The GM Mode Prospect Thread

[CROCODILE SEATS]

Who usually ends up the best player in the 2016 draft?

 

[Rondoo]

Who usually ends up the best player in the 2016 draft?

Here's a list Joel Ward made. I've found that Steel and Benson are more consistent in their development. I'd go with one of those two.

[FIELDSET="2016 Draft"]

Name | League | Potential | Draft
Sam Steel | WHL | Top 6 F | 2016
Tyler Benson | WHL | Top 6 F | 2016
Ralph Jarratt | WHL | Top 4 D | 2016
Sean Day | OHL | Top 4 D | 2016
Tim Gettinger | OHL | Top 6 F | 2016
Logan Brown | OHL | Top 6 F | 2016
Julien Gauthier | QMJHL | Top 6 F | 2016
Jesse Puljujarvi | Liiga | Top 6 F | 2016

[/FIELDSET]

 

[NYRcupboundyessir*]

Definitely Sam Steel or Logan Brown.

Brown will touch 90 if you're patient. Seen him hit 94. Steel has the most high-end upside by a lot. 80+ points elite playmaker

Jarret or Day are good early picks to shore up the blue line, before the CPU generated beasts start rolling in. Benson is more hit & miss. I have a GM I'm busy with right now, Benson hit 87OVR but has questionable offensive awareness & wrist/slap accuracy. So he doesn't put up flashy numbers. I personally hate that


Anyway....don't you love it when you make late round pick, expect nothing, then walk away with a beast? That just happened

James Ramsay DFD, 4th round #118 overall, 87 Overall, 3.5 red

Didn't care about this guy until I had no choice but to. Jumped from 81 to 85 OVR last offseason when I thought he was ready to plateau. Now 87 OVR & 6'3 226lbs at just 24. 96 stick, 95 strength, 90 DA 90 block 90 aggressiveness. Offensive game is soild but still coming along


Landed a stud to compliment this guy too. I normally use aging (good rated) players to trade back into the top 15 of every 2nd or 3rd draft (assuming I won't be there). I do so prior to the draft, so I don't know exactly where the pick will end up. Well, couple seasons back, I netted myself the 10th pick...


Charlie Polacek SNP, RW, 1st round 10th overall, 4.5 yellow

I almost didn't select this guy. He's in his rookie season, spent a year in Jrs, then was a ppg player in the AHL. 22 years old, destined to be monster. Already 90 offensive awareness. Really balanced attribute table all around. 94 agility, 88 body checking, 85 strength 85 stick, 97 shot block. 81 DA but this guy isn't done progressing. 86 OVR, can't wait to see what this guy does on the 1st line with Jack Eichel. Waiting for my core of Tavares (35) Benn (36) Palat (34) & Kevin Hayes (33) to hang em up.


UPDATE

This guy Polacek is a true monster. Maybe the best player I've ever drafted. He jumped from 86 to 89 overall by the end of the playoffs his rookie season.

Then he starts off the next year at 90. Quickly jumps up to 91. Becomes 92 come the Playoffs. By the end of round 1, he's 93 overall. Franchise changing talent.

Now, at the end of round 2, his attributes continue to rise. Literally just received these boosts after that 2nd round: +1 Deke, +1 Hand eye, +1 WSA, +1 SSP, +1 to both O and D awareness, + 1 agility. Maybe a generational talent. Just 23

This is his attribute table

SSA 94 Deking 94 Discipline 78
SSP 89 Hand Eye 94 OFF Awareness 94
WSA 93 Passing 90 Poise 68
WSP 91 Puck Control 87


Accel 88 Aggressiveness 77 Def Awareness 87
Agility 98 Body Checking 92 Faceoffs 77
Balance 98 Durability 91 Shot Block 99
Endurance 92 Strength 88 Stick Checking 89
Speed 90

Must be on his way to 94+. Monster



*****!!!!!!EDIT #2!!!!!!*****


Polacek is a 98 Overall sniper. Just won Hart + Art + Conn Smyth

I'll post pictures soon. 98 overall is he not the VERY reason for such a thread? This post will end up being a shrine of his career......somebody post some ***** ...!!

