NHL 19 Franchise Mode Thread

[Serac]

Been a while since I've been here. Figured I would have some fun with starting a new expansion team.
This is purely for fun, so I'm not going to have super restrictive rules, and I'm going to cheese the odd thing here and there.

I'll be playing with injuries off, as well as fog of war off.

Introducing the...
British Columbia Monarchs

The premise behind this Franchise series is to basically build through the draft. Until I can properly build a competitive team, I will lightly restrict myself.
I'm a team desperately trying to build itself up. No trading high draft picks for players and the likes. I won't allow myself to sign good free agents because most highly touted free agents want a good team to play for.
Until I am a competitive team, these are my restrictions.

Again, I do intend to have fun, so I may give myself a little leeway here and there.
Expansion draft time.

Spoiler: Expansion Draft

ANA - BPA: Miller (82)
Actual selection: Sieloff (74)

ARI - BPA: Demers (82)
Actual selection: Chaput (75)

BOS - BPA: Johansson (83), Halak (83)
Actual selection: McNeill (73)

BUF - BPA: Ullmark (80)
Actual selection: Wedgewood (75)

CAL - BPA: Stone (80)
Actual selection: Rychel (74)

CAR - BPA: Van Riemsdyk (80)
Actual selection: Carrick (74)

CHI - BPA: Ward (81), Murphy (80)
Actual selection: Davidson (75)

COL - BPA: Cole (81), Grubauer (81)
Actual selection: Kosmachuk (72)

CBJ - BPA: Kinkaid (83), Korpisalo (81)
Actual selection: Berube (75)

DAL - BPA: Khudobin (82)
Actual selection: Polak (75)

DET - BPA: Bernier (81)
Actual selection: Puempel (75)

EDM - BPA: Larsson (83)
Actual selection: Malone (74)

FLA - BPA: Reimer (82)
Actual selection: Dea (76)

LAK - BPA: Martinez (83)
Actual selection: Clifford (78)

MIN - BPA: Stalock (80)
Actual selection: Ferraro (73)

MON - BPA: Shaw (80)
Actual selection: Thompson (75)

NAS - BPA: Ellis (84)?
Actual selection: Di Giuseppe (75)

NJD - BPA: Mueller (79)
Actual selection: Murphy (72)

NYI - BPA: Hickey (82), Greiss (82)
Actual selection: Johnston (71)

NYR - BPA: Claesson (77)
Actual selection: Tokarski (72)

OTT - BPA: Condon (80)
Actual selection: Rodewald (69, nice)

PHI - BPA: Elliot (82)
Actual selection: Carey (72)

PIT - BPA: Schultz (83)
Actual selection: Czuczman (73)

SJS - BPA: Vlasic (85)?
Actual selection: Haley (75)

STL - BPA: Allen (82), Maroon (81)
Actual selection: Lindbohm (74)

TBL - BPA: Gourde (84)?, Stralman (83)
Actual selection: Gaunce (71)

TOR - BPA: Hutchinson (80)
Actual selection: LoVerde (71)

VAN - BPA: Beagle (79)
Actual selection: Gaunce (77)

WSH - BPA: Connolly (80)
Actual selection: Sgarbossa (73)

WPG - BPA: Brossolt (80), Perreault (80)
Actual selection: Lipon (72)

I didn't pick the absolute worst player on every team, and I've tried to keep the team relatively young. I did absolutely stay away from the "BPA", as tempting as some picks may have been.

With my core in place, we go onto the clearly fresh 2018 entry draft !

Spoiler: 2018 Draft Results

NYR 1st overall: Med Elite (80)
Edmonton 2nd overall: Med Elite (77)
Montreal 3rd overall: Med Elite (77)
Buffalo 4th overall: Med Elite (80)
Ottawa 5th overall: Med Elite (80)

BCM 6th overall: E. Engel - Med Top 4 D (76)

Arizona 7th overall: Med Top 6 F (70)
Detroit 8th overall: Med Top 6 F (67)
Vancouver 9th overall: Med Top 6 F (65)
Chicago 10th overall: Med Top 6 F (63)

BCM 35th overall: 7th D (50)
BCM 67th overall: Low Elite (56)
BCM 99th overall: Bottom 6 F (49)
BCM 131st overall: Bottom 6 F (50)
BCM 163rd overall: 7th D (58)
BCM 195th overall: AHL Top 6 F (57)
BCM 209th overall: AHL Top 6 F (60)

BCM trades M. Chaput to the Colorado Avalanche for 2018 7th (209) & 2019 7th

Got a nice nhl ready defenseman on a poor team ! As well as hitting on a decent 3rd rounder. That 2nd round pick is disappointing however.

