Help! I need advice for my team/roster (Official Thread)

[Geordie_Bolts]

Took the guys off the block and their values did go up. Currently got a deal on hold with Ottawa sending Malkin and Ebbett there in exchange for Bobby Ryan and Curtis Lazar. I am contemplating trying to get a pick out of them as well though! Waiting on a few other teams to get back to me about Geno as well so fun times ahead. Thanks again for your help.

[Stormsky]

About 60 games into my first season as the 06-07 Canucks and I have run into a bit of a weird situation. My top two lines are doing great - getting points, everyone is a plus, high rating, etc. But my bottom two lines are awful, despite having some seemingly decent players on them. Nobody has more than 15 points, and most players are -20 or worse. What gives? How do I put together a bottom six that is not a complete liability?

[batdad]

sounds like you have a bad bottom 6 without chemstry. Are they out too much against other team top 6? Your opinion is the players are decent, but some decent players perform poorly in EHM at times, and some others just are not really as good as people think. Do your tactics match the players you have on those lines? All kinds of things could be wrong, and really third and fourth line guys if they only get a little bit of ice time will not score alot.

[Stormsky]

Well, the scouts rate them all as at least 3rd liners. As they stand the lines are Bulis-Kesler-Linden and Burrows-Chouinard-Ortmeyer. They do play against the other teams' top-6, but I figured they are all pretty decent defensive players. The tactics are set to normal/defensive with safe passing, backchecking, etc. I'd be happy with 20-some points out of my third liners, but it doesn't look like any of them will hit it, and on top of them they will probably end the year worse than -30. Same with the fourth line, but I'd be lucky if any of them hit 5 points. Would it help to add more offensive players to mix it up? Or should I set tactics to be even more defense-focused?

[batdad]

LOL. THat is an anicent DB. Playing on EHM 2007? And those players with the exception of Kesler are known for being brutal in EHM07. Not surprised they are struggling. Only Ortmeyer in 07 did anything, and his ratings were changed in the later DBs so he would not over perform.

[Stormsky]

As I mentioned, this is the 06-07 UUDB. Playing EHM:EA after importing the database. If there any way to spot players that are likely to under/overperform relative to what their stats suggest?

[batdad]

Not for EHM EA, but those players you are speaking about were notoriously bad in EHM 07. I am sure that they would translate as bad over to EHM EA. I know Burrows does not do that well for sure, and the others are long gone save Kesler. Linden if I recall is not exactly young there but would be the 2nd best of that bunch, and he would be very average third line-fourth line guy.

[Stormsky]

Alright, that is fair. What should I look for in the off-season for bottom-six players? Checking, hitting, positioning and some offensive ability? Or is it better to just stick offensive guys there?

[batdad]

Ability. Period. Checking role players do not work in EHM. The idea of a checking line and a toughness bang/crash line is long out of style in EHM and is long out of style in real life as well. I would have at least two ready for ice time prospects in my bottom 6 as well as decent overall players. Size and speed help of course

[Stormsky]

I'm getting the hang of it. Here is one more question though. When you have a player (or two in my case) who are clearly playing bellow their ability, what can be done? In my case Kesler and Mitchell have an average rating of 6.3 and 6.1, which is much worse than other players who are far inferior to them. I tried moving them around the lineup, but there are only so many combinations I can try. Any other tools at my disposal?

[batdad]

Yep. Trade em/waive em/buy them out.

[Stormsky]

That seems a bit drastic. I reduced their ice time and waited 20-30 games and they are back up to normal.

A problem I ran into though: re-entry waivers do not seem to work. I need to bring a player back up, and it says I have to expose him to waivers. I say ok, put him on re-entry waivers. He clears the next day, but I still can't assign him to my team. When I try to it says he has to go through waivers, and no matter how many times I do it it still won't let me assign him to the NHL. Am I missing something or is it just broken atm?

[Tasku]

Did you try bringing him up right after you click waivers? I mean, don't wait for the time to expire, but bring him up right away.

[Stormsky]

That fixed it. Just a brain fart on my part it seems.