 

[SuperGM17]

Vancouver GM

Hey. I am a new member to this website, so if I do anything wrong, or annoying please just give me some constructive criticism rather that just blurting out garbage. Anyway I have viewed this thread before and it looks interesting and I would be happy to share some of my booms. I play on PlayStation 4 and my most played game mode is GM! As alot of people have pointed out, player growth is really random! One GM mode i had awhile ago I had Hampus Lindholm (Ana) up to a 96 OVR at age 24! But that is the only time i saw him exceed 88 OVR! Here is a few busts and booms, in my experience.

Boom: Morgan Riley. Not many people talk about him on this thread. Highest overall iv'e ever seen him get to is 95 OVR with me! Consistently gets to 90-92 OVR! I don't think iv'e ever seen him cap off at below 90 OVR! Amazing offensive deffensemen, puts up great statistics in goals and assists, but obviously wants a hefty contract!

Boom: Connor McDavid. Don't need to even bother writing about this guy.

Boom: Nathan Mackinnen. Complete stud out of Colorado. Normally caps off at around the 92-93 OVR area. He can go with Duchene as a RW and put up beasty stats. Highest iv'e seen him is 97OVR in just year 3!

Boom: Tyler Myers. Normally get him for pretty cheap. Big strong defenseman who puts up a decent amount of points. Consistently 88-89 OVR. Highest OVR iv'e seen him be is 90.

Bust: Valeri Nichuskin or whatever(DAL). Do not pick this guy up unless you are looking for an expensive career 2nd liner! He never grows! If you are on previous gen I'd recommend upgrading his potential.Highest OVR iv'e seen him get to is 86!A better person to get would be Nikita Kucherov who dosn't normally grow, but is a cheap 86OVR sniper!

Bust: Nick Ritchie (May be Nate Ritchie whatever one is from ANA). Pretty high trade value for a player who iv'e never witnessed grow into atleast an 83OVR!

Thanks for viewing guys, i hoped you liked it I know i missed alot but this is just my first post and I wanted to keep it relatively short. Look forward to possibly another post soon!

 

[Constable]

Tyler Benson (4.5 y) Patty Kane lite if he develops. HE can become 4.5 red straight out of the draft, so be careful

 

[Hawkeye71980]

Hey. I am a new member to this website, so if I do anything wrong, or annoying please just give me some constructive criticism rather that just blurting out garbage. Anyway I have viewed this thread before and it looks interesting and I would be happy to share some of my booms. I play on PlayStation 4 and my most played game mode is GM! As alot of people have pointed out, player growth is really random! One GM mode i had awhile ago I had Hampus Lindholm (Ana) up to a 96 OVR at age 24! But that is the only time i saw him exceed 88 OVR! Here is a few busts and booms, in my experience.

Boom: Morgan Riley. Not many people talk about him on this thread. Highest overall iv'e ever seen him get to is 95 OVR with me! Consistently gets to 90-92 OVR! I don't think iv'e ever seen him cap off at below 90 OVR! Amazing offensive deffensemen, puts up great statistics in goals and assists, but obviously wants a hefty contract!

Boom: Connor McDavid. Don't need to even bother writing about this guy.

Boom: Nathan Mackinnen. Complete stud out of Colorado. Normally caps off at around the 92-93 OVR area. He can go with Duchene as a RW and put up beasty stats. Highest iv'e seen him is 97OVR in just year 3!

Boom: Tyler Myers. Normally get him for pretty cheap. Big strong defenseman who puts up a decent amount of points. Consistently 88-89 OVR. Highest OVR iv'e seen him be is 90.

