NHL 19 Franchise Mode Thread

[David Suzuki]

Does anyone use auto scouting? Does the CPU do a good job at it?

I have since I'm still just getting the hang of things. I find it's really weird. It will get you a decent feel for prospects (find you a few gems) but there's still top ten prospects you know nothing about which seems unlike how a real hockey team would operate.. Once I buy the full game and play with it more I will do manual scouting.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Does anyone use auto scouting? Does the CPU do a good job at it?

It's good enough. You can auto scout for them to find prospects, and then narrow it down to ones you like and assign those prospects to specific scouts.

 

[Echo Roku]

This is my favorite part of the game by far, I spend probably 90% of my playing time on it. Haven't gotten 19 yet, but from the sounds of this thread, franchise mode got a significant update? Seems like mostly scouting has improved, anything else specific to franchise mode?

Fog of war, specifically. Gives everything from potential to overalls to trade a level of certainty. You need to scout to become more confident.

Basically it makes the drafting process a ton more fun. It also leaves the league around you something you need to tread carefully with, since you need to scout that too. Committing too much to amateur scouting can make trade and free agents options more limited and risky. Same in reverse.

Lots of fun, since it feels more like playing a game over gaming a system.

Does anyone use auto scouting? Does the CPU do a good job at it?

I typically set them up at the beginning of the year to go to certain places (make sure I hire people to cover each place well), and let them autoscout. After that they tend to do a good job. Sometimes but in and tell them to scout specific players, but beyond that it all works pretty well, at least

 

[ThomasG]

I have been through about 15 or so drafts across 3 different sims and I haven't seen a franchise goalie, has anyone seen one?

 

[Deku]

I have been through about 15 or so drafts across 3 different sims and I haven't seen a franchise goalie, has anyone seen one?

I drafted one in the 6th round and did see another a few years later in the same gm mode.

 

[ThomasG]

I drafted one in the 6th round and did see another a few years later in the same gm mode.

Do you recall what overall he got too?

 

[Deku]

Do you recall what overall he got too?

Right now he is 71 at 22 years old so I’m worried he might bust. I also grabbed a medium elite goalie who is younger and already higher rated

I was going to advance further this weekend but my power has been out the last 24 hrs

 

[M88K]

I have been through about 15 or so drafts across 3 different sims and I haven't seen a franchise goalie, has anyone seen one?

Back to back years
4th round
and
6th Round

the 4th rounder is my backup currently @ 85oa he's 22
the 6th rounder is my Minor starter @ 78 he's 21
I got the 4th rounder locked up for a decent price long term (3.5ish)
the 6th rounder wants like 4mil for 1 yr, so that is still very broken

 

[twiztidwolff]

Any feedback on how the simulation stuff works. Is the simming more realistic than NHL 18? Or does it still feel like rolling dice?

 

[Cor]

Any feedback on how the simulation stuff works. Is the simming more realistic than NHL 18? Or does it still feel like rolling dice?

Its better in the sense that if you have a good team
You’ll do well, and if you have a bad team you won’t.

The overall simulation is alright. Sometimes bad teams just do to well though

 

[SlapshotTheMovie]

I have been through about 15 or so drafts across 3 different sims and I haven't seen a franchise goalie, has anyone seen one?

Yes absolutely. I have done 3 sims now and in each sim was able to get one in the later rounds. With my sim of the Kings i got a franchise goalie in the 2nd and then another one in the 4th the next year.

 

[Echo Roku]

I have been through about 15 or so drafts across 3 different sims and I haven't seen a franchise goalie, has anyone seen one?

I currently have one franchise I am doing where I have two in my system.

Admittedly the first was definitely a bust. He was like 20 soon after I drafted him and he was still in his 50s.

 

[sandviper]

I assume franchise mode still runs 25 years? Do we still get the anticlimactic “you’ve completed franchise mode” and get kicked to the main menu?

 

[ledzeppelinfan1]

 

[n00bxQb]

There seems to be an excessive number of Elite and Franchise potential players being reported. I'm curious as to how that affects rosters and the in-game economy a decade into Franchise Mode.

 

[Echo Roku]

There seems to be an excessive number of Elite and Franchise potential players being reported. I'm curious as to how that affects rosters and the in-game economy a decade into Franchise Mode.

Its hard to say given fog of war, but I think its not as bad as it may seems.

Overalls are so low for later elite/franchise picks that it actually drives the chances of them developing well much lower. I can have a system fill of Elites and Top 6 F/Top 4 D and many will top out at the AHL level, or never become more than a bottom 6 NHLer (which there is an excess of, of course). This is especially true with the franchise goalies. From playing this a bit, it feels like their success rate of becoming franchise level is under 50%. Same with Medium Elite goaltenders later on. They all start at such low overalls that it really makes potentials feel like potentials. The only players that seem sure things to develop into top 6 talent are the elites/Franchises at the top of round one.

Given an NHL team gets 7 picks normally, it seems like they develop at chances that work pretty well balanced for the league. It actually feels a lot more realistic than it has in the past.

Of course, anyone could cheese this system by investing their scouting in just amateur scouting, trading for a ton of really cheap picks, and just filling your system with a million and a half prospects at all positions. Then proceed to dump the ones not at the head of the system onto other teams for a ton of other cheap picks regularly.

 

[SlapshotTheMovie]

I have been through about 15 or so drafts across 3 different sims and I haven't seen a franchise goalie, has anyone seen one?

I included photos for proof but it looks like they were taken down for size.

