NHL 20 Hidden Talent / Gems

[ETTHAKING67]

Any of you found interesting gem in the game ? Either in a Draft or anywhere else in Career Mode ?

**EDIT WITH PLAYER SUGGESTIONS**

- NHLers -
Onjrej Kase (ANA)
Matt Grzelcyk (BOS)
Josh Anderson (CBS)
Taro Hirose (DET)
Vince Dunn (STL)
Anthony Cirelli (TB)
Matt Phillips (CGY)
Nic Petan (TOR)
Luc Snuggerud (UFA)


- Prospects -
Jan Bednar
Josh Lawrence

Click to read more...

 

[ThePuckStopsHere]

Jan Bednar can either be had late in the draft or gets released quickly. A big G who is a MED Starter. Had him max out at 84 and makes a great career backup.

Josh Lawrence is a good late get. Cook him in the AHL for a few years and flip him for a 2nd rounder.

Otherwise, the draft is much more realistic. Tough getting a useful player in the 3rd round.

 

[ThorNton Apologist]

I had a winger drafted in the 3rd round (75th) he was elite potential and scored 40 goals his sophomore season. I think he topped out at 89 ovr but his physical stats were mostly 70’s even though he was 6’3’’ 200lbs

 

[ETTHAKING67]

Any player that are already in the game that you guys really like (maybe they don't have high OV but they just play great for you ?)

 

[BigRig4]

Any player that are already in the game that you guys really like (maybe they don't have high OV but they just play great for you ?)

Kovalchuk is amazing for an 84... high puck skills and shooting

 

[Zen Arcade]

Not a star, but Luc Snuggerud develops into a pretty solid 3rd pairing defenseman after a season or two. He's a free agent and he's a good signing if you're an expansion team or a rebuilder.

I picked up Matt Phillips from the Flames because I needed a 4th line center and he developed into a nice middle six forward.

Nic Petan is cheap to acquire and he can get up to 85ish overall with first line ice time and then be flipped for something.

 

[JuJu Mobb]

Any player that are already in the game that you guys really like (maybe they don't have high OV but they just play great for you ?)

Onjrej Kase
Matt Grzelcyk
Josh Anderson
Taro Hirose
Vince Dunn
Anthony Cirelli

All of those players don't cost much to acquire. Their overalls range from 78 to 82. If you start an expansion, a lot of them are not protected by their teams.

 

[ETTHAKING67]

Onjrej Kase
Matt Grzelcyk
Josh Anderson
Taro Hirose
Vince Dunn
Anthony Cirelli

All of those players don't cost much to acquire. Their overalls range from 78 to 82. If you start an expansion, a lot of them are not protected by their teams.

Thanks this is so helpfull ! I'm getting the game next week (Black Friday) so it's cool to have name to prepare my career lol. I'm planning on rebuilding the Wings first so good to know Hirose is pretty good.

 

[CauZuki]

Thanks this is so helpfull ! I'm getting the game next week (Black Friday) so it's cool to have name to prepare my career lol. I'm planning on rebuilding the Wings first so good to know Hirose is pretty good.

I admire your discipline , I say every year I either won't buy it or wait for it to go half off 3 months later and yet every year...Day 1 purchase.

 

[zukezuchegno]

What does the gem players in the draft mean? Do they progress faster or have a better chance to be good or just have good pot?

 

[ETTHAKING67]

What does the gem players in the draft mean? Do they progress faster or have a better chance to be good or just have good pot?

For me it's whatever, just a guy that plays better than his OA.

Perlini would be my suggestion for everyone. Great progression (85 OA in my 3rd season) he has been a perfect third line LW for the first 2 season and now plays in the top 6 and has been nothing but great.

 

[undercovernerd]

Not sure if actually ‘hidden’ but Gerard turns into a 85 after 1 season. One of my favorite players of all time to play with. Seriously.

 

[sandviper]

I drafted a 7th round gem in 2024, Francis Laurent, a 6’2 defenceman from Russia...

