OT: Eastside Hockey Manager Releases New Game

[FlyingPhilly]

Thanks. Would really love to play this game, but do you think there is a chance they make a version for Mac? The money isn't a concern, just wondering. Or do you think getting Parallels is the way to go?

A version for Mac? I doubt it. It isn't that easy to port over as the background is totally different, Mac with Unix base and Windows with BIOS base. If the game gets popular enough it might though.

If you don't want to partition the drive on your Mac and use Bootcamp then I would use Parallels. Bootcamp is actually quite annoying to use IMO because you need to boot into the OS you want to use. With Parallels you can use both OS at the same time

 

[FLYERSG]

A version for Mac? I doubt it. It isn't that easy to port over as the background is totally different, Mac with Unix base and Windows with BIOS base. If the game gets popular enough it might though.

If you don't want to partition the drive on your Mac and use Bootcamp then I would use Parallels. Bootcamp is actually quite annoying to use IMO because you need to boot into the OS you want to use. With Parallels you can use both OS at the same time

Great. Thanks a lot.

 

[Fire Tortorella]

Third time around seems to be the charm for me.

Currently in my 2nd season (2015-2016). First season, started off 0-9-0, was in last or second to last in the conference for most of the season, but I made some moves and started to finally figure out tactics towards the end of the season and ended up with the 8th overall pick in the draft and got Marner.

In 15-16, my roster is:

Boedeker - Giroux - Voracek
Schenn - Couturier - Simmonds
Umberger - Laughton - Read
Cleary - Carter - Raffl
Andersson, Akeson

Del Zotto - Myers
Lashoff - (Connor) Murphy
Oduya - Streit
Manning

Andersen
Zepp (progressed surprisingly well in the AHL last season)

I don't usually like to play like this and make a bunch of trades, but I figured I need to figure out how to actually win in this game before I put those types of rules on myself. In general, I've found that you can get some pretty good deals if players are put on the block by their GMs. While Oduya and most of my 4th line were FA signings, I think everyone but Murphy were acquired when they were put on the block. Usually only takes a good prospect (****, maybe ***) and a 2nd or 3rd round pick. Was out of the playoffs for most of the season, but we've skyrocketed up to 7th in the conference and are rising.

Gostisbehere, Hagg, and Morin are all doing well in the minors, and each have a chance to progress to the NHL next season depending on their off-season progression. Gostisbehere is lighting up the league offensively, but his defense needs some work before he makes the jump.

Taylor Leier and Michael Joly are both tearing up the AHL, either near or at PPG. Leier has a chance to win a 4th line spot next season. Not sure Joly will ever crack the NHL, but he's already exceeded expectations as a 4th round pick.

Stolarz is meh. Not really progressing, not doing great in the AHL either. At one point, I know he had a .920 SV%, but he's down to a .888 now. Not sure he's ever going to make it.

Outside the AHL, my top prospects are Marner, Aube-Kubel, Ilya Sampsonov, and Jesper Lindgren. Sanheim isn't doing too hot, and my scouts don't think too highly of him. He surprised in my last save in the same scenario, so we'll see how that goes.


Thanks for the advice you gave about prospects and ELCs Appleyard. I've found that giving prospects once they've hit 19 years old (or earlier if they really prove it) an ELC and calling them up really help, as well as perhaps over-ripening them in the AHL. I'm trying to give each prospect a full AHL season before they even sniff the NHL.

 

[Appleyard]

Lost to Anaheim 4-2 in the 2017 Cup Final.

Giroux 83 in 82. 3rd in Hart.

Voracek ~75 points.

Couturier & Schenn both got ~65 points.

Simmonds & Raffl both got ~55-60 points.

Laughton & Zykov both got ~40 points. Zykov hit 23 goals and won the Calder.

Read is done.

Leier-Kruger-Helm finished year as 4th. Played well.

Johnson got 45 points. He is a low end #1.

Morin got 35 points. He is a #2 already.