Bust: Valeri Nichuskin or whatever(DAL). Do not pick this guy up unless you are looking for an expensive career 2nd liner! He never grows! If you are on previous gen I'd recommend upgrading his potential.Highest OVR iv'e seen him get to is 86!A better person to get would be Nikita Kucherov who dosn't normally grow, but is a cheap 86OVR sniper!

Bust: Nick Ritchie (May be Nate Ritchie whatever one is from ANA). Pretty high trade value for a player who iv'e never witnessed grow into atleast an 83OVR!

Thanks for viewing guys, i hoped you liked it I know i missed alot but this is just my first post and I wanted to keep it relatively short. Look forward to possibly another post soon!

in my second season Toronto wins the cup! led by Morgan Reilly at 95 overall!! Kadri leads the playoffs in scoring and wins the Conn Smyth.

So no excuses Shanny and Babcock! you can have one bad season and then the cup for you...lmao!

 

[Hawkeye71980]

Tyler Benson (4.5 y) Patty Kane lite if he develops. HE can become 4.5 red straight out of the draft, so be careful

question.

What do the colours mean in the potential?

another question.

Can you check past drafts to see who and when you drafted your prospects? I picked up the Oilers after getting fired as Habs GM and wondering who was drafted previously and who I drafted and when.

 

[Hawkeye71980]

I'm in year 3 of a gm mode with the Oilers

Martin Marincin is 87 OVR with "high" Elite potential
Oscar Klefbom is 85 OVR with "mediaum" elite potential
Leon Draisaitl is 80 OVR with "medium" franchise potential
Connor McDavid is 83 OVR with "high" elite potential
Nail Yakupov, while only 85 OVR has insane offensive skills: 97 Deking, 93 Speed, 90 Wrist shot accuracy/power

Can't wait until I have to try to resign all of those guys coming off ELC's, along with Hall (90), RNH (90) and Eberle (90) coming off their bridge contracts

I am on the 4th season of the Oilers. (I wasn't using them for the first 2)

So they didn't draft McDavid.

Marincin is only 84 in mine
Klefbom is 89 overall now
Draisatl is 80 overall but playing on my second unit and put up a good numbers of points for me so is set to jump up after this season
Yakupov is only 81 overall but on my top line and 2nd only to Hall in goals this season, so he is set to jump after this season as well.
The team drafted Ryan Pilon who had med elite potential 80 overall now, but is already 99 wrist shot power, 95 accurancy and 94 slap shot power, 93 accuracy!


I am currently in the 3rd round of the playoffs and 1-1 VS Chicago after sweeping both Anaheim and Winnipeg in the first 2 rnds.

 

[tezgm99]

What do the colours mean in the potential?

I believe it goes something like this:
green = highly likely to reach full potential, even giving them rubbish minutes.
yellow = likely to reach full potential if playing them on the line the game says they are supposed to be on.
red = highly unlikely to reach full potential, even giving them top minutes.

 

[Hawkeye71980]

I believe it goes something like this:
green = highly likely to reach full potential, even giving them rubbish minutes.
yellow = likely to reach full potential if playing them on the line the game says they are supposed to be on.
red = highly unlikely to reach full potential, even giving them top minutes.

k thanks

I figured it had to do with the likelyhood of reaching the potential, just wasn't sure which was the best of the colours. I figured it was the lightest colour to darkest. so Yellow, Green, Red. But i see it's Red, Yellow, Green.

 

[AlexS06]

Hey guys, I am new to this thread (sorry if I may sound noobish) but I do play NHL 15 a lot, especially "Be a GM". Just to start, this is a really great idea, to whoever started this thread! However, I do have a few questions that would make my day if answered

(I am currently in the 2015/2016 season and GM of the Chicago Blackhawks, FYI. I can also post my roster if needed!)