With the draft over, it's onto the resign phase, and then free agency !

Spoiler: Free Agency

RELEASE : Malone (74), Berube (75)
Cited they wanted to test free agency.

BIG FISH:
E. Karlsson (90)
Marner (88) RFA
Point (88) RFA
Duchene (86)
W. Karlsson (85) RFA
Simmonds (85)
Zuccarello (84)
Lee (84)
Nyquist (84)
Thornton (84)

Lehner (85)

-BCM trade COL 2019 7th to Arizona for Hossa, TB 2019 5th, ANA 2019 7th
-BCM trade ANA 2019 7th to NYR for Staal, CBJ 2019 4th, CBJ 2019 7th
-BCM trade CBJ 2019 7th to OTT for Gaborik, OTT 2019 5th, OTT 2019 7th

BCM sign:
Mason (80) - Age: 30 - 1.3m x 2
Wilson (80) - Age: 28 - 2.7m x 3
Panik (80) - Age:27 - 2.7m x 2
Sustr (79) - Age: 27 - 2.2m x 1
Gunnarsson (79) - Age 31: 2m x 1
MAX CHEESE
Bitetto (76) - Age: 28 - 15m x 1
Hemsky (76) - Age: 35 - 15m x 1

Notes:
-NJD sign Duchene to 6.11m x 7 deal
-TB retains Erne (78, low top 6) after Min offer sheet of 1.58m x 1 was matched (3rd round pick would have been compensation)
-Min acquires M. Subban (81, med starter) from VGK after a 1.51m x 1 offer sheet. VGK gets Min 2019 3rd round pick.

Chicago signs E. Karlsson - 8.24m x 1
Arizona signs Nyquist - 4.565m x 1
Vancouver signs Lee - 5.725 x 5
Montreal signs Simmonds - 5.045m x 1
Minnesota signs Zuccarello - 4.755m x 1
Detroit signs Thornton - 4.49m x 1
NYI signs Lehner - 2.375m x 1

-NJD acquire Burakovsky (79, med top 6 f) from WSH after a 3.505m x 3 offer sheet. WSH gets NJD 2019 2nd in return.
-CAR acquire M. Pettersson (78, med top 4 d) from PIT after a 1.45m x 3 offer sheet. PIT gets CAR 2019 3rd.
-PHI acquire Johnsson (80, med top 6 f) from TOR after a 3.78m x 3 offer sheet. TOR gets PHI 2019 2nd.

Malone and Berube are still free agents. Rude.

And with that, we hit preseason and the regular season. Excited to see my results simming through with the literal worst team in the league !

Spoiler: Lineup in messy tables

Wilson (80)	Dea (76)	Panik (80)
Gaborik (78)	Thompson (75)	Clifford (78)
Hossa (77)	Gaunce (77)	Hemsky (76)
Puempel (75)	Di Giuseppe (75)	Haley (75)

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Gunnarsson (79)	Sustr (79)
Staal (78)	Bitteto (76)
Engel (76)	Davidson (75)

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Mason (80)

Wedgewood (75)

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Overall:
OFF: 83
DEF: 86
GOA: 84

Consider me surprised by that defensive rating.

 

[Its a Trap]

This is such a guilty addiction for me considering how View the franchise overall but I love just building the team.

I use the devils. I made myself in the game as I like to play it as sort of a be a pro since the real be a pro sucks and it’s really extra motivation to not get fired(technically should be real easy). So, 12 seasons in:

Game mode remarks: good Christ the draft just shits out an absurd amount of goaltending. I had in the organization potential wise: a medium franchise, high elite, and high starter. The high starter was the first one I drafted and he reached an 86 at 23 and hasn’t budged since. He backstopped the squad to 4 straight cups winning the conn smythe and vezina the last 2 years in a row. Stayed an 86 but wanted 9 million in extension talks. So I traded him in favor of his backup(the franchisee) who by then was 21 and an 84 and had just signed an extension for 6.7 million a year for 8 years. It’s been 2 1/2 seasons since the trade and he went up to an 88 and had a pedestrian season(.917) and then broke his collar bone in the first game of the second round. Improved to a 92 and had another pedestrian season (.919) but had a great playoff (cup win). Meanwhile the traded player remained the 86 and posting .929 and .927). And then the high starter was drafted in like the 5th round and his trade bar is nearly full.

Right wing is nearly nonexistent in my sim right now and the draft is so barren of it.

 

[Serac]

2018/2019 Regular Season

BCM signs C. Driedger (70, med fringe starter) to 750k x 2 contract.