Gostisbehere got 42 points. Suspect D but offensive gem. Best skater in the NHL.

AMac just solid top 4 guy.

Hamhuis started the year great and fell away.

MDZ got 25 points. Should be playing more but not better than any other D.

Mason 2nd in Conn Smythe. .917 sv%.

Stolarz .908 sv%. 30 games played.

Sanheim made his NHL debut in the playoffs when Hamhuis & Hagg went down.

 

[Appleyard]

Going into 2017-18:

Traded Hamhuis at the draft for Gabriel Carlsson (good D prospect) and a 4th round pick.

Drafted 2 Dmen in the 1st. One from the Q with Dallas's pick (15th). One from Sweden with my own 29th pick. Both BPA...

Straight after the draft I traded 2 of my forward prospects (both project to be 3rd liners) and the 2018 2nd for Olle Eriksson Ek, he went 12th in the 2017 draft and the only position I needed prospect wise was goalie. Effectively meant I got 3 first round guys in the 2017 draft.

Traded Read for Noah Juulsen (projects as a #5, is 20 now) and a guy drafted in the 2017 3rd round. (plays LW and LD, from Sweden)

Signed Brent Burns for 3 years at $4m. He is 32 but a slight upgrade on Hamhuis and younger.

Lineup going into 2017-18:

Raffl -- Giroux -- Voracek
Schenn -- Couturier -- Simmonds
Svechnikov -- Laughton -- Zykov
Leier -- Kruger -- Helm
Parks

Morin -- Johnson
Gostisbehere -- Burns
Sanheim -- MacDonald

Mason
Stolarz

Svechnikov was QMJHL player of the year and got ~95 points in 60 games on one of the worst teams. He could well end up on Girouxs LW by the end of the season.

Parks was 2nd best AHL forward to Lindblom, but Lindblom needs more seasoning.

Sanheim started slow in the AHL but finished with 45 points and was rated better than MDZ by the end of the season.

Hagg had a good AHL season and is 1st call-up. He is good enough for the NHL but I think he will be traded next year as Roy is a righty and almost as good at 2 years younger. AMac or Burns will give way... depends how they play.

Jeremy Roy is now in the AHL. He was the best Q d last year and is just slightly worse than Hagg.

Clayton Keller and Travis Barron (my two high end forward prospects, both 2016 1st rounders) are both in the CHL and doing nicely. Both likely end up 2nd liners.

 

[Flukeshot]

Won the Cup in my third season. Team was pretty much overhauled in the first offseason.

Has Couturier been any good for anyone? He's constantly a 6 rating for me. I play him as third line centre.

 

[Appleyard]

Won the Cup in my third season. Team was pretty much overhauled in the first offseason.

Has Couturier been any good for anyone? He's constantly a 6 rating for me. I play him as third line centre.

His first 3 seasons for me he had:

~56 points
~50 points
~60 points

that being said his ratings were always lower than you would expect for his +/- and production. He had one game with two goals and an assist, +3, over 20 mins TOI and only got a 6 rating! It is a bit like Jtown is giving out the ratings on the game! Laughton for me is the same... his attributes are all green now, unbelievably well rounded, scoring ~40 points a year as 3C and a constant + and he always gets 6 ratings.

 

[kudymen]

His first 3 seasons for me he had:

~56 points
~50 points
~60 points

that being said his ratings were always lower than you would expect for his +/- and production. He had one game with two goals and an assist, +3, over 20 mins TOI and only got a 6 rating! It is a bit like Jtown is giving out the ratings on the game! Laughton for me is the same... his attributes are all green now, unbelievably well rounded, scoring ~40 points a year as 3C and a constant + and he always gets 6 ratings.

Had similar trouble with Shea Weber in my game, usualy rating of 6,7X for about 6 seasons. It was frustrating, because I really wanted to have Weber on the Flyers finally

 

[Appleyard]

Had similar trouble with Shea Weber in my game, usualy rating of 6,7X for about 6 seasons. It was frustrating, because I really wanted to have Weber on the Flyers finally

Tbf I don't care about it that much... so long as they are producing the ratings don't matter to me and I am not going to move them down the lineup or anything.