Anyhow, he was a top-2 AHL potential and I think a 53 overall. I let him cook for 3 years then signed him to his ELC. By then, he had grown to 72. After a year in the A, he shot to 80.

I was rebuilding and had room for him in my top-4. He eventually grew to 91 overall, playing on my first pair. He won the Norris twice and Conn Smythe once. Averaged around 60 points a year, except for those two Norris years where he scored 84 and 79 respectively.

Honestly, not sure how I did this as I have never had such luck with any other “gem”. Other late gems top out at maybe 85 for me. Not bad, but nowhere near what I got with this guy.

 

[ETTHAKING67]

Gerard

WHo is that ?

 

[Zen Arcade]

I drafted a 7th round gem in 2024, Francis Laurent, a 6’2 defenceman from Russia...

Anyhow, he was a top-2 AHL potential and I think a 53 overall. I let him cook for 3 years then signed him to his ELC. By then, he had grown to 72. After a year in the A, he shot to 80.

I was rebuilding and had room for him in my top-4. He eventually grew to 91 overall, playing on my first pair. He won the Norris twice and Conn Smythe once. Averaged around 60 points a year, except for those two Norris years where he scored 84 and 79 respectively.

Honestly, not sure how I did this as I have never had such luck with any other “gem”. Other late gems top out at maybe 85 for me. Not bad, but nowhere near what I got with this guy.

I had something like this happen last year with a defenseman named Trevor Zigomanis. He was 19 and drafted by Detroit in the 6th round and was a 48 overall low elite.

I was playing as Minnesota and I was doing a total blow up of the roster, I amassed a bunch of draft picks but I wanted to add some prospect depth that would be able to step in sooner, so I got him as a throw in along with Tyler Bertuzzi.

Long story short, I signed him to play in Iowa as a 20 year old, by that point he was up to 60 overall. He jumped up to 80 by the end of the year. That's a 32 point swing over the course of two years. He topped out in the low 90's and had multiple 30 goal seasons.

His progression was so ridiculous that it almost feels like a glitch.

 

[sandviper]

I had something like this happen last year with a defenseman named Trevor Zigomanis. He was 19 and drafted by Detroit in the 6th round and was a 48 overall low elite.

I was playing as Minnesota and I was doing a total blow up of the roster, I amassed a bunch of draft picks but I wanted to add some prospect depth that would be able to step in sooner, so I got him as a throw in along with Tyler Bertuzzi.

Long story short, I signed him to play in Iowa as a 20 year old, by that point he was up to 60 overall. He jumped up to 80 by the end of the year. That's a 32 point swing over the course of two years. He topped out in the low 90's and had multiple 30 goal seasons.

His progression was so ridiculous that it almost feels like a glitch.

That is very impressive also. Only thing about what I went through was my scouts identified him as a gem. IIRC, his potential was low elite also but when I drafted him, he was top-2 AHL. I mean, I was annoyed but at the same time he was a 7th rounder.

It was a funny year that 2024 for me. This guy became my captain and total stud. I had a couple 5th rounders, one became my starting goaltender topping out at 89, and the other became my #3 center (grinder) who topped out at 86 overall. All my other picks didn’t develop into much and my 1st rounder, #17 overall, completely busted on me.

 

[zukezuchegno]

I drafted a 7th round gem in 2024, Francis Laurent, a 6’2 defenceman from Russia...

Anyhow, he was a top-2 AHL potential and I think a 53 overall. I let him cook for 3 years then signed him to his ELC. By then, he had grown to 72. After a year in the A, he shot to 80.

I was rebuilding and had room for him in my top-4. He eventually grew to 91 overall, playing on my first pair. He won the Norris twice and Conn Smythe once. Averaged around 60 points a year, except for those two Norris years where he scored 84 and 79 respectively.

Did his pot change or stay the same? Did you play the games or just sim?

 

[sandviper]

Did his pot change or stay the same? Did you play the games or just sim?

I don't remember the changes through the years, but now he is an Exact Elite.

