How's it going in EHM2007? What team Are You?

[Philip Rolfe]

Still no Cup for Buffalo, 5/6 seasons in now, I forget the year. I've finished as top seed the last four years but been knocked off in the playoffs through one reason or another.

This season it was Ryan Miller's injury. We were 6-0 with him, 0-4 without him. Desperate stuff, Enroth's not even that bad, but it's how good Miller is which says it all.

That all means this off-season is likely to see a few changes. I've largely stuck with plug-ins where possible, like Akim Aliu and Alex Biega, but they're not good enough to play 60+ games a year.

They'll be off as FAs along with Kaleta, Clarkson, Maggio, captain Drury (now 38) and maybe Gaustad, because he wants ridiculous money.

The lines atm for next season go

Pominville - Roy - Vanek
Lessio - Soderlund - ?
? - ? - Kassian
Betts - ? - ?

Myers - van Ryn
Murray - Buravchikov
N.Andersson - M. Zyuzin

Miller/Enroth

Soderlund just won the Calder, he's a 6'5" 220lb Swedish center aged just 21. Is set for legendary things. Nils Andersson is a nice Swedish defenceman who can play big minutes and might supplant van Ryn before long, and Zyuzin is barely 21 but similar to Andersson, who is 24.

Each of my top line have won the Art Ross the last three years, Pominville most recently, and Vanek did it with a 75 goal season. We just need to fill the gaps wth better players and get over the playoff hump.

[Philip Rolfe]

Incoming free agents are Ville Leino, Fabian Brunnstrom, and James Neal. Gaustad has priced himself out of the market, meaning I'm sorta confident I'll get him back, and there's now an opening on 2RW for someone to take. Kassian has held it for two seasons but I'm after more goals, meaning a third line with Neal and Kassian on the wings will be great if Gaustad comes back. Brunnstrom slated for fourth line duty but may surprise and play second.

[V4ND3RP00L]

Seems like you are building a nice and healthy team. The only thing is that you can only pray that Miller stays safe.

[RyanSmythe]

So i started over. I've gone through 4 teams now winning a cup with 3.
Started with Plymouth...Won the Memorial cup moved to the NHL
Started with the Coyotes, had the team built really well
Got fired by the Coyotes, before everything came to fruition
Got hired by the Sharks, started retooling
Took a year, but in my 2nd season finished 8th and Thornton led the team to a Cup...Yes Thornton I know unrealistic.
With the Sharks in good shape i jumped ship to the Avs.
Was able to trade away vets for some solid young talent, 1st year made the playoffs as the 5th seed, lost in the 2nd round. Ended up with a 1st Overall pick as a result of an earlier trade, traded it a 2nd for the 4th overall pick and rights to Brock Buekeboom. Drafted at #4 Galarneau Top D prospect(according to my scouts), signed him...He made the team, as did Brock.
With Jack Johnson already belonging to the Avs(not sure how he got their) and Brock all i needed to do was add a strong goalie.. losing Anderson to FA. Paid a ton in FA to get Miller 7.8mil per year, but after everything was all said and done i ended up needing the 7.8 mil to be 1mil above the cap floor.
Brought in Dustin Brown also Via FA for 1.2mil a year for 3yrs. Ended up using him a lot more than planned.
Finished 4th overall and ended with the best GAA in the league, but a terrible offense. Stasnty was the only player over a PPG.
Although my Defense played amazing
Johnson had 50 points +38
Galarneau had 49 points +29
Brock had 37 points
Ended up riding Miller and the D to a Cup. Resigned everyone that was essential and was about 2mil away from the cap.
Moved to NJ after the draft (they had the #1 pick) Jordan Pyett
With Parise-Zajac-Ryan i felt i would have an easy time filling in the rest of the lineup.
Putt Pyett on the 2nd line Zajac, and Hagman
Left Parise and Ryan together but added a previous first round pick (2011 Robby tellford) to them
Ended up having a great offense and very poor defense but Anderson(ironic that he signed with the team i went to next)
Pulled through.
I added Ryan Whitney at the trade deadline for a very pretty penny but he was a UFA anyway. That seemed to level things out on the back end and took some pressure off Anderson Went 15-3 immediately after picking up Whitney
Won the division and finished 2nd in the east.. Went on to the SCF and played the Avs, won in double OT game 7. Whitney scored the winner.
Currently waiting for a spot to open at another team out west. Hoping for Minnesota.

