How's it going in EHM2007? What team Are You?

[batdad]

Wow. The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was very interesting. So I Thought I Would let you know.


First few picks

1. Jeff Skinner-Dallas-was ranked 1
2. Vladimir Tarasenko-Minnesota-was ranked 7
3. Michael Granlund-New Jersey-was ranked 31
4. Maksym Kitsyn-Calgary-was ranked 9
5. Jack Campbell-Chicago was ranked 47
6. Cam Fowler-Columbus - was ranked 2
7. Tyler Seguin-Toronto -was ranked 3
8. Ilya Fakhrutidov-NY islanders-was ranked 34
9. Taylor Hall-Colorado-was ranked 5


Justin Faulk who was ranked 5th was not picked until 16th by the Boston bruins.Erik Gudrbrandson went 15th to Pittsburgh after being ranked 8th.

TOTAL INSANINTY AT THIS DRAFT. Some teams are going to look down at the picks after them and cry.


Looking at you Lou, Garth and Hitch (now Chicago GM)

My picks were as follows and find them interesting at best.


29th--Ryan Johanssen - 6,0 C-Seattle THunderbirds
59th-Cory Cain-Rw-6.2 200 - Oshawa Generals
62nd-Florian Hertl-6.1 190-Pardubice Jr
89th-Marc-Andre Nolet- 5'11 C - PEI Islanders
119th-Sergei Barbashev-6,1 LW-CSKA Moscow
149th-Derek Forbort-6'3 LD-USNTDP=--transfer set to U of Wisconsin
179th-Scott Miller-6,0 C Moose Jaw
209th-Charlie Coyle-6,0 RW-Foxboro Stars-Eastern Jr JHockey League-Transfer to Vermont Catamounts set.

I had that almost all dman draft in 2007 and now I have the all forward draft in 2010.

[batdad]

Wow. In all the zillions of games I have played in EHM...I just had something happen that I have never had before.

Victoria Salmon Kings--Kelly Cup Final (lost 4-0 to Gwinnett)
Manitoba Moose are currently playing in the Calder Cup final (Binghampton)
Vancouver Canucks up 2-1 in the Stanley Cup final. (over the Flyers)

Really cool to have all 3 in their finals. ONly had 2 guys playing in Victoria though.

[batdad]

Roberto gets his wish....but only in EHM, and only part of his wish.

The Vancouver CAnucks going into the 2011-12 season were going to be well over the Salary Cap. Players had to be moved. And when I say well over the cap I mean well over.

Our performance as a team had made things very difficult to keep people under contract.

Mason Raymond wanted 1.5 million (up form 500K)
Janik Hansen wanted 1.2 million (up form 600K)
Ryan Kesler wanted 4.6 million (up from 2.1)
Daniel and Henrik wanted 6.5 9 (up from 5)
Scott Hartnell wanted 4.2 mill (up from 2)
Bieksa wanted 2 million up from .625
Others got raises as well including McDonough, Stempniak....

Time to be bold. COry Schneider had filled in well for ROberto when Luongo was injured in the playoffs, and it was time to give him the starting job....he also got a raise from 1.1 to 2.1.

So the Canucks needed to do some work....it was not going to be easy.

Needed....back up goalie to come in and be capable of about 20-30 games, 2nd line RW, decent 3 line centre, or else fill with a very young player..(Loktionov who is making .825 and lit up the AHL with 90 points as a rookie)

It was a difficult summer for Vancovuer....

Here is what happened..

1. The draft sucked. Really got almost nothing in it from our position at 30, 60, 90....

2. Let Scott Hartnell go to UFA (signed 4.5 million over 3 years with San JOse)
3. Raymond and Hansen qualified but not signed. In fact both were very difficult and being dumb asses. Drove em to the airport.
4. huge holes to fill with losing those 4 for sure.

5. On july 1 traded teh rights to Hansen and Raymond to Pittsburgh for their 2012 2nd round, 2013 4th round, and 2013 6th round (looks to be a much better draft in 2013 than 2012)

6. Roberto Luongo and our 3rd round 2011 pick Myles Cheechoo dealt to Atlanta...for G Mike McKenna (a vet goalie who has never been given a shot in the NHL), Atlanta's 2012 1st round pick, and their 2nd round pick for 2012 as well. These picks were dealt for in order to turn around and....

7. Deal Max Talbot, and the two picks from the Luongo deal to the Rangers for Ryan Callahan (25 years old, .800K contract and upcoming RFA)

8. in September realized that McKenna was horrible, and made a move with Montreal and dealt Marc-Andre Nolet a 3rd rounder from 2010 who was not panning out, but still will get 3rd line minutes some day to Montreal for Yan Danis to back up Schneider for a year or two while Kevin Poulin gets ready in Manitoba.

9. Later in October with Brad Marchand really struggling as a CAnuck on the 2 and 3 lines .....to Tampa for their 2nd round pick.

