Washington Capitals(WSH)/Hershey Bears(HER) 2017-2018
Franchise Mode: 32 Team Expansion Draft
Created Team: Norfolk Admirals(NFA)/Richmond Renegades(RVR)
Rosters: Default
Owner Mode: Off
Player Morale: Off
Authentic Protection List: On
Game Style: 4/4 Full Sim
Period Length: 5 Minutes
Difficulty: All-Star
Trade Difficulty: Hard
Waivers: On
Self-Imposed Rules:
1. May not propose trades or edit trade offers received.
2. May not sign free agents who require an Entry Level Contract.
June 18th, 2017
I’ll be managing the Franchise and coaching both the NHL and AHL teams. I believe in a strong foundation and that means building a winning atmosphere and culture from the bottom up. I will be focusing on the Hershey Bears in my first year. The idea is if Hershey is winning then good things will happen in Washington. I plan on bolstering and strengthening the farm system and that could mean saying goodbye to some veterans.
I was hoping The Admirals would take a some salary off my hands, but at least they didn’t take anyone valuable.
2017 NHL Entry Draft
I don’t have a pick until the 4th round and am not expecting much out of this one. I’d love to receive an offer or 2, because I need to unload a few contracts.
PIT
RW TWF T.J. Oshie – 85ovr 30yrs – Top 6 F – 1yr $4.175M
This will go down in history as my first trade and it looks golden! It was going to cost me at least $5.5-6M AAV to retain Oshie’s services and this totally frees me up from that responsibility and that would’ve made things tight around here. I was definitely going to re-sign him so they didn’t get jerked around in that regard, but I made out like a bandit IMO.
1-32: TWD Timothy Liljegren – 66ovr 18yrs – Low Elite
4-28: LW TWF Josh Schenn – 53ovr 17yrs – Low Elite
5-28: RW PLY Sami Tamminen – 66ovr 19yrs – Med Bottom 6 F
6-28: LW GRN Arttu Ruotsalainen – 61ovr 19yrs – Med Bottom 6 F
7-28: LW PWF Fabian Haberstich – 68ovr 20yrs – High Bottom 6 F
Analysis: G-0, D-1, RW-1, LW-3, C-0
I began the draft with 4 picks in the later rounds and wound up grabbing the 32nd selection. I feel good about the picks and didn’t get burned. 1st round selection Liljegren and my final pick Fabian Haberstich will likely receive contracts. Other possible ELC candidates are Sami Tamminen and Arttu Ruotsalainen.
Re-Sign Phase
UFA:
OFD Kevin Shattenkirk – 83ovr 28yrs – Top 4 D – 1yr $5.200M
RFA:
HYB Philipp Grubauer – 82ovr 25yrs – Med Starter – Qualified
OFD Dmitry Orlov – 84ovr 25yrs – Med Top 4 D – Qualified
RW SNP Andre Burakovsky – 81ovr 22yrs – Med Top 6 F – 3yr $3.500M
RW SNP Brett Connolly – 78ovr 25yrs – Med Top 9 F - Qualified
C PLY Evgeny Kuznetsov – 86ovr 25yrs – Med Elite – 6yr $5.750M
ELC:
TWD Timothy Liljegren – 66ovr 18yrs – Low Elite – 2017 1st WSH(32nd)
RW PLY Sami Tamminen – 66ovr 19yrs – Med Bottom 6 F – 2017 5th WSH(156th)
LW PWF Fabian Haberstich – 68ovr 20yrs – High Bottom 6 F – 2017 7th WSH(220th)
LW GRN Arttu Ruotsalainen – 61ovr 19yrs – Med Bottom 6 F – 2017 6th WSH(118th)
LW TWF Josh Schenn – 53ovr 17yrs – Low Elite – 2017 4th WSH(124th)
C TWF Damien Riat – 65ovr 20yrs – Med AHL Top 6 F – 2016 4th WSH(117th)
Released:
HYB Phoenix Copley – 71ovr 25yrs – Med AHL Starter – Undrafted
DFD Karl Alzner – 83ovr 28yrs – Top 4 D – 2007 1st WSH(5th)
TWD Tom Gilbert – 75ovr 34yrs – 7th D – 2002 4th COL(129th)
TWD Cody Corbett – 64ovr 23yrs – Med AHL Top 2 D – Undrafted
RW TWF Justin Williams – 82ovr 35yrs – Top 6 F – 2000 1st PHI(28th)
RW SNP Stanislav Galiev – 73ovr 25yrs – Med Bottom 6 F – 2010 3rd WSH(86th)
RW SNP Christian Thomas – 70ovr 25yrs – Med AHL Top 6 F – 2010 2nd NYR(40th)
RW GRN Garrett Mitchell – 67ovr 25yrs – Med AHL Top 6 F – 2009 6th WSH(175th)
LW TWF Daniel Winnik – 79ovr 32yrs – Top 9 F – 2004 9th ARZ(265th)
LW TWF Paul Carey – 74ovr 28yrs – Bottom 6 F – 2007 5th COL(135th)
LW Chris Bourque – 72ovr 31yrs – AHL Top 6 F – 2004 2nd WSH(33rd)
LW GRN Liam O’Brien – 66ovr 22yrs – Med AHL Top 6 F – Undrafted
C TWF Travis Boyd – 71ovr 23yrs – Low AHL Top 6 F – 2011 6th WSH(177th)
C TWF Chandler Stephenson – 71ovr 23yrs – High AHL Top 6 F – 2012 3rd WSH(77th)
Analysis:
Now that I’ve cleaned house it’s time to sign some free agents. I don’t have much cap left over($4.011M), but I’m happy with the contract situation(29/50). I couldn’t afford to pay Orlov and made him a qualifying offer. I’m still hoping for a trade that frees up some more salary so I can sign Orlov and Grubauer. I could’ve signed Grubauer with the remaining Cap and I still may. However, this way I have more Cap available to use during the upcoming free agency period. I’ll revisit the Grubauer contract situation afterward. I’ve got a few prospects breaking into the AHL this year and am excited to see what they can do. I had hoped to move Eller and Beagle’s contract/salaries during the draft and had to let Alzner and Williams walk.
WSH Preseason
1st Wave(I make offers every 5-6 days):
HYB Jonas Gustavsson – 76ovr 32yrs – Backup – 1yr $0.650M – Rejected
HYB Mathias Niederberger – 74ovr 24yrs – Med Backup – 1yr $0.650M
HYB Denis Godla – 67ovr 22yrs – Med Fringe Starter – 1yr $0.650M
OFD Nikita Nesterov – 77ovr 24yrs – High Top 6 D – 1yr $1.275M – Matched by MTL
OFD Adam Clendening – 75ovr 24yrs – Med 7th D – 1yr $0.650M – Rejected
OFD Andre Benoit – 74ovr 33yrs – 7th D – 1yr $0.650M – Rejected
RW SNP Jesper Fast – 77ovr 25yrs – Med Top 9 F – 1yr $0.850M
RW SNP Beau Bennett – 77ovr 25yrs – Med Top 9 F – 1yr $0.850M
RW TWF Joe Blandisi – 74ovr 22yrs – Med Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.750M – Rejected
RW TWF Scott Kosmachuk – 72ovr 23yrs – High Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.650M
LW PLY Alexander Burmistrov – 77ovr 25yrs – Med Top 9 F – 1yr $0.850M
LW SNP Brandon Pirri – 77ovr 26yrs – Low Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.850
LW TWF Jacob de la Rose – 72ovr 22yrs – Low Top 9 F – 1yr $0.650M – Rejected
LW TWF Brock McGinn – 75ovr 23yrs – High Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.850M – Rejected
LW PLY David Kase – 69ovr 20yrs – Med Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.650M
C TWF Nick Shore – 78ovr 24yrs – Low Top 9 F – 1yr $1.000 – Rejected
C TWF Roman Lyubimov – 75ovr 21yrs – Low Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.875M – Rejected
C PLY Austin Czarnik – 74ovr 24yrs – High Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.750M – Rejected
C TWF Aleksi Saarela – 56ovr 20yrs – Med Top 6 F – 1yr $0.925M
2nd Wave:
HYB Jonas Gustavsson – 76ovr 32yrs – Backup – 1yr $0.775M – Rejected
OFD Mark Streit – 79ovr 39yrs – Top 6 D – 1yr $2.000M – Rejected
OFD Adam Clendening – 75ovr 24yrs – Med 7th D – 1yr $0.700M
OFD Andre Benoit – 74ovr 33yrs – 7th D – 1yr $0.700M – Rejected
RW TWF Joe Blandisi – 74ovr 22yrs – Med Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.800M
LW TWF Jacob de la Rose – 72ovr 22yrs – Low Top 9 F – 1yr $0.675M
LW TWF Brock McGinn – 75ovr 23yrs – High Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.900M
C TWF Nick Shore – 78ovr 24yrs – Low Top 9 F – 1yr $1.100
C TWF Roman Lyubimov – 75ovr 21yrs – Low Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.900M
C PLY Austin Czarnik – 74ovr 24yrs – High Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.775M
3rd Wave:
HYB Jonas Gustavsson – 76ovr 32yrs – Backup – 1yr $0.800M
OFD Mark Streit – 79ovr 39yrs – Top 6 D – 1yr $2.100M – Rejected
OFD Andre Benoit – 74ovr 33yrs – 7th D – 1yr $0.725M
4th Wave:
OFD Mark Streit – 79ovr 39yrs – Top 6 D – 1yr $2.150M
OFD Christian Ehrhoff – 78ovr 35yrs – Top 6 D – 1yr $1.525M
I’m excited for my first taste of NHL action behind the bench and have a few ideas I’d like to try out with the lineup. The defense is pretty much set, but the pairings could change. It’s a cast of veterans, manning the blue line, with several players 30+ years old. I’m going to list the players trying out with a brief analysis and where they fit in.
RW GRN Tom Wilson – 79ovr 23yrs – Med Top 9 F – 2012 1st WSH(16th)
I’m giving “Big Willy” a shot on the top line with PK duties. This is a big assignment for a 23yr old, but he’s already got 300+ games under his belt and I feel he’s ready. I’m expecting a dramatic increase offensively playing alongside Ovechkin and Kuznetsov. He scored just 19pts last season and 23pts the previous year. The other options are: Nick Shore, Brett Connolly, and Beau Bennett.
RW SNP Andre Burakovsky – 81ovr 22yrs – Med Top 6 F – 2013 1st WSH(23rd)
After posting back to back 30+ point seasons Burakovsky looks poised to breakout offensively. He’s a great skater and is a bit bigger and stronger than the typical sniper. He’ll be trying for a 2nd line role with PP time. The other options are: Marcus Johansson, Lars Eller, Brandon Pirri, and Alexander Burmistrov.
RW SNP Brett Connolly – 78ovr 25yrs – Med Top 9 F – 2010 1st TB(6th)
Decent two-way player for a sniper with mediocre skating. He’s playing for a 3rd line role and can fill in on the PP/PK. He tallied 15g last season and should surpass that this year with the improved talent around him. The other options are: Jesper Fast, Beau Bennett, and Nick Shore.
LW SNP Brandon Pirri – 77ovr 26yrs – Low Bottom 6 F – 2009 2nd CHI(59th)
A great skater with good puck skills and mediocre defense. A reclamation project that only managed 18pts last season. He’ll be trying out for a 3rd line role and could play on the 4on4 with his great faceoffs and deking. The other options are: Lars Eller and Alexander Burmistrov.
RW SNP Jesper Fast – 77ovr 25yrs – Med Top 9 F – 2010 6th NYR(157th)
Another great skater and a decent two-way player considering he’s a sniper. He’s also another project that only scored 21pts last season. He’s playing for a 2nd line role and could even fill in on the PK. The other options are: Brett Connolly and Beau Bennett.
C TWF Nick Shore – 78ovr 24yrs – Low Top 9 F – 2011 3rd LA(82nd)
Yet another work in progress and basically Jay Beagle Lite. He’s a great all-around player but scored a paltry 17pts last season. He’ll be battling for a 4th line role with PK time and other option is Jay Beagle.
RW SNP Beau Bennett – 77ovr 25yrs – Med Top 9 F – 2010 1st PIT(20th)
A great skater with decent offensive attributes. However, he’s a bit weak defensively and managed just 19pts last season. He’s trying for a the 4th line and these are the other options: Brett Connolly, Jesper Fast, and Nick Shore.
LW PLY Alexander Burmistrov -77ovr 25yrs – Med Top 9 F – 2010 1st WPG(8)
The former top 10 pick was headed to the KHL until I persuaded him to join our team. A mediocre two-way player, considering he’s a playmaker with great skating. He’s not really against anyone for his 4th line role, but another option is Brandon Pirri.
WSH Preseason Recap
The boys were decent finishing 5-2-0 with terrific defense(1.29gapg). The PP was especially horrendous at 13.6% and will be dealt with. I think we’ll be quite fearsome once that’s clicking and everyone looked solid defensively. Connolly(1pt) and Bennett(1g) were disappointing, but I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt with a small sample size. Nick Shore will join Lars Eller as a healthy scratch while Beagle replaces him on the 4th line. Shattenkirk bumped Streit down and replaced him on the top pairing while Ehrhoff slotted down to the 3rd pair. I’m happy to announce that everyone else made the team and secured their spots with several youngsters joining the top 6: Wilson(23yrs), Burakovsky(22yrs), and Fast(25yrs). Old man Streit(39yrs) proved to be our best geriatric defensemen and remains in the top 4.
Regular Season
I’m sure some of the fans in Washington were shaking their heads when I traded Oshie and accepted the compensation for Orlov. Not to mention already allowing Justin Williams and Karl Alzner go in free agency for nothing. I also failed to sign Grubauer even though that’s a little less controversial as he’s still got a chance to play for us. Of course the verdict is still out and nothing can be declaratively said until the season is over, but I’m feeling optimistic. Tom Wilson looks like a terrific fit on the top line with Ovi and Kuzy. Jesper Fast and his fellow swedes Backstrom and Burakovsky have been nicknamed the “Tre Kronor 2.0” line. Which allowed Johansson, another swede and original Tre Kronor member, to slide down and center the 3rd. Creating a formidable top 9 and I don’t think we’ll miss Oshie’s production at all. On defense Orlov and Alzner were replaced by aging veterans Streit and Ehrhoff, which allowed me to hold onto Shattenkirk. The top 4 look just as fearsome without Orlov and we’ll be fine as long as the geriatric club of Streit, Orpik, and Ehrhoff don’t regress.
24pts – 12-8-0 – 3.25gfpg – 2.13gapg – 12.0%pp – 87.5%pk
2nd in Division – 5th in Conference – 9th in NHL
I’m happy with our standing, but flabbergasted by the PP stat. We’re not having a problem scoring goals and if I can fix that issue we’ll absolutely dominate. My major worry entering the season was our defense and they’ve proven more than capable. Mark Streit was injured short term and Christian Ehrhoff was completely adequate in his stead. The team was so good that he remained there for a few extra games, even though Streit had returned to full health. The defense is playing so well that both Shattenkirk and Carlson are in the team’s top 5 for scoring and are a driving factor in our offense. Our netminders have been adequate, but not great. If they could reduce the goals against a bit we’d be golden regardless of our PP status. The Marcus Johansson 3rd line pivot experiment has blossomed into our 2nd best offensive line. Meanwhile on the 4th line Alexander Burmistrov(8pts) is creating matchup problems and is certainly capable of slotting up.
Kevin Shattenkirk is leading all defensemen with 19pts with Cam Fowler(ANA) and OEL(ARI) trailing him. Steven Stamkos is leading the league in scoring with 31pts and Henrik Sedin trails him with 28pts. Rookie Brock Boeser is running away with the Calder after scoring 15pts in 20gp.
HER 20-Game Recap
27pts – 13-6-1 – 3.25gfpg – 2.10gapg – 25.6%pp – 96.0%pk
1st in Division – 2nd in Conference – 6th in AHL
The goaltending has been superb and our special teams are tops in the league. It took a little tinkering, but I think I finally figured out the optimal defensive pairings. Youngsters Liljegren and Siegenthaler are exceeding expectations while Bowey and Clendening lead the way. The big surprises thus far have been David Kase(16pts) and Roman Lyubimov(12pts). However, I wasn’t surprised to find Jakub Vrana(25pts) leading the league in scoring. Most organizations would call him up, but we’re doing just fine in Washington without him. He’ll likely move right into the Capitals top 9 next season. The other standout talent has been free agent David Kase(20yrs) with 5g and 16pts. If he maintains this kind of production he too could challenge for an NHL spot next year.