[Tasku]

Not the first time that has happened to someone

[batdad]

That seems a bit drastic. I reduced their ice time and waited 20-30 games and they are back up to normal.

A problem I ran into though: re-entry waivers do not seem to work. I need to bring a player back up, and it says I have to expose him to waivers. I say ok, put him on re-entry waivers. He clears the next day, but I still can't assign him to my team. When I try to it says he has to go through waivers, and no matter how many times I do it it still won't let me assign him to the NHL. Am I missing something or is it just broken atm?

Re entry? Oh right, forgot you were playing EHM 2007.

My drastic advice came from you asking what you could do....and then when I gave an answer...you asked again...and so I told you. If they suck...get rid of them. If you do not like them get rid of them. And you then come back with the answer of all answers...you had the answer to the question you asked....patience. LOL.

My answer was because you seemed impatient and wanted it changed NOW...that does not always happen in this game as you have discovered. That being said....glad you found the solution.

[Winnipeg Geordie]

Evening all, appreciate people may be distracted tonight,

What with 1st round drafting and all that kefuffle ;op

I have a few questions following my maiden season Stanley cup win with Lightning

Firstly, I traded early for the rights to duclair but can't offer him a decent enough contract for him to sign, would I need to get rid of non playing roster player like barberio or nesterov to free up some salary?

Do I allow all my farm team players contracts to just expire down even though I retain the rights?

My first season all I tweaked was offensiveness and creativity. I would like to be more hands on w.r.t. coaching and developing youth / prospects at pre season any advice or pointing towards guide appreciated

Though an answer to my duclair problem would be nice, seem to think I traded good to acquire his rights and be a shame to miss out on him, should I have signed him up immediately on acquiring his rights and sent to AHL?

Cheers and time to turn lightning and jets alerts off for tonight, methinks the ether will be busy....

Bill

[batdad]

Up his status from prospect or decent young player to core.

[Tasku]

I would not expire my farm players' contracts. Keep them there, so you may call them up, if needed.

My first season all I tweaked was offensiveness and creativity. I would like to be more hands on w.r.t. coaching and developing youth / prospects at pre season any advice or pointing towards guide appreciated

Check the Official Practice Thread for tips on how to develop your youth.
http://www.ehmtheblueline.com/forums/vi ... =17&t=2345

Perhaps you should be more specific on you questions to get better answers.

[Winnipeg Geordie]

Cheers for reply and pointers.

Have signed duclair, fast and chiarot.

And started picking up unigned prospects strome and at least 4 others. Problem is I can't send them to my farm teams, did I miss adding something to their contracts. Don't want to send pacquette and others to manage roster numbers come new season

[batdad]

They may still have to go back to junior depending on their age unless they make your main team roster.

[Winnipeg Geordie]

Phew kept believing your advice and finally able to send them back to juniors by training camp of new season

Am up against cap and having to go with 22 man roster though - oops. No harm in that is there?

Didn't notice the salary cap raising for the new season? That normal??

Thinking my greedy splurge may hurt next season....

Will hold me in good stead for real challenge of lifting the jets. Although looks like they could do with a buff (pun intended) in next patch / release

[Tasku]

Am up against cap and having to go with 22 man roster though - oops. No harm in that is there?

You're allowed to keep up to 23 players in your roster at one time during the season, and those players count towards the cap. So no harm done as long as there's cap space.

Didn't notice the salary cap raising for the new season? That normal??

Yeah, the cap is not dynamic in this game.

[lemming3k]

Anyone having issues with the maximum salary you can offer to free agents? My board always limits it to 8.6 mil a year, I'm setting it as key player and I'm at the salary floor so have plenty of cap room, but I can't go high enough to get some of the players. We're making lots of money (paying dividends out every year to shareholders so well in profit) and I can renew existing contracts at a higher rate, so I'm not sure what's wrong?
There's so much top talent I can't get.

[batdad]

What is the team budget like?

What is the board like? (attributes for them may tell you whether they are cheap or not)