I had brought over David Steckl in my minor trade deadline deal in Jan 2010, and signed free agent Brooks Laich .775 to fill in that 3rd line spot.

So the Canucks 2011-12 lineup looks like this:

Sedin 6.5 Sedin 6.5 Stempniak 3.5
Moulson .675 Kesler 4.72 Callahan .800
Naslund 3.72** Laich .775 Cracknell .659
Steckl .550 Loktionov .675 Jacquemet .520
V Karamnov .500

Karamnov, Jacquemt,Loktionov Sedin, Sedin, Naslund, Kesler are the forwards that are canuck originals (either db or draft)
Cracknell is scoring 15 per season and 40 points on the third line and is a great value.

Ohlund-Edler
Bourdon-McDonough
Shattenkirk-Vishnevsky
Martine

All 7 Canuck dmen are Canuck originals through draft or database.

Vishnevsky and Jacquemet are 7th round picks who have made the team and are both doing quite well in rookie years with over 7 ratings.

Schneider
Danis

So over half the roster are original Canucks.

This off season Markus..who is now 37 may very well retire. But he is still scoring getting 26 through 60 games on the 3rd line and 2nd unit PP. Love that guy.

Edler and Ohlund have both won Norris Trophies for me in the 4 years.

Again going to be a bit of a decision making off season as raises for a couple guys...Moulson Callahan Cracknell, Ohlund, Edler, Bourdon are all due......so if Markus does not retire and take his 3 mill with him I will be in trouble again, and will have to move some guys out. Such is life.

I am really trying not to take advantage of any AI problems....the CAllahan deal....the Rangers came to me asking for Talbot and we worked it out to get Callahan.

The Luongo deal I thought was totally fair. naff back up and two picks. I could have got more I am sure.

No trades at the deadline for me this year. Noone had any rentals available.

I have lost Edler, HEnrik, Kesler, Daniel, and Callahan all to injuries of over 2 weeks during the year and still have managed to keep up the success and am 1st overall by 5 points at this time.

At least for once I got Henrik and Daniel to agree to 2 year deals so they will not get a raise this off season.

I started the year exactly 80 000 under the cap. Yeah 80K. that was not going to be easy for me especially since the injuries I got early were to three line and four line guys and were only for a few days. Had to play a guy short 2 games.

Kesler is 3rd in the league in scoring and 1st in average rating at this time. He actually develops really well in this version of the DB.

Off we go to challenge for another Cup. I have won twice in the four years.

06-07 lost 2nd round
07-08 lost 1st round
08-09 won stanley cup
09-10 lost 2nd round
10-11 won stanley cup

[batdad]

Oh yeah the 2011 draft actually did net me one guy. 30th overall....Nail Yakupov. What? Was ranked 12th and dropped and dropped. Currently lighting up the OHL with 75 points in 45 games..injury issue may be a problem for him.

[batdad]

Time for another update.

2012-13 was a good season for the Canucks....

First the 2012 draft.

1st 28th overall--Anotoli Chernoff G Russia--6'1 207 - big boy, with great stats and am told he will be a starter. We shall see, as with Cory Schneider and Kevin Poulin should be set for some time.

2nd round-33rd overall- pick aquired from Penguins for Raymond and Hansen--Fred Bourque C 5'11 185 Univ New Hampshire. Apparently a skilled centre, but seems a bit small for my liking. We shall see.

58th overall--Josh Leblanc LW/C 6'2 198 Markham Waxers Ontario Junior Provincial HL....big winger, has some skill and good skating. Again projected as 2nd line guy.

88th-- Eric Hoffman Swift Current WHL-5'11 200 lb LD. not a big kid but plays physical hockey.

4th round-118th Sean ALaimo Vancouver Giants WHL--Sucky completely sucky LW but is huge at 6'3 218

5th round-148th-Bo Brady-Belleville Bulls OHL--Sucky with 6'1 165 lb size. LOL. Pathetic but liked the name.

6th round-178th=Trent Shaw Northeastern University Hockey East-LW 6'5 225. HUGE AND SUCKY.

7th round- 208th-Tye Waddell Bemidji State-Sucky LD of 6'1 frame.

So the draft was really weak. One guy out of it may play for me and that is the goalie.


Going in to the season, really no holes to fill for this team. Ridiculously in trouble with salary cap as Markus Naslund did not retire. I ended up waiving him to Manitoba a few games in to the season. Ohlund had been injured. Nazzy was then in and out of Manitoba line up with various injuries all year. Never got back to Vancouver like I had planned as we just never got the cap to the space we needed it to be to play him on 4th line. I felt horrible about it.