C Ryan Spooner – BOS
HYB Philipp Grubauer – WSH
Both declined their qualifying offers and will remain unsigned for the rest of the season.
Trade @ Game 27
C TWF Lars Eller – 80ovr 28yrs – Top 9 F – 1yr $3.500M
I had to take this offer considering his healthy scratch status with the club. I’m quite happy with this salary dump.
WSH 40-Game Recap
50pts – 24-14-2 – 3.33gfpg – 2.30gapg – 16.5%pp – 84.8%pk
1st in Division – 2nd in Conference – 5th in NHL
The PP looks to have stabilized and will probably end the year around 18%. This helped our offense improve even further and losing becomes difficult when you average 3g per game. That’s right we don’t have the best defense and I’m not worried about that this season. I want to win and progress my players/prospects if I can and if we win that’s great. We’re doing just that and I can’t complain and am no changing a thing. Ovechkin(1.25pts/gp) is being his usual amaz-atron self while Kevin Shattenkirk(36pts) has teamed up efficiently with John Carlson(27pts). Both players are projected to set career highs and the madness doesn’t stop there. Tampa Bay reject Brett Connolly has found his game and notched 10g and 21pts just 4shy of his career high. 3rd line pivot Marcus Johansson(35pts) has been excellent and could even surpass his career high of 58pts(set last season). Another unlikely standout is Brandon Pirri(19pts) who’s already scored more than he did in his previous 60gp(18pts) in 2016/2017. I think I can check off several boxes now and consider deals like PIT(Oshie) and NSH(Eller) wins. I gave up significant depth with Eller and I put my faith in the prospects from Hershey. There are at least 2 forwards, and a defender, ready for the NHL.
Ovechkin is leading everyone with 31g and 50pts. The following defensemen are leading the NHL in scoring: Cam Fowler(36pts), Kevin Shattenkirk(36PTS), and Brent Burns(36PTS). Holtby(18-11-1) is definitely in the running for the Vezina, but may suffer from lack of games played.
HER 40-Game Recap
51pts – 23-12-5 – 3.22gfpg – 2.20gapg – 21.1%pp – 89.1%pk
1st in Division – 3rd in Conference – 5th in AHL
I’m pleased with our state and knew the special teams would regress. I’m extremely impressed with Vrana(38pts), Barber(36pts), and Kase(30pts). On the blue line Adam Clandenining(20pts) has taken hold with Bowey(16pts) trailing. In net Niederberger(20-9-4) has taken the brunt of it and looks prepared for more.
TOR
HYB Jonas Gustavsson – 76ovr 33yrs – Backup – 1yr $0.800M
After the trade I decided to sign some free agents:
HYB Ben Scrivens – 74ovr 31yrs – Backup – 1yr $0.650M
LW TWF Chris Kunitz – 80ovr 38yrs – Top 9 F – 1yr $1.300M
WSH 60-Game Recap
79pts – 38-19-3 – 3.32gfpg – 2.25gapg – 18.0%pp – 85.2%pk
1st in Division – 1st in Conference – 3rd in NHL
Everything looks good and the departure of Eller was gapped by Kunitz. He gives us the scoring and defensive depth we need for the playoffs. Youngsters likes Brandon Pirri or Alexander Burmistrov(whom has currently lost his starting role) could flop in the playoffs. It’s nice to have a veteran plug, like Kunitz or Beagle, in those circumstances. It’s also nice having a blue line with both Shattenkirk(52pts) and John Carlson(37pts). I guess Matt Niskanen(22pts) isn’t too shabby either, but the real surprise here is Brooks Orpik’s 9pts. Fellow old timers Mark Streit(7pts) and Christian Ehrhoff(6pts) have been adequate and appear to be holding up. Of course Ovechkin(45g) is a monster, per usual, with 70pts in 60gp. Backstrom trails him with 54pts while Kunznetsov(10g) has furnished a respectable 50pts. The real surprise and hero of the forward class has been Marcus Johansson(15g) mustering 49pts from the 3rd line.
Ovi is leading the league in scoring with 70pts while Brent Burns(56pts) leads all defenders. Our own Kevin Shattenkirk(52pts) is 2nd among defensemen. The Colorado Avalanche have the leading rookie scorer in Tyson Jost(33pts).
HER 60-Game Recap
73pts – 33-20-7 – 2.98gfpg – 2.33gapg – 17.7%pp – 89.4%pk
1st in Division – 3rd in Conference – 6th in AHL
I’m not going to talk about the usual suspects like Vrana(54pts) or Barber(45pts). No, it’s the guys like David Kase(43pts) and Roman Lyubimov(39pts) that are the true stories of this team. You could probably include Joe Blandisi(32pts) and Adam Clendening(31pts) in that group of unlikely standouts. Take Clendening(11g) reclaiming his scoring touch after finding the net just 6 times, between the AHL/NHL, the past 3 years. Or Roman Lyubimov(39pts), previously of the KHL, finally establishing himself in the league after flaming out with the Flyers. David Kase(43pts) was also cut by the Flyers and has re-established himself as a potential NHL candidate. Finding these guys and helping them reclaim their careers helped boost the Bears into the upper echelons. There is also rookie, even though he’s not considered one by the game, Fabian Haberstich(22pts) with 15g! The 4th line of Haberstich, NYR castoff Aleksi Saarela(13pts), and Scott Kosmachuk(16pts) are very formidable.
Trade Deadline
I received a few offers, but none were succulent enough to make me bite. I was looking for multiple 1st rounders’ or a 1st and a 2nd for guys like Niskanen, Johansson, and Burakovsky. Those offers never materialized and I felt it was best to hang onto those assets until after the season.
WSH End of Season Recap
110pts – 52-24-6 – 3.37gfpg – 2.33gapg – 20.2%pp – 84.0%pk
1st in Division – 1st in Conference – 2nd in NHL
We battled the Penguins for the Conference title and narrowly won it on account of even strength victories. I’d traded the respected forward to our division rivals knowing we’d still best them. I’m glad it actually turned out that way, LOL. Our standouts were Ovechkin(102pts), Shattenkirk(69pts), Johansson(63pts), and Burakovsky(45pts).
Ovi eclipsed the 100+ point plateau for the 5th time in his career and the 1st time since 2010. He easily led everyone in the NHL in scoring and will receive numerous individual accolades. 21yr old sensation Connor McDavid finished behind him in scoring with 86pts. Other standouts from our team were Kuznetsov(75pts), Backstrom(74pts), and Johansson(63pts). For some unknown reason it will not allow me to embed this image like the rest... Image Link
Holding onto Shattenkirk(69pts) proved worthwhile after the best season of his career. Carlson(49pts) also had a positive season with the burden to produce offensively lessened. Matt Niskanen(27pts) had a mediocre season, but was certainly no slouch.
Holtby(41-17-3) wasn’t quite good enough for the Vezina but his 2.20gapg does put him in Jennings territory.
Mister Positive(+/-) – TWD John Carlson +52
The Missing Link(PIM) – RW GRN Tom Wilson 92pim
Clutch(GWG) – LW SNP Alexander Ovechkin 10gwg
Dot Hero(FO%) – C PLY Nicklas Backstrom 56.8%
The Hammer(Hits) – TWD John Carlson 163h
Senior Clumsy(GV) – DFD Brooks Orpik 85gv
Got Selke?(TK) – RW SNP Alexander Ovechkin 78tk
Knuckles(Fights) – DFD Brooks Orpik, TWD Matt Niskanen, C TWF Jay Beagle, and RW SNP Beau Bennett 1f
HER End of Season Recap
98pts – 44-28-10 – 2.95gfpg – 2.40gapg – 19.1%pp – 88.4%pk
1st in Division – 3rd in Conference – 9th in AHL
David Kase(19g) absolutely exploded during the 2nd half of the season and overtook several players trailing Jakub Vrana(73pts). Adam Clendening(42pts) was a monster from the blue line with Bowey(23pts) scoring a respectable 7g. Youngster Fabian Haberstich(24pts) notched 16g while linemate and fellow rookie Aleksi Saarela(19pts) acclimated himself to the North American game. In net Mathias Niederberger(36-19-7) was the clear standout with a 91.9%sv and 2.05gaa.
Mister Positive(+/-) – OFD Andre Benoit +32
The Missing Link(PIM) – TWD Madison Bowey 67pim
Clutch(GWG) – C TWF Roman Lyubimov 8gwg
Dot Hero(FO%) – C TWF Tyler Graovac 55.8%
The Hammer(Hits) – TWD Madison Bowey 192h
Senior Clumsy(GV) – OFD Adam Clendening 73gv
Got Selke?(TK) – C TWF Roman Lyubimov & RW SNP Jakub Vrana 69tk
Knuckles(Fights) – RW TWF Scott Kosmachuk 3f
Round 1: WSH(41-29-12) vs BUF(38-34-10)
Mark Streit will miss the 1st round and likely the 2nd with a concussion. Christian Ehrhoff has replaced him with Nick Shore taking over on the 3rd pairing.
Game 1: 3-2 OT WSH, Holtby was magnificent with 38sv while Ovechkin notched 2 goals. Tom Wilson was injured and will be replaced by Beau Bennett.
Game 2: 1-3 BUF, Holtby made 34sv and Burmistrov scored a goal.
Game 3: 3-0 WSH, Holtby saved 36s while Backstrom notched 2 goals. Tom Wilson will return to the lineup next game.
Game 4: 2-1 WSH, Pirri scored an unprecedented 2 goals while Holtby made 21sv.
Game 5: 6-1 WSH, Ovechkin notched 2g and 4pts while Wilson and Kuznetsov scored a goal and 3pts apiece.
Round 2: WSH(52-24-6) vs PIT(53-25-4)
Mark Streit will miss the first 4-5 games of this series due to a concussion. Ovechkin(5g) is leading the way with 7pts with Backstrom(6pts) right behind him. Braden Holtby has been tremendous between the pipes posting a 1.12gaa with a 96.1%sv. The showdown with our division rivals seemed inevitable and the Penguins are also missing a defender, Brian Dumoulin. Perhaps it’ll be an even series, however I think we’ve got the edge. The X-factor for the Penguins could be former Capital T.J. Oshie.
Game 1: 3-1 WSH, Ovechkin notched the 1st goal early and Kunitz provided the winner early in the 3rd. Nick Shore was injured and will be replaced by Taylor Chorney.
Game 2: 1-2 PIT, Matt Murray made 32sv stealing the win, while Fast notched our lone goal.
Game 3: 2-1 WSH, Holtby stopped 23 shots, but Matt Murray bested him again with 29sv. However, Kuznetsov notched the winner late in the 3rd.
Game 4: 2-3 OT PIT, Matt Murray made 36sv and continues to be the best player in this series. Mark Streit will return to the lineup next game.
Game 5: 3-2 OT WSH, Holtby stood on his head stopping an incredulous 49 saves while Ovechkin scored 2g and 3pts.
Game 6: 3-4 PIT, Ovechkin scored 2 goals and 3pts, but Tristan Jarry(20sv) was impenetrable after replacing Matt Murray to begin the 2nd. Tom Wilson was injured and will be replaced by Nick Shore. I also bumped Chris Kunitz up to the 3rd line while dropping Brandon Pirri down.
Game 7: 3-2 OT WSH, Holtby made 27sv in a very close match. Oshie got the Penguins on the board early 2:18 into the 1st. Then Nick Shore, playing in place of the injured Wilson, provided the primary assist on Johansson’s 2nd period PP goal. Connolly capitalized on another PIT penalty late in the 3rd, but Patric Hornqvist tied it back up with less than 2 minutes remaining. 2:01 into extra time Ovechkin and Shattenkirk provided the assists on Kuznetsov’s demon slaying goal! Jesper Fast was injured and has yet to be evaluated.
Eastern Conference Finals: WSH(52-24-6) vs BOS(47-29-6)
After being eliminated by PIT numerous times in previous years we’re out to prove something. Ovechkin(10g) is playing like a man possessed scoring 16pts(leading NHL) in 12gp. Countrymen Evgeny Kuznetsov(2gwg) has followed that lead with 12pt and similar heroics. Tom Wilson(6pts) was playing some of his best hockey until he was injured(9gp). The defense has been stalwart, but quiet offensively with just Shattenkirk(7pts) consistently providing. Holtby has continued his impressive play with a 1.62gaa and a 94.5%sv. Both our injured players, Wilson(games 3-4) and Fast(games 6-7) could return to action during this series. Meanwhile the Bruins have Chara(games 3-4), Beleskey(playable), and Hayes(out) on their injured list.
Game 1: 2-3 OT BOS, Ovechkin notched both our goals, but Tuukka Rask came up big with 34sv.
Game 2: 4-1 WSH, Ovechkin scored 2g while Kuznetsov and Johansson provided 2 apples apiece. Tom Wilson will return to the lineup next game while Christ Kunitz was injured. Nick Shore will slide down and play in place of Kunitz.
Game 3: 3-2 OT WSH, Backstrom managed 2g and the winner while Holtby held on for 24sv.
Game 4: 4-2 WSH, Ovechkin(2g) led the way scoring the first goal of the game while Holtby made 28sv. Tom Wilson was injured and once again Nick Shore will replace him. Jesper Fast will return to the lineup and play injured bumping Beau Bennett down to the 3rd line.
Game 5: 4-3 WSH, Ovechkin scored his 17th goal of the playoffs and the winner in a very tight game.
Stanley Cup Finals: WSH(52-24-6) vs CHI(39-34-9)
Wilson and Kunitz will both be returning to the lineup to begin the series. Nick Shore will remain on the 3rd line while Kunitz will replace Brandon Pirri(3g, -6 +/-) on the 4th line. Pirri and Beau Bennett(4pts, +1 +/-) will be scratched. We’ve got no remaining injuries while CHI has Gionta and Weber on their injured list. The teams look pretty even based on post season team statistics, WSH(2.88gfpg and 1.94gapg) and CHI(2.70gfpg and 1.90gapg). Ovechkin is our runaway MVP candidate with 17g and 25pts in 17gp. Other prolific scorers for our team are: Kuznetsov(20pts), Backstrom(15pts), Burakovsky(13pts), and Shattenkirk(10pts). Braden Holtby has been a rock in net with a 1.75gaa and a 93.9%sv. He is the only other possible MVP candidate, but it’s unlikely he’d win over our Captain.
Game 1: 3-5 CHI, Ovechkin and Wilson scored a goal and 2pts apiece, but we did ourselves in with 8pim. Kunitz will move up and Shore will bump down.
Game 2: 3-4 OT CHI, Ovechkin and Kuznetsov notched a goal and an apple each in a very close game. Our AHL affiliate just won the Calder Cup and Jakub Vrana will join our team replacing Chris Kunitz. Taylor Chorney was sent down to accommodate the move.
Game 3: 2-4 CHI, Patrick Kane lit us up with 2g and 3pts and now we need a reverse sweep. Vrana(4s) looked good and will remain in the lineup. Ovechkin was injured and will be replaced by Chris Kunitz. This looks devastating, but maybe just maybe a miracle will happen.
Game 4: 2-3 OT CHI, Being swept is annoying but with Ovechkin it seemed inevitable we’d lose the series already down 0-3. Corey Crawford was a brick wall making 35sv while Marian Hossa notched the winner. Holtby faced 27s and had one of his worst performances mustering just 24sv.
WSH Playoff Recap
It’s embarrassing being swept in the Stanley Cup Finals, but we did manage to take them to OT twice and once without Ovechkin. It was a good run and I’m still proud of being Eastern Conference Champions in my 1st year.
Chris Kunitz(1g, -8 +/-) was a failure and Jakub Vrana(8s, 0 +/-) was out there firing away, but neither player produced.
