Challenge 15: Colorado Avalanche (Discussion Thread)

Post by **joehelmer** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 8:25 pm

In my first season I drafted Maksim Kitsyn with 4th pick in the first round. I hope he turns out good, I'm planning on signing him and put him either ECHL or AHL for his first, and maybe second season over in NA, he's only 18 but undrafted by any Canadian junior team so I can't put him there.

Post by **Danny** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 8:59 pm

Haha, Burkie fired just two weeks after firing Wilson

cstorring · Post by **cstorring** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 11:27 pm

Anyone else get a surprise season preview ranking? After finishing last in the conference last year and adding 2 third/fourth liners (which was probably a bad move, think i'll go for signing 1 2 million dollar man instead of 2 potentially rubbish players), I was ranked 8 overall. We'll see what happens but I guess I had a lot of player improvement? Not that it means much but anyone else have this happen?

jbsnadb · Post by **jbsnadb** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 12:07 am

Nope. I was ranked 29th for the first season and made the playoffs but was bounced in 5 by the eventual Stanley Cup champs. After doing nothing in the off-season (I opted for the waiver option), I was ranked 22nd.

jbsnadb · Post by **jbsnadb** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 1:39 am

Made my trade in season two: Erik Cole for O'Reilly and Priessing. Carolina was heavy for Priessing, and I rankly had to force O'Reilly onto the second line to get him any points at all. So, I filled my second line LW deficiency (which allowed me to move Duchene back to centre).

Post by **Danny** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 2:47 am

I plan to go for the two players at league minimum option since I'm really happy with my top 2 lines, McLeod has emerged as a really nice fit for Duchene and Hejduk and there might be some solid bottom 6 players to be had for 500k. I will probably use the trade to acquire a higher profile defenceman since I'm losing both Salei and Foote at the end of the season.
I'm still in the playoffs, finished the regular season in 5th place, currently 0-2 in the series vs the Blue Jackets. Unfortunately I'm without Hannan and Preissing, so we might be playing some golf real soon

jbsnadb · Post by **jbsnadb** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 3:01 am

Argh! lost six in a row after the trade. Of course, Hannan was out for a bit, and i juggled a few too many guys. Also, Anderson imploded for a spell. hopefully, he's better now.

Post by **McQwak** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 9:47 am

Danny wrote:Liles is -30 after 60 games. His partner on D, Preissing, -4. This is a bit odd.

Same in my game. After 44 games Liles is -7 and his partner Clark is +2. Not a big difference but I'm just in the middle of the season.
Liles just doesn't know how to run away to the bench when opposite team has a breakaway

ie99jro · Post by **ie99jro** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 9:56 am

McQwak wrote:
Danny wrote:Liles is -30 after 60 games. His partner on D, Preissing, -4. This is a bit odd.
Same in my game. After 44 games Liles is -7 and his partner Clark is +2. Not a big difference but I'm just in the middle of the season.
Liles just doesn't know how to run away to the bench when opposite team has a breakaway

Liles usually gets picked by the coach to step in when some of the other defenders are in the box, that could be one of the issues. Look at the minutes he normaly has some extra, if you don't game/coach/manage this yourself during the games.

Post by **joehelmer** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 11:07 am

ie99jro wrote:
McQwak wrote:
Danny wrote:Liles is -30 after 60 games. His partner on D, Preissing, -4. This is a bit odd.
Same in my game. After 44 games Liles is -7 and his partner Clark is +2. Not a big difference but I'm just in the middle of the season.
Liles just doesn't know how to run away to the bench when opposite team has a breakaway
Liles usually gets picked by the coach to step in when some of the other defenders are in the box, that could be one of the issues. Look at the minutes he normaly has some extra, if you don't game/coach/manage this yourself during the games.

We are supposed to coach the games ourselves:

4.2 In relation to your Challenge team, you must at all times be the only one in charge of player movement, team management and tactics. This means you cannot ever set your challenge team to go on 'vacation'. You must coach all games. You are not allowed to sim through the games with the Head Coach controlling them. This rule does not apply to your affiliate teams, however.

Peterman5000 · Post by **Peterman5000** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 11:10 am

So season three is underway.

Thus far I have a playoff series win in season one, and season 2 was a complete injury fest.

In season three a trade McLeod and Galiardi to the Islanders for James Van Riemsdyk.

So with my season two acquisitions my lines are now.

Stastny / Duchene / Hejduk
Wolski / Craig / Van Riemsdyk
Ashton / O'Reilly / Svatos
Tessier / Betts / Willsie

Liles / Preissing
Quincey / Clark
Hannan / Beukeboom
Holos

Anderson / Budaj

I really like the depth, and I actually have some defensive guys now. So far so good in season 3.

ie99jro · Post by **ie99jro** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 11:14 am

Yes I know, what I meant was that if don´t micro-manage during the games, the coach will put in Liles for the guy thats in the box, I hope you understand my point! I actually micro-manage a lot during the games as I find the coach making bad choices, I change lines, PP & PK personnel and much more etc. It's time consuming but usually wort it.