Sent Brooks Laich to the Capitals for cap reasons (4ht round pick in return)
Sent David Steckel to Toronto for a 5th rounder for the same reason, plus he just sucked,

Season started with the lineup as follows

Sedin-Sedin-Stempniak
Moulson-Kesler-Callahan
Cracknell-Loktionov-Radek Vlasanek
Roy-Leblanc-Jacquemet
Karamnov-Tropp

Ohlund-Edler
Bourdon-McDonough
Shattenkirk-Vishnevsky
Martine

Poor John Moore. just cannot make the team as the D is just stacked. Team report has him listed as 3rd but can get down to farm without being waived so off he goes. He goes on to dominate in Manitoba, but then....still no room for 2013-14 and I end up moving him finally as he would not sign with me for reasonable $$$.

Schneider
Yann Danis (one more year in minors for Poulin needed)

I am literally just thousands of $ under the cap, and any injuries that are not major ones to big $ guys will mean playing short lineup. Thankfully did not happen.

Team goes on to set an NHL record for goals --330. Defensively not as strong. My Power Play led the league, and PK was 28th. Total role reversal for me. I won 7 games with scores of 9-5 or above. It was weird.

Kesler had 41 goals and 99 points in 72 games as missed 10 with injury. Daniel 46 goals and 91 points. Those were my top two scorers, but I had 5 guys including Stempniak, Henrik, Daniel and Kesler plus...

Radim Vlasenek with over a point per game. Here is the more on Vlasanek. A non drafted Czech I found and signed in 2010..played 2 years in Manitoba and did okay. Actually strated this season on the farm too, but called up re salary cap....his max in Manitoba was 41 goals in rookie year, and then dropped off to 24 as was back and forth a bit with Vancouver. So...I call him up and start him on the 4th line. 1st game...hatrick plus assist. So I move him up the lineup as we go through the year, and he keeps scoring and getting points and is REALLY GOOD on the PP...something I always struggle with. He ends up splitting time on LW on 2nd line and Rw on top line and on the top PP with the twins.

He played 56 games and scored 17-36-53 as a rookie in the NHL. 7.7 average rating. 10 PPG and 22 PPA. 2nd on the team in both categories. Wow. Totally lucked into this dude. And he only makes 605K for the next two years. WAHOOOO!!!


DEADLINE DAY DEAL---BRad Richardson is struggling in Carolina and as I mentioned I am really pushing the cap. he makes 800K less than Luc Bourdon who with my defense is really just an average guy at 1,8 million and looking for a big raise for next year. So at the deadline moved Luc Bourdon and Jacquemet to Carolina for Richardson (unsigned for 2013-14 at 27 years old, and Ales Pisa (also an unsigned vet dman for next year...both are coming UFA with little value). Richardson should be good for my struggling PK...and I plan on resigning him. Pisa is just insurance should I lose a dman or two to injury.

So..team goes on to set a club recored with 118 points, and win pres trophy.

Playoffs Manhandle the Blue Jackets in 4
TAke 7 games to take out Detoilet (down 3-2)
Take 7 games to take out St Louis (Who is looking particularly awesome)
And then took out Tampa Bay...also in 7 (STAMKOS IS AWESOME FOR THEM)

to win the Stanley Cup.

Now...the CAnucks are in a big state of uh oh. Ryan Kesler who won the fan player of the year award and Jon Moore who won every dman trophy in the AHL are refusing to sign. I do not have enough $ to sign them.......

Naslund is not signing cheap enough to bring him back, so not going to sign him. Wanted him to retire a Canuck but just not working. He will go to UFA.

Need to sign Kesler....

So the Canucks trade Stempniak to New Jersey...for get this....ZACK KASSIAN and a 2nd round pick. LOL. Zack is 22 and not getting much done, but a change of scenery should help.


We go to the draft and the Canucks again picking 30th get a bunch of scrubs for the roster. Not much there.


JULY 1--KESLER HAS STILL NOT SIGNED. UH OH.

Offer him 6.5 million (same as Sedin twins, and NO TRADE CLAUSE

Trade rights to Jon Moore to MOntreal for rights to gigantic C NIck Bjugstad (6>7 225)

Kesler...up and signs with the freaking Dallas Stars for 6.510 million. 10k more than what I offered. Ugh...first UFA I have EVER LOST in this game of ANY ability. Oh well. time for youth movement on the team anyway.


But...I have exactly 2 LW under contract...so I decided to offer Chris Higgins ...who is not doing well in this game a contract....and he signs with me for 1.0 million for 1 year.

Heh...so I lost a real Canuck and picked up 2 real Canucks.


My line up for 2013-14 should look like this although Bjugstad may make the team straight out of college...

Resigned Richardson, let Pisa go.

Sedin-Sedin-Vlasanek
Moulson-Loktionov-Callahan
Higgins-RIchardson-Cracknell
Tropp-Leblanc-Kassian


(Kassian, Yakupov, Karamnov, Bjugstad and Ryan Johanson will fight it out for last few spots with the 4th line guys. All make relatively little cash so should be good to go.)


Ohlund-Edler
McDonough-Shattenkirk
Martine-Visnovsky
Derek FOrbort (4th rounder 2010 who coaches and scouts are raving about...getting asked for him in trades), Jyri Niemi (7th round 09), and Georgi Berdyakov (