- I drafted McDavid first overall, and from almost every reply I've seen on this thread, he's a total beast. Should I leave him in the AHL for the first year, or do I use him on my NHL team (Blackhawks)? Basically speaking, does he level up if I use him on the NHL team (currently plays on second line with Tanguay and Nichuskin)

- I have heard mixed replies about Valeri Nichuskin, which I did trade for to be on my team? Can someone please tell me if he does or doesn't do well, and what he peaks at? He currently plays on my second line with McDavid and Tanguay, and so far he seems really decent (current overall: 84).

- Are there any tall goalies in future drafts? Everyone knows that Bishop is the best goalie in the game because he is 6'7 and can stop several glitch goals. Are there any other goalies in future or past drafts that are as tall or taller than Bishop (6'7)? I have found a goalie, but he doesn't look promising; His name's Evan Smith, and he's a 6'6 low potential other goalie that can be drafted in 2016 from WHL and he's American. How does he do? Lastly (sorry, this is tedious), what does Bishop peak at if he does increase his stats?

- Are there any other Franchise players besides Toews, Crosby, etc that could be drafted or are already in the NHL? I am looking for a few because, while I have Tired (being GM of the Blackhawks), I want to know if there are any other upcoming Franchise players.

- Who are the top players for the 2017 draft? I am looking specifically for Elite+ forwards, defenseman, or goalies.

- What does Rick Nash, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Braden Holtby, Alex Tanguay and Antoine Vermette peak at? I would prefer to know the top three, ex Kane, Toews, and Nash.

- What are good left wing players? I am really not in good standing with left wing players on my team and I will need some more. These players would be playing on first and second line, so I would like to find Elite+ 90 overall+ players. Does anyone know of any?

- Lastly, who will be the next best player in the NHL? In other words, who will be the next Sidney Crosby?


Thank you so much for your time to read and hopefully answer my thread!

 

[JCLiponfanboy*]

Has anyone been able to develop Provorov well in 360 or PS3? He is 4.5 red stars and has never gotten past 77 for me.

A guy who surprised me is Andrei Loktionov. I picked him up as a cheap 3rd line center in year one for toronto, and 3 years later he is an 85 with Great offensive stats putting up 65 points and +30 on a team where the next best guy is at +10.

 

[Sweetpotato]

X-McDavid-X
X-MacKinnon-X
X-Horvat-X
X-Laughton-X

Reilly-Hamilton
Pouliot-Vatanen
X-X

Gibson
X

With Salary cap on this is my go to core, for wingers I use high end offensive guys that develop slow enough that I can give them an 8 year 2m-3m/year contract such as Domi, Yakupov, Vertanen, Burakovsky, Bjorkstrand, Aberg etc. My go to team has higher 2 way play at forward as you go down the line and on defense their offensive ability increases(Krug, Del Zotto etc). I've found the lower down the pairings they play the less defensive attributes matter and more high end offense does.

I've had MacKinnon, McDavid, Hall and Drouin all top 100 points together with Droiun actually topping 78 goals, he scored most of them at the begining of the year.

Reilly-Hamilton pairing is the best in the game, of any set of players, regular 80-90 point seasons for each of them with stellar defense followed by Pouliot at 60 points, Vatanen, Krug and Del Zotto at 30-40.

 

[Ghost Bear]

Picked up an Elite RW two-way forward in the third round of 2020. He was 78 overall. This must be what Detroit feels like.

 

[CCBow]