Round 1: HER(56-18-8) vs LV(42-36-4)
We’ll be without Brock McGinn, Jacob de la Rose, and Fabian Haberstich for the first few games. This could bust our post season real quick and hopefully stand-ins Ryan Bourque, Dustin Gazley, and Arttu Ruotsalainen are up to the task. In light of our weakened state I adjusted the team strategies to be more defensive.
Game 1: 3-2 HER, Bowey scored the winner while David Kase provided 2 apples. All the injured players will return to the lineup next game.
Game 2: 6-3 HER, McGinn scored a goal and 2pts while Zarnik added 3pts of his own.
Game 3: 4-1 HER, Vrana notched 4 goals while David Kase added 2 apples.
Round 1: HER(56-18-8) vs BRI(44-28-10)
We survived our injuries and now we’re the favorites. I’m going to leave the strategies as is for now.
Game 1: 1-0 HER, Niederberger made 29sv for the shutout while Bowey notched the lone goal.
Game 2: 1-2 OT BRI, Niederberger made 35sv, but Ross Johnston scored the winner for the Sounders.
Game 3: 3-1 HER, Vrana and McGinn scored a goal apiece in the win.
Game 4: 0-4 BRI, The boys were down 0-2 after the 1st and I decided to intervene. Things didn’t go any better for me.
Game 5: 4-2 HER, Graovac scored 2g while Barber provided 3 apples.
Game 6: 1-2 BRI, Eamon McAdam made 38sv and stole this one for the Sound Tigers.
Game 7: 4-3 OT HER, Lyubimov scored the tying goal while Blandisi provided the winner and an apple.
Eastern Conference Finals: HER(44-28-10) vs LAV(47-25-10)
Jakub Vrana(7g) and Riley Barber(2g) lead the team with 9pts apiece. Not far behind them are Austin Czarnik(8pts), Tyler Graovac(7pts), and David Kase(6pts). Mathias Niederberger has been solid in net posting a 1.87gaa with a 92.7%sv.
Game 1: 1-2 LAV, McGinn scored our lone goal in a tight game. Joe Blandisi was injured and replaced by Kosmachuk while Dustin Gazley entered the lineup on the 4th line.
Game 2: 5-2 HER, Kosmachuk stepped up and notched a goal and 2pts.
Game 3: 2-1 OT HER, Niederberger made 35sv and de la Rose found the winner in extra time. Benoit was injured and will be replaced by Ness while Connor Hobbs enters the lineup on the 3rd pairing.
Game 4: 3-1 HER, Ness scored a goal and 2pts while Lyubimov notched the winner.
Game 5: 3-1 HER, McGinn provided 3 assists and Niederberger made 27sv.
Calder Cup Finals: HER(44-28-10) vs RFD(44-24-14)
This appears to be a relatively even matchup while viewing the teams postseason stats, HER(2.73gfpg and 1.80gapg) and RFD(3.00gfpg and 1.94gapg). That impressive offense has been led by: Vrana(13pts), Barber(13pts), Czarnik(11pts), and McGinn(10pts). The defense has been consistently producing with Benoit(5pts), Ness(5pts), and Bowey(4pts) contributing earnestly. In net Niederberger looks confident and set on making a name for himself posting a 1.72gaa with a 93.5%sv. We’ll be missing Joe Blandisi(2pts) for another 2-3 games, but have been served well by our depth in his absence. RFD will be without some prominent defensemen with Prosser(3-4 games) and Dahlstrom(2-3 games) on their injured list.
Game 1: 3-2 HER, Czarnik and McGinn scored a goal and 2pts in a wild 3rd period, featuring all 5 goals. Timothy Liljegren was injured and will be replaced by Ness with Hobbs coming in on the 3rd pairing.
Game 2: 3-0 HER, Niederberger made an easy 22sv shutout while we pounded the IceHogs with 34s. Dustin Gazley scored his 2nd goal of the playoffs, but will be replaced by a healthy Joe Blandisi next game.
Game 3: 3-2 OT HER, Niderberger came up huge with 36sv and del la Rose found the winner in extra time. A sweep looks within our grasp and I’m wondering if some of these players would be useful in the Stanley Cup Final.
Game 4: 1-2 OT RFD, Niederberger put up a good fight making 28 stops, but ultimately could not outdue Daniel Larsson’s 32sv. Timothy Liljegren will return to the lineup next game bumping Ness down and scratching Hobbs. Fabian Haberstich was injured and will be replaced by Arttu Ruitsalainen.
Game 5: 1-2 RFD, Daniel Larsson made 21sv while Alex Debrincat had his way scoring a goal and 2pts.
Game 6: 1-4 RFD, Laurent Dauphin was their hero this time with a goal and 2pts. Liljegren was bumped down and Ness moved up to the 2nd pairing.
Game 7: 2-0 HER, Daniel Larsson stood on his head making 34 stops, but Niederberger was perfect with 24sv. Graovac scored the winner less than 2m into the 2nd period.
HER Playoff Recap
After a terrific regular season I knew we’d go far, but winning it all in my first season was unexpected!
The team won on the backs of some talented young players who look poised to break into the NHL. A slew of other guys appear to be close, but maybe a year or so away. The terrific goaltending effort by Mathias Niederberger, 1.64gaa with a 93.7%sv, probably earned him MVP honors.
Awards:
Stanley Cup – Chicago Blackhawks
Presidents’ Trophy – Edmonton Oilers
Art Ross Trophy – Alexander Ovechkin WSH
Hart Memorial Trophy – Alexander Ovechkin WSH
James Norris Memorial Trophy – Kevin Shattenkirk WSH
Calder Memorial Trophy – Nico Hischier BUF
Conn Smythe Trophy – Corey Crawford CHI
Vezina Trophy – Tuukka Rask BOS
William M. Jennings Trophy – Braden Holtby WSH
Frank J. Selke Trophy – Patrice Bergeron BOS
Ted Lindsay Award – Alexander Ovechkin WSH
Maurice Richard Trophy – Alexander Ovechkin WSH
Calder Cup – Hershey Bears
Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy – Manitoba Moose
John B. Sollenberger Trophy – B. Smith CLE
Les Cunningham Award – B. Smith CLE
Willie Marshall Award – D. Simon WBS
Eddie Shore Award – Adam Clendening HER
Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award – A. Dell SJ
Jack A. Butterfield Trophy – Mathias Niederberger HER
Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award – A. Dell SJ
1st – RW SNP David Blujus – US
2nd – RW PWF Glen MacKenzie – US
2nd/3rd – DFD Sergey Kostitsyn – RUS
2nd/3rd – LW SNP Andrei Kravchenko – RUS
3rd – TWD Sergej Valentenko – RUS *
3rd – C TWF Franklin Elliott – US
3rd/4th – LW SNP Rodney Avery – US
3rd/4th – C PLY Ivan Bure – RUS
4th – TWD Howard De Boer – Liiga
4th – RW SNP Vyacheslav Galiev – RUS *
4th – TWD Petri Hamalainen – Liiga
4th/5th – C PLY Lou Bartley – US
5th/6th – DFD Dean Richmond – US
5th/6th – C PLY Justin Stokes – Liiga
5th/6th – OFD Cristiano Commodore – NL
5th/6th – LW PLY Spencer Lukowich – US
6th – RW PWF Sergey Kenins – RUS *
7th – TWD Valeri Vorobiev – RUS
7th – LW TWF Miika Vallin – Liiga
7th – DFD Samu Lehtonen – SHL *
Draft:
1-4: RW TWF Filip Zadina – 71ovr 18yrs – Med Elite
1-22: C PWF Connor Roberts – 53ovr 18yrs – Med Top 6 F
1-27: HYB Alexis Gravel – 55ovr 18yrs – Med Starter
1-31: RW PWF Glen MacKenzie – 59ovr 19yrs – Med Bottom 6 F
CGY
C TWF Tyler Graovac – 74ovr 25yrs – Med Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.650
I probably wasn’t going to re-sign this guy after a mediocre 12g and 40pts in Hershey.
3-1: TWD Sergej Valentenko – 67ovr 19yrs – Low Top 4 D
ARI
C PLY Austin Czarnik – 75ovr 25yrs – High Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.775M
I was definitely going to offer him a contract after a great 20g campaign scoring 54pts in Hershey. I’ve got a guy I’d like to target in the 6th round and I’m afraid he’ll be chosen before my current pick at 176.
3-31: RW SNP Vyacheslav Galiev – 66ovr 19yrs – Low Top 9 F
ANA
LW TWF Brock McGinn – 75ovr 24yrs – High Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.900M
RW TWF Joe Blandisi – 74ovr 23yrs – Med Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.800M
Both of these guys had great seasons for the Hershey Bears scoring 49pts and 42pts respectively. I would’ve likely re-signed both, but this is probably better. Just because they’re ceilings aren’t very high and the roster space could be better used on my own draft picks.
4-26: DFD Samu Lehtonen – 55ovr 17yrs – Low Top 6 D
4-31: C PLY Lou Bartley – 61ovr 19yrs – Low Top 9 F
6-9: RW PWF Sergey Kenins – 62ovr 19yrs – Med AHL Top 6 F
6-16: C TWF Vladimir Arkhipov – 57ovr 19yrs – Med AHL Top 6 F
6-31: LW TWF Miika Vallin – 53ovr 18yrs – Med AHL Top 6 F
7-31: TWD Valeri Vorobiev – 57ovr 19yrs – Med AHL Top 2 D
Analysis: G-1, D-3, RW-4, LW-1, C-3
Other than Zadina falling to me and the rest of the 1st round it was a pretty ho-hum draft. It’s hard to say for sure at this point, but Zadina and Valentenko will likely receive ELCs. The trades I made weren’t game changing considering they were all UFAs, but at least I did get something for them. Because it probably would’ve been difficult to re-sign them all.
Contracts: 41/50 – Cap Space: $5.071M
UFA:
TWD John Carlson – 87ovr 28yrs – Top 4 D – 3yr $6.725M
OFD Kevin Shattenkirk – 86ovr 29yrs – Top 4 D – 2yr $6.500M
RW SNP Jesper Fast – 79ovr 26yrs – Med Top 9 F – 1yr $1.800M
RW SNP Beau Bennett – 78ovr 26yrs – Med Top 9 F – 1yr $1.125M – Rejected
LW SNP Brandon Pirri – 79ovr 27yrs – Top 9 F – 1yr $1.800M
LW PLY Alexander Burmistrov – 78ovr 26yrs – Med Top 9 F – 2yr $0.850M
C TWF Jay Beagle – 78ovr 32yrs – Top 9 F – 1yr $2.000M – Rejected
RFA:
HYB Philipp Grubauer – 82ovr 26yrs – Med Starter – 2yr $1.525M
HYB Mathias Niederberger – 74ovr 25yrs – Med Backup – 2yr $0.775M
HYB Vitek Vanecek – 70ovr 22yrs – High AHL Starter – 2yr $0.650M
HYB Denis Godla – 68ovr 23yrs – Med Fringe Starter – 2yr $0.650M
TWD Madison Bowey – 76ovr 23yrs – Med Top 4 D – 1yr $0.725M
OFD Adam Clendening – 75ovr 25yrs – Med 7th D – 2yr $0.800M
RW GRN Tom Wilson – 80ovr 24yrs – Med Top 9 F – 1yr $1.350M
RW SNP Brett Connolly – 79ovr 26yrs – Med Top 9 F – 1yr $1.800M
RW SNP Jakub Vrana – 78ovr 22yrs – Med Top 6 F – 2yr $2.250M
RW SNP Riley Barber – 74ovr 24yrs – Low Top 9 F – 1yr $0.725M
RW TWF Scott Kosmachuk – 73ovr 24yrs – High Bottom 6 F – 2yr $0.875M
LW TWF Jacob de la Rose – 72ovr 23yrs – Low Top 9 F – 2yr $0.650M
LW PLY David Kase – 70ovr 21yrs – Med Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.650M
C TWF Nick Shore – 78ovr 25yrs – Low Top 9 F – 1yr $1.700M
C TWF Roman Lyubimov – 75ovr 22yrs – Low Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.850M
C TWF Aleksi Saarela -59ovr 21yrs – Med Top 6 F – 2yr $0.650M
Released:
HYB Ben Scrivens – 74ovr 31yrs – Backup – Undrafted
OFD Mark Streit – 78ovr 40yrs – Top 6 D – 2004 9th MTL(262nd)
TWD Taylor Chorney – 76ovr 31yrs – 7th D – 2005 2nd EDM(36th)
OFD Christian Ehrhoff – 76ovr 35yrs – Top 6 D – 2001 4th SJ(106th)
OFD Aaron Ness – 69ovr 28yrs – AHL Top 2 D – 2008 2nd NYI(40th)
LW TWF Chris Kunitz – 79ovr 38yrs – Top 9 F – Undrafted
LW TWF Axel Jonsson Fjallby – 60ovr 20yrs – Med AHL Top 6 F – 2016 5th WSH(147th)
C GRN Zach Sill – 69ovr 30yrs – AHL Top 6 F – Undrafted
C TWF Damien Riat – 66ovr 21yrs – Med AHL Top 6 F – 2016 4th WSH(117th)
Entry Level Contracts:
TWD Sergej Valentenko – 67ovr 19yrs – Low Top 4 D – 2018 3rd WSH(65th)
RW Filip Zadina – 71ovr 18yrs – Med Elite – 2018 1st WSH(4th)
RW SNP Vyacheslav Galiev – 66ovr 19yrs – Low Top 9 F – 2018 3rd WSH(95th)
RW PWF Sergey Kenins – 62ovr 19yrs – Med AHL Top 6 F – 2018 6th WSH(169th)
C PLY Lou Bartley – 61ovr 19yrs – Low Top 9 F – 2018 4th WSH(127th)
Draft and Re-Sign Phase Recap
For once I wasn’t able to convince everyone I wanted to stay. I would’ve loved to have Beagle and Bennett under contract and still may get them during free agency. Knowing I didn’t have much Cap left over I decided to sign a few prospects I’d normally pass on and wait until their ELC eligibility is about to expire. I also took a gamble on Zadina, because he may not even be allowed to play in the AHL and it’s unlikely he’ll make the NHL squad.
I left them where the game places the 32nd team(Central) instead of moving them to the Metro(where they belong geographically). I decided not to move them because I like the competition and didn't want to potentially make it easier on myself. They're still in the East so that opens up the door for future ECF match-ups . I was thinking of doing little Expansion Recaps every 5-years with things I've noticed, but that'll probably depend on the thread interest/participation.
I'll post the 2018-2019 installment tomorrow. I'm currently in the midst of 2020 free agency/Preseason.
Washington Capitals(WSH)/Hershey Bears(HER) 2018-2019
Franchise Mode: 32 Team Expansion Draft
Rosters: Default
Owner Mode: Off
Player Morale: Off
Authentic Protection List: On
Game Style: 4/4 Full Sim
Period Length: 5 Minutes
Difficulty: All-Star
Trade Difficulty: Hard
Waivers: On
Self-Imposed Rules:
1. May not propose trades or edit trade offers received.
2. May not sign free agents who require an Entry Level Contract.
WSH Preseason
1st Wave(I make offers every 5-6 days):
TWD Toby Enstrom – 79ovr 33yrs – Top 6 D – 2yr $2.000M – Rejected
TWD Connor Carrick – 78ovr 24yrs – Med Top 6 D – 1yr $1.250 – TOR no compensation – Matched
OFD Derrick Pouliot – 76ovr 24yrs – Low Top 4 D – 1yr $1.250M – PIT no compensation – Rejected
RW SNP Beau Bennett – 78ovr 26yrs – Med Top 9 F – 1yr $0.900M
LW TWF Tyler Bertuzzi – 72ovr 23yrs – Low Top 9 F – 1yr $0.650M – Rejected
C TWF Jay Beagle – 78ovr 32yrs – Top 9 F – 1yr $1.900M
C PLY David Desharnais – 77ovr 31yrs – Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.850M – Rejected
2nd Wave:
TWD Toby Enstrom – 79ovr 33yrs – Top 6 D – 2yr $2.150M
TWD Matt Benning – 77ovr 24yrs – Med Top 6 D – 1yr $1.250M – EDM no compensation – Matched
DFD Clayton Stoner – 77ovr 33yrs – 7th D – 1yr $0.850M – Rejected
LW TWF Tyler Bertuzzi – 72ovr 23yrs – Low Top 9 F – 1yr $0.750M
C PLY David Desharnais – 77ovr 31yrs – Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.900M
3rd Wave:
DFD Clayton Stoner – 77ovr 33yrs – 7th D – 1yr $0.900M
TWD Ryan Sproul – 76ovr 25yrs – Med Top 6 D – 1yr $0.800M
TWD Andrew Welinski – 75ovr 25yrs – Med Top 6 D – 1yr $0.750M
4th Wave:
DFD Ron Hainsey – 78ovr 37yrs – Top 6 D – 1yr $1.500M – Rejected
5th Wave:
DFD Ron Hainsey – 78ovr 37yrs – Top 6 D – 1yr $1.600M
I’ve decided to give some of my prospects with higher ceilings a tryout alongside anyone else I felt was ready. After a terrific season with almost the entire lineup returning it’ll be tough for these guys to break through.