I will typically play all games with Boston and Toronto and sim the rest. My players generally don't have crazy numbers like you'll see people brag about on Reddit. No 150 point, 90 goal players on my teams.

Playoffs, I will always play opening games and depending on my mood and patience, any deciding games to keep my team in the playoffs.

 

[sandviper]

Pretty sure I posted this here last year. but the best player I ever drafted and developed was a player named Tyrone Matsumoto from Germany... (GJ EA and their name generators).

He wasn't a scout identified "gem" as I drafted him #1 overall in one of my tank years, but he was an absolute beast. Medium Franchise potential, 6'4 power forward center. I rang off multiple 80+ point seasons, one 97 point and always scored 40+ goals (never hit 50). Won a Calder, one Art, Hart and Lindsey awards. Never won a Conn Smythe though. Topped out at 96 overall.

When I played with him, he'd absolutely smash players and maybe injure one opponent a game. He and the defenceman I mentioned earlier were cornerstones of my franchise.

 

[Horse McHindu]

Any of you found interesting gem in the game ? Either in a Draft or anywhere else in Career Mode ?

**EDIT WITH PLAYER SUGGESTIONS**

- NHLers -
Onjrej Kase (ANA)
Matt Grzelcyk (BOS)
Josh Anderson (CBS)
Taro Hirose (DET)
Vince Dunn (STL)
Anthony Cirelli (TB)
Matt Phillips (CGY)
Nic Petan (TOR)
Luc Snuggerud (UFA)


- Prospects -
Jan Bednar
Josh Lawrence

Jordan Weal comes to mind.

 

[RememberTheRoar]

J.G. Pageau has been an absolute monster for me, time after time.

Pair him with Patrick Kane on a first line, and the dude is consistently between a PPG and 90 points.

 

[frapp10]

Andrew mangiapane and Connor garland have hit 70+ points for me at around 78 overall and then they went up to 85/86 overall

Forsbacka Karlsson has scored 40 goals for me

dominik Kahun has gotten pretty good before as well

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

I had talked about this briefly before in another thread, but I had a Polish defense-man on NHL17 that I drafted in the late 4th round who exploded in his development and ended up growing to a high-80 overall (87,88?).

What I found in playing Franchise Mode, the longer who play, I feel like the game glitches itself out?

Anyhow, he was a top-2 AHL potential and I think a 53 overall. I let him cook for 3 years then signed him to his ELC. By then, he had grown to 72. After a year in the A, he shot to 80.

I had this happen just before I ended a Franchise Mode for 18. During the last few seasons, players that were 89,90,91 overalls had potentials that were like "AHL Top6" / "AHL Top2 D"(?) I'm not even sure how it was possible for that to happen considering the way EA's growth system is supposed to work.

 

[NHL WAR]

Columbus GM mode. Had a Anderson-Wennberg-Atkinson 2nd line for probably 6 years straight. +3 chemistry, +5 when I put them 1st line. Simulated very well. Anderson and Wennberg spiked to 87/88 overall. Consistent 65 point players with usually one putting up 75 on a 3 peating juggernaut. And they could have been had for a bag of pucks and a pick in year 1.

 

[Soup Enthusiast]

Created the expansion Seattle Mavericks team. Drafted center Brady Phillips 2nd overall 2019, left winger Par Lilja 2nd overall 2020, and ring winger Jan Sprukts 2nd overall 2021.
Phillips is a playmaker, Lilja sniper, and Sprukts two way forward. They have all developed in to 90+ overall players with Lilja and Phillips regularly scoring 90+ points. Last season Lilja had 67 goals and 113 points. One of the best and most fun 1st lines I have ever gotten to play with in Franchise mode.

Also of note, all of those 2nd overall picks were purely through the draft lottery. No unrealistic trades for top picks. I went full tank for the first few seasons and just tried to acquire as many picks as possible. Ended up winning a cup in 2023 with a patchwork defense and full offense strategy. Connor Brown went beast mode in the playoffs.