Hey, I'm new to this Thread but i also play GM Mode a lot.
I'm on Year 8 with Calgary.
I've created Eichel, Hanifin, Werenski and Connor and made them available for first years draft.
Hers is a short summary:
Year One I traded Bill Arnold and a Prospect to Washington for their First Round Pick very early in the season. Over a Wildcard spot I sneaked into the PlayOffs and survived until Round 2. Washington ended up last in the NHL and i got the First Overall Pick.
I selected....Connor McDavid for sure
In Round two I drafted Werenski who I had created with 4 green. He had 4.5 red when i selected him on 46 Overall.
He became 85 OVR in Year 3 but stayed since then. He plays along side TJ Brodie (87 OVR) on my Top Line.
The next Year i didn't made the PlayOffs and recieved the 4th Overall Pick. I drafted Gordon Rupp with 4.5 yellow.
The following five Years were very succesfull i made it to the Conference Finals every Year. I lost my first Stanley Cup Final to the Maple Leafs in Game 7 in 2016. I won the Stanley Cup twice (2018,2019)
Through this Years I picked up many good Free Agents:
Frederik Andersen was my Starter until the End of Year Seven.
Keith Yandle plays on my Third Line along side Jeremy Roy or Matt Donavan
Ondrej Palat is my 2nd Line Left Wing. I signed him during Free Agency in Year 3 as a RFA for my 2nd Round Pick)
Brandon Saad is my 2nd Line Right Wing. I signed him during Free Agency in Year 5.
I also traded for Ryan O'Rielly in Year 3. He was my First Line Right Wing and was a Beast in the PlayOffs. He stopped Producing last Year and I traded him in a major Deal (more info later)
I also picked up Minnesotas First Overall Goalie Badenhorst with 4.5 yellow. I really don't know what these Guys were thinking when they got rid of him
During my first Cup Run Andersen was a Beast he won the Conn Smythe and saved me several times. (I came back from 0-3 against Anaheim in Round 2 with two ShutOuts from him).
Connor McDavid is a absolut Beast with Johnny Gaudreau on his Left. He won the Conn Smythe the Year after with 27 Points in 22 Games.

Now to the Major Deal at the Trade Deadline in Year 7:
I wanted to get rid of O'Rielly and put him on the Trade Block.
Chicago only had Toews as a good Center and Kruger as their second Best.
They sent me an offer for O'Rielly, A 1st Round Pick and a 3rd Round Pick (Carolina) for Teuvo Teravainen (90 OVR Playmaker LW) and a Denfensman. Teravainen was a perfect addition to my 1st Line:

My Roster at the start of Year 8:

J.Gaudreau(93 OVR SNP) -- C.McDavid(95 OVR PLY) -- T.Teravainen(91 OVR PLY)
O.Palat(85 OVR PLY) -- S.Monahan(85 OVR TWF) -- B.Saad(86 OVR TWF)
D.Yan(83 OVR SNP) -- S.Bennett(81 OVR PLY) -- P.Rodin(78 OVR SNP)
J.Summers(83 OVR SNP) -- D.Shore(81 OVR TWF) -- J.Colborne(83 OVR PWF)


Z.Werenski(85 OVR TWD) ---- T.Brodie(87 OVR OFD)
D.Pouliot(83 OVR OFD) ---- R.Ristolainen(85 OVR TWD)
J.Roy(83 OVR OFD) ---- K.Yandle(84 OVR OFD)

G.Rupp(84 OVR HYB)
R.Badenhorst(84 OVR HYB)

Okay:
Pouliot: I recieved him through Waivers from Pittsburgh.
Ristolainen: I traded D.Rundblad who i had signed in Free Agency for him.
Rodin is my new Talent with 4 yellow at 20 years of age.

Now a question: Have anyone had a Situation like my Bennett-issue? In my first years i tried to play him on the 3rd Line and also on the 2nd Line. In Year two he marked 70 Points but hadn't grown. Then I recieved O'Rielly and he was stuck two the third Line. I gave him PP and he marked over 50 Points until 2018/2019. Now he is 25, still 4.5 yellow but only 81 OVR. I considered two trade him but his Value is very low now. So i hold on to him as my 3rd Line Center. Now he scores around 30 Points a Season. The god thing he still has a two Way Contract which makes him very cheap for a solid 30 Point Player.

For new Beginners I can recommend M.Backlund as a 3rd ord 4th Line Center. He was a stud in PK and marked around 30-40 Points per Season. I had to let him go during Free Agency because of Cap-Issues.

