Challenge 13: Nashville Predators (Discussion Thread)

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Thu May 21, 2009 5:02 pm

I've gotten a few offers for Colin Wilson (who in season 2 is tearing up the WHL) lately. I'm not planning on trading, even if I hadn't used up my trades for the season already, but just looking at these offers has got me shaking my head. I know a bunch of teams are interested because he's been winning player of the month/week so much but why not give me a decent offer? The latest was from Detroit, who offered their 2008 1st and 5th round picks and their 2nd in 2009. Now that might not be too bad for Wilson himself but these guys were also asking for the rights to Braydon McNabb (my high 2nd round pick in 2007) and Thomas Frazee (my 4th round pick in 2007). Get serious, Detroit!

I've gotten other offers that included 2nd round picks and trash prospects too. No thanks!

jbsnadb · Post by **jbsnadb** » Thu May 21, 2009 5:41 pm

As soon as I started talking up the good qualities of Dan Ellis, I promptly went 0-for-March, finally winning my first game of the month on the 23rd after starting off 0-8-1.

I went from 10 points out of a playoff spot with 18 to play, to 13th in conference (23 behind #8 Columbus) with only 3 pts. separating 12th and 15th.

Don't take this the wrong way, but i was really hoping Tavares would not be an option, but I am hovering dangerously close to the basement at this point.

Makita21 · Post by **Makita21** » Thu May 21, 2009 5:53 pm

jbsnadb wrote:As soon as I started talking up the good qualities of Dan Ellis, I promptly went 0-for-March, finally winning my first game of the month on the 23rd after starting off 0-8-1.

I went from 10 points out of a playoff spot with 18 to play, to 13th in conference (23 behind #8 Columbus) with only 3 pts. separating 12th and 15th.

Don't take this the wrong way, but i was really hoping Tavares would not be an option, but I am hovering dangerously close to the basement at this point.

Same here. I ended January with a nice 4-0-1 5 game run, so I thought I had a chance for the playoffs. Then lost Arnott and Bonk for the last month of the season + Ellis and Rinne playing dodgeball = John Tavares.

Makita21 · Post by **Makita21** » Thu May 21, 2009 6:13 pm

Quick question - I signed couple of my unsigned prospects (Wilson, Platanov) af ter season 1. They're contracts must have expired, so they're showing up on the Players In screen as Free Agents. This won't count against my UFA limit, will it? If so I'll have to roll back, as I need a UFA goalie.

Thanks!

eternium85 · Post by **eternium85** » Thu May 21, 2009 6:16 pm

So, season 2 started pretty well and I was sailing between 5th and 7th place in the conference after 35 games. Then I lost Hagman for 2 months and Arnott for 3 weeks and my team just crashed. I guess the players just felt it's okay to stop playing after the halfway mark

Even after having Arnott and Hagman back, they don't seem to get their paly together. Frustrating to say the least...

I can just say byebye to playoffs for this season too, as I'm currently 13th with 12 points from the 8th place and 13 games left to play.

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Thu May 21, 2009 7:11 pm

Makita21 wrote:Quick question - I signed couple of my unsigned prospects (Wilson, Platanov) af ter season 1. They're contracts must have expired, so they're showing up on the Players In screen as Free Agents. This won't count against my UFA limit, will it? If so I'll have to roll back, as I need a UFA goalie.

Thanks!

Nope. They're not UFAs. They're RFAs.

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Thu May 21, 2009 7:13 pm

eternium85 wrote:So, season 2 started pretty well and I was sailing between 5th and 7th place in the conference after 35 games. Then I lost Hagman for 2 months and Arnott for 3 weeks and my team just crashed. I guess the players just felt it's okay to stop playing after the halfway mark Even after having Arnott and Hagman back, they don't seem to get their paly together. Frustrating to say the least...

I can just say byebye to playoffs for this season too, as I'm currently 13th with 12 points from the 8th place and 13 games left to play.

I had a similar problem in my game but it was a bit different. Arnott missed the first 7 games of the season and the team really struggled. Since then, he's been really good but not the superstar he was in season 1. Anyhow, my entire offense hasn't been nearly effective as it was in the first season as a result of this.

Makita21 · Post by **Makita21** » Thu May 21, 2009 7:56 pm

Thanks b72.

My season 2 transactions are:

Traded Ellis, Ward, and Suter for Mike Cammalleri
Traded Belak, Klein, and Legwand for Thomas Vanek

Went Tier 2 UFA, grabbing Robert Esche (very good) and Rob Davison (good)

So my lineup for season 2 look like this:

Season 2 lineup

Post by **Manimal** » Thu May 21, 2009 9:09 pm

I finished season one with the worst record in the league. As everyone else I need a star goalie to become successful. Now I hope to win the lottery and then I'll have to decide who to draft. I'm leaning towards Tavares but we'll see. Then on to free agency and trades. I'd really like to turn this team around but the options are limited

Post by **archibalduk** » Thu May 21, 2009 9:13 pm

I'm bottom of the Conference and on a six game losing streak, but it's all worth it when I snatch at win at the Red Wings.

