NHL 18 Franchise Mode :Expansion Edition

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Game comes out Friday but might aswell get the party started:

Post your stories or planned stories here. I'll start mine shortly.

Click to read more...

 

[Jarey Curry]

I've waited nhl 18 for a long time but now I am surprisingly calm about it.. I want to get excited big time

 

[BJNT]

Can't wait to get my Houston team going. I want to name it the Aeros but so far in all of the previews that I've seen under the play by play team name it's not available.

 

[Mijatovic]

Did my expansion draft as the 32nd team. Got a fair few D rated in the 84s. Cant remember off the top of my head as I am at work but Myers was one. Ended up with max number defenceman as they had the most value and on traded 5 of them for picks in the draft. Got mostly 1sts/2nds for them.

Was incredibly fun putting together my expansion team.

But playing on All-Star I am getting spanked in pre-season by half rookie teams. I need to get a lot better.

 

[Cor]

I wanted to put Quebec back in, or put a 2nd team back in Toronto... but since the 32nd team automatically gets put into the Central Division in the West, sooooooooo I pretty much need to get over that if I still want to do it.

Ugh.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

I wanted to put Quebec back in, or put a 2nd team back in Toronto... but since the 32nd team automatically gets put into the Central Division in the West, sooooooooo I pretty much need to get over that if I still want to do it.

Ugh.

Oh I feel u. It's a little annoying but for those wondering it's the league itself that forced this on EA.

 

[BruinsFTW]

I kind of hate doing franchise mode or BAP until they do their typical like rookie/jersey patch. I hate when the rosters are all off and messed up then get fixed. Tho it seems a bit more accurate and most teams have their adidas jerseys. So I might just start right away.

Tho I hope they update the jerseys quickly if they aren't all there on launch.

 

[Dagistitsyn]

I wanted to put Quebec back in, or put a 2nd team back in Toronto... but since the 32nd team automatically gets put into the Central Division in the West, sooooooooo I pretty much need to get over that if I still want to do it.

Ugh.

Oh I feel u. It's a little annoying but for those wondering it's the league itself that forced this on EA.

FFS. The little things that **** me off are starting to build up.

Was really looking forward to some Halifax vs Montreal / Toronto playoff series

 

[Beville]

Oh I feel u. It's a little annoying but for those wondering it's the league itself that forced this on EA.

To be fair though, it makes sense I guess?

 

[Cor]

At least give us a re-alignment option, ya know?

Let us move Detroit or Columbus to the Central from the Metro/Atlantic if those are the divisions we want to be in.

I dunno, I'll just stick it in my head that they put the second Toronto team in Toronto, so that the Toronto teams are facing different teams, so both teams can draw the same audience, rather than split the market.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

The race for NHL 32 is on​

In a press conference this morning held at the NHL media day at the leagues offices in New York, commissioner Bettman confirmed that the league will be hastily adding a 32nd NHL franchise, though he did not go into detail he did say that the owners wanted a 32nd team in order to create a better balance in the league's alignment.

"Our owners want a 32nd team, 32 is a nice even numbers and we like even numbers. Expansion will be open to all cities across the US and Canada, we have not received any bids from any cities yet, although we have been contacted by multiple ownership groups that are hoping to to be awarded a franchise."

It is believed the NHL would prefer a market that could play in the Central division of the NHL's western conference, as the league is said to be prioritizing the idea of a geographical balance.

Early frontrunners for the 32nd team are:

Houston (pictured above) makes the most sense from a geographical standpoint, as they are close in proximity to several of the central divisons teams swell as having the Dallas Stars as a potential rival, and being a large media market. A potential favourite, and it has an arena.

Seattle (pictured above) is another large media market and is known for it's diehard support with its other professional teams, and it's proximity to Vancouver, it is believed that the NHL would love to see a Seattle-Vanocuver rivalry. The lack or its own arena will certainly hurt the city's chances.

Kansas City (seen below)

Kansas has been ready and waiting for for almost 10 years, they have a rink that is ready to go but will they find an owner ?

Quebec City (seen below)

The city has long waited for the return of the Nordiques, they've tried to land teams that were up for sale, they've got a brand new arena, but they're a small market.


Yes the race is on, and it will be a tight one, stay tuned throughout the week as the NHL makes its rush decision on expansion.

 

[boltsy]

I wanted to put Quebec back in, or put a 2nd team back in Toronto... but since the 32nd team automatically gets put into the Central Division in the West, sooooooooo I pretty much need to get over that if I still want to do it.

Ugh.