[V4ND3RP00L]

Definitely have had quite the journey through the NHL so far and picking your teams. I just started up with Toronto and I plan on trying to stick around there as long as possible.

Although, I have played many games where I jumped around team to team. I think by the end of that game, when I was tired of playing it, I probably hit around 20 teams.

By the way, I have started up my blog on here again. So you can definitely read any news regarding my stuff and the Maple Leafs.

[JTavaresNYI09]

I just started a new game with the isles... I'll keep everyone posted.

[V4ND3RP00L]

Good luck!

[bruins72]

I'm still playing the game I started for the Sarnia challenge but after 3 seasons with Sarnia, I started looking for a job in a higher ranked league. So while running Sarnia in the 4th season, I started looking for job openings. I was passed over for the San Jose Sharks job. I guess one Memorial Cup win and a couple other trips to the playoffs isn't enough to earn an NHL job. That's okay. I applied for a few AHL jobs over the first half of the season (Hamilton, Albany, Norfolk, and I think Rockford). I got passed over for them. Finally, I got got hired to run the Peoria Rivermen. They've got decent talent on defense in Brett Ponich, Libor Salac (a regen), Tim Erixon, Jonas Junland, and Sebastien Bisaillon. They've also got a decent goalie in Stanislav Galimov. The problem is the forwards. There's just not much to work with there. The only bright spot on my forward lines is Ryan O'Reilly, who was traded to the Oilers from Colorado in the 07-08 season and then traded to the Blues (our NHL affiliate) from the Oilers a year later. So now we're sitting at 24th (out of 27) overall in the AHL. I'm hoping to do some good work with these guys for a couple seasons and then hopefully move on to the NHL.

[Lith]

Howdy, Playing with Lidas' 2.3

I'm playing as the Habbies and their affiliates. At the end of my 4th regular season (heading to the playoffs) as GM of all 3 and we're doing alright.
Right now the Cyclones are a dominant ECHL team with a record of 63-7-2, 322 GF and 124 GA
The mighty Hamilton Bulldogs aren't as hot because of NHL promotions (Eberle and Colborne NHL ROY), and a trading away of underachieving prospects (Alex Guptill, Gilbert Brule, William Wallen, Maxime Sauve notably) for a talent heavy 2010 NHL Entrty Draft. are 46-26-8, 246 GF, 198 GA.

Les Glorieux are President trophy winners with a record of 54-23-5, 357 GF, 276 GA. With a roster of;

Cammalerri - M.Koivu - Ladd
Lucic - Plekanec - Eberle
C.Clark - Colborne - Backes (IR) Replaced with B.Connolly
G. Campbell - Halpern - Ortmeyer

Markov - Subban
B.Stuart - Streit
S. Morrisonn - Sbisa

Price
Varlamov

Right now they're locked in a playoff battle with the Pens. Series tied 2-2.

[mrt3991]

Hey guys, i'm playing with the San Jose Sharks in the Lidas database 2.3. My thoughts going in were to play out the first year with my team, draft some prospects and gain good trading peices. Then my plan was to trade for guys in year 2 that would help me win a cup(hopefully) in year 3. Then in that offseason since thats the year Regens start showing up, trade off my top players and do a complete rebuild with my youth and regens. I am currently in the stage where i traded for and signed some great players to go for a cup. Then i will hopefully be trading my players off for picks and completely overhaul my team.

Currently:

Marian Hossa - Pavel Datsyuk - Marc Tarbuskovich(My created player, comparable to a Heatley type player)
Brendan Morrow - Joe Thornton - Zach Kassian(Still young, but accidentally signed him to a 1-way deal)
Milan Lucic - Devin Setoguchi - Johan Franzen
Jamie McGinn - Tuomo Ruutu - Cal Clutterbuck

Dan Boyle - Niklas Kronwall
Andrei Markov - Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Douglas Murray - Jason Demers

Aleksandr Eremenko
Al Montoya

I still have some work to do on the roster, like moving Franzen, Kassian or Lucic for a solid center for the 3rd line. Seto is playing center for now, but isn't a great faceoff man. Currently 3rd in the West, but because my players keep getting injured. Everyone form Tarbuskovich, to Thornton, Morrow, Hossa, Boyle and Markov have been injured. Just hopeing we can go into the playoffs healthy.