Post by **McQwak** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 1:30 pm

Guys, how do you handle staff wage demands when resigning them? They always want twice or three times more than they earned before. And even more than the board allows. And after leaving them unsigned, they leave my team and sign with another. Any tricks? Thanks.
I found this thread but no solution works for me. How did you resign Jocelyn Thibault?

Post by **Danny** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 1:32 pm

He's signed an extenstion for 350k for me

If they demand more than your board allows you to pay just sign an unemployed guy with similar stats

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 2:29 pm

joehelmer wrote:
ie99jro wrote:
McQwak wrote: Same in my game. After 44 games Liles is -7 and his partner Clark is +2. Not a big difference but I'm just in the middle of the season.
Liles just doesn't know how to run away to the bench when opposite team has a breakaway
Liles usually gets picked by the coach to step in when some of the other defenders are in the box, that could be one of the issues. Look at the minutes he normaly has some extra, if you don't game/coach/manage this yourself during the games.
We are supposed to coach the games ourselves:
4.2 In relation to your Challenge team, you must at all times be the only one in charge of player movement, team management and tactics. This means you cannot ever set your challenge team to go on 'vacation'. You must coach all games. You are not allowed to sim through the games with the Head Coach controlling them. This rule does not apply to your affiliate teams, however.

But if a player gets injured or tossed from a game, you can leave their spot empty for the rest of the game. So say Foote is injured during the game, take him out and leave his spot open. During the game, which you are still coaching live, the coach will fill that defensive pairing out by using another player in that spot. So even though Liles is paired with Clark, he could also be playing with Hannan for the rest of that game. It's still legal under the rules.

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 2:35 pm

Man, I've really got to try and find the time to finish the first season soon. I haven't played EHM in about 4 or 5 days now (busy!) and I'm way behind.

Post by **Danny** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 2:39 pm

Booo. So I got swept in the first round by the Jackets. 3 close games, twice going into OT, blown 3 goal leads and the like. Just couldn't compensate the loss of Hannan and Preissing. Salei YOU SUCK. And that decent Russian winger prospect doesn't want to leave Moscow for Colorado, booo again. I've signed Shattenkirk and Holos now though.

Post by **Danny** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 2:46 pm

sorry for the double post...erm...this is kinda not gonna work
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/9379/clipboard01rp.jpg

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 3:02 pm

Did he decide that he's going to retire after the season?

Post by **Danny** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 3:04 pm

Nope he's unhappy because he's not re-signed yet and keeps asking for a new contract. I'm not giving him the money he wants AND an NTC though so he'll be walking into free agency anyway.
Thrashers won the cup

Post by **batdad** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 6:32 pm

Good god. It is January in my game. Chicago is in 9th place, 2 points out of 8th, 5 points out of third...what do they do:

1. Jan 13- Send Duncan Keith to Buffalo for Andrej Sekera and some scrub prospect
2. Jan 25-Send Patrick Sharp to Tampa for Steve Downie and Tampa 2007 3rd
3. Jan 29 (today) send Brian Campbell to the Devils for Jeff Frazee, Niclas Bergfors and NJ 2007 2nd.

Needless to say, I think Stan Bowman is not his father. And is looking alot more like Mike Milbury by the day.

Post by **Danny** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 6:58 pm

Both Barker and Seabrook are better and rated higher than Keith in the game. Weird deal nonetheless. With the last deal they were obviously trying to make room to re-sign Keith and Sharp , forgetting that those are gone already

Meanwhile, I'm at the end of July, I've used my trade to acquire Van Ryn and Lombardi from the Yotes and have signed Eric Belanger as a free agent. So, provided the virtual Van Ryn can stay healthy, unlike his real life counterpart, I think that's a pretty good team

Wolski Stastny Svatos
McLeod Duchene Hejduk
Hensick Lombardi Belanger
Jones Durno Tucker

Hannan Van Ryn
Liles Clark
Quincey Preissing

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:46 pm

5 games left in the first season and I've clinched my playoff spot. I've also got Stastny leading the league in points with 116. The next highest after him is Ovechkin with 101. So it looks like Stastny will get the league scoring title. Wolski is 4th in goal scoring but only 2 goals behind Iginla, the league leader. Wolski has 46 so far. I'm hoping he can get 4 more goals in the remaining 5 games to make the 50 goal mark.

Post by **joehelmer** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:53 pm

For my second season Duchene got the number one spot as NHL best prospect, maybe I should let him be on the team.

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:58 pm

You didn't keep him on the team in the second season either?