The problem is that if a guy averaged under ~6.7 for longer than a few months they start to lose points in attributes ratings once they get to their ~mid 20's.

I actually started monitoring Couturier and Laughtons ratings every game... and a bizarre thing was happening, often they would have ratings of 7 or 8 pretty much all game long... then on their last or 2nd to last shift it would just go down to a 6, without them getting a goal against, or taking a penalty, or allowing a great chance. Bizarre.

 

[Appleyard]

That being said it is not too big a deal, for me the game is fantastic, and almost ready to be a 'full' game that could be sold for £20+pounds/$30+dollars.

The pressing changes needed are:

AI cap management/waivers need sorting out. It is ~75% of the problems with the game. Teams sign mediocre FAs when they have capspace, or trade at the deadline for guys with ~3 years left on their deal, then don't trade anyone, then the roster limits/cap deadlines come up and they waive a guy on ~5+million... who are usually top 6 forwards/top 4 D.

AI trades are generally fair-ish in value. But prospects are kind of underrated in trades, guys who are almost locks to be ~2nd liners/2nd pairing D can be had really easily. Also teams who are rebuilding sometimes make weird trades getting rid of prospects for old guys. Too many prospect for prospect/prospect for pick trades.

3rd line/3rd pairing UFAs get too big for their britches. Guys like ~Korpikoski, Joel Ward, Bergeheim ask for more money in UFA than anyone would give them, so are just generally FA's until they retire, or sign in Europe for far less... when they are better than guys in the NHL on 3rd lines. Makes no sense, wont accept ~1.5mill off an NHL team but will sign for an SHL or NLA team for 1/3 of that money or less.

Lower levels need better coaches. Especially NCAA.

NCAA should have better players. After a few years the quality is awful, they sign loads of Euros who would not make their own leagues 5th tiers... but don't sign American and Canadian top round talent... who on their bios say they want to play College hockey! This means these guys play at high school until they make it Pro... as they do not want to accept a CHL role, but no College will give them a place! It happened with me to with my 2016 1st round pick Clayton Keller... he was left playing at Shattuck until 1 year after being drafted, refusing to sign with his OHL draft team as he wanted to play College Hockey... I signed him and sent him to the OHL. Matthew Tkachuk on my game was an FA in his draft year as Notre Dame let him go after 2 games for them, when he was their best player! WTF... he went 6th in the draft!

 

[Insulin]

How do I get a good goalie? Mason is terrible for me every game I start.

 

[Appleyard]

How do I get a good goalie? Mason is terrible for me every game I start.

Get a better D.

Honestly it is the only way.

Flyers D is probably the worst rated on the game. Streit is a #3, MacDonald a #4, MDZ a #5, Schultz, Grossmann, Gudas and Schenn are #6s. Schenn, Gudas and Schultz are out of the league by 2017 in my experience, and Grossmann is a #6 on another team by then.

Judge the goalie more off his rating (~7.5+ average is good.) than his sv% on the game.

For me Mason had below .900 for the first 30 games of the first season until I acquired Erik Johnson. He finished the year at .910. 2nd year I further overhauled the D... he put up .918. 3rd year he put up .918 again and had the 7th best rating of any NHL goalie... he rolled at .933 in the playoffs in my 3rd season.

Also for me Stolarz has developed into a reasonable NHL backup. (2016-17 he broke in, putting up .910.)

 

[kudymen]

Tbf I don't care about it that much... so long as they are producing the ratings don't matter to me and I am not going to move them down the lineup or anything.

The problem is that if a guy averaged under ~6.7 for longer than a few months they start to lose points in attributes ratings once they get to their ~mid 20's.

