on to win the memorial cup.

I get drafted first over all by the blackhawks. I light it up in preseason and get moved to the second line. The first game i get a hat trick and 3 assist. Can't buy a point for the next 4 games. Then another hat trick and 4 assist night. Next game i am bumped up to the top line. Then the magic happens. Saad takes the puck up the left side. I rush to the circle on the right side. Saad drops the puck back to Towes or a defender. I wait for my opening and call for the one timer and bar down. Its now January. We are tied for 1st in the league with the penguins. I lead the league in goals and assists almost all exclusively coming from rebounds on my one timers. I have speed and sniping down but i can't deke or get great passes off yet. I am also very small and able to be bumped off the puck easily so until I can get my over all up and be a better player i am going to keep being a one trick pony.

 

[JBose7]

Since no one has answered ill ask again..
.
Is it easier to improve your speed attributes this year and other athletic stats or is it largely the same be a pro?

 

[VLU5]

Since no one has answered ill ask again..
.
Is it easier to improve your speed attributes this year and other athletic stats or is it largely the same be a pro?

It's the same. AI is better which makes the game mode much more enjoyable IMO.

 

[haveandare]

Anyone else always go 1OA when they do the memorial cup route? First guy I made went 7OA (and I hadn't put the Stepan for 7OA trade in yet - ugh) after a good memorial cup performance I played every game of. Since then, any forwards I make go 1OA even if I sim the entire memorial cup. Anyone else experience this? I like the randomness of the draft in terms of choosing what time the guy plays on, I don't want to have multiple BAPs with the Devils.