C TWF Roman Lyubimov – 76ovr 22yrs – Low Bottom 6 F – Undrafted
After scoring an impressive 21g and 54pts, with limited minutes, in Hershey last year I expected a bit more development. However, he still looks capable and will be playing for a depth role. It’ll be sink or swim for Roman who will be trying out on the top line in place of Tom Wilson. I’m rooting for him, but it’s unlikely he’ll beat out Bennett or Shore.
RW SNP Beau Bennett – 78ovr 26yrs – Med Top 9 F – 2010 1st PIT(20th)
Beau will be playing for a depth role after an underwhelming 19pts last season. He’ll be trying out in place of Jesper Fast on the 2nd line and it’s likely he’ll claim one of the spots. His competition is youngster Roman Lyubimov and Nick Shore.
RW SNP Jakub Vrana – 81ovr 22yrs – Med Top 6 F – 2014 1st WSH(13th)
Most would say he was ready last year, but I decided to wait. Jakub tore the AHL up with 22g and 73pts and capped it off with a Calder Cup. He’s definitely going to start and for now will be on the 3rd line. I could even see him playing his way into Burakovsky’s role on the 2nd line. That’s how talented I feel this young man is and that’s why I wanted to make sure he was fully prepared.
C TWF Nick Shore – 78ovr 25yrs – Low Top 9 F – 2011 3rd LA(82nd)
Assumed a depth role last season and filled it adequately, especially in the playoffs with 4pts in 16gp. He’ll be trying out in Jay Beagle’s spot on the 4th line and playing for the same depth spot. He’s got a little competition with Roman Lyubimov and Beau Bennett, but will likely re-claim his role.
RW TWF Filip Zadina – 71ovr 18yrs – Med Elite – 2018 1st WSH(4th)
I landed Zadina because of some interesting circumstances. During last season’s free agency period the Norfolk Admirals offer sheeted Dmitri Orlov and I decided to accept the compensation. That pick ended up being the 4th overall selection and he somehow fell out of the top 3. He’ll likely spend the year in Hershey, but I’m anxious to see what he can do. He’s trying out on the 4th line with PP time.
TWD Madison Bowey – 80ovr 23yrs – Med Top 4 D – 2013 2nd WSH(53rd)
This is a similar case to Vrana and Bowey had a great season in Hershey scoring 7g and 23pts. There is no question he’s on the roster. Now it’s figuring out where and how large of a role he can handle. I’m starting him on the 3rd pairing, but could see him playing into Niskanen’s spot.
After a mediocre 11pts last season in Hershey Liljegren is getting a shot based on his potential. He’s the least likely to make the team and I’m expecting it. He’ll be trying out on the 3rd pairing and will be replaced by Adam Clendening should he miss out.
WSH Preseason Recap
Finishing 5-2-0 isn’t too shabby and I’m feeling good about this year. The following players were cut from the roster and sent down: Roman Lyubimov(3pts, -5 +/-), Filip Zadina(1pts, -1 +/-), and Timothy Liljegren(0pts, 4 +/-). Beau Bennett(3pts) secured a starting role while Nick Shore(2pts) will serve as depth.
Regular Season
I’ve decided to move onto a younger generation and have named Kuznetsov as our new Captain. Other younger players have taken up the other captaincy roles as well.
TWD Matt Niskanen – 83ovr 31yrs – Top 4 D – 3yr $5.750M
TWD Toby Enstrom – 79ovr 33yrs – Top 6 D – 2yr $2.150M
We began the season 2-2-2 and perhaps I wouldn’t have accepted this offer if we’d won those OT games. However, I felt it was the right moment to get out from under both those contracts. Neither of them would’ve buried us or made my life too difficult, but I’m wide open now. I just gained a 1st rounder and nearly $8M in salary plus 2 roster spots. I’ve got at least one diabolical move in mind. Brooks Orpik was called up from Hershey and Madison Bowey will bump up as Ron Hainsey slots in.
Offer Sheet @ Game 7
LW PWF Anthony Mantha – 85ovr 24yrs – Low Elite – 1yr $3.500M – CHI compensation 2nd WSH
I scouted this offer and CHI can’t afford to match it. This prompted me to put Niskanen on the block and subsequently received the offer that allowed this move. To be honest I didn’t want to give up Enstrom, but felt it was worth it to bring in Mantha and of course we got the 1st as well. I’ll save most of the other salary recouped for the offseason.
Free Agent Acquisitions:
TWD Rinat Valiev – 76ovr 23yrs – Med 7th D – 1yr $0.650M
OFD Jordan Subban – 76ovr 23yrs – Med 7th D – 1yr $0.650M
WSH 20-Game Recap
27pts – 12-5-3 – 3.25gfpg – 2.35gapg – 22.9%pp – 86.0%pk
3rd in Division – 4th in Conference – 6th in NHL
I’m proud of the teams’ composure and play after losing the entire 2nd defensive pairing, via trade, just 6 games into the season. I made the deal because I knew I had veterans Orpik and Hainsey twiddling their thumbs itching to play in their twilight years. On defense everything seemed to fall into place after that with Bowey slotting up to replace Niskanen and Hainsey joining Clendening on the 3rd pairing. We’ve lost our depth in this area, but I feel the 1st rounder alone, in return, is well worth it. The duo of Carlson and Shattenkirk has only gotten better with Shattenkirk’s progression after winning the Norris. Jakub Vrana(19pts) is considered a rookie by the game(21gp) and is easily the top candidate for the Calder. He’s currently leading the team in goals scored, but Ovechkin has him tied for the scoring lead at 19pts. Brett Connolly(15pts) and Marcus Johansson(15pts) have caught fire alongside Vrana and the 3rd line looks just as good as our 1st. Then there is Jay Beagle(13pts) cutting his total in half from last season in just 20gp, who can complain? Our goaltending has been fantastic with Grubauer(4-0-2) remaining undefeated in regulation. Holtby(8-5-1) has suffered a bit, but has the superior 2.12gaa and 93.2%sv.
Evgeni Malkin(13g) is leading the league with 28pts while Rasmus Ristolainen(20pts) leads the defenders. As mentioned previously Jakub Vrana(19pts) is easily leading all rookies with Alexander Nylander(13pts) trailing.
HER 20-Game Recap
18pts – 9-11-0 – 2.95gfpg – 3.15gapg – 12.8%pp – 86.4%pk
7th in Division – 13th in Conference – 25th in AHL
I’ve got a lot of things to fix and I’m alright with that. Our offense looks great and after the PP gets setup we’ll be golden. It’s the defense that needs lots of work. The newly acquired free agents Subban and Valiev should help, but it’s on me to find the right fit. After that it’s been pretty standard with Desharnais(17pts), Kase(17pts), and Barber(16pts) leading the charge. Rookie Filip Zadina(14pts) has impressed and has easily played himself into more ice time. Fellow rookie Vyacheslav Galiev(11pts) looks promising as well and things are bound to pickup.
LW PLY Vladislav Namestnikov – TB
Declined offer and will remain unsigned this year.
WSH 40-Game Recap
47pts – 22-15-3 – 3.13gfpg – 2.58gapg – 23.9%pp – 81.8%pk
4th in Division – 5th in Conference – 8th in NHL
We’re still waiting for the 2nd line to realize they’re actually the 3rd line. Johansson(30pts) looks ready to eclipse the 70+ mark while Jakub Vrana(31pts) is going to win the Calder. Other players worthy of a mention are Ovechkin(41pts), Kuznetsov(32pts), Connolly(29pts), and Backstrom(27pts).
Evgeni Malkin(21g) of the Penguins is leading everyone with 49pts. Justin Faulk(10g) is leading all defensemen in the NHL with 36pts. Jakub Vrana(18g) is leading all rookies with 31pts.
HER 40-Game Recap
45pts – 22-15-1 – 3.42gfpg – 2.66gapg – 18.1%pp – 83.7%pk
3rd in Division – 7th in Conference – 12th in AHL
I’m pleased with our progress and the following players are responsible: Kase(36pts), Barber(33pts), and Lyubimov(32pts). Top prospect Filip Zadina(26pts) looks great and is capable in all situations. In net Denis Godla(11-6-1) has been solid with a 2.28gaa and a 90.8%sv.
WSH 60-Game Recap
66pts – 31-25-4 – 2.98gfpg – 2.67gapg – 22.2%pp – 83.6%pk
5th in Division – 9th in Conference – 15th in NHL
Ovechkin(35g) continues to impress with 63pts while line mate and countryman Kuznetsov(46pts) trails him. 3rd line pivot Marcus Johansson(46pts) is having a career year playmaking alongside the talented rookie Jakub Vrana(22g). Fellow 3rd liner Brett Connolly(35pts) is just a point shy of surpassing his total from last season. Anthony Mantha(44gp) supplanted Tom Wilson on the top line after being acquired and has 24pts. Wilson(17pts) and the entire 2nd line have struggled to produce with Burakovsky(26pts) scoring just 9g opposed to last years 25g. I decided to swap Wilson and Mantha even though that leaves the 2nd line with 3 lefties. I also decided to scratch Brandon Pirri(21pts, -13 +/-) for Alexander Burmistrov on the 4th line. The defense has been pretty good considering Orpik(5pts) is playing 4m more per game than last season. We’re buoyed by the phenomenal top pairing of Carlson(24pts) and Shattenkirk(36pts). John Carlson(33gp) actually missed a significant chunk of time while Bowey subbed in and Nick Shore(4pts)/Beau Bennett(9pts) were adequate in lieu of Bowey. It may be worthwhile to permanently move Bowey up and have Carlson run the 2nd pairing, but I’m leaving it alone for now. We’re short on defensive depth so that was good to see. In net Grubauer(6-7-3) has been sloppy with a horrid 3.22gaa and resounding 89.9%sv. Thankfully we have Holtby(25-20-1) posting a 2.39gaa with a 92.0%sv.
Jakub Vrana(42pts) still leads all rookies in scoring, but Nolan Patrick(38pts) is gaining ground. Ovechkin(63pts) is 4th in scoring with the Penguins trio of Evgeni Malkin(70pts), Sidney Crosby(69pts), and Phil Kessel(67pts) leading the league. Just Faulk(15g) is leading all blue liners with 52pts.
HER 60-Game Recap
74pts – 36-22-2 – 3.35gfpg – 2.58gapg – 19.3%pp – 81.9%pk
3rd in Division – 3rd in Conference – 6th in AHL
After shoring up the defense with Valiev(22pts) and Subban(18pts) this squad has been great. David Desharnais(59pts) was originally signed to be our 4th line center in the NHL, however he regressed and has continued to do so. In spite of that odd regression, he’s only 32yrs old, he’s managed to lead Hershey in scoring at nearly a point per game with 59pts. This brings me to Riley Barber(57pts) who was snubbed from training camp after scoring 60pts in Hershey last year. He’s clearly taken notice and upped his production and is just 3pts shy of last years total. David Kase(53pts) rounds out the top 3 scorers and is on pace to surpass last seasons total of 64pts. On defense rookie Sergej Valentenko(14pts) has been impressive and could easily supplant, former 1st rounder, Liljegren(9pts) on the depth chart. In fact I’ve got a crop of fantastic rookies this season starting with the 2019 4th overall selection Filip Zadina(39pts). However, fellow 2018 draftees Vyacheslav Galiev(27pts) and Lou Bartley(21pts) are scoring and developing well. Galiev has been the most surprising with just 10:31m of average ice-time. After realizing this I bumped him up to the 3rd line slotting Kosmachuk down.
Trade Deadline
I received one offer and jumped on it.
C PLY David Desharnais – 74ovr 32yrs – AHL Top 6 F – 1yr $0.900M
I can’t say enough good things about David, however he never fulfilled the role I signed him for and that’s why he’s leaving. He did foster a great locker room attitude and helped Hershey win while he was in the organization. I was happy to let him go for a Calder Cup, but the Stars had their eye on him. The veteran free agent netted a decent return considering the circumstances.
WSH End of Season Recap
96pts – 44-30-8 – 3.02gfpg – 2.71gapg – 19.7%pp – 82.9%pk
3rd in Division – 6th in Conference – 7th in NHL
We made a strong push to end the year with some impressive offensive play. The defense never impressed and could mean an early ouster with old timers Orpik(38yrs) and Hainsey(38yrs) playing far too many minutes. However, climbing to 7th in the league is nothing to sneeze at and we’ve got some youngsters who could surprise. Of course I’m talking about sniper Jakub Vrana(26g) and defender Madison Bowey(12pts). In particular Vrana(55pts) is considered a top candidate in Calder voting placing 2nd to Nolan Patrick(58pts), but scored 11 more goals with a +14 +/- opposed to a -6 +/- for Patrick.
Ovechkin(86pts) placed 3rd in scoring behind Malkin(92pts) and Crosby(89pts). However, he easily captured the Rocket with 49g scoring 5 more than countryman Vladimir Tarasenko(82pts). Marcus Johansson(61pts) recorded his 2nd straight 60+ point campaign after scoring 58pts 2 years prior. He’s going to want a raise this summer and I’d be a fool not to give it to him. Unfortunately Backstrom(56pts) had a down year playing alongside Anthony Mantha(37pts) for the first time. He spent a lot of time with Wilson(28pts) and that should’ve been corrected earlier in the year.
After losing Orlov last season most would’ve thought I’d try and upgrade in this area. Instead I opted to rely on my youngsters supplemented by trusted veterans. It worked for the most part, but all the offense basically came from the top pairing. Youngsters Bowey(12pts) and Clendening(10pts) played well, but were obviously limited by their aging counterparts. Orpik(-2 +/-) was pressed hard and it was clear he’d have done much better on the 3rd pairing where Hainsey was. However, we had no one else and had to make it work. Should these guys regress I’ve got a few options in Hershey, but none of them are lefties…
Grubauer(10-10-4) proved to be a terrible backup after sitting out a year. I’m going to give him one more go before cutting him loose. Braden Holtby(35-21-4) was his amazing self and definitely helped us reach the playoffs.
Mister Positive(+/-) – RW SNP Brett Connolly +17
The Missing Link(PIM) – RW GRN Tom Wilson 68pim
Clutch(GWG) – LW SNP Alexander Ovechkin 10gwg
Dot Hero(FO%) – C PLY Nicklas Backstrom 56.4%
The Hammer(Hits) – RW GRN Tom Wilson 164h
Senior Clumsy(GV) – DFD Brooks Orpik 97gv
Got Selke?(TK) – RW SNP Alexander Ovechkin 82tk
Knuckles(Fights) – C TWF Nick Shore, C TWF Jay Beagle, and TWF Madison Bowey 1f
HER End of Season Recap
107pts – 52-27-3 – 3.18gfpg – 2.40gapg – 16.4%pp – 82.6%pk
2nd in Division – 2nd in Conference – 2nd in AHL
We had a monster year that went much better than expected. We had a slew of rookies in the lineup while Zadina(48pts) and Galiev(46pts) stood out. Rookie defender Sergej Valentenko(20pts) also looked impressive and all 3 should challenge for NHL spots during the next training camp. In net Niederberger(30-18-2) played well, but Dennis Godla(18-9-1) was the star with a matching 90.8%sv and a 2.23gaa.