BCM signs A. Lindholm (76, high 7th D) to 750k x 2 contract.

Half way through the season at the 41 game mark, the Monarchs have a surprising 18-20-3 record. They are currently ahead of 6 other teams in the basement of the league. A shock, considering the lineup they are icing.

Spoiler: Trade Deadline Month

BCM trade C. Gunnarsson & TBL 2019 5th to COL for OTT 2019 3rd
(CPU suggested trade)

ARI trade J. Demers, ARI 2020 3rd, ARI 2020 4th to FLA for S. Noel (67, Med Top 6 F) & R. Stillman (66, Low Top 6 D)

OTT trade A. Duclair (80, Low Top 6 F) to FLA for FLA 2020 2nd

LAK trade D. Forbort & B. Lovejoy to WPG for WPG 2019 2nd & WPG 2020 2nd
(Awful value for Winnipeg here)

VAN trades A. Lee & VAN 2020 3rd to BUF for BUF 2020 1st & BUF 2019 3rd

BCM trade A. Sustr to CGY for CGY 2019 3rd
(CPU suggested trade, where I took out all of the fluff of small picks going each way)

DAL trades T. Dellandrea (65, Med Top 6F) & DAL 2019 4th to NJD for P. Zacha (78, Low Top 6 F), NJD 2020 2nd, BOS 2020 4th

The British Columbia Monarchs season ends in 31st with 69 points (nice). They were somehow out tanked by the San Jose Sharks, who had 67 points.

Spoiler: Regular Season Stats

The Colorado Avalanche finish the season with 108 points, winning the presidents trophy.

V. Tarasenko ends the season with 113 points, as the only player to score more than 100 points.
The next closest player was N. MacKinnon with 97 points.

V. Tarasenko also absolutely demolished the league scoring 71 goals. (Seriously, how)
The next closest player was A. Ovechkin who had a whopping 61 goals. The next closest after Ovechkin was N. MacKinnon with a "measly" 44 goals.


British Columbia Monarchs leading scorers:
N. Thompson and A. Hemsky tie with 51 points.

Thompson however leads the team in goals by a large margin with 31.
C. Wilson, K. Clifford, and M. Hossa all had 18 for second place on the team.

S. Mason had a 22-32-12 record in his first season with the Monarchs.
.913 sv%, 2.87 GAA and 3 shutouts
Not much more you can ask for from a middling goalie on a terrible expansion team.

S. Wedgewood went 6-12-1 in his backup role.
.894 sv%, 3.44 GAA, and 1 shutout.
Fairly lackluster but again, shouldn't expect more from the 2nd worst team in the league.

Spoiler: playoffs

STL vs NSH (STL wins 4-1)
COL vs ARI (COL wins 4-2)
CGY vs VGK (CGY wins 4-3)
ANA vs DAL (DAL wins 4-3)

NJD vs PIT (NJD wins 4-3)
NYR vs BUF (NYR wins (4-0)
OTT vs BOS (BOS wins 4-2)
TOR vs WSH (TOR wins 4-2)
------
COL vs STL (STL wins 4-2)
CGY vs DAL (DAL wins 4-0)

NYR vs NJD (NYR wins 4-2)
TOR vs BOS (TOR wins 4-0)
------
STL vs DAL (DAL wins 4-3)

NYR vs TOR (TOR wins 4-1)
------
DAL vs TOR (DAL wins 4-0)
(Very much expected Toronto to win)

A. Bitteto brings home the first trophy for the BCM by winning the Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy.
Nothing says dedication to hockey like playing for a 15m contract!

The Draft lottery is in.
1st: Detroit
2nd: Buffalo (via SJS)
3rd: Vancouver
4th: British Columbia
5th: Montreal
6th: Los Angeles
7th: NY Islanders
8th: Edmonton
9th: Carolina
10th: Florida

 

[Serac]

This is such a guilty addiction for me considering how View the franchise overall but I love just building the team.

I use the devils. I made myself in the game as I like to play it as sort of a be a pro since the real be a pro sucks and it’s really extra motivation to not get fired(technically should be real easy). So, 12 seasons in:

Game mode remarks: good Christ the draft just ****s out an absurd amount of goaltending. I had in the organization potential wise: a medium franchise, high elite, and high starter. The high starter was the first one I drafted and he reached an 86 at 23 and hasn’t budged since. He backstopped the squad to 4 straight cups winning the conn smythe and vezina the last 2 years in a row. Stayed an 86 but wanted 9 million in extension talks. So I traded him in favor of his backup(the franchisee) who by then was 21 and an 84 and had just signed an extension for 6.7 million a year for 8 years. It’s been 2 1/2 seasons since the trade and he went up to an 88 and had a pedestrian season(.917) and then broke his collar bone in the first game of the second round. Improved to a 92 and had another pedestrian season (.919) but had a great playoff (cup win). Meanwhile the traded player remained the 86 and posting .929 and .927). And then the high starter was drafted in like the 5th round and his trade bar is nearly full.