[V4ND3RP00L]

I've been the GM of the Rocky Mountain Rage of the Central Hockey League for the past 16 years. In those 16 years we have been to the promise land every year and achieved the leagues highest goals with the Governor's Cup for best record at the end of the season and ultimately the Ray Miron Cup for the best team.

16 years and 16 cups... I plan to stay with the team. I've been given chances to move into the NHL, OHL, QMJHL, AHL, ECHL, and many international jobs. I've declined all because my heart is with the Rage at this point. The only thing that would tear me away from them is going to be the Maple Leafs.

That's my team and the place I'd love to finish my career. Until they come to me with the job, I plan to stick with the Rage and live in glory with them for many years to come in the Central Hockey League.

[philou21]

I would be bored to win all the time, no challenge for me in that! You're not bored at all?

[V4ND3RP00L]

Not really because winning all of those things has been a big challenge. It's not like I win 60 games out of the 64 game season and then sweep everyone in the playoffs.

I'm usually in a race towards the end of the season to capture the points title with other teams. As for the playoffs, I have headed into a lot of game 7 series during those 16 years.

One thing that kind of keeps me going so far in this league is because I have been trying to break all player records with my own players. I've done good breaking most of the career records, but most game records or season records are hard to come by here and they're because most of my younger talent tend to get signed by the NHL quickly.

Overall, I get bored here and there, but not too much as I have things to keep me going. I plan on making a change and going into another league soon and see what I can do there for the team that picks me.

[stone169]

Using the TBL Unfaking roster I've managed to win the Stanley Cup in my 3rd year with the Sens. I figure I have one more year, maybe two with the current team before I have to do a retool. Lucky for me I've managed to trade up in the last three drafts and draft in the top 5. I also have some late rounders who look to be almost ready to go.

[timmy_t]

Like bruins72, I am still playing my Sarnia Challenge game. I just started my seventh season, and I'm the GM of the Boston Bruins.

When I was with Sarnia, I won two OHL Championships and two Memorial Cups in four seasons. I left about 20 games into season five and took the job of the Bakersfield Condors. That team was full of Anaheim Ducks players/prospects, and after 10 games I was 10-0 and my average game scores were something like 8-1. I didn't feel challenged with that team and took a job as the GM of the Houston Aeros. While with the Aeros I won the Calder Cup the first year, and about halfway through season six applied for and was selected as the GM of the Boston Bruins.

The Bruins still had Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and Milan Lucic. Besides those players, their team wasn't very good. I actually thought of using "Challenge Rules" with my Bruins team, but I figured they were so screwed up that I could spend one season trying to get them back on track. I missed the playoffs by about 5 points and am now at August 1st 2010.

I was pretty happy that I turned my first Bruins' season around:

They were 18-27-4 and the rest of the season I went 22-10-1 with Peter Budaj as my number one goalie. Also, my top line of Lucic, Kesler, and Wheeler averaged 9's the rest of the season. They were awesome!

[V4ND3RP00L]

That is quite the little journey and good job.

I forgot to mention that I was the GM of the USA under-20 team for a couple of tourney's and came out with a few championships.

[robotco]

in my 3rd season as the canucks.

1st season, eliminated in game 6 of the quarter-finals by the ducks when matt pettinger bounced it off ryan getzlaf's skate and into the empty net that luongo had vacated due to a delayed penalty

2nd season, missed the playoffs but garnered 2 1st round picks by fleecing minnesota in a trade that offloaded 2 of my biggest non-producers (stever bernier and thomas kopecky)

just started the 3rd season and i'm sitting at a 4-1-2 record. lost some ufas but signed some scrubs. traded a 7th rounder for steve begin to help fill out a checking line.

[mrt3991]

Hey guys, i'm playing with the San Jose Sharks in the Lidas database 2.3. My thoughts going in were to play out the first year with my team, draft some prospects and gain good trading peices. Then my plan was to trade for guys in year 2 that would help me win a cup(hopefully) in year 3. Then in that offseason since thats the year Regens start showing up, trade off my top players and do a complete rebuild with my youth and regens. I am currently in the stage where i traded for and signed some great players to go for a cup. Then i will hopefully be trading my players off for picks and completely overhaul my team.