Last year there was the option that you replace put a custom team (created in Creation Zone) with any team you'd like. If this option is still there, you could substitute the NHL team you replaced back in. So on you could still move teams around the way you want. AHL affiliates will change though, that's the bad part.

 

[Cor]

Last year there was the option that you replace put a custom team (created in Creation Zone) with any team you'd like. If this option is still there, you could substitute the NHL team you replaced back in. So on you could still move teams around the way you want. AHL affiliates will change though, that's the bad part.

Wouldn't that cause the real NHL team to go through the draft process?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding?

 

[boltsy]

Wouldn't that cause the real NHL team to go through the draft process?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding?

My english isn't the best. I don't know what you mean. Draft picks will - I believe - remain with the teams, even if you substitute them around. If that's what you mean.

 

[BruinsFTW]

Wouldn't that cause the real NHL team to go through the draft process?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding?

My english isn't the best. I don't know what you mean. Draft picks will - I believe - remain with the teams, even if you substitute them around. If that's what you mean.

Correct me if I'm wrong here COR but I think he means like if you swapped out NHL teams like that wouldn't they have to have an expansion draft as a new franchise? Because the team replacing them would effectively have their old roster...

That's where everything would become a mess.



For now I'm most likely gonna just play with 31 in classic mode with the rosters as they are as of now. I have no interest in doing a re-draft because they'll just pick players that wouldn't of been and the draft picks and everything will be totally different. Maybe if I do 32, I might start a new one that way if possible.

Then I might play with adding a 32nd team later on down the line when I'm bored with the modes and stuff.

 

[Dagistitsyn]

Its really frustrating that they didn't add an option to start a 32nd team at the 2018 Draft and just simulate a made up 2017 season so all the teams actual picks from the 17 draft would be with the proper teams. This + not being able to move a team to the Central Division so your created team doesn't get put there where it shouldn't be is disappointing.

 

[BruinsFTW]

Like usual I probably won't be starting my official Franchise mode until they do that Mid Oct or NOV update with all the new jerseys, rookies, and the rosters are all NHL set and accurate minus maybe people like Horton, Savard etc that's don't play and I'll have to bury like always.

I play HUT until they sort that out normally but I'm excited to dive into it for sure this year..

 

[LilySmoov]

Gotta love how EA doesn't allow you to do a fantasy draft with a 32 team league.

Jesus Christ.

 

[Saitama]

So I thought I'd be smart and trade the Jets 1st round for Phillies 1st, even paid them a 4th rounder to do so. I was thinking, the Jets are trending up and Philly was in the lottery last year, how can I go wrong? Surely the Jets will finish better than Philly!

So the end of the season arrives and Philly loses in the cup final to Buffalo, while my Jets ended up with the 3rd overall pick.

 

[HasbeenHallzy]

Managed to win the cup in year 3... Signed Oscar Möller and he put up 70+ points in year 3&4... After we won the cup year 4 he jumped to 84ov and asked for 5.5M over 3 years. I decided to offer him one more year at the same price and he topped his career high with 79pts (leading the team) he then some how dropped to a 77 the foowinf year and signed for a million... Still managed 47pts on the 3rd line but what in the....

 

[Saitama]

One question I have for Franchise Mode is, how on earth am I supposed to upgrade the arena when I can barely keep up with repairs? The budget they give you (or at least that I've been getting for the Jets) is just not enough and the bonus cash for meeting your objectives is laughable.

 

[ThorNton Apologist]

Playing expansion mode, your not able to use edited players/rosters. It goes back to the default rosters on the date of the expansion draft. Really sucks if you like to do your own editing

 

[Saitama]

Playing expansion mode, your not able to use edited players/rosters. It goes back to the default rosters on the date of the expansion draft. Really sucks if you like to do your own editing

Yep, noticed this and it's really pissing me off. I hope they change it soon.

 

[ThorNton Apologist]

Yep, noticed this and it's really pissing me off. I hope they change it soon.

Also hope they patch in the division realignment they showed in the trailer

 

[Nuckles]

One question I have for Franchise Mode is, how on earth am I supposed to upgrade the arena when I can barely keep up with repairs? The budget they give you (or at least that I've been getting for the Jets) is just not enough and the bonus cash for meeting your objectives is laughable.

It was the exact same problem last year and they clearly didn't address it. Shocking.

Basically you have to budget your money so it's the minimum for everything and put all the remaining cash in arena upgrades/repairs. It gets a lot tougher later when most of your stuff is level 4 and the next upgrades cost a ton.