Right wing is nearly nonexistent in my sim right now and the draft is so barren of it.

I love building teams up as well. Have noticed in previous playthroughs wings are kind of barren. Have to convert bad centers to wing often I find. Also yeah, good goalies have usually been relatively easy to find.

 

[Its a Trap]

I love building teams up as well. Have noticed in previous playthroughs wings are kind of barren. Have to convert bad centers to wing often I find. Also yeah, good goalies have usually been relatively easy to find.

Pretty crazy, I didn’t play for a few weeks after finishing a season and came back to find I had traded for a 1st round pick from Colorado who didn’t make the playoffs. Pick won the lottery. Had no idea who I even traded to them as I couldn’t find any previous players on their roster.

 

[Serac]

2019 Entry Draft

As a reminder, the top 10 for the draft is:
1st: Detroit
2nd: Buffalo (via SJS)
3rd: Vancouver
4th: British Columbia
5th: Montreal
6th: Los Angeles
7th: NY Islanders
8th: Edmonton
9th: Carolina
10th: Florida

Spoiler: 2019 Draft

1st overall: Detroit - S. Radulov (82, Med Elite)
2nd overall: Buffalo - M. Grabovski (79, Med Elite)
3rd overall: Vancouver - K. Kakko (78, Med elite)
4th overall: British Columbia - B. Byram (76, Med Elite)
5th overall: Montreal - D. Cozens (76, Med Top 6 F)
6th overall: Los Angeles - P. Broberg (71, Med Elite)
7th overall: NYI - K. Dach (76, Med Top 6 F)
8th overall: Edmonton - M. Vukojevic (73, Med Top 4 D)
9th overall: Carolina - P. Krebs (72, Med Top 6 F)
10th overall: Florida - R. Lavoie (69, Med Top 6 F)

BCM PICKS:
34: I. Likhachev (59, Med Top 6 F) *gem*
66: J. Bellamy (57, Med Top 6 D)
83: A. Kenins (50, Med Elite) *gem*
85: M. Søgaard (58, Fringe Starter)
98: P. Puistola (56, Med Top 9 F)
109: R. Darby (49, Med Top 6 F) *gem*
130: K. Foster (55, Low Elite)
149: M. Karalahti (50, Med 7th D)
162: B. Stoner (57, Med 7th D)
194: K. Tanus (59, Med AHL Top 6 F)
213: L. Fernandez (47, Med Backup)

There was the odd Low Elite talent mixed in there picked by other teams, but maybe 1-2 per round, save the 7th round which had garbage.

Spoiler: 2019 Free Agency

RELEASE:
D. Tokarski (72)
C. Gaunce (71)
R. Pollak (75)
M. Haley (75)
A. Hemsky (78)*
A. Bitetto (77)*
K. Clifford (79)*
*Wanted to go to free agency

RE-SIGN:
P. Sieloff (72) 700k x 1
M. Puempel (76) 800k x 1
P. Di Giuseppe (76) 850k x 2
B. Gaunce (78) 1.5m x 1


BIG FISH:
E. Karlsson (91)
P. Dubois (88) RFA
J. Muzzin (86)
B. Schenn (86)
T. Krug (86)
W. Simmonds (85)
-
B. Holtby (92)
A. Vasilevskiy (88) RFA
R. Lehner (86)
J. Markstrom (85)


BCM Sign:
N. Cousins (77) 950k x 2
J. Dotchin (77) 950k x 2
Z. Fucale (74) 800k x 2
B. Byram (76) 925k x 3 (ELC)
MAX CHEESE
C. Nelson (77) 16m x 1
F. Kampf (76) 16m x 1


NOTES:
NYI sign D. Forbort (81) 4.355m x 6 (christ, why is Forbort so wanted in this playthrough)

OTT sign C. Sheary (82) 4.565m x 6 (yike)
OTT sign G. Nyquist (84) 4.655m x 6

LAK sign T.J. Brodie (84) 4.725m x 6
PHI sign J. Muzzin 5.31m x 5

NYR sign B. Schenn 6.705m x 7
DET sign T. Krug 5.85m x 4

CGY sign R. Lehner 4.39m x 2
CGY sign W. Simmonds 5.46m x 5

CAR sign J. Markstrom 4.17m x 2
VAN sign B. Holtby 8.025m x 1
DET sign E. Karlsson 8.265 x 1

TBL con A. Vasilevskiy 1.050m x 1


DET trade M. Green to WSH for L. Johansen (78, Med Top 4 D) & WSH 2020 6th

And with another very interesting free agency period, we are off to the regular season !