 

[542365]

So the salary cap.....that’s a problem. It doesn’t increase enough to account for the salaries and leaves a lot of star power in free agency because literally EVERY team is maxed out. I wish we could set our own escalators each year so we could have it increase enough for teams to keep their stars.

Love the fog of war and scouting system, and the sim engine seems reasonable enough, but I might play with the cap off so drafting, trades and scouting lead to success rather than cap constraints.

 

[Echo Roku]

So the salary cap.....that’s a problem. It doesn’t increase enough to account for the salaries and leaves a lot of star power in free agency because literally EVERY team is maxed out. I wish we could set our own escalators each year so we could have it increase enough for teams to keep their stars.

Love the fog of war and scouting system, and the sim engine seems reasonable enough, but I might play with the cap off so drafting, trades and scouting lead to success rather than cap constraints.

The problem isn't that the cap doesn't increase enough. Its that teams AI don't manage the cap to sign elite talent down the line. Though I suppose I can't speak towards like 15-25 years into the sim, though.

There's also the fact that some players are just dead set on getting to free agency, and will only accept a contract of a big percentage more than they actually would get in FA anyways. I've had players that declined offers from me that were lower than what they accepted from me when they hit the FA market right after.

The system does sort of seem intentional to promote that situation to exist. But again I don't think the AI tends to target players that were on their team and did that if it does happen.

 

[Hockey Rush]

Hey, guys, I need a hand if possible. I lucked out and landed 3rd Overall in the entry draft with my expansion team. Currently, there is a TWF Elite LW Forward in the mould of Markus Naslund ranked at #3. I would like to move to try and move up to #2 Overall for an Elite Centre. I am confused though based on their stat line. For the Centre, it says his skillsets are A for shooting and a bunch of other letters. The 3rd overall winger though has A's across the board. Are the Centre's low grades mean he's the worse player? Please let me know. I plan on doing the draft tomorrow afternoon PST.

Here are pics of the two players.

Kaminsky (2nd OA Center)
Granlund (3rd OA Left Winger)

I would much prefer to take a centre since my new expansion organization has zero centre prospects in its system. I'm confident I can find a good goalie prospect and some D in the later rounds. But if the left winger is going to be the far better player I have to go with him. It is confusing though that the Centre is the consensus #2 overall by Central Scouting and my Scouting Department.

Please let me know if you have any advice or knowledge of this system and which is the better prospect. Or if the grade ratings are a concern at all. I'm looking for an NHL ready player. If that is the winger he may be my best choice since my team stinks lol.

 

[Panthaz89]

Hey, guys, I need a hand if possible. I lucked out and landed 3rd Overall in the entry draft with my expansion team. Currently, there is a TWF Elite LW Forward in the mould of Markus Naslund ranked at #3. I would like to move to try and move up to #2 Overall for an Elite Centre. I am confused though based on their stat line. For the Centre, it says his skillsets are A for shooting and a bunch of other letters. The 3rd overall winger though has A's across the board. Are the Centre's low grades mean he's the worse player? Please let me know. I plan on doing the draft tomorrow afternoon PST.

Here are pics of the two players.

Kaminsky (2nd OA Center)
Granlund (3rd OA Left Winger)

I would much prefer to take a centre since my new expansion organization has zero centre prospects in its system. I'm confident I can find a good goalie prospect and some D in the later rounds. But if the left winger is going to be the far better player I have to go with him. It is confusing though that the Centre is the consensus #2 overall by Central Scouting and my Scouting Department.

Please let me know if you have any advice or knowledge of this system and which is the better prospect. Or if the grade ratings are a concern at all. I'm looking for an NHL ready player. If that is the winger he may be my best choice since my team stinks lol.

I assume both are medium elite potential it just means that the winger is more NHL ready or possibly your Russia scout isn't that accurate. Better off staying put and grabbing the LW since he looks like a safer bet.

 

[Echo Roku]

If you want NHL ready, then go for the LW.

Central scouting results aren’t supposed to be perfect. They can even change at the last second, or not

Shoot, the other team might take the LW over the center even. I once had a time I traded down from 1 to 2 because I preferred the 2nd overall consensus pick. But then they took him with pick 1.

 

[Victorious Secret]

There seems to be an excessive number of Elite and Franchise potential players being reported. I'm curious as to how that affects rosters and the in-game economy a decade into Franchise Mode.

I've only see probably 1-2 Franchise players max a year. Half the years show none.

There are quite a lot of players with elite potential. However, most have such low initial stats, they are unable to play, even in the minors for being so underleveled/get up to a playable overall by the time they are 25, at which point the elite potential matters little.


If anyone has a good predictor on what what to draft for (Character Assessment, Skills, Potential), fill me in. I'm not seeing these late round (3-7) steals that seem to be cropping up.

 

[Echo Roku]

Late round steals for me tend to just be high potentials identified or gems my scouts point out.

Basically any late round talent is going to start with bad stats, so it’s more about accumulating guys to give a chance

The easiest way to do this is to trade for lots of cheap picks and stock up on every potential steal, but that’s basically cheesing the system

The bigger key to getting this is effective scout distribution and quality, it feels. The more potential steals they can find, the more likely one of your late round risks turns out well

It would be interesting if there were traits like ‘work ethic’ that correlate with better chance of developing though

 

[Tak7]

There seems to be an excessive number of Elite and Franchise potential players being reported. I'm curious as to how that affects rosters and the in-game economy a decade into Franchise Mode.

I'm about 7 or 8 years in, and I haven't noticed anything too different to previous years of NHL.

Fact is, a lot of the later draft round "Elites" are quite heavy projects - players with lower overalls that you need to really be patient with if you want to see them develop. Some of them don't. So haven't noticed anything major