Doh! Another missed data point, *wallows in sadness*.
Mister Positive(+/-) – TWD Sergej Valentenko +36
The Missing Link(PIM) – LW TWF Tyler Bertuzzi 85pim
Clutch(GWG) – C TWF Beck Malenstyn 6gwg
Dot Hero(FO%) – C TWF Beck Malenstyn 49.7%
The Hammer(Hits) – C TWF Roman Lyubimov 185h
Senior Clumsy(GV) – C TWF Roman Lyubimov 61gv
Got Selke?(TK) – C TWF Roman Lyubimov 88tk
Knuckles(Fights) – LW TWF Tyler Bertuzzi 6f
Round 1: WSH(44-30-8) vs PHI(48-28-6)
We’ve got the clear advantage here with Giroux and Couturier being injured. I’d be surprised if this goes past 5 even if we play badly.
Game 1: 2-4 PHI, Steve Mason made 32sv and stole this game as we were leading 2-1 to begin the 3rd. The Flyers scored an unprecedented 3 goals in the final 4 minutes…
Game 2: 5-1 WSH, Backstrom notched a goal and 2pts and we dominated this game.
Game 3: 3-1 WSH, Holtby made 32sv and Fast scored 2 goals.
Game 4: 1-4 PHI, Oops simulated.
Game 5: 3-2 OT WSH, Beagled found the winner while Holtby made 29sv.
Game 6: 4-0 WSH, Mantha(2g) and Ovechkin(2g) with Holtby’s 29sv shutout.
Round 2: WSH(44-30-8) vs PIT(46-35-11)
Jakub Vrana is injured and that could pose a scoring problem for us. While the Penguins have zero injuries.
Game 1: 4-7 PIT, Kessel scored 3g and this was not our best showing.
Game 2: 4-3 WSH, Wilson(1g) and Burakovsky(1g) scored 2pts apiece.
Game 3: 3-6 PIT, Sidney Crosby(2g) notched 3pts and we never came back. Brooks Orpik was injured and is replaced by Nick Shore bumping Hainsey up.
Game 4: 2-1 WSH, Oveckin scored a goal and 2pts while Holtby made 22sv.
Game 5: 0-6 PIT, Matt Murray made a 33sv shutout look easy and we flopped.
Game 6: 3-2 WSH, Beagle and Bennet scored 2pts apiece and Holtby made 27sv.
Game 7: 1-2 OT PIT, and it feels like we let this one get away.
It was definitely disappointing being eliminated by PIT, but I still felt good about the team. We put together a terrific season, considering the defense we fielded, and should take a step forward next year. Holtby(7-5-1) could’ve been the savior, but was meiocre with a 2.70gaa and a 91.0%sv.
Shattenkirk(1g) was terrific from the blue line while everyone else struggled. Our forwards were getting it done though with Ovechkin(5g), Kuznetsov(3g), and Mantha(5g) leading the charge. Tom Wilson(3g) and Jay Beagle(3g) were also surprisingly productive.
Round 1: HER(52-27-3) vs LVP(45-24-13)
David Kase will play injured while Timothy Liljegren will miss the entire series. Playing Kase injured could de-rail the entire tournament, but I’m going to risk it. The lineup has been dynamic for a while and players like Sergey Kenins(11gp and 7pyts) have taken on major roles.
Game 1: 0-2 LVP, Anthony Stolarz made 33sv for the shutout and I’m definitely worried now.
Game 2: 5-2 HER, Lyubimov(1g) scored 3pts while Kenins notched 2g.
Game 3: 7-0 HER, Riley Barber(2g) notched and 4pts while Haberstich(3pts) and Kenins(3pts) also had big games.
Game 4: 4-2 HER, Oops missed recording the detailed data.
Round 2: HER(52-27-3) vs BRI(57-27-3)
Game 1: 0-3 BRI, Oops I forgot to record this.
Game 2: 5-1 HER, Kase scored 2g and Barber added a goal and 2pts.
Game 3: 1-4 BRI, Jonathan Frykholm made 24sv and looks impressive.
Game 4: 1-2 BRI, Jonathan Frykholm made 47sv!
Game 5: 1-2 BRI, Jonathan Frykholm made 35sv and basically won this series. Mathias Niederberger tried valiantly with 29sv.
It’s a shame because Niederberger(4-4-1) looked great with a 93.0%sv and 1.93gaa. We ran up against another hot goalie and our boys couldn’t muster the offense to put is through. Rookie defender Sergej Valentenko was held off the scoresheet the entire post season.
Barber(3g) got the job done along with Lyubimov(1g) while rookie Sergey Kenins(4g) surprised.
Awards:
Stanley Cup – Tampa Bay Lightning
Presidents’ Trophy – San Jose Sharks
Art Ross Trophy – Evgeni Malkin PIT
Hart Memorial Trophy – Sidney Crosby PIT
James Norris Memorial Trophy – Victor Hedman TB
Calder Memorial Trophy – Nolan Patrick COL
Conn Smythe Trophy – Andrei Vasilevskiy TB
Vezina Trophy – Martin Jones SJ
William M. Jennings Trophy – Martin Jones SJ
Frank J. Selke Trophy – Patrice Bergeron BOS
Ted Lindsay Award – Alexander Ovechkin WSH
Maurice Richard Trophy – Alexander Ovechkin WSH
Calder Cup – Binghamton Devils
Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy – Bridgeport Sound Tigers
John B. Sollenberger Trophy – Mike Richards MIL
Les Cunningham Award – Mike Richards MIL
Willie Marshall Award – Spencer Watson ONT
Eddie Shore Award – J. Tuulola RFD
Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award – Ondrej Pavelec WBS
Jack A. Butterfield Trophy – Mackenzie Blackwood BNG
Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award – Thatcher Demko UTI
1st – LW SNP Trevor Clowe – WHL
1st – RW PLY Grant Hughes – WHL
1st – LW PWF Jayden Del Zotto – WHL *
1st – C SNP Dustin Fawcett – WHL
2nd – HYB Bradley Reza – Liiga
3rd – C SNP Kyle Bouma – US *
4th – OFD Joseph Coyle – US
4th – C TWF Mathieu Fortin – QMJHL
4th/5th – LW TWF Cedric Boos – US *
5th – HYB Sven Heriksen – SHL
5th/6th – TWD Tim Glenn – US
5th/6th – RW TWF Brad Lysak – US
5th/6th – LW TWF Norm Blake – US *
6th – HYB Jyrki Toskala – Liiga
7th – LW SNP Ken Buss – US *
7th – TWD Roger Skuin – US **
TWD Madison Bowey – 82ovr 24yrs – Med Top 4 D – 3yr $4.550M
TWD Ryan Sproul – 78ovr 26yrs – Med Top 6 D – 2yr $0.975M
OFD Jordan Subban – 76ovr 24yrs – Med 7th D – 1yr $0.800M
TWD Rinat Valiev – 76ovr 24yrs – Med 7th D – 1yr $0.800M
RW PWF Anthony Manthan – 85ovr 24yrs – Low Elite – 2yr $5.625M
RW SNP Brett Connolly – 79ovr 27yrs – Top 9 F – 2yr $1.700M
RW GRN Tom Wilson – 79ovr 25yrs – Med Top 9 F – 2yr $2.050M
RW SNP Riley Barber – 75ovr 25yrs – Low Top 9 F – 2yr $0.850M
LW PLY David Kase – 73ovr 22yrs – Med Bottom 6 F – 2yr $0.850M
C TWF Jay Beagle – 79ovr 33yrs – Top 9 F – 2yr $1.675M
C TWF Roman Lyubimov – 76ovr 23yrs – Low Bottom 6 F – 2yr $1.000M
I’ve got my eye on this guy Roger Skuin from the United States. At the moment he’s projected to go in the later rounds, but I feel he could be one of the best players in the draft. Especially if I can steal him in the 4th or 5th. I’ll definitely be keeping my ear to the ground on this guy.
SJ
C TWF Roman Lyubimov – 76ovr 23yrs – Low Bottom 6 F – Ext. 2yr $1.000M
Maybe the contract extension helped, but I think this return is great.
1-24: RW PWF Rod Stortini – 59ovr 19yrs – Med Elite
1-26: HYB Bradley Reza – 55ovr 18yrs – Med Starter
3-15: C SNP Kyle Bouma – 75ovr 20yrs – Med Top 9 F
3-24: LW TWF Norm Blake – 65ovr 20yrs – Med Top 6 F
4-14: RW TWF Brad Lysak – 64ovr 19yrs – Med Top 9 F
4-26: LW TWF Cedric Boos – 75ovr 19yrs – Med Top 9 F
5-15: LW SNP Ken Buss – 64ovr 20yrs – Med Top 9 F
5-24: OFD Trevor Haydar – 55ovr 17yrs – Low Top 6 D
5-30: TWD Roger Skuin – 78ovr 20yrs – Low Elite
6-19: HYB Russ Corrado – 55ovr 18yrs – Low Fringe Starter
6-24: HYB Jake Nichol – 55ovr 17yrs – Low Backup
6-27: LW TWF Lance Beck – 54ovr 17yrs – Med AHL Top 6 F
7-19: C TWF Bryce Cunningham – 54ovr 18yrs – Med AHL Top 6 F
7-24: C PLY Oliver Hulse – 62ovr 19yrs – Med Bottom 6 F
7-27: LW SNP Per Ottosson – 54ovr 18yrs – Med AHl Top 6 F
Analysis: G-3, D-1, RW-2, LW-5, C-3
I was on point about Skuin and he was projected as an undrafted Med AHL Top 6 D… You need to view the statistics if you want to get a good grasp on these prospects. I’ve said it for years and I know it’s tedious and time consuming. However, that’s the only way you will ever make a steal against the CPU during the draft. I went after him with my final 5th rounder because in previous GM’s I’ve lost similar guys to the CPU 1-2 rounds before their projection. I really tried my theories by waiting as long as I did, lol. Of course he wasn’t the only boon of this amazing draft class and I snagged quite a few of them. Expect a multitude of ELCs coming during this re-sign phase. That of course means some other borderline contracts may walk to free agency. Of course this is also the glorious year that I’m free
Contracts: 43/50 – Cap Space: $13.477M
UFA:
RW SNP Jesper Fast – 79ovr 27yrs – Top 9 F – 3yr $1.650M
RFA:
DFD Jonas Siegenthaler – 71ovr 22yrs – Med 7th D – 1yr $0.700M
TWD Connor Hobbs – 71ovr 22yrs – Med 7th D – 1yr $0.700M
C TWF Garrett Pilon – 68ovr 21yrs – Med Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.7000M
Released:
DFD Brooks Orpik – 79ovr 38yrs – Top 6 D – 2000 1st PIT(18th)
DFD Clayton Stoner – 77ovr 34yrs – AHL Top 2 D – 2004 3rd MIN(79th)
TWD Andrew Welinski – 75ovr 26yrs – Med 7th D – 2011 3rd ANA(83rd)
RW SNP Beau Bennett – 78ovr 27yrs – Top 9 F – 2010 1st PIT(20th)
LW PLY Marcus Johansson – 85ovr 28yrs – Top 6 F – 2009 1st WSH(24th)
LW SNP Brandon Pirri – 80ovr 28yrs – Top 9 F – 2009 2nd CHI(59th)
LW TWF Tyler Bertuzzi – 72ovr 24yrs – Low Top 9 F – 2013 2nd DET(58th)
C TWF Nick Shore – 78ovr 26yrs – Low Top 9 F – 2011 3rd LA(82nd)
C TWF Beck Malenstyn – 65ovr 21yrs – Med Bottom 6 F – 2016 5th WSH(145th)
Entry Level Contracts:
TWD Roger Skuin – 78ovr 20yrs – Low Elite – 2019 5th WSH(158th)
TWD Sergej Zubov – 62ovr 19yrs – Low Top 6 D – 2017 5th WSH(156th)
LW TWF Cedric Boos – 75ovr 19yrs – Med Top 9 F – 2019 4th WSH(122nd)
LW TWF Josh Schenn – 66ovr 19yrs – Low Elite – 2017 4th WSH(124th)
C SNP Kyle Bouma – 75ovr 20yrs – Med Top 9 F – 2019 3rd WSH(79th)
Wow, this incoming ELC class looks impressive. There are 3 players looking to challenge for an NHL spot right away and Roger Skuin looks like a dead-ringer. I dumped quite a few contracts and allowed some players I would’ve loved to keep walk into free agency. The most valuable being Marcus Johansson, but I’d rather save my salary for a higher profile player. Marcus Johansson was playing as our 3rd line pivot and was exceptional, but I can’t afford to pay him $7M annually in that role… I offered him $6.8M over 4yrs because of his tenure in Washington, but he rejected it.
Washington Capitals(WSH)/Hershey Bears(HER) 2019-2020
Franchise Mode: 32 Team Expansion Draft
Rosters: Default
Owner Mode: Off
Player Morale: Off
Authentic Protection List: On
Game Style: 4/4 Full Sim
Period Length: 5 Minutes
Difficulty: All-Star
Trade Difficulty: Hard
Waivers: On
Self-Imposed Rules:
1. May not propose trades or edit trade offers received.
2. May not sign free agents who require an Entry Level Contract.
WSH Preseason
1st Wave(I make offers every 5-6 days):
TWD Nathan Bealieu – 84ovr 26yrs – Med Top 4 D – 1yr $6.000M
C PLY Vadim Shipachyov – 86ovr 32yrs – Top 6 F – 1yr $7.000M
C TWF Aleksi Saarela – 64ovr 22yrs – Med Top 6 F – 1yr $0.925M
2nd Wave:
LW SNP Shane Prince – 78ovr 26yrs – High Top 9 F – 1yr $0.950M
C TWF Marcus Kruger – 78ovr 29yrs – Bottom 6 F – 1yr $1.500M – Rejected
3rd Wave:
C TWF Marcus Kruger – 78ovr 29yrs – Bottom 6 F – 1yr $1.650M
4th Wave:
LW SNP Matt Moulson – 78ovr 35yrs – Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.900M – Rejected
5th Wave:
LW SNP Matt Moulson – 78ovr 35yrs – Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.950M
6th Wave:
TWD Brett Kulak – 77ovr 25yrs – High 7th D – 1yr $0.900M
RW TWF Filip Zadina – 75ovr 19yrs – Med Elite – 2018 1st WSH(4th)
Zadina proved he’s ready for the NHL by scoring 18g and 48pts in the AHL last season. This normally wouldn’t be all that impressive except that he was a rare 18yr old. For comparison here are some other recent prospects who played in the AHL at 18: William Nylander(37gp, 32pts), Jesse Puljujarvi(39gp, 28pts), David Pastrnak(25gp, 28pts), Alexander Nylander(65gp, 28pts), and Kevin Fiala(33gp, 20pts). That’s certainly a good group of players and it looks as if Zadina will follow a similar path. He’ll be trying out on the 2nd line, but could easily make the team in a lesser role. If he doesn’t make it as a starter he’ll play in the AHL again instead of being depth.
RW SNP Riley Barber – 76ovr 25yrs – Low Top 9 F – 2012 6th WSH(167th)
Barber is thoroughly prepared for the NHL after spending 4 years in the AHL with Hershey. He scored a career high 24g and 73pts last season and was one of the top offensive players in the league. He’s earned his chance and will be trying out on the 3rd line. He’ll probably make the team in some fashion.
LW TWF Cedric Boos – 77ovr 20yrs – Med Top 9 F – 2019 4th WSH(122nd)
Boos is the 1st of 3 prospects from the 2019 draft class trying out during camp. All 3 were drafted from the United States, which is pretty neat and all of them are 20yrs old. Boos is already an elite skater with good size and strength. He’d definitely be a man among boys in Hershey, but his offensive game needs developing. He’s got a decent wrister and hopefully that’s enough to get him going. He’ll be trying out on the 4th line with time on the PK. I’m fairly confident he’ll make the cut based on his skating and defensive attributes alone.
C SNP Kyle Bouma – 77ovr 20yrs – Med Top 9 F – 2019 3rd WSH(79th)
I’m not as confident that Bouma will make the team, but he’s got a decent chance. He’s well rounded and just needs a little polishing. He’ll be trying out as the 4th line pivot and will be sent to the AHL in lieu of a depth role.