Spoiler: BCM Lines

M. Gaborik (81)	J. Dea (79)	R. Panik (80)
C. Wilson (80)	N. Thompson (78)	M. Hossa (77)
B. Gaunce (78)	N. Cousins (78)	M. Puempel (77)
P. Di Giuseppe (76)	D. Kampf (76)	K. Rychel (76)

E. Engel (80)	C. Nelson (77)
M. Staal (79)	j. Dotchin (78)
A. Lindholm (76)	T. Carrick (75)

S. Mason (81)

S. Wedgewood (75)

OFF: 85
DEF: 86
GOA: 85

Sure game, my team is totally that strong.

 

[GAMO1992]

It's really, really sad to see this part of the forum die
I remember back in the day the stories and detail people put into their write-ups, myself included, and EA just sucking the life out of the die-hard fans that want an NHL video game....
Some of my favorite pastimes when I was much newer to the forum was reading the write ups/posting my own...was so fun....now it's just....why bother?

 

[hmc1987]

I love building teams up as well. Have noticed in previous playthroughs wings are kind of barren. Have to convert bad centers to wing often I find. Also yeah, good goalies have usually been relatively easy to find.

Yeah I make a new franchise every few days. Can't get enough of building a team, but once we win the Cup I get bored. So I basically just restart.

I just about ALWAYS use either a new expansion team (Seattle) or a team like Ottawa/Detroit. Finish ~bottom 5 first two seasons then make huge splash at F.A. and move to middle of pack for ~2 years before going on dynasty run

 

[hmc1987]

*numbers indicate overall
89 PWF-90 PLY-89 SNP
84 SNP-89 TWF-87 PLY
85 PWF-85 TWF-83 TWF

88 DFD-90 OFD
88 TWD-84 OFD
81 TWD-87 DFD

85 HYB

This team just missed the playoffs for the 2nd season in a row. Locker room chemistry is pretty good, no one with bad character or anything on the team. 4th line are all 80-81
I know stacked teams do bad in EA, but this is ridiculous. I don’t know what else I have to do to fix the team. I have 3 “leaders” in the locker room and 2 with a “presence.” Most of the guys vary in age and it’s a solid core. Before we missed the playoffs twice we were a pretty good team but couldn’t get past the 2nd round. My 90 overall OFD has won the Norris twice and my 1st line all puts up 85 ish points. No one has low morale with anyone either. What can I do to fix this? EA’s sim ****ing sucks. This is a perennial cup caliber team on paper. I’m running out of cap space as well, this is a young team

Well with all do respect TBL did just get swept after tying the regular season record for Points...so it can happen. Odds are definitely very, very low though

 

[Iggys Dome]

It's really, really sad to see this part of the forum die
I remember back in the day the stories and detail people put into their write-ups, myself included, and EA just sucking the life out of the die-hard fans that want an NHL video game....
Some of my favorite pastimes when I was much newer to the forum was reading the write ups/posting my own...was so fun....now it's just....why bother?

Thanks EA. Just add a little more details in presentation, record keeping, bring the phones back, and change the menus from their god awful format. I can barely do a 10 year career mode now.

 

[n00bxQb]

Well with all do respect TBL did just get swept after tying the regular season record for Points...so it can happen. Odds are definitely very, very low though

They didn't miss the playoffs 2 years in a row

 

[Serac]

Here's to posting in the void of this dead thread.

2019/2020 Regular Season
User: British Columbia Monarchs

Spoiler: Mid-Season Trades

ANA acquire: BCM 2020 7th
BCM acquire: R. Kesler, ANA 2020 4th, ANA 2020 5th, ANA 2020 6th
-
(Didn't think they would actually do the deal)
Kesler carries a $6.875M cap for 2 years


CAR acquire: C. Smith (82) & 2021 VAN 3rd
VAN acquire: 2021 CAR 2nd, 2021 CAR 3rd, L. Killinen (Top 9 F)
-
Vancouver opts to basically immediately shed a not so great contract they just signed (4.355m x 5 for Smith) despite still being hopeful for the playoffs.