Eichel was traded by New Jersey. 5 yellow ; 94 OVR 2nd Overall 2015
Hanifin was traded by Boston. 4.5 yellow; 92 OVR 5th Overall 2015
Connor was traded by Columbus. 4 green; 91 OVR 14th Overall 2015

 

[you Giroux it for me]

Flyers year 7
Just traded McDavid to Calgary for Logan Brown because he wasn't doing anything for me and was stuck at 90. He racked up a tons of assists, only ever flirts with ppg, could never finish. He'd get like 13 goals and 70 assists. Brown was also at 90, green elite, with ridiculous 99,99,95,99 in shooting. Averages about 40+ goals a year.

L.Brown(90 OVR PWF) -- N.MacKinnon(97 OVR PLY) -- J.Drouin(94 OVR SNP)
T.Benson(89 OVR SNP) -- S.Stamkos(96 OVR SNP) -- J.Voracek(91 OVR SNP)
R.Mottau(84 OVR PWF) -- N.Cousins(88 OVR PLY) -- B.Chubarov(85 OVR SNP)
N.Jakobs(79 OVR PWF) -- B.Harper(82 OVR TWF) -- D.Pastrnak(83 OVR PLY)


J.Schultz(88 OVR OFD) --------- R.Wright(96 OVR TWD)
R.Hagg(87 OVR TWD) ------------ M.Malakhov(86 OVR DFD)
S.Gostisbehere(86 OVR OFD) - S.Morin(82 OVR DFD)

A.Stolarz(88 OVR HYB)
K.Andersson(85 OVR HYB)​

 

[danielpalfredsson]

McDavid isn't great in this game. Drouin is over rated and becomes what McDavid should become in the game.

I hope they ditch the boom (Ceci, Reilly, etc) and bust pre programming in the future, or at least make it so that it is randomized on every new game.

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

McDavid isn't great in this game. Drouin is over rated and becomes what McDavid should become in the game.

I hope they ditch the boom (Ceci, Reilly, etc) and bust pre programming in the future, or at least make it so that it is randomized on every new game.

The only reason McDavid isn't great is because they only made his poise a 68 and poise never gets better, they really need to fix that, good young players usually get more poised with their plays as they get older.

 

[Our Lady Peace]

Hey guys, I am new to this thread (sorry if I may sound noobish) but I do play NHL 15 a lot, especially "Be a GM". Just to start, this is a really great idea, to whoever started this thread! However, I do have a few questions that would make my day if answered

(I am currently in the 2015/2016 season and GM of the Chicago Blackhawks, FYI. I can also post my roster if needed!)


- I drafted McDavid first overall, and from almost every reply I've seen on this thread, he's a total beast. Should I leave him in the AHL for the first year, or do I use him on my NHL team (Blackhawks)? Basically speaking, does he level up if I use him on the NHL team (currently plays on second line with Tanguay and Nichuskin)

- I have heard mixed replies about Valeri Nichuskin, which I did trade for to be on my team? Can someone please tell me if he does or doesn't do well, and what he peaks at? He currently plays on my second line with McDavid and Tanguay, and so far he seems really decent (current overall: 84).

- What does Rick Nash, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Braden Holtby, Alex Tanguay and Antoine Vermette peak at? I would prefer to know the top three, ex Kane, Toews, and Nash.

- What are good left wing players? I am really not in good standing with left wing players on my team and I will need some more. These players would be playing on first and second line, so I would like to find Elite+ 90 overall+ players. Does anyone know of any?

- Lastly, who will be the next best player in the NHL? In other words, who will be the next Sidney Crosby?

1. The realistic thing would be to put McDavid in the NHL ASAP but honestly just leave him in junior for a year or two after his draft. He will skyrocket as long as you slot him in your NHL roster accordingly.

2. Nichushkin is an intriguing player. For me, I like that he's big and has solid hands and skating. In one of my leagues he topped out at 92 and was a perennial 70-80 point scorer. He usually gets up to around 87 OVR no problem and hits 60-70 points every year.