Here he is, the steal of the 2019 draft class. Skuin looks like dynamite on skates with the following skating attributes: Acc(99), Agi(99), Spd(99), and End(91). His 89 offensive awareness and a deadly slapper(88 and 90) are begging to be exploited on the PP. His defense needs a bit of development, but that should come with experience and maturity. He’ll be trying out alongside Kevin Shattenkirk on the top pair and he’ll be start in a lesser role should he stumble.
TWD Sergej Valentenko – 78ovr 20yrs – Low Top 4 D – 2018 3rd WSH(65th)
Valentenko is from the same 2018 draft class of Zadina and spent last year in Hershey with him. He scored 20pts and has been well prepared for this. He’ll be trying out on the 3rd pairing and is basically a shoe-in.
WSH Preseason Recap
3-2-2 isn’t too shabby and I learned a lot about the lineup. Kyle Bouma(3pts) was the only cut while Riley Barber(2pts) made the team as depth. Roger Skuin(3pts) was great on the top pairing with Shattenkirk(3pts) and that duo will remain to begin the season.
Regular Season
I’m excited to see how the glut of youngsters perform this year. We have 9 players starting that are 25 or younger out of 18 skaters. That’s exciting and potentially disastrous. Although, I think we’re stronger than last season with Shipachyov serving as 3rd line pivot instead of Marcus Johansson. Jakub Vrana will be playing on the 2nd line in his sophomore season while Filip Zadina will serve time on the top line with Russian superstars Ovechkin and Kuznetsov. I’m positioning the former 2018 4th overall selection to win the Calder. This helps create a balanced attack with Shipachyov and Burakovksy manning the 3rd line. Some season ticket holders may scoff at this decision because Andre Burakovsky was once thought of as our premiere prospect. However, he’s now 24yrs old and had a down year last season while playing essentially the same minutes as his 25g year(2017-2018). Vrana is only a year younger, but is trending upward and deserves the extra minutes in my opinion. Besides it’s not like Andre is playing with some garbage 3rd liners and he could easily redeem himself this year and reclaim the mantle of top youngster. However, I think Roger Skuin will end up snagging that title, LOL. This is our year and if it isn’t we’re developing some great young talent regardless of the outcome this season. I think that’s the best way forward as long as I can avoid any pitfall contracts, a la Brooks Orpik.
The top teams in the league clash, tied for 1st, to determine the top of the standings. The Senators have a stellar(2nd in NHL) defense while the Capitals boast the best offense in the NHL. The special teams could make all the difference in this one.
2-1 WSH, Antti Raanta made 32sv and the Senators defense nearly kept them in it. However, Bowey found the winner mid-way through the 3rd while Holtby was never truly pressed, making 24sv. Our dominant offense controlled the game for long stretches against one of the best defenses in the league. This bodes well and our 11-1-2 record is evidence of that.
WSH 20-Game Recap
36pts – 17-1-2 – 3.55gfpg – 2.40gapg – 22.9%pp – 85.0%pk
1st in Division – 1st in Conference – 1st in NHL
Wow, is all I can say about this! Both goalies are playing well enough considering our GFPG. It’s difficult to lose when you average over 3 goals a game, LOL. Holtby(14-0-2) is currently undefeated in regulation and Grubauer(5-1-0) has been excellent.
Shattenkirk(1g) is leading from the blue line with rookie Roger Skuin(9pts). Kuznetsov(5g) is on fire with Ovechkin(16g) notching goals at a torrid pace. Jakub Vrana(20pts) is scoring at a point per game pace while Nicklas Backstrom(19pts) is right there as well.
HER 20-Game Recap
31pts – 15-4-1 – 3.45gfpg – 2.20gapg – 18.4%pp – 82.4%pk
1st in Division – 1st in Conference – 2nd in AHL
I’m surprised by our dominant offense, but I guess that’s what a veteran signing like Matt Moulson(17pts) brings to the table. We appear to be the most talented group in the league this year.
C PLY Brayden Point – 82ovr 23yrs – Med Top 6 F – TB
LW PLY Vladislav Namestnikov – 83ovr 27yrs – Top 6 F – TB
C TWF Travis Konecny – 84ovr 22yrs – Med Top 6 F – PHI
They all declined their offers and will remain unsigned this year.
WSH 40-Game Recap
60pts – 28-8-4 – 3.17gfpg – 2.45gapg – 19.4%pp – 82.6%pk
1st in Division – 1st in Conference – 1st in NHL
The Washington Capitals have arrived and are the team to beat this year. The injection of youth has made us the most dangerous team in the league. With Vrana(11g) looking to best his rookie year totals while Mantha(12g) and Burakovsky(11g) are having bounce back years. Rookies Roger Skuin(5g), Cedric Boos(8g) and Filip Zadina(4g) are also contributing. Zadina(6pts) has struggled to find his offensive game, but looks solid defensively on the top line. Braden Holtby(24-5-4) has been in Vezina form this year with Grubauer(6-4-1) suddenly slumping, 3.29gaa and 88.6%sv. I made one adjustment and that was sliding Carlson over to the left side and Bowey over to the right side of the 2nd pairing.
HER 40-Game Recap
64pts – 31-7-2 – 3.42gfpg – 2.15gapg – 22.0%pp – 86.2%pk
1st in Division – 1st in Conference – 1st in AHL
Similar to their NHL counterparts the Bears are dominating the league. Rookie Kyle Bouma(18g) has been impressive along with fellow youngster Vyacheslav Galiev(10g). Young defensemen Timothy Liljegren(3g) has finally found his offensive game and looks ready to challenge for an NHL spot next year. Both goalies, Godla(18-3-2) and Niederberger(14-4-0) have been superb trading starts.
Trade Game 55
C TWF Jay Beagle – 79ovr 34yrs – Top 9 F – 2yr $1.675M
Having both Beagle and Kruger was a luxury I enjoyed, but I don’t think it’s necessary. The Stars came a calling for him and I felt fine fielding Marcus Kruger in his stead. The return was actually very good and I would’ve gone for just the 2021 4th, LOL. Alexander Burmistrov was called up from Hershey.
Waiver Claim Game 56
OFD Mark Barbeiro – 77ovr 29yrs – 7th D – 2yr $1.120M
After dealing Beagle we became available to include another player via waivers. I’m not sure if the game actually follows the true NHL rules. We’re in 1st place so technically we wouldn’t be available to claim any player unless every other NHL team passed on him. I doubt that’s the case here, but we’ll take him as depth.
Trade Deadline
RW SNP Andre Burakovsky – 83ovr 25yrs – Med Top 6 F – 1yr $3.200M
OFD Mark Barberio – 77ovr 29yrs – 7th D – 2yr $1.120M
This was a tough decision because Andre is a former 1st round selection. This will be his fifth full NHL season and while being talented he’s never cleared 50pts in a year. It’s hard to overlook that when Vrana comes in and scores 55pts his rookie season and is following that up with a great sophomore year. Burakovsky will want a significant raise and I’d wager about $5M annually. I’d take him for $4M, but that’d be a gamble and I doubt he’d re-sign. I have the future to think about and while I’m grooming Zadina I also just drafted a stud in 2019, Rod Stortini(2019 1st WSH(24th). Stortini is already 20yrs old, but he’s a definite NHL product next season and will probably be signed right after this, LOL.
TWD David Schlemko – 78ovr 32yrs – Top 6 D – 1yr $2.100M
I figured why not grab some depth? It seems like a win-win for 1yr and I missed capturing the waiver screen so it’s just his page.
RW PWF Rod Stortini – 80ovr 20yrs – Med Elite – 2019 1st WSH(24th)
Boasting impressive attributes this guy appears to be the real deal and shouldn’t have a problem replacing Burakovsky.
WSH 60-Game Recap
84pts – 40-16-4 – 2.83gfpg – 2.38gapg – 18.5%pp – 83.5%pk
1st in Division – 2nd in Conference – 2nd in NHL
We suffered through some injuries and I’m happy with the team’s performance. We’re strong down the middle and have excellent scoring wingers in support. I feel we bring a healthy mix of skill and physical play to the table with the following players: Ovechkin(32g), Mantha(15g), and Wilson(15g). The blue liners have been sensational with rookie Roger Skuin(6g) lighting it up. Bumping Carlson(4g) over to the left side seems to have sparked some offense, but Bowey(1g) remains an enigma. Rookie Sergej Valentenko(2g) found his offensive touch recently and has begun to produce. In net it’s been the Holtby show, but Grubauer(11-6-1) appears to have regained his form posting a 91.0%sv and working on the 2.80gaa. I got so caught up with the Rod Stortini signing that I forgot to capture the top offensive players.
HER 60-Game Recap
93pts – 45-12-3 – 3.17gfpg – 2.10gapg – 22.4%pp – 83.0%pk
1st in Division – 1st in Conference – 1st in AHL
Vyacheslav Galiev(17g) is now leading the team in scoring while long-term reclamation project David Kase(15g) trails him, Galiev(54pts) is 5th in AHL scoring. Rookie Kyle Bouma(26g) looks impressive and leads the league in goals scored. He also trails the top rookie, Jansen Harkins(51pts), by 2pts. Former 1st round selection Timothy Liljegren(5g) has continued his breakout season with 28pts thus far. Both net minders had been about even, but now Godla(24-4-3) has proven to be superior. He’s posting a 1.99gaa with a 92.1%sv while Niederberger(22-8-0) has a 2.13gaa and a 91.5%sv. Of course I forgot to capture the top offensive players here as well.
WSH End of Season Recap
106pts – 50-26-6 – 2.79gfpg – 2.41gapg – 18.9%pp – 81.8%pk
3rd in Division – 4th in Conference – 5th in NHL
I think we probably have the youngest lineup in the league and I can’t complain with these results. Filip Zadina(8g) was lackluster managing just 18pts, but he was only 19 when he began the year. Rod Stortini(19gp) managed 7pts and quickly progressed into a top 9 forward after being signed late in the season. Finally rookie Roger Skuin(7g) was every bit of amazing that I predicted him to be, notching 31pts playing against the oppositions top lines.
Mister Positive(+/-) – OFD Kevin Shattenkirk +16
The Missing Link(PIM) – RW PWF Anthony Mantha 76pim
Clutch(GWG) – RW GRN Tom Wilson 6gwg
Dot Hero(FO%) – C PLY Nicklas Backstrom 57.2%
The Hammer(Hits) – RW GRN Tom Wilson 148h
Senior Clumsy(GV) – TWD Madison Bowey 72gv
Got Selke?(TK) – LW SNP Alexander Ovechkin 66tk
Knuckles(Fights) – RW GRN Tom Wilson & RW PWF Anthony Mantha 1f
HER End of Season Recap
127pts – 60-15-7 – 3.11gfpg – 1.99gapg – 22.2%pp – 85.9%pk
1st in Division – 1st in Conference – 1st in AHL
The Milwaukee Admirals(123pts) pressed us, but we finished as regular season champions. I fully expect another Calder Memorial Cup to be coming home with these boys.
Kyle Bouma led all rookies with 35g and 72pts. His 35g also led the league in goals scored.
Mister Positive(+/-) – TWD Rinat Valiev +38
The Missing Link(PIM) – TWD Brett Kulak 70pim
Clutch(GWG) – C SNP Kyle Bouma 10gwg
Dot Hero(FO%) – LW PLY Alexander Burmistrov 49.9%
The Hammer(Hits) – TWD Brett Kulak 173h
Senior Clumsy(GV) – TWD Brett Kulak 87gv
Got Selke?(TK) – LW PLY David Kase 74tk
Knuckles(Fights) – RW SNP Vyacheslav Galiev 4f
Round 1: WSH(50-26-6) vs PHI(52-26-4)
The Flyers got hot in the 2nd half of the season and frankly I’m surprised to be facing them in the 1st round. I’m not worried in the slightest and the fact Rod Stortini progressed to an 86ovr(19gp and 7pts after being signed post trade deadline) significantly boosted my confidence. I doubt anyone will be calling for my head for the Burakovsky trade even if we lose in the 1st round. It’s a load of pressure off for sure, and the boys are still projected for the Cup Final. Wilson moved to the top line with Zadina bumping down to the 4th. Stortini will play on the 3rd with an emphasis on special teams.
Game 1: 3-1 WSH, Ovechkin(1g) and Kuznetsov(1g) scored 2pts apiece.
Game 2: 3-1 WSH, Both teams fired 23s on net, but Ovechkin(1g) managed to score 2pts and help secure a 2nd victory.
Game 3: 4-1 WSH, Ovechkin notched a hat-trick to put the Flyers in desperation mode.
Game 4: 4-0 WSH, Mantha(3g) scored a hat-trick and supplied 4pts to complete the sweep. Marcus Kruger was injured and will hopefully be ready for the next round.
Round 2: WSH(50-26-6) vs PIT(53-24-5)
Roger Skuin will return to the lineup for Game 1 and play injured(Apr 26th) while the Penguins will play Phil Kessel injured(May 1st). Ovechkin leads the team with 8pts after going straight Beserker against PHI with 5g in 4gp. Kuznetsov(6pts) and Mantha(5pts) also contributed at more than a point per game pace while Vrana, Backstrom and Skuin all scored 3pts.
Game 1: 4-1 WSH, Shattenkirk provided 3 apples while Holtby made 25sv.
Game 2: 3-6 PIT, Daniel Sprong(1g) and Evgeni Malkin(1g) scored 3pts apiece. Nicklas Backstrom was injured and will miss a game or 2. Alexander Burmistrov will enter the lineup as Shipachyov moves into Backstrom’s role.
Game 3: 1-0 PIT, Without Backstrom we played a tighter game and Matt Murray won the duel making 27 stops. Nicklas Backstrom will return to the lineup and play injured next game.
Game 4: 2-3 OT PIT, Matt Murray made an incredible 44 stops and Evgeni Malkin assisted on all 3 goals. I moved Stortini to the top line bumping Wilson to the 4th and slotting Zadina on the 3rd.
Game 5: 3-4 PIT, Stortini(1g) and Ovechkin(1g) scored 2pts each, but it wasn’t enough.
Losing to the Penguins hurts, but we’re built for the long term. I doubt they’ll even be contenders in 3 years while we’re going to be for the next decade. Although, I certainly thought we had the goods to beat them this year.
Round 1: HER(60-15-7) vs WBS(38-32-12)
The lineup has changed slightly since the season began, but we remained dominant regardless. Barring a double goalie meltdown I’d suspect we’ll progress to the 2nd round.
Game 1: 6-2 HER, Bouma(2g) scored 2pts while Prince backed him up with 2 goals of is own.
Game 2: 2-4 WBS, Oscar Ohman scored 2g to put the baby Pens ahead for good.
Game 3: 2-5 WBS, Ondrej Pavelec made 29sv for the baby Penguins and I decided to change our team strategies to be more aggressive. Roger Skuin was injured and will be replaced by Ryan Sproul.
Game 4: 3-0 HER, Pure dominance with 38s versus a paltry 14! Then our captain Liljegren(1g) managed to score 2pts. Aleksi Saarela was injured and will be replaced by Haberstich with Jacob de la Rose coming in.
Game 5: 3-2 OT HER, Schenn(1g) scored 2pts including the winner to put the Bears through.
Round 2: HER(60-15-7) vs BRI(45-30-7)
Game 1: 2-1 HER, Niederberger made 22sv while Haberstich scored the winner.
Game 2: 4-2 HER, Kenins(1g) joined the lineup and immediately contributed 2pts. David Kase has been injured and was replaced by Kenins.
Game 3: 2-5 BRI, Vladimir Prokhorkin(1g) notched 4pts and willed his team to victory.
Game 4: 1-4 BRI, Jonathan Frykholm made 33sv to even the series up.
Game 5: 3-2 OT HER, Niederberger made 44sv and Haberstich(1g) scored 2pts.
Game 6: 6-1 HER, Kenins(2g) and Bouma(2g) scored 4pts each in a decisive victory.
Eastern Conference Finals: HER(60-15-7) vs TOR(42-29-11)
Kyle Bouma(7g) has taken his dominance to another level scoring 15pts in 11gp. Fellow youngster Timothy Liljegren(2g) also ratcheted up his game scoring 9pts. Veteran Jesper Fast(1g) has scored 10pts.