Spoiler: 19/20 TDL Month

NYR acquire: J. Dea (Bottom 6 F), M. Staal (50% retained)
BCM acquire: L. Hajek (75 Top 4 D), J. Elmer (AHL Top 6 F), NYR 2020 7th
-
Dea was highly sought out for some reason, and NYR wanted Staal, so I countered draft pick offers with Staal and Dea for Hajek (who they originally wanted to trade for Staal), while recouping a 7th.


ANA acquire: D. Stepan (84)
ARI acquire: 2021 ANA 1st & 2020 ANA 2nd
-
ANA taking advantage of the freed up cap with the Kesler trade, taking on rental Stepan (6.5M x 1).


DET acquire: R. Panik (80) & P. Puistola (56 Top 9 F)
BCM acquire: Y. Zyuzin (71 Top 4 D)
-
Took out the fluff of picks and replaced it with a prospect I dont see in my long term plans.


CBJ acquire: K. Palmieri (85) & B. Coleman (80)
NJD acquire: 2020 CBJ 1st & 2021 CBJ 1ST
-
CBJ pay a steep price for one of the better rentals on the market, though they need the depth, with both Dubois and Anderson sitting the year out as RFAs.


NYR acquire: A. Martinez (83), I. Kovalchuk (84), 2021 LAK 3rd
LAK acquire: M. Guskov (72 Top 6 F) & R. Lindgren (75 Top 4 D)
-
NYR really bolstering their roster with a couple of rentals at the cost of some moderately good prospects.


NYR acquire: N. Hjalmarsson (84), 2021 ARI 3rd, 2021 ARI 5th
ARI acquire: 2020 NYR 1st, H. Nikkanen (65 Top 6 F)


WPG acquire: M. Green (82), A. Biega (77), R. White (75)
WSH acquire: 2021 WPG 1st & S. Eskelinen (60 Bottom 6 F)
-
Green (33) has 6 years left of his 4.155M contract left. That's some expensive depth and a bad contract for a 1st.


MTL acquire: T.J. Oshie (85), L. Eller (82), 2021 WSH 7th
WSH acquire: N. Suzuki (74 Top 6 F), A. Alain (66 Top 9 F), 2021 MTL 1st
-
WSH selling parts off and MTL hoping for no regression, as Oshie (33) still has 5 years left on his 5.75M contract. They're paying for that term.


PIT acquire: T.J. Brodie (84), 2021 LAK 4th, 2021 LAK 5th
LAK acquire: F. Hållander (63 Top 6 F), 2021 PIT 1st, 2021 PIT 3RD
-
PIT paying for term as Brodie (29) has 6 years on his 4.725M contract.


CHI acquire: S. Mason (80) & M. Karalahti (7th D)
BCM acquire A. Forsberg (79), 2020 CHI 4TH, 2021 CHI 4TH


Of note, 7 players were put on waivers. I was only shown 1 of those waiver declarations (which I declined). Thanks EA.

At the trade deadline, BCM sits dead last in the league with a 24-34-4 record (52 points). The next closest team are CAR (58) and OTT (58).
VAN is a surprise lead of the league with 84 points. Following them are CBJ (82) and CHI (82).

Spoiler: Post TDL Roster

M. Gaborik (81)	N. Cousins (78)	C. Wilson (80)
B. Gaunce (78)	N. Thompson (77)	M. Puempel (77)
K. Rychel (76)	R. Kesler (77)	P. Di Giuseppe (76)
M. McNeill (74)	D. Kampf (76)	M. Hossa (75)

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

E. Engel (80)	J. Dotchin (78)
A. Lindholm (76)	C. Nelson (77)
P. Lindbohm (75)	T. Carrick (75)

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

A. Forsberg (79)

S. Wedgewood (75)

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

The regular season ends with BCM in dead last with 65 points. The next closest were CAR (75) and CGY (76).
VAN holds onto the surprise with a league best 108 points. Edging other surprise ARI (106) and then CBJ (103).

BCM's leading scorer was M. Gaborik with 50 points, who also lead the team in goals with 21.

The league's leading scorer was T. Seguin (95), followed by S. Stamkos (91) and N. Kucherov (90).
The leagues leading goal scorer was P. Kane (55) followed by N. MacKinnon (49) and T. Seguin (48).

Note: With a respectable 96 points and a playoff spot, Edmonton's leading scorer was Draisaitl with 77 points. McDavid had 75. McDavid is currently sitting at 96 OV.