I actually started monitoring Couturier and Laughtons ratings every game... and a bizarre thing was happening, often they would have ratings of 7 or 8 pretty much all game long... then on their last or 2nd to last shift it would just go down to a 6, without them getting a goal against, or taking a penalty, or allowing a great chance. Bizarre.

Ad bolded - same here, no reason to panic as long as they do their job. The only problem was that the extremely passionate fanbase started calling for his head because of those ratings, Weber's morale went lower and that was a dangerous spiral sometimes.

 

[Insulin]

Get a better D.

Honestly it is the only way.

Flyers D is probably the worst rated on the game. Streit is a #3, MacDonald a #4, MDZ a #5, Schultz, Grossmann, Gudas and Schenn are #6s. Schenn, Gudas and Schultz are out of the league by 2017 in my experience, and Grossmann is a #6 on another team by then.

Judge the goalie more off his rating (~7.5+ average is good.) than his sv% on the game.

For me Mason had below .900 for the first 30 games of the first season until I acquired Erik Johnson. He finished the year at .910. 2nd year I further overhauled the D... he put up .918. 3rd year he put up .918 again and had the 7th best rating of any NHL goalie... he rolled at .933 in the playoffs in my 3rd season.

Also for me Stolarz has developed into a reasonable NHL backup. (2016-17 he broke in, putting up .910.)

I did notice Mason being better as my D prospects reached the team and a couple transactions, but I just signed Price.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

I stopped playing because the waiver wire and free agency movement were just too unrealistic.

But another flaw I picked up is the player stats in the draft. I think McDavid - who still was drafted first - averaged only 1/3 of a point per game. And it's a common flaw. Prospects stats make no sense.

 

[Appleyard]

I stopped playing because the waiver wire and free agency movement were just too unrealistic.

But another flaw I picked up is the player stats in the draft. I think McDavid - who still was drafted first - averaged only 1/3 of a point per game. And it's a common flaw. Prospects stats make no sense.

It is tied heavily to one of the flaws I pointed out I believe.

Non pro level staff have abysmal attributes... so coaches, GMs etc have no clue what they are doing and no evaluatory skills. So top prospects who are better than other guys end up playing on their teams 3rd lines.

Only ~15 of the CHL teams have competent staff on it.

It happened to me with Aube-Kubel post draft... I scout the junior team, he is the best player on it according to my scout with 20/20 evaulating ability and potential... yet the coach was using him as 3C and not on the PP. 1st year AHL he put up more PPG than last year junior...

It does not affect development too much... apart from High School players who never go to college, and if undrafted at CHL level are basically ****ed... as you can sign them and send them to the CHL if drafted.

Clayton Keller was playing on the 2nd line and 2nd PP for Shattuck before I signed and sent him to the OHL... he was so far and away their best player it was preposterous.

I mean... they do not need to make the CHL staff NHL level (apart from a few who are) but they should be better than ECHL coaches and close to AHL level if not similar. Some of the staff on CHL teams have no stats over 10... NCAA is even worse.

 

[flyers0909]

I've noticed that a decent amount of players are easily had because they are unhappy and their team puts them on the block. I'm still on my first save and I decided to not go realistic and just build the best team I can. I tanked my first 2 seasons and now I'm on my third season and this is my team:

Jamie Benn - Giroux - Voracek
Vanek - Eller - Simmonds
Lucic - Couturier - Schenn
Raffl - Kruger - Bellemare

Morin - Ghost
Sanheim - Hadyn Fleury
Hagg - Alt

Mason
Stolarz

In terms of prospects I have McDavid, Matthews, Provorov, and then a slew of guys I got in the later rounds who have actually turned out to be great prospects. I'm letting McDavid just dominate juniors and he will definitely be my 2C at the start of next season.

Benn is absolutely insane on that first line. If it weren't for the fact that he got injured for a month he'd definitely be in the running for the Art Ross.

 

[saophim]

In my game, I have won Presidents' Trophy & Stanley Cup in 3rd season (2016-17) and Calder Cup with Phantoms as a bonus.

