Challenge #44 - Discussion Thread

[Peter_Doherty]

Only played like 30 games but i'm not sure how much of a challenge this will be, think this team is too young and too stocked with good/great prospects honestly. Time will tell, i'll try to stick with this for 5+ seasons.

[pforsbergfan9]

I ran into an issue where Goligoski got injured for two months and I keep getting a $14K fine for being under the salary cap. I currently have all my most expensive players on the roster. Will this affect me in the challenge?

[Peter_Doherty]

It won't affect the challenge, but you could just not have him in IR so his cap hit counts towards the salary cap, that way you won't be under the cap

[Bastulon]

Game 40: 20-18-2. 12-8 first twenty, 8-10-2 next twenty.

Domi-Hanzal-Vrbata
Martinook-Gaudet-Rieder
McGinn-Richardson-Doan
Cunningham-White-Mueller
*I ran Duclair-Martinook-Rieder for most of year but noticed Duclair's points and AvR was low so I sent him to the A.

OEL-Murphy
Goli-Stone
Dahlbeck-Schenn with Smith in goal, most of the time.

I'm starting to look towards the off-season and trades, thinking we will need a 1B type Goalie and a 2/3C. How many waiver claims are there once we hit S2, 3 a year?

[Peter_Doherty]

"No waiver claims allowed!"

[Bastulon]

"No waiver claims allowed!"

I was under the impression that was only for the first year, thanks!

[Peter_Doherty]

No worries, i suggest that everyone reads the rules a few extra times, especially if you are new to the challenges

[saberhagen83]

9-11-0 after 20 games. Not too bad really, but the injuries are really killing me in this game. Constantly someone is out for a week or two. Currently have OEL and Goligoski out...needless to say the D is not too good at the moment. Pacific was looking real tight, but a turn of bad results lately have put us 9p behind 3rd and 7p out of a WC spot. If only I can get Hanzal and the PP to start to work, I think we still have a shot to climb the standings.

[Bastulon]

Woof, 31-32-4 so far with 3.07 0.887 from my starter and 2.97 0.892 from my backup. Somewhat not horribly below average goaltending would be nice. Domingue isn't really tearing the AHL world up either.

[saberhagen83]

Oh man, so close yet so far away. Missed the playoffs by a measly 2 points! March was brutal, with Strome going down for 3 weeks we had a sequence of 7 straight losses, that basically put us out of the playoff race. Then we came back at the end of the month but had to beat Blues, but of course lost. Really had to win the final 2 games (which we did) with Blues loosing. Strome comes back the final 2 games and puts up 4p instantly but Blues wins their final 2 as well.

Highest scoring team in the NHL, but also top 3 most goals against. Such a weird season! Hoping Strome wins the Calder, 1st among rookies for points and assists, 2nd for goals behind Laine. Max Domi was 3rd in the league in points and goals. Time to begin the fixing, usually have a team that is the best defensivly, not too used to be one of the most scored on teams in the league.

Have already started some pre-scouting. Have found some teams that could maybe, just maybe, be nice enough to unload one of their goalies to me. I found a couple of teams out East, that have 2 good quality goalies on their NHL roster. Also found a couple of younger goalies with some potential and currently playing in the AHL. Our Goalie pool is so thin so this is my main priority this off-season. Also have one target in the draft I hope I will be able to snag up. Draft is looking quite weak and we will not be looking to be drafting in the top 10...so very weak according to the scouts.

[axepig]

http://i.imgur.com/cg6Bumh.png

Hmm idk... I feel like that was pretty decent

[m0fownz0r]

http://i.imgur.com/cg6Bumh.png

Hmm idk... I feel like that was pretty decent

Decent it is. However, seems strange to trade for another LD when this team is loaded on the left side with OEL, Goligolski and Chyrchun..

[MWE]

Done my first season finished bottom with a record of 15-59-8 Domi top scored for me with 45

[saberhagen83]

About to start season 2 and two trades have happened. Perlini+Schenn to Jets for Hutchinson+4th. Couldn't get a hold of anyone better, seems Goligoski contract is thought of as overpaid, so I refused to deal him at this time. 2nd trade I sent Connauton to Flyers for Matt Read. Fans and board saw this as a steal. I just like the trade as we are stocked on LD and could use a bottom 6 winger that can kill penalties...could certainly slot into the 2nd line if needed. Mike Smith was claimed by Leafs, no one wanted to give anything for him and I was unlucky enought he didn't retire despite playing 2nd to Domingue. I'll have to hold on to Bolland for now, or else we go below the cap floor again.

[dwillms]

Man I wish trades were allowed in Season 1... I've seen Talbot put on the block 2 times already, just hoping he doesn't get dealt yet.