Currently:

Marian Hossa - Pavel Datsyuk - Marc Tarbuskovich(My created player, comparable to a Heatley type player)
Brendan Morrow - Joe Thornton - Zach Kassian(Still young, but accidentally signed him to a 1-way deal)
Milan Lucic - Devin Setoguchi - Johan Franzen
Jamie McGinn - Tuomo Ruutu - Cal Clutterbuck

Dan Boyle - Niklas Kronwall
Andrei Markov - Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Douglas Murray - Jason Demers

Aleksandr Eremenko
Al Montoya

I still have some work to do on the roster, like moving Franzen, Kassian or Lucic for a solid center for the 3rd line. Seto is playing center for now, but isn't a great faceoff man. Currently 3rd in the West, but because my players keep getting injured. Everyone form Tarbuskovich, to Thornton, Morrow, Hossa, Boyle and Markov have been injured. Just hopeing we can go into the playoffs healthy.

I decided to load up even more once the trade deadline came around. Made a few trades for guys that were being shopped. Think i lucked out pretty well.

Marc Tarbuskovich - Pavel Datsyuk - Marian Hossa
Brendan Morrow - Joe Thornton - Marian Gaborik
Milan Lucic - Devin Setoguchi - Johan Franzen
Jamie McGinn - Mark Smith - Cal Clutterbuck

Dan Boyle - Niklas Kronwall
Andrei Markov - Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Dmitri Orlov - Jason Demers

Aleksandr Eremenko
Al Montoya

Unfortunately after i swept the 1st round series, Gaborik and Hossa went down in game 2 of the 2nd round. We'll see how that all turns out.

EDIT: Called up Hodgson and Paajarvi-Svensson to take their spots. Still ended up sweeping the 2nd round series as well. All close games though.

[timmy_t]

@mrt3991

What season are you in? Your team is a little stacked. Lucic is a 1st line LW, and would dominate with a big center and a big RW....

[RomaGoth]

@mrt3991

What season are you in? Your team is a little stacked. Lucic is a 1st line LW, and would dominate with a big center and a big RW....

Agreed. Also, I might be a Wings homer, but Franzen is better than a 3rd line player. You need some role players badly, or you are going to have severe cap issues.

[mrt3991]

@mrt3991

What season are you in? Your team is a little stacked. Lucic is a 1st line LW, and would dominate with a big center and a big RW....

I was in 08-09. Lucic i actually picked up in free agency as an RFA when Boston did not re-sign him. I offered him an offer sheet for $885k for 2 years and Boston did not match. I do plan to use him in a bigger role.

@RomaGoth
Yeah, i know Franzen is better than 3rd line, i had him on a strong 2nd line normally behind Hossa. But Gaborik was being shopped by the Rangers at the deadline and i couldn't help but put a bid in. I got him, so it pushed Franzen down. Franzen i will probably be keeping through my overhaul this offseason. Since i won the cup i'm going to be blowing up the team and gaining prospects and draft picks and build a team through that route. As i already have good enough top talent to last me a while i can let young players and some role players out of UFA handle the bottom 6. I'm very top heavy, which i did run into issues with Salary Cap wise. But those are under control now, and im in the process of dealing off some of the players i wasn't planning on keeping: Morrow, Thornton, potentially Franzen and Hossa as well. The last 2 are on some really good contracts though. Rather reluctant to let both go. I'll probably keep Hossa and deal off Franzen.

[Lith]

Howdy, Playing with Lidas' 2.3

I'm playing as the Habbies and their affiliates. At the end of my 4th regular season (heading to the playoffs) as GM of all 3 and we're doing alright.
Right now the Cyclones are a dominant ECHL team with a record of 63-7-2, 322 GF and 124 GA
The mighty Hamilton Bulldogs aren't as hot because of NHL promotions (Eberle and Colborne NHL ROY), and a trading away of underachieving prospects (Alex Guptill, Gilbert Brule, William Wallen, Maxime Sauve notably) for a talent heavy 2010 NHL Entrty Draft. are 46-26-8, 246 GF, 198 GA.