Game 1: 2-1 HER, Fast scored the winner while Niederberger was injured. Godla came in and made 17sv in relief. David Kase will return to the lineup next game.
Game 2: 1-3 TOR, NHL veteran Brian Boyle scored 2g for the Marlies.
Game 3: 3-0 HER, Bouma(1g) and Fast(1g) scored 2pts apiece.
Game 4: 3-2 OT HER, Prince(1g) and Galiev(1g) each scored 2pts.
Game 5: 1-2 TOR, Andrei Grachev made 29sv while Niederberger managed 26 stops.
Game 6: 7-6 HER, Galiev(2g) scored 5pts and Kase(1g) added 4pts.
Calder Cup Finals: HER(60-15-7) vs RFD(51-27-4)
Bouma(10g) remains our scoring leader with 19pts while the veteran Jesper Fast(15pts) and Sergey Kenins(13pts in 11gp) trail him.
Game 1: 5-2 HER, Moulson(1g) scored 2pts while Niederberger made 25sv.
Game 2: 3-0 HER, Moulson scored 2g and Bouma notched one as well.
Game 3: 4-3 HER, The IceHogs fought back with 3 consecutive goals in the 3rd, but were outshot 32 to 18 for the game.
Game 4: 6-2 HER, Saarela(1g) and Schenn(1g) scored 2pts apiece and Valiev notched 2g.
We’re the Calder Cup Champions! It wasn’t even close as we completely dominated the IceHogs and never had a series go past 6 games the entire playoffs. Veteran Matt Moulson(8g) was huge during the final series, but the true star was Lance Bouma(11g). Bouma should be heavily considered for MVP after averaging over a point per game(23pts in 21gp). The unexpected hero of the playoffs was undoubtedly Sergey Kenins(17pts in 15gp) who came into the lineup after several injuries and never left. Other notable youngsters include Liljegren(13pts), Galiev(13pts), and Kase(13pts). Mathias Niederberger(15-6-0) was adequate, but really didn’t have to be that great considering our amazing offense(3.29gfpg). He finished with a respectable 91.3%sv and a 2.22gaa.
Awards:
Stanley Cup – Edmonton Oilers
Presidents’ Trophy – Ottawa Senators
Art Ross Trophy – Vladimir Tarasenko STL
Hart Memorial Trophy – Erik Karlsson OTT
James Norris Memorial Trophy – Erik Karlsson OTT
Calder Memorial Trophy – Nikita Scherbak NFA
Conn Smythe Trophy – Connor McDavid EDM
Vezina Trophy – Anti Raanta OTT
William M. Jennings Trophy – Sergei Bobrovsky CBJ
Frank J. Selke Trophy – Patrice Bergeron BOS
Ted Lindsay Award – Braden Holtby WSH
Maurice Richard Trophy – Evgeni Malkin PIT
Calder Cup – Hershey Bears
Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy – Hershey Bears
John B. Sollenberger Trophy – Joe Blandisi CLE
Les Cunningham Award – Joe Blandisi CLE
Willie Marshall Award – Kyle Bouma HER
Eddie Shore Award – Niklas Hansson TEX
Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award – Laurent Brossoit BAK
Jack A. Butterfield Trophy – Kyle Bouma HER
Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award – Juuse Saros MIL
1st – HYB Jake Clarkson – Extra **
2nd – TWD Bobby Goddard – NL *
2nd/3rd – C PLY Andrei Dmitriev – RUS
3rd – OFD Matti Karalahti – Liiga
3rd – C PLY Mikhail Perezhogin – RUS
3rd/4th – TWD Lars Olausson – SHL
4th – RW TWF Russ Gerbe – SHL
4th/5th – RW SNP Kirk Linzen – SHL
4th/5th – LW GRN Bradley Kobasew – US
5th – TWD Jean Hamel – QMJHL
5th/6th – C PLY Vitali Kolosov – RUS
5th/6th – C TWF Marcus Tommernes – SHL
6th – C PLY Vitali Zadorov – RUS
7th – LW SNP Oleg Nazarov – RUS
7th – LW GRN Ronnie Gamble – NL
7th – RW PWF Sami Aittokallio – SHL
7th – LW PLY Jody Moen – US
7th – RW GRN Mattias Klingberg – SHL
7th – TWD Evan Wallace – QMJHL
7th – RW ENF Norm Irwin – OHL
7th – RW GRN Drew Knights – US
7th – DFD Mario Labruyere – QMJHL
7th – LW TWF Mark Krause – OHL
Undrafted – LW TWF Jacques Pelletier – QMJHL
Undrafted – TWD Vesa Alanen – SHL
Undrafted – OFD Adam Pitton – NL
Undrafted – OFD James Godfrey – OHL
Undrafted – DFD Gene Owens – US
HYB Philipp Grubauer – 82ovr 28yrs – Starter – 1yr $1.700M
RW SNP Jakub Vrana – 82ovr 24yrs – High Top 6 F – 3yr $4.550M
C TWF Marcus Kruger – 77ovr 30yrs – Bottom 6 F – 2yr $1.575M
I wanted to sign a few other depth guys like Burmistrov and Fast to extensions, but I’m not confident I’ll have the roster space after signing my expiring ELC guys. Otherwise I would’ve definitely signed a couple other successful players from last season. I’m valuing Kruger because of his impressive faceoff and defensive abilities. IMO he’s an excellent 4th line pivot/depth forward and I’d be hard pressed to find someone better for less salary.
2020 NHL Entry Draft
Retirees:
1-25: TWD Bobby Goddard – 69ovr 20yrs – Med Top 4 D
PHI
RW TWF Scott Kosmachuk – 76ovr 26yrs – High Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.875M
It’s definitely a good thing to be the place where players make a resurgence in their careers. Kosmachuk is a perfect example and spent 3 years in our organization in the AHL. He won 2 Calder Cups and has developed into a capable 4th line NHL plug. He’d fallen out of favor due to youngsters in Hershey and honestly I was going to let him walk for nothing, LOL. So this is basically a free draft pick in my eyes.
2-25: RW TWF Russ Gerbe – 69ovr 20yrs – Med Top 6 F
3-25: C TWF Marcus Tommernes – 59ovr 18yrs – Med Bottom 6 F
4-12: RW SNP Kirk Linzen – 64ovr 19yrs – Med Top 9 F
4-25: C PLY Vitali Zadorov – 55ovr 18yrs – Low Top 9 F
5-25: TWD Vesa Alanen – 55ovr 18yrs – Low Top 6 D
5-26: DFD Francois Garon – 56ovr 19yrs – Low Top 4 D
6-25: TWD Torsten Petterstrom – 65ovr 20yrs – Low Top 4 D
7-25: RW GRN Mattias Klingberg – 63ovr 20yrs – Med Top 9 F
Analysis: G-0, D-4, RW-3, LW-0, C-2
It was extremely disappointing to lose my most scouted prospect 8 picks before my 1st round selection, a Franchise goalie. Regardless I managed a very productive draft all the way through the later rounds. Goddard and Gerbe look like potential ELC candidates, but everyone else will probably simmer in their respective junior leagues.
Contracts: 47/50 – Cap Space: $9.467M
UFA:
HYB Braden Holtby – 30yrs 92ovr – Elite – 3yr $10.000M
OFD Kevin Shattenkirk – 84ovr 31yrs – Top 4 D – 2yr $5.500M
C PLY Nicklas Backstrom – 89ovr 32yrs – Elite – 4yr $7.200M
C PLY Vadim Shipachyov – 83ovr 33yrs – Top 6 F – 3yr $5.000M
RFA:
HYB Denis Godla – 76ovr 25yrs – Med Fringe Starter – 1yr $0.850M
HYB Vitek Vanecek – 71ovr 24yrs – High AHL Starter – 1yr 0.700M
TWD Brett Kulak – 77ovr 26yrs – High 7th D – 2yr $0.925M
OFD Jordan Subban – 76ovr 25yrs – Med 7th D – 1yr $0.800M
TWD Rinat Valiev – 76ovr 25yrs – Med 7th D – 1yr $0.800M
TWD Connor Hobbs – 73ovr 23yrs – Med 7th D – 1yr $0.700M
LW PWF Fabian Haberstich – 74ovr 23yrs – High Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.700M
C TWF Garrett Pilov – 71ovr 22yrs – Med Bottom 6 F – 1yr $0.700M
C TWF Aleksi Saarela – 69ovr 23yrs – Med Top 6 F – 1yr $0.700M
Released:
HYB Mathias Niederberger – 76ovr 27yrs – Backup – Undrafted
TWD Nathan Beaulieu – 84ovr 27yrs – Top 4 D – 2011 1st MTL(17th)
TWD David Schlemko – 78ovr 33yrs – Top 6 D – Undrafted
OFD Adam Clendening – 75ovr 27yrs – 7th D – 2011 2nd CHI(36th)
DFD Jonas Siegenthaler – 72ovr 23yrs – Med 7th D – 2015 2nd WSH(57th)
TWD Valeri Vorobiev – 63ovr 21yrs – Med AHL Top 2 D – 2018 7th WSH(223rd)
DFD Samu Lehtonen – 58ovr 19yrs – Low Top 6 D – 2018 4th WSH(122nd)
RW SNP Jesper Fast – 78ovr 28yrs – Top 9 F – 2010 6th NYR(157th)
LW SNP Shane Prince – 79ovr 27yrs – Top 9 F – 2011 2nd OTT(61st)
LW PLY Alexander Burmistrov – 78ovr 28yrs – Top 9 F – 2010 1st WPG(8th)
LW SNP Matt Mouslon – 76ovr 36yrs – Bottom 6 F – 2003 9th PIT(263rd)
LW TWF Jacob de la Rose – 72ovr 25yrs – Low Top 9 F – 2013 2nd MTL(34th)
LW GRN Arttu Ruotsalainen – 67ovr 22yrs- Med Bottom 6 F – 2017 6th WSH(188th)
LW TWF Miika Vallin – 61ovr 20yrs – Med AHL Top 6 F – 2018 6th WSH(191st)
C TWF Vladimir Arkhipov – 65ovr 21yrs – Med AHL Top 6 F – 2018 6th WSH(176th)
Entry Level Contracts:
HYB Alexis Gravel – 70ovr 20yrs – Med Starter – 2018 1st WSH(27th)
HYB Bradley Reza – 62ovr 19yrs – Med Starter – 2019 1st WSH(26th)
TWD Bobby Goddard – 69ovr 20yrs – Med Top 4 D – 2020 1st WSH(25th)
RW TWF Brad Lysak – 69ovr 20yrs – Med Top 9 F – 2019 4th WSH(120th)
RW TWF Russ Gerbe – 69ovr 20yrs – Med Top 6 F – 2020 2nd WSH(57th)
RW PWF Glen MacKenzie – 64ovr 21yrs – Med Bottom 6 F – 2018 1st WSH(31st)
LW SNP Ken Buss – 69ovr 21yrs – Med Top 9 F – 2019 5th WSH(143rd)
LW TWF Norm Blake – 67ovr 21yrs – Med Top 6 F – 2019 3rd WSH(88th)
C PWF Connor Roberts – 67ovr 20yrs – Med Top 6 F – 2018 1st WSH(22nd)
Aside from the Holtby negotiations things went my way this time around. I would’ve brought Nathan Beaulieu back for the right price, but at 27yrs old he’s looking for a big contract. I’d rather spend the money in free agency and if there is no one better I’ll try and bring him back. I signed several prospects to entry level contracts including Goddard and Gerbe from this year’s draft.
Part of the reason I am posting all this is because people hate on the mode. I'm guilty as well and of course there are facets I'd love to be improved. However, most of the functions actually operate correctly and work quite well if you know how to utilize them. Scouting is the main complaint I see and yet I don't seem to have any issues scouting players!? Maybe it's because I'm learned to this algorithm(it's been around a long time) or perhaps it's because of my scouting strategy? Either way I wanted everyone to see that you can identify and then target specific game-changing players through the current scouting/draft system. It's not all luck and the Development team actually put some thought into it this time. Just so happens that I've located the main identifiers and can easily pick the good prospects out. It's all about individual attributes and it has been since NHL17.
Free Tip = If you scout a Goalie with 75+ poise and mediocre for the rest you better draft him.
Edit: Bleh I basically gave it away, lol. So why not explain it... The game values Poise about 10x higher during the playoffs from my experience. If you've got a stacked team full of young players I bet your overall poise is very low. This is the REASON the game makes you lose during the 1st round of the playoffs all the time. The younger players have low poise and this is EA's way of balancing, LOL I know it's pathetic. Once some of the prominent players start to retire some new generated player will get 80 poise or whatever, but the current algorithm monitors the player pool per attribute. It will never allow multiple 99ovr players just like it will never create a new player with 85 poise when the database says 20 is the max or whatever you should get the jist of it now.
I normally base my scouting duration on the number of prospects being scouted in that area. I only scout in areas where my scout has an A-. Let's say SHL has 33 Forwards, I'd scout the Forwards there for 2 weeks. If the SHL has 21 defenders and I have a lot of other areas with A- scouting I may only scout the Defenders for a week. As you know the WHL, CHL, and QMJHL normally have the most prospects. I normally scout them for 2-3 weeks each because both pools(F and D) normally have 50+ players. If you're looking for a goalie you can normally get by with just a week unless there are like 20+ prospects in that area. If that's the case I normally skip them unless I'm desperate to draft a goaltender. After I've scouted all the areas I have an A- in I view the prospects and then determine where my final few scouting trips should be focused. You should have about 6 weeks left to scout by then and the playoffs will almost be over.
Another tip: The interface doesn't notify you on the exact day that your assigned trip ended, if you wait for the notification. It's a few days afterward so if you want to be extremely efficient you need to remember yourself and go in and change the scouting assignment. I don't normally worry about this because for those few days in between the CPU assigns the scout someplace anyways and it's normally some area I'd never send them.
P.S. Never do scouting trips longer than 3 weeks unless it's your last scouting assignment.
I'm feeling helpful so I'll explain my process a bit more. I'll use the most recent draft as an example.
I went through every prospect and viewed their individual stats(I do this every year to an extent, I normally stop after 7th round projections) and picked out the ones I liked. Remember we're looking for steals and undervalued guys. I leave the sure things to the AI because I don't normally have a good 1st round selection.
1st – RW TWF Jay Webster – WHL
2nd – RW SNP Jody Murray – SHL
2nd – C PLY Colin Severson – WHL
3rd – C TWF Randy McDonagh – US
3rd – C PLY Vitali Kulemin – RUS
3rd – TWD Craig Peverley – WHL
3rd – TWD Theodore Greilinger – DEL
3rd/4th – C TWF Chris Sutton – WHL
4th – C PLY Ralph Staios – OHL *
5th – C PLY Isaac Beyers – US
5th/6th – RW PLY Jerome Vlasic – QMJHL
6th – C PLY Laurent Lalande – QMJHL
7th – TWD Dmitri Zadorov – RUS
7th – C PLY Sergej Latypov – RUS
7th – RW TWF Mika Vaananen – SHL
7th – RW PLY Jason Grossman – OHL
7th – LW PWF Dean Schofield – OHL
7th – LW PLY Danny Dillon – SHL *
7th – C PLY Gilbert Bolduc – QMJHL *
7th – OFD Marshall Lin – Extra *
I make note of their respective junior leagues to help find them during the draft. If I mark them with an "*" I'm HIGH on them and feel they're underrated by the AI scouts. This helps me keep track of my picks during the draft and normally I choose these players a round or 2 before their projections to ensure they come to me. Ralph Staios is a prime example and I'll post the draft below for comparison.