Spoiler: 19/20 Playoffs

CHI vs NSH (NSH wins 4-3)
ARI vs MIN (MIN wins 4-1)
VGK vs EDM (VGK wins 4-1)
VAN vs COL (VAN wins 4-1)

PIT vs PHI (PIT wins 4-2)
CBJ vs MTL (MTL win 4-0)
BUF vs TBL (BUF wins 4-3)
FLA vs DET (FLA wins 4-3)
-----
NSH vs MIN (MIN wins 4-0)
VAN vs VGK (VAN wins 4-3)

PIT vs MTL (PIT wins 4-3)
FLA vs BUF (FLA wins 4-2)
-----
VAN vs MIN (VAN wins 4-2)

FLA vs PIT (PIT wins 4-2)
-----
VAN vs PIT (VAN wins 4-3)

Despite trading a good depth player for futures, Vancouver still pulls off the win, completely backed by B. Holtby who won the Conn Smythe.

 

[hmc1987]

They didn't miss the playoffs 2 years in a row

Ah I missed that part.

That's why coaching is so important...EA ignores it 100%.

Real chance I just play 2019 if 2020 has no franchise upgrades

 

[Cor]

Hiring/Firing AHL/NHL coaching staffs coming in NHL 20 (not licensed though) is nice. Hopefully they can work in it being licensed moving forward.

Also a Trade Finder.

I’ll be playing Franchise so much more just for the trade finder lol

 

[Serac]

Hiring/Firing AHL/NHL coaching staffs coming in NHL 20 (not licensed though) is nice. Hopefully they can work in it being licensed moving forward.

Also a Trade Finder.

I’ll be playing Franchise so much more just for the trade finder lol

Maybe you can help me revitalize this thread. #Corac ? #Sercor ? #Secor ?

 

[GAMO1992]

huh....a trade finder....? hiring/firing nhl/ahl coaches...?


Is....Is EA reading this forum...??

 

[Cor]

Maybe you can help me revitalize this thread. #Corac ? #Sercor ? #Secor ?

Possibly.

 

[Intangir]

I'd like it if, in the new feature, the coaching staff you hired had a definite effect on the way players performed and the chemistry of your team depending on your coaches and players' personalities. Maybe you could have a coach that helps players develop a bit better while on the team, you could also have coaches that work better with veterans, improving the overall ratings of veterans while lowering the ratings of young players, you could have deft bench managers that improve fatigue-recovery during games, a defense-first coach that would increase defensive ratings while slightly decreasing offensive ratings, or coaches that are good motivators and that would improve the poise ratings of your players while getting thm fatigued more easily; it could be pretty nice if done in moderation and with taste (something EA hasn't had this side of the AD calendar). It might even be possible to add secondary traits to a coach, allowing the feature to be much more fleshed-out and feel more real, with coaches gaining or losing traits based on their performance.

Perhaps you could also have a players' trust meter with the coaches that would deplete over time when your team has trouble getting results, leading to your players paying less heed to the coaching staff itself (to a bigger or lesser extent given personality types and clashes), performing more poorly on the ice, or inversely fill up when your team is showing some progress, with beneficial effects.

It's a pipedream I know, but I'd like it if we could have some degree of interaction possible between the coaching staff and the players, with possible rifts in-between them or improved cohesiveness, it would lead to more realism and more drama too, but of the good and reasonable kind. Maybe at the mid-point of the season you'd have to do a coaching change because of the lack of player trust in your coaches, but you'd have a smaller basin of coaches to choose from and would have to improvise on the fly, maybe promoting AHL coaches to fill-in.

Even better, were I in charge (and I know I'm not but let me spout my desires still), I'd make it so that you can't outright see coaches' tendencies and strengths while hiring and employing them, only seeing the effects through how your team played on the ice. As you were checking coaches out to fill a vacant position, maybe you'd get a small report on their areas of strength, their experience alongside other similar information and overview of their personality and you'd have to take a guess, maybe your hunch wouldn't pay off and you'd hire a poor fit for your club or strike gold and get the next coming of Scotty Bowman and a perennial Jack Adams nominee. I'd also add the option to poach away coaches or have them be poached from you too (although not including head coaches), it'd liven things up and stop you from hoarding talent like a dragon hoards gold (no HHOF-worthy guys like Pat Burns as assistants for years without end).