Les Glorieux are President trophy winners with a record of 54-23-5, 357 GF, 276 GA. With a roster of;

Cammalerri - M.Koivu - Ladd
Lucic - Plekanec - Eberle
C.Clark - Colborne - Backes (IR) Replaced with B.Connolly
G. Campbell - Halpern - Ortmeyer

Markov - Subban
B.Stuart - Streit
S. Morrisonn - Sbisa

Price
Varlamov

Right now they're locked in a playoff battle with the Pens. Series tied 2-2.

Update.

I beat the Pens, in 6. Beat the Sabres, in 6 again. I matched up against the Lightning in the east final, and took them appart in 5, Brodeur (yeah Martin signed with the lighning in the offseason) stole game 3.

The Lord's Mug was to be fought out between my Habbies and a redoubtable Canucks squad. I quickly set up a 3 games to none lead in the series only to watch it evaporate, and face a game 7 showdown.

After 2 periods of play the game was tied 2-2, and the score stayed so until 3:30 to go when "sniper" Darcy Hordichuk left completely alone at the side of the net brought my dreams to an end.

Darcy Friggin Hordichuck.

[stone169]

I decided to start again using my updated version of the Lidas2.3 rosters. Within a week of each other both Fisher and Gonchar went down with what seemed to be minor injuries. My trainer checked them out and said that they would be injured again. I had the option of sending to them to rehabilitation which usually only lasts a couple of weeks, at least in my experience. Nope, season ending surgeries for both key players. If I make the playoffs, I might have Fisher back. At least the team is still chugging along and winning games.

[mrt3991]

@mrt3991

What season are you in? Your team is a little stacked. Lucic is a 1st line LW, and would dominate with a big center and a big RW....

I was in 08-09. Lucic i actually picked up in free agency as an RFA when Boston did not re-sign him. I offered him an offer sheet for $885k for 2 years and Boston did not match. I do plan to use him in a bigger role.

@RomaGoth
Yeah, i know Franzen is better than 3rd line, i had him on a strong 2nd line normally behind Hossa. But Gaborik was being shopped by the Rangers at the deadline and i couldn't help but put a bid in. I got him, so it pushed Franzen down. Franzen i will probably be keeping through my overhaul this offseason. Since i won the cup i'm going to be blowing up the team and gaining prospects and draft picks and build a team through that route. As i already have good enough top talent to last me a while i can let young players and some role players out of UFA handle the bottom 6. I'm very top heavy, which i did run into issues with Salary Cap wise. But those are under control now, and im in the process of dealing off some of the players i wasn't planning on keeping: Morrow, Thornton, potentially Franzen and Hossa as well. The last 2 are on some really good contracts though. Rather reluctant to let both go. I'll probably keep Hossa and deal off Franzen.

Here's my more down to earth team once i moved most of the good vets for prospects and picks after winning the cup.

Marc Tarbuskovich - Pavel Datsyuk - Devin Setoguchi
Milan Lucic - Joe Thornton - Cody Hodgson
Viktor Stalberg - Chris Drury - Cal Clutterbuck
Mark Arcobello - Blair Betts - Mark Smith

Dan Boyle - Niklas Kronwall
Andrei Markov - Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Tyler Myers - Jason Demers

Aleksandr Eremenko
Vesa Toskala

[visualdarkness]

I'm still playing Oilers Challenge (now without the rules but still realistic) and just finished the 2010/11 season. Once again I got kicked out off the PO's by the stupid rivals called Flames...

My last game of the season was against the Flames and I lost that one. Sadly that meant losing the President's Trophy with one point to the leaders of the East and facing the (statistically) bad Flames I always lose to. Despite going so well in the season my team had 2-6-0 against Calgary.

As I expected I somehow lost the round, 3 games to 4.

Not even a SC final in all those years so once again there will changes as I have many promising prospects knocking on the door.

Team (the lines changes):
Suter - Gilbert
Grebeshkov - Petry
McDonagh - Motin

Pääjarvi-Svensson - Mike Richards - Penner
Colin Wilson - Horcoff - Rajala
Harju - Hartikainen - Eberle
Mikhnov - Tarnasky - Chris Stewart