1-18: C PLY Colin Severson – 62ovr 18yrs – Low Elite = Scouted for 2nd
1-32: TWD Theodore Greilinger – 68ovr 20yrs – Med Top 4 D = Scouted for 3rd
2-32: RW SNP Jody Murray – 65ovr 20yrs – Med Top 6 F = Scouted for 2nd
3-32: C TWF Randy McDonagh – 58ovr 19yrs – Med Bottom 6 F = Scouted for 3rd
4-18: C PLY Ralph Staios – 76ovr 20yrs – Med Top 9 F = Scouted for 4th and I took a gamble here, I should've drafted him with the 3-32 pick
4-20: C TWF Andrei Kaigorodov – 54ovr 19yrs – Med Bottom 6 F = Not scouted
4-32: OFD Marshall Lin – 59ovr 18yrs – Low Top 4 D = Scouted for 7th and I didn't gamble on this one at all
5-3: LW PWF Ken Beagle – 54ovr 17yrs – Med Bottom 6 F = Not scouted
5-32: C PLY Sergej Latypov – 65ovr 20yrs – Med Top 9 F = Scouted for 7th
6-32: C PLY Gilbert Bolduc – 65ovr 19yrs – Low Top 6 F = Scouted for 7th
7-32: LW PLY Danny Dillon – 65ovr 20yrs – Med Top 9 F = Scouted for 7th
As you can see from my commentary I chose most of my prospects before their projected rounds. This makes me wonder about doing a YouTube series, but I'm pretty f***ing lazy LOL. Sure I can post all this data and it's not easy but I'm already going to collect it for my own purposes... So why not? The video thing is definitely a commitment and perhaps if there is REAL interest I'll do it. I know I'd kill it.
Nope, and as far as I'm aware you can't edit attributes? Anyways in regards to your question... I wish I knew, LOL but it seems like only Elite/Franchise potential make these major jumps even though it seems quite random. He was selected in the 1st round of the 2019 Draft as a 59ovr Med Elite. During the subsequent re-sign/free agent phase I didn't deem him worthy of an ELC but I'm sure he was higher than a 59ovr at that point. I did eventually sign him late in the 2019-2020 season, around the trade deadline, and he had progressed to an 80ovr! As noted in the write up he progressed even further after the regular season and was 86ovr for the playoffs. Perhaps signing them mid/late-season is an impetus? That's all I got other than higher potential guys can randomly make huge jumps in progress.
I'm actually streaming right now 8.8.2018 5:35PM EST and am doing my scouting for the 2021 draft.
In general I look for great skating attributes with high offensive awareness/defensive awareness. Player types and size also come into play as well as the other attributes of course, but those are the basics. Poise also plays a role, but early on none of the prospects have good poise so that's not really a factor until much later.
I've been slacking on posting the data and this season has taken me longer than usual. However, I'm still going strong and I'm streaming tonight. I'm hoping to make it through the 2023 draft before the night is through. Then I can focus on catching up with my posts tomorrow
Watching MoneyBall(2011) in the background for inspiration, LOL. It's something I love to do . This movie and Grandmas Boy(2006) are the best performances in Jonah Hill's career. I don't even like the dude, but I love both the movies and he's in them so...
Washington Capitals(WSH)/Hershey Bears(HER) 2020-2021
Franchise Mode: 32 Team Expansion Draft
Created Team: Norfolk Admirals(NFA)/Richmond Renegades(RVR)
Rosters: Default
Owner Mode: Off
Player Morale: Off
Authentic Protection List: On
Game Style: 4/4 Full Sim
Period Length: 5 Minutes
Difficulty: All-Star
Trade Difficulty: Hard
Waivers: On
Self-Imposed Rules:
1. May not propose trades or edit trade offers received.
2. May not sign free agents who require an Entry Level Contract.
1st Wave(I make offers every 5-6 days):
TWD Nathan Beaulieu – 84ovr 27yrs – Top 4 D – 1yr $6.000M
OFD Niklas Hansson – 76ovr 25yrs – Med Top 6 D – 1yr $0.925M
LW SNP Oskar Lindblom – 77ovr 23yrs – Low Top 6 F – 1yr $1.350M – No compensation PHI – Rejected
2nd Wave:
C TWF Cody Eakin – 81ovr 29yrs – Top 6 F – 1yr $3.600M – Rejected
3rd Wave:
LW TWF Vladimir Sobotka – 80ovr 33yrs – Top 9 F – 1yr $3.500M
RW PWF Rod Stortini – 83ovr 20yrs – Med Elite – 2019 1st WSH(24th)
Rod joined the team late in the 2019-2020 season and managed to score 7pts in 19gp. He followed that up by scoring 4pts in 9gp during the playoffs. The kids a natural and his slap shot rivals Ovechkin’s. He’s got to work on this puck skills if he wants top line duties, but he’ll be trying out with Ovi and Kuznetsov in place of Tom Wilson.
RW TWF Filip Zadina – 77ovr 20yrs – Med Elite – 2018 1st WSH(4th)
He’s NHL ready as far as two-way play goes, but I’m still waiting for an offensive spark from this youngster. He’s been given every opportunity to excel and has posted didly squat, 18pts in 76gp. Given his draft status(4th overall) I’d expect a bit more, but it’s hard to remember he’s only 20yrs old. Other options: Vladimir Sobotka.
RW SNP Vyacheslav Galiev – 77ovr 21yrs – Low Top 9 F – 2018 3rd WSH(95th)
What’s not to like about this dude!? He’s definitely ready for stiffer competition after posting 20g and 69pts for Hershey in the AHL last year. He probably deserved the NHL role over Zadina last season, but lost out due to his lower ceiling. He’s more than ready now and should easily secure at least a 3rd line role. Other options: Brett Connolly.
LW TWF Cedric Boos – 78ovr 21yrs – Med Top 9 F – 2019 4th WSH(122nd)
Cedric posted 14g and 24pts as a walk on NHL rookie. He’s an elite skater with impressive defensive abilities. If it weren’t for his lack of offensive development he’d definitely be considered for the top 6. I really like this guy and feel he can be a defensive rock in our future top 6. Other options: Vladimir Sobotka.
C SNP Kyle Bouma – 78ovr 21yrs – Med Top 9 F – 2019 3rd WSH(79th)
Phew that 2019 draft produced some gems, Bouma lit up the AHL with 35g and 72pts! I thought he probably could’ve managed NHL minutes last season as a winger. I have high expectations for my top 9 pivots and Bouma will get there I’m sure. He’s more than ready to claim the 4th line role and work his way up. Other options: Marcus Kruger or Vladimir Sobotka.
I’m not questioning whether Roger can handle the minutes, because he’s already proven he can(31pts with 23:19 played per game). I’m wondering if he can handle the top pairing without offensive veteran Shattenkirk by his side?
TWD Brett Kulak – 77ovr 26yrs – High 7th D – 2012 4th CGY(105th)
I acquired Kulak as a reclamation project and he played well for Hershey. Scoring 6g and 10pts while maintaining a +12 +/- rating on the top defensive pairing. He’ll be trying out on the 3rd pairing with fellow youngster Madison Bowey. Bowey(5pts last year) has already played 2 full NHL seasons and should provide a stabilizing presence. Both players have some offensive spark and I hope they find some chemistry. Other options: Ryan Sproul.
Not much to talk about when you finish 6-1-0, but the PP was rather lackluster at 15.8%. Everyone who tried out made the team and will remain in their starting roles. I noticed a few trends that I may as well correct now. Nathan Beaulieu had 5gv and just a single takeaway while playing the 4th most minutes on the team. He’s our best option in the 2nd pairing role so I adjusted their line strategies. I also noticed that Kyle Bouma(5pts) was our most efficient player average just 9:24m on the ice. He clearly deserves more opportunities and will be replacing Mantha(0ppp) on the 2nd PP unit, joining line mate Tom Wilson(1ppg). In fact, the entire 4th line looked great combining for 14pts in 7gp!
Regular Season
This should be an exciting season for quite a few youngsters and I’m certainly brimming with anticipation. The defense looks stronger than ever and our goaltending situation is the same as last season. I’m expecting a great season and to make another Stanley Cup Finals appearance after being ousted in the 2nd round in consecutive years.
23pts – 10-15-3 – 2.667gfpg – 2.33gapg – 13.5%pp – 92.3%pk
3rd in Division – 3rd in Conference – 6th in NHL
Even though the offense and PP are sputtering we’re still hanging with the top teams in the league. I’ll need to do a little experimenting, but I think this squad is capable of more offensive output. Ovechkin(17pts) and Backstrom(15pts) are leading the team in scoring while Vrana(13pts) and Kuznetsov(12pts) trail them. Defensemen Roger Skuin(10pts) is having a tremendous sophomore year alongside Carlson(9pts).
HER 20-Game Recap
28pts – 13-3-2 – 2.89gfpg – 1.61gapg – 15.7%pp – 94.3%pk
1st in Division – 1st in Conference – 1st in AHL
The defense is smothering opponents while our offense is steadily producing. The PP could be better, but I’m going to leave it alone for now. Aleksi Saarela(14pts) appears to have finally adjusted to the North American game and is leading the team. Other standouts are: Blake(14pts), Hansson(14pts), Schenn(12pts), and Kase(12pts).
Oops forgot to record this *shrugs*.
WSH 40-Game Recap
60pts – 28-8-4 – 3.05gfpg – 2.17gapg – 20.8%pp – 84.1%pk
1st in Division – 1st in Conference – 1st in NHL
Ovechkin(18g) has regressed even further(83ovr), but remains a dominant offensive force leading our team with 38pts. The adjustments I made to the bottom 6 and our PP worked out and we’re sitting pretty atop the standings. Young defensemen Roger Skuin(35pts) has already surpassed his rookie season point total! While rookie Rod Stortini(21pts) continues to impress me. In net the Holtbeast(24-5-1) has been on a rampage with a 92.0%sv and 2.28gaa.
Brady Skjei(47pts) is leading all defensemen while Sidney Crosby(51pts) leads everyone in scoring. The Golden Knights have the top rookie this year with Travis Greening(2019 2nd overall) scoring at point per game pace(40pts). The Admirals have 2 rookies in the top 5 with Elias Pettersson(28pts) and Lars Albelin(22pts), drafted in 2017 and 2018 respectively. Our own Rod Stortini(21pts) rounds out the top 5.
HER 40-Game Recap
58pts – 27-9-4 – 2.85gfpg – 1.90gapg – 17.0%pp – 84.2%pk
1st in Division – 1st in Conference – 1st in AHL
Our defense has been impeccable and is the driving force behind the offense as well. Niklas Hansson(27pts) is leading the charge with Liljegren(17pts) and Valiev(15pts) contributing their fair share. Rookies Norm Blake(22pts), Russ Gerbe(20pts), Ken Buss(17pts), and Bobby Goddard(9pts) are looking good.
News @ Game 42
We won 8-4 over CGY in a game littered with offense.
Trade @ Game 44
TWD Nathan Beaulieu – 84ovr 28yrs – Top 4 D – 1yr $6.000M
I don’t think we need him and I only brought him back as a free agent because there was literally no one better available. He’s been rather lackluster with 7pts and a neutral(0) +/- rating. I think they overpaid, but I’m not complaining LOL. Sergej Valentenko(7pts in 44gp, AHL) will be called up from Hershey to replace him. Valentenko was tested last season with 70gp for WSH before losing his spot to Brett Kulak during training camp. He was a +6 with 5pts during that span. I’m confident he can muster a bit more offense and he’s already proven he’s a capable defender. This is the opportunity he needs to establish himself as a solid top 4 defensemen. Right after this deal TOR tried to snag Brett Kulak from me for a measly 5th… Of course that offer was declined, LOL.
WSH 61-Game Recap
92pts – 44-13-4 – 3.28gfpg – 2.20gapg – 24.0%pp – 82.6%pk
1st in Division – 1st in Conference – 1st in NHL
We’re easily the team to beat this year and I honestly believe our toughest competition will come from the Penguins in the 2nd round. Sophomore defensemen Roger Skuin(6g) has exploded for 55pts in 60gp while Jakub Vrana(28g) has already surpassed his career high of 26g! Both of these young studs will help secure a Stanley Cup in what could be Ovechin’s final year. Ovi has 29g and 60pts even though he’s regressed considerably from an 86ovr to an 83ovr. His skating and defense are now detrimental to the top-6. He’ll remain there for the rest of the season, but it’s likely he’ll bump down for the playoffs. He’s too much of a defensive liability.
Crosby(75pts) remains atop the league with Grioux(74pts) and Seguin(73pts) right behind him. Rookie Travis Greening(54pts) has run away with the Calder Trophy. Brady Skjei is leading all defensemen with 68pts while Holtby(37w) is the favorite for the Vezina.
HER 61-Game Recap
81pts – 37-17-7 – 2.72gfpg – 1.97gapg – 17.7%pp – 82.6%pk
1st in Division – 2nd in Conference – 4th in AHL
The Bears have the luxury of being a top team without much pressure considering their recent success. Should they get bounced in the 1st round well then that would cause some alarms to go off, however that seems unlikely. Defensemen Niklas Hansson(44pts) is leading the team with reclamation project Aleksi Saarela(40pts) leading the forwards. Our true hero has been Denis Godla(24-11-6) in net with a 93.1%sv and a remarkable 1.81gaa.
Trade Deadline
HYB Russ Corrado – 59ovr 20yrs – Low Fringe Starter – 2019 6th WSH(179th)
I had received several offers with Corrado and Brett Kulak as package. I refused to move Kulak and finally received this offer, I’m happy with the return.
News @ Game 77
Braden Holtby was recovering from a minor injury and had just returned to backup Grubauer for this game. Grubauer is expected to be out until June. Denis Godla was called up from Hershey to serve as backup.
WSH End of Season Recap
112pts – 52-22-8 – 2.95gfpg – 2.24gapg – 21.0%pp – 84.0%pk
1st in Division – 1st in Conference – 2nd in NHL
The Oilers edged past us with 53 regulation wins. We struggled with injuries and finished 3-4-3 in our final 10 games.
Jakub Vrana(54pts) scored a career high 31g manning the top line. Filip Zadina(23pts) bested his rookie season points total while playing a significantly reduced role. Rookies Rod Stortini(41pts) and Kyle Bouma(31pts) stood out while Boos(23pts) and Galiev(19pts) had decent years.
Roger Skuin(66pts) had a fantastic sophomore season and is easily our best blue liner. He tied Aaron Ekblad for 4th among NHL defensemen in scoring.
Holtby(43-12-4) led the league with 43w and will probably snag the Jennings(1.92gaa) and the Vezina.
Mister Positive(+/-) – C PLY Nicklas Backstrom +27
The Missing Link(PIM) – TWD Madison Bowey & RW PWF Anthony Mantha 45pim
Clutch(GWG) – LW SNP Alexander Ovechkin 8gwg
Dot Hero(FO%) – C PLY Nicklas Backstrom 56.3%
The Hammer(Hits) – RW PWF Anthony Mantha 168h
Senior Clumsy(GV) – TWD John Carlson 91gv
Got Selke?(TK) – C PLY Vadim Shipachyov 64tk
Knuckles(Fights) – TWD Brett Kulak, TWD Roger Skuin, RW SNP Vyacheslav Galiev 1f
HER End of Season Recap
115pts – 54-21-7 – 2.73gfpg – 1.93gapg – 17.5%pp – 83.6%pk
1st in Division – 1st in Conference – 2nd in AHL
I’m surprised, but the Bakersfield Condors(117pts) beat us on points. The Richmond Renegades(100pts) finished 6th in the Eastern Conference, but did not qualify for the playoffs!? That’s a heartbreaker, LOL. We’ll be without our star net minder Godla(36-11-6) as he’ll be in Washington for their playoff run. Rookie goalie Alexis Gravel(17-9-1) looked alright and will be thrust into the starting role for the post season. Other rookie standouts include Norm Blake(40pts), Russ Gerbe(39pts), Ken Buss(30pts), and Brad Lysak(27pts).
Mister Positive(+/-) – LW TWF Norm Blake +31
The Missing Link(PIM) – TWD Rinat Valiev 74pim
Clutch(GWG) – TWD Bobby Goddard 6gwg
Dot Hero(FO%) – C TWF Marcus Kruger 57.3%
The Hammer(Hits) – TWD Rinat Valiev 173h
Senior Clumsy(GV) – TWD Bobby Goddard & LW PWF Fabian Haberstich 71gv
Got Selke?(TK) – C TWF Aleksi Saarela 70tk
Knuckles(Fights) – TWD Sergej Zubov 3f
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