thunderbug wrote:I'll say this I'm much more of a tactics guy these days than I am a trader. I used to be big into trading and singing big name players. I've been a bigger trader in the past, but I'm too impatient these days with it. I make a few offers of what I think is fair, if I get a nibble I can work with then I work from there. These days I tend to prefer to take the team and do what I can tactically with them, and work them in practice to get the best I can out of them.
That is for sure the way a challenge should be played - there are still some options to get a relatively big advantage in a trade, even though we are only allowed to trade 1vs1.
In early Jannuary of the fifth season I was a bit unhappy with the performance with the team and I tried to sign a big name - I tried to avoid it but I simply couldn't resist. So I offered a great, but honestly a bit slow (only 10 speed) finish Center who won a lot of trophies last year in the QMJHL (29th joice in the 09 draft) for a long term (5-6 months) injured Evegeni Malkin to be competitive in the playoffs. I didn't play him in the regular season a single game, but played him in all games in the playoffs, he was day-to-day during the first 2 series and played less minutes than he does now, but there was still a big risk to have him out for another 6 months. In the end he won the Conn Smythe with 30+ points alongside the Stanley Cup, but somehow it feels like cheating a little bit, although there was the big risk of injuring him again and well he was useless for the regular season. This finish prospect, Kangas, could turn out to be nearly as capable as Malkin is now, but it's very unrealistic.
I am at July, 1st of the 6th season and had to trade Antropov immediately as he is already 35 years old and his trade value seemed to drop every season - additionally I signed him to a huge (close to 10M , I think) contract to avoid a No-trade clause.
Luckily I managed to perform an awesome trade (without the injury "cheat"
): Antropov for M. Backlund, who looks pretty good and is only 26 years old, very physical with a lot of skill at the same position, finally I got 2 franchise Centermen with decent to great faceoff-skills - Burmistrov is performing well, but he is a totally different type of player. Maybe Backlund is able to perform even better than Antropov did.
A lot of free agents are around this season and I really prefer to sign someone than to wait for a decent waiver-pickup. Maybe a solid LD as this team is weak on that position. Burns, Meszaros and Bogosian are fine as RD but Hainsey, Kulda and Valabik are not really golden.
And I am looking for a goalie, that's been a major concern for the last, ähhhh, 5 years !? The goalie prospects I drafted the last 2 years are not far enough, I am not even sure anymore if they will ever be ready? Maybe their CA was close to their PA or the training is failing as they almost aren't progressing
What's the secret? How do you look for possible trades?
Weird, to say the least.