Line up:

Schenn - Giroux - Voracek
Raffl - Hertl - Simmonds
Lee - Couturier - White
Bellemare - Laughton - Akeson
A. Killorn

A. Edler - MDZ
Gustafsson - Streit
Gostisbehere - Manning
#7 C. Ceci / J.Krejcik

Mason
Hammond

Head Coach: Berube
Assistants: D. Hatcher, J. Mullen, J. Reese, J. Quenneville, P. Maurice

In playoffs first line ruled (each of them scored at least 1.2 PPG), but our best player was Mason (recorded 92,6% in 24 games). Killorn also played well in playoffs (in 3rd line and PP2).



As for Phantoms, future is bright:

K. Fiala - Cousins - Duclair
S. Matteau - Aube-Kubel - P. Straka
T. Leier - Forsbacka-Karlsson - O. Lindblom
Fazleev - O. Lindberg - C. Sanford

Morin - Alt
Hägg - Pettersson
G. Carlsson - Sanheim
Friedman

Stolarz/Madsen

For playoffs run joined by Jesper Lindgren and Brock Boeser - both developing really great and Jakub Krejcik (re-assigned from Flyers, where #7 spot was occupied by Cody Cecci for playoffs)


After season - decided to not extend Berube's contract, will promote J.Quenneville to HC and hire new assistant coach.
Let walk away Bellemare.
Have around 15 m$ in cap space.

As for development of prospects, following did really well and their attributes raised significantly:
Morin, J. Lindgren, Duclair, Boeser, Gostisbehere, Forsbacka-Karlsson, A. Mascherin, S. Matteau

Rather stagnating: Hägg, Sanheim, Fiala, Laughton, Cousins

Altogether development is much slower than in EHM 2007.

As for McDavid - he plays for Buffalo and is rather disappointing
but
Jack Eichel lead Coyotes to playoffs from 3rd position in WC posting 23+39, has great attributes and will be ultimate stud.

 

[RinaldoZac]

How do i import current rosters into EHM?

 

[Chinatown88]

How do i import current rosters into EHM?

http://www.ehmtheblueline.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13590

Download the file from One Drive and there's a PDF file explaining how to import current rosters.

 

[Alchemy]

So in my game i thought this was gold lol.

Hextall fired Hakstol and hired Glenn Patrick only to fire him later in the season and then Hexy gets canned. He traded Sanheim and the rights of Friedman for Curtis Lazar lol. He traded Voracek and Laughton for Ennis. TERRIBLE. Ron Wilson was hired as coach and eventually the new GM Mike Gillis haha.

I'm going to draft Puljujarvi.

 

[Fire Tortorella]

I want to like EHM...but compared to FM and OOTP...there's just something missing.

 

[Alchemy]

I want to like EHM...but compared to FM and OOTP...there's just something missing.

I used to play EHM going all the way back to the original freeware version. I've stuck with it because EA Sports cannot figure out how to make a ****ing hockey game. EHM for me is the best thing out. Plus i like how in depth the game goes. Its not perfect but i can work with it.

 

[Appleyard]

I want to like EHM...but compared to FM and OOTP...there's just something missing.

I think that once:

You add all the facepacks, logopacks, award photos, skin elements etc.

Get the latest TBL roster updates.

Just a fantastic resource:

http://www.ehmtheblueline.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=101


The game is as good as FM. (and I love FM... though don't like the newer ones as much tbh... the training now is crap and the default graphics are crowded and akward IMO... and I hate the 3D games!)

 

[Alchemy]

I think that once:

You add all the facepacks, logopacks, award photos, skin elements etc.

Get the latest TBL roster updates.

Just a fantastic resource:

http://www.ehmtheblueline.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=101


The game is as good as FM. (and I love FM... though don't like the newer ones as much tbh... the training now is crap and the default graphics are crowded and akward IMO... and I hate the 3D games!)

I agree. I've always been a big fan of all the guys at TBL. I love the work they do on the rosters and facepacks.