Hopefully I can get a couple of wins together and move up from the bottom.

eternium85 · Post by **eternium85** » Thu May 21, 2009 9:23 pm

Now I really believe that the game is just trying to make me lose my temper

and that these Challenge games and this board really have some kind of connection

After complaining my teams poor performances here, we ended up 10-1-3 in the last 14 games, on the 10th place 3 freaking points behind the 8th seeded

First line just had a superb end of the season. Arnott scored 33 points (8+25), Dumont 31 (9+22) and Sullivan 32 (21+11) in the last 14 games.
And Esche was injured for 6 games during that so I had to use Ellis, and even he had a minor injury but I played him still.

So what did we learn from this? When you're struggling, share your thoughts here and your team just might get the message

If only I had done it 10 games earlier...

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Thu May 21, 2009 9:27 pm

eternium85 wrote: So what did we learn from this? When you're struggling, share your thoughts here and your team just might get the message If only I had done it 10 games earlier...

It's like being the GM and calling your player out in the press. Talk to the media about how he could be playing much better and the team is struggling. Then they get embarrassed and go out with a fire in their belly.

Post by **archibalduk** » Thu May 21, 2009 9:47 pm

Heh I've lost Ellis to injury for another two weeks

jbsnadb · Post by **jbsnadb** » Fri May 22, 2009 1:23 am

Followed up the 9 game winless streak to finish 5-2-1 and end up 13th. Was 1pt behind LA only because I started Rinne in the season finale.

He'll be lucky to start season two backing up McIntyre in Milwaukee.

Makita21 · Post by **Makita21** » Fri May 22, 2009 2:56 am

archibalduk wrote:Heh I've lost Ellis to injury for another two weeks

Call up McIntyre like I did. He played 6 games for me and did as well as Ellis and better than Rinne.

Post by **timmy_t** » Fri May 22, 2009 5:02 am

Well, I just finished game 40 of my first season. I was pretty amazed that we actually won 2 more games this set of 20. That's something positive to build on, right?

Also, another positive thing is that we are not at the bottom of the Western Conference. Chicago is. Well, they are by 1 point, and they've played 3 fewer games than us, but I am trying to remain positive!

I have noticed that I can't get one line to be consistent at all. I watch them all stand around at their opponents blue line, or once they make it across, they pass it back and forth for what seems like 5 minutes. Arrgh!

I've been reading all of the tactics threads and going through my notes and I hope I can get this team turned around this season. One more positive thing: We are only 13 points out of the last playoff spot! Yeah!

kuulapaa · Post by **kuulapaa** » Fri May 22, 2009 10:10 am

Season #2 is over. We ended last in the Conference but not in the League as the Islanders were 4 points behind us.

Season was difficult for many reasons, not least for the obvious mistakes I made. We suffered from the lack of depth in our roster (and Milwaukee suffered more from it - they were close to fire two GMs in one season because of the struggling of the team

) as I didn't sign any free agents and enough our own prospects in summer. And top of all I didn't claim anyone from the waivers too, or at least not yet. There was only one player whom I might (or should) have taken, Dan Carcillo, but as he was waived in February 8th and as we got power forwards already I decided to wait and see the trade deadline. But there wasn't anything to see, there were just some 34 years old 7th or 8th Dmen whose contracts were ending in June. There was no big fish, there was no fish at all actually.

Injuries was another big issue. After losing Arnott for 2-3 weeks in the end of October and Legwand for 3 months in November we lost also Platonov. He was out some three weeks and we were forced to play with only 3 centers for a while. When Arnott came back our centers were Arnott - Wilson - Shafigulin - Jessiman. It wasn't working very well... Wilson has been playing well in AHL but he needs another year and a start with less responsibility than team's #2 center has.
Theodore also was injured twice, once with groin strain and once with sprained wrist. Both injuries came in game as most of the other players' injuries too, so there wasn't much to do to them. And the injuries hurt the team when there is no depth in it.
What comes to Theodore, he wasn't as good as I hoped but he wasn't as bad as I was told too. If we are able to get the defence to clean the area in front of the net, we will be fine. Jose is a good goalie, not a superb one, but good. And maybe a little overpaid too...

As soon as May begins I'm going to start offering contracts to our unsigned prospects. I hope I can get some 5-8 guys to join us in the summer. And this time I'm also going to make sure that we will sign 2-3 UFAs in the summer. There are some players who are leaving the team in June though, so I have to get enough players in our system. What happened in last season shall not happen again!