3. Nash stays the same. Toews can rocket up to 95/96 OVR occasionally. Kane usually hovers around 90/91 while putting up top offensive numbers.

4. Taylor Hall is a good, young LW player that can plays for years to come. Tyler Benson in 2016 is a boom or bust in that regard.

5. McDavid AINEC. You get some guys that are drafted along the way that become like 94 OVR on occasion but McDavid is the surefire real deal. He became 98 OVR in one of my leagues.

 

[Rondoo]

I've never really had McDavid put up amazing points. At least not consistently. I'd much rather have Drouin on my team. That kid turns into a beast.

 

[habfan72]

In my BaGM campaign I've had the luck of finding a few steals.
In 2015 in free agency I picked up a goalie that was drafted by Buffalo and then realeased.

Danny Mumaugh

Drafted 1st rd, 3rd overall (BUF)
4.5Y 77ovr

He got at high as a 92ovr. I just traded him in the 26-27 offseason for a 94ovr 1st line winger.

I drafted another goalie in 2021 1st overall that is now 96ovr at 25y.o.

Cesar Devos

Drafted 2021 1st overall
5 yellow, 81ovr


I got a defenseman in 2016 that made a huge jump for me

Chaz Reddekopp

Drafted 2016 3rd rd, 83rd overall
3.5 red 68ovr

At the start of the 2019-20 season he jumped to 3.5 yellow and was an 85ovr

He's been in my top 4 ever since and has been a killer of a DFD for me.

 

[Sweetpotato]

Can anyone explain to me or point me to a source about how prospects develop, what helps or hinders it?

Also seems like I find elite goalie talent easily but ive never found a Franchise talent goalie. So far ive found McDavid, MacKinnon, RNH, Stamkos, Ovechkin, Crosby, Toews, Kylington and Weber as consistent Franchise level players, but I haven't found a Franchise goalie. Is this a common thing or am I just super unlucky? Lol

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Can anyone explain to me or point me to a source about how prospects develop, what helps or hinders it?

Also seems like I find elite goalie talent easily but ive never found a Franchise talent goalie. So far ive found McDavid, MacKinnon, RNH, Stamkos, Ovechkin, Crosby, Toews, Kylington and Weber as consistent Franchise level players, but I haven't found a Franchise goalie. Is this a common thing or am I just super unlucky? Lol

I play previous gen.

It seems to be ice time+stats=development. I find you have to play a prospect above their role on a line with other good players or else they stagnate. Example, if you have a 4.5* with a 3rd line role, you have to put them on the 2nd line. PP time is huge as well since it determines who will be your top scorers.

Certain players are programmed to always boom or always bust. Draisaitl seems like a guy who never reaches his potential, same with Lazar. Where as Reilly almost automatically hits 90oa.

 

[AveryStar4Eva]

Just drafted a guy in the 2020 draft 1st overall. 20 years old, 87 overall rating, with 5 gold stars. I couldn’t believe it! Usually I wait two years to sign prospects, but I’ll make an exception

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Just drafted a guy in the 2020 draft 1st overall. 20 years old, 87 overall rating, with 5 gold stars. I couldn’t believe it! Usually I wait two years to sign prospects, but I’ll make an exception

I did a GM log in the GM thread. I got Pittsburgh's first round pick in the pre-season as an after thought (they are usually a playoff team). They finished in the last non-playoff spot, and with a 1 percent chance (or what ever it is) their pick won the lottery.

With that, I drafted a 5 star player....the catch....he was a grinder. He was a RWer but was left handed and had high faceoffs so he could pretty much play any forward position. I left him in the CHL for a year since he was 19. The next year he was 87 overall.

He topped out at 95 points as a first line grinder. Almost always lead the league in hits or came close to it for forwards. Always really high up in take aways. I didn't play out his whole career, but it seemed like he peaked as a 30 goal 70 point player.

I know a lot of people pass on grinders high in the draft because they don't put up points during sims, but high potential grinders can become beastly two way top 6 players that help your team win.