Well, I just now realize that it's a much longer post than I thought I would write at first, and I would like to thank you for taking the time and effort to read it.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

I'd like it if, in the new feature, the coaching staff you hired had a definite effect on the way players performed and the chemistry of your team depending on your coaches and players' personalities. Maybe you could have a coach that helps players develop a bit better while on the team, you could also have coaches that work better with veterans, improving the overall ratings of veterans while lowering the ratings of young players, you could have deft bench managers that improve fatigue-recovery during games, a defense-first coach that would increase defensive ratings while slightly decreasing offensive ratings, or coaches that are good motivators and that would improve the poise ratings of your players while getting thm fatigued more easily; it could be pretty nice if done in moderation and with taste (something EA hasn't had this side of the AD calendar). It might even be possible to add secondary traits to a coach, allowing the feature to be much more fleshed-out and feel more real, with coaches gaining or losing traits based on their performance.

Perhaps you could also have a players' trust meter with the coaches that would deplete over time when your team has trouble getting results, leading to your players paying less heed to the coaching staff itself (to a bigger or lesser extent given personality types and clashes), performing more poorly on the ice, or inversely fill up when your team is showing some progress, with beneficial effects.

It's a pipedream I know, but I'd like it if we could have some degree of interaction possible between the coaching staff and the players, with possible rifts in-between them or improved cohesiveness, it would lead to more realism and more drama too, but of the good and reasonable kind. Maybe at the mid-point of the season you'd have to do a coaching change because of the lack of player trust in your coaches, but you'd have a smaller basin of coaches to choose from and would have to improvise on the fly, maybe promoting AHL coaches to fill-in.

Even better, were I in charge (and I know I'm not but let me spout my desires still), I'd make it so that you can't outright see coaches' tendencies and strengths while hiring and employing them, only seeing the effects through how your team played on the ice. As you were checking coaches out to fill a vacant position, maybe you'd get a small report on their areas of strength, their experience alongside other similar information and overview of their personality and you'd have to take a guess, maybe your hunch wouldn't pay off and you'd hire a poor fit for your club or strike gold and get the next coming of Scotty Bowman and a perennial Jack Adams nominee. I'd also add the option to poach away coaches or have them be poached from you too (although not including head coaches), it'd liven things up and stop you from hoarding talent like a dragon hoards gold (no HHOF-worthy guys like Pat Burns as assistants for years without end).

Well, I just now realize that it's a much longer post than I thought I would write at first, and I would like to thank you for taking the time and effort to read it.

The gameinformer write up says coaches do have an affect on chemistry, morale, etc., and what they’re better at and that stuff you outlined.

Now... it’s EA. You have to wait. The execution could be awful for all we know.

 

[slovakia18]

sorry, when is it the wrong thread but knows anyone how u can make the "arround the world shot" in the shootout? I can't, i think i am to bad for this one.

 

[LeighDx59]

I wish they would let you pick which season you want to start with, like right now, i'd love to start a Franchise Mode with the free agents available at the moment, but you would have to play the entire 2018-19 season to get there. Itd be nice to be able to begin your franchise during the 2019 offseason.

 

[foe8406]

nhl 18- kappo kakko? jack hughes? vitali kravtsov? keandre miller are in the game through draft?

 

[Panthaz89]

Hiring/Firing AHL/NHL coaching staffs coming in NHL 20 (not licensed though) is nice. Hopefully they can work in it being licensed moving forward.

Also a Trade Finder.

I’ll be playing Franchise so much more just for the trade finder lol

I was really hoping when you look at the draft board/during the draft you could look at their grades/character/hockey stats given by scouts without having to look at their entire profile that way you can sort by their grades and draft a team of guys that are great shooters/skaters right off the bat instead of relying solely on potential since no one wants to go through every profile looking for letter grades beyond your very early picks when you are conflicted between two guys that are at the same age/potential.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Having a penalties per game issue. The penalty slider is at 1/4, CPU Penalties and Human penalties are at 10/100, all the specific penalty sliders are around 10-20/100.

Every game now it’s nothing but penalties for both teams. 4 minutes left in the first period of my current game and there’s already been SEVEN penalties called. I don’t know how to fix it and it’s ruining the game for me

 

[Cor]

The gameinformer write up says coaches do have an affect on chemistry, morale, etc., and what they’re better at and that stuff you outlined.

Now... it’s EA. You have to wait. The execution could be awful for all we know.

I can see it like the Player Morale implementation where it was a nice concept, but just the execution was AWFUL and the effects were ridiculous.

'Oh, you met with the team before a game, and told them to give it their all? 5 of your players hated that message and have lost 2 overalls"


I don't really need coaches to have an affect on chemistry and morale, I want them to have a style that the team will play, (defensive, balanced, trap, dump & chase, offensive, etc) and every player in the game should fit different styles differently based on play style. Essentially just like NBA 2K coaching.

Firing and hiring coaches would then mean something, because it could turn out your defensive coach doesn't suit your players and a offensive coach would get more out of your team.