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Fri May 22, 2009 2:11 pm

timmy_t wrote: Also, another positive thing is that we are not at the bottom of the Western Conference. Chicago is. Well, they are by 1 point, and they've played 3 fewer games than us, but I am trying to remain positive!

I don't understand why Chicago does so poorly. They've consistently one of the worst teams in my game too. They're loaded with talent! It's the same thing with the Bruins. If I had either one of these teams I could win the Cup in the first season.

sjsharkz · Post by **sjsharkz** » Fri May 22, 2009 2:24 pm

bruins72 wrote:
timmy_t wrote: Also, another positive thing is that we are not at the bottom of the Western Conference. Chicago is. Well, they are by 1 point, and they've played 3 fewer games than us, but I am trying to remain positive!
I don't understand why Chicago does so poorly. They've consistently one of the worst teams in my game too. They're loaded with talent! It's the same thing with the Bruins. If I had either one of these teams I could win the Cup in the first season.

Yeah they arent so good in mine either, but they did trade Toews for a 3rd liner at the deadline in my game

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Fri May 22, 2009 3:35 pm

It's amazing what you see other teams trying to work for deals in this game. I just got a news item about a deal the Panthers offered the Islanders. The Panthers are offering Bouwmeester and their 1st round pick (they're currently 7th in the league) to the Islanders in return for Doan and the rights to a prospect named Linden Vey (taken in the 3rd round of the last draft and doesn't look that impressive). Oh how I wish I could get a piece of that action!

sjsharkz · Post by **sjsharkz** » Fri May 22, 2009 4:20 pm

bruins72 wrote:It's amazing what you see other teams trying to work for deals in this game. I just got a news item about a deal the Panthers offered the Islanders. The Panthers are offering Bouwmeester and their 1st round pick (they're currently 7th in the league) to the Islanders in return for Doan and the rights to a prospect named Linden Vey (taken in the 3rd round of the last draft and doesn't look that impressive). Oh how I wish I could get a piece of that action!

Yeah some of the deals are Mike Milbury like! The worst thing is, they give up there best player/prospect and add the veteran player who then leaves on the 1st of July, so not only did they lose the players they trade, they lost who they received!

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Fri May 22, 2009 4:49 pm

I know! I really don't understand that logic at all. I've also seen a lot of cases of a team trading away a top d-man, then going out and acquiring another, just to trade him away and repeat the whole process. The Bruins have been guilty of this. For some reason they decide to trade Chara away after they struggle in the first season. Then they'll go out and acquire Campbell or somebody like that. Then they'll decide he costs too much in salary and trade him away. Over and over!

sjsharkz · Post by **sjsharkz** » Fri May 22, 2009 5:01 pm

Yeah I guess thats one thing that would have been looked at in future EHM games, the intelligence of the AI. I am really enjoying this challenge, the 2 trade rule is really awesome and makes you really analyze who your trading for and puts pressure on you as a GM to pull the trigger on the right deals. Also the no trading draft picks is awesome too as it is so easy to aquire 1st round picks and just keep reloading your prospect pool with high quality prospects, I am really enjoying developing the players I drafted and the players I've traded for, Hedman is coming along really nicely and will soon be my number 1 Dman. I still leak too many goals though but I am sorting the problem out slowly.

Also Colin Wilson is a beast for me, he is holding up my second line really well, and if it wasn't for Eric Staal playing 1st line LW, Wilson is more than capable of playing there.

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Fri May 22, 2009 5:12 pm

I'm glad you're enjoying the new challenge rules. I really love them. Of course, we'll have to make a few tweaks for the next challenge but for the most part, I think we've got a good set of rules going here. Of course, these really only work for NHL challenges. We'd have to do something a little different if we did another league.

Colin Wilson is tearing up the WHL right now in my game and I think for season 3 I might give him a year in the AHL, since he'll be old enough then. He's got some great potential and I really don't want to rush him. I know I probably could've gotten away with playing him on my NHL roster in either the first of second season but I don't want to limit his growth potential.

So here's an example of the stupidity of the Bruins trading. It's very Milbury-ish!

(I've pasted together the 1st season trades and what they've done as of Feb 11th 2008)

Bruins Trades

Post by **timmy_t** » Fri May 22, 2009 5:36 pm

Hey bruins72, the Bruins are in 12th place at the mid-point of the season. The Senators are in last place in the east, though.

I agree with sjsharkz about the rules really helping out the challenge. I can remember us talking about all kind of rules to make the challenges harder. I think you guys did a great job with this current set up. Not quite as hard as the "no trade" challenge with Phoenix, but pretty close.

By the way, where's Batdad?