Anyone re-sign Vrbata? How much did he take? Still is reluctant to negotiate with me

[Modano]

darn, I'm so bad at this After 16 games we collected 4 wins and 12 losses in regular time... Moreover we didn't win at Gila River Arena Domingue is gone for 8 months. Mike Smith is abysmal, he just let 7 goals on 24 shots against Edmonton, month ago he let 6 goals on 22 shots against NY Rangers. I'm so excited so far!

[saberhagen83]

Anyone re-sign Vrbata? How much did he take? Still is reluctant to negotiate with me

I tried. Figured he would do well in a middle-6 role, as he has dropped off a bit. With the amount of cap space we have I even tried to go beyond what I thought he was worth. No dice. He ended up signing with the Flames on a 2y deal for 4.5M/y. No way he is worth that much in my eyes.

[braeden]

2nd season line-up:
Domi-Strome-Rieder
Crouse-Dvorak-Brown
Martinook-Dauphin-Duclair
Richardson-Bolland-Cunningham

EkmanLarsson-Trouba
Chychrun-Goligoski
Dahlbeck-Connauton

Demko-Smith

[Modano]

Yay! Finally my team won at home! It took us just 10 games to win- 5:6 against Ottawa, but still we are waiting for winning a home game in regular time I didn't know that playing a challenge is so big fun

[m0fownz0r]

Anyone re-sign Vrbata? How much did he take? Still is reluctant to negotiate with me

I tried. Figured he would do well in a middle-6 role, as he has dropped off a bit. With the amount of cap space we have I even tried to go beyond what I thought he was worth. No dice. He ended up signing with the Flames on a 2y deal for 4.5M/y. No way he is worth that much in my eyes.

I resigned him @ 5.050 for one year. Most of his atts dropped a bit but in the 50 games he played he notched 26goals and 27 assists for me with 7.58AVR. Mostly 2nd line duties and some PP.

[braeden]

Anyone re-sign Vrbata? How much did he take? Still is reluctant to negotiate with me

I tried. Figured he would do well in a middle-6 role, as he has dropped off a bit. With the amount of cap space we have I even tried to go beyond what I thought he was worth. No dice. He ended up signing with the Flames on a 2y deal for 4.5M/y. No way he is worth that much in my eyes.

I resigned him @ 5.050 for one year. Most of his atts dropped a bit but in the 50 games he played he notched 26goals and 27 assists for me with 7.58AVR. Mostly 2nd line duties and some PP.

He retired for me after S1.

[saberhagen83]

Anyone re-sign Vrbata? How much did he take? Still is reluctant to negotiate with me

I tried. Figured he would do well in a middle-6 role, as he has dropped off a bit. With the amount of cap space we have I even tried to go beyond what I thought he was worth. No dice. He ended up signing with the Flames on a 2y deal for 4.5M/y. No way he is worth that much in my eyes.

I resigned him @ 5.050 for one year. Most of his atts dropped a bit but in the 50 games he played he notched 26goals and 27 assists for me with 7.58AVR. Mostly 2nd line duties and some PP.

Nice! Now I kind of wish I'd gone a little higher and signed him. Great to see he is still producing really good for you.

Having another weird season with less then stellar goaltending and defense, but it is getting better I think. Closing in on the halfway point, this is the current lineup that seems to be working better for me:

Domi-Strome-Rieder
Dvorak-Merkley-Read
Crouse-Hanzal-Duclair
Martinook-Richardson-Samuelsson

OEL-Muprhy
Chychrun-Stone
Goligoski-Dahlbeck/DeAngelo

Hutchinson/Domingue

Hanzal was playing poorly on that 2nd line, so decided to try Merkley. He was one of the better players on a poor Tucson team, he has done very well! Samuelsson I was unsure about but the staff seems to like him...now I know why, has played very good for us this season. Getting a lot of scoring but less defense still, our PK is abysmal and needs major fixing if we are to make the playoffs this season.

[saberhagen83]

I feel sorry for Leon Draisaitl, season is going by and he is without a team as the Oilers haven't re-signed him. Really hope this isn't gonna be a major issue in the game, but this is not good. I assume we are unable to trade for these kind of players as well? Even if they have played in the NHL. But it would be their rights we are trading for, so I assume it is not OK in the challenge?

[bruins72]

Players must be under contract to an NHL team.

[dwillms]

Anyone re-sign Vrbata? How much did he take? Still is reluctant to negotiate with me

I tried. Figured he would do well in a middle-6 role, as he has dropped off a bit. With the amount of cap space we have I even tried to go beyond what I thought he was worth. No dice. He ended up signing with the Flames on a 2y deal for 4.5M/y. No way he is worth that much in my eyes.

I resigned him @ 5.050 for one year. Most of his atts dropped a bit but in the 50 games he played he notched 26goals and 27 assists for me with 7.58AVR. Mostly 2nd line duties and some PP.

I've offered 2 yrs @ $4.8 and also 1 yr @ $5.05, turned down both offers.

Finally signed 1 yr @ $5.25. Should be useful as a trade chip even if he doesn't work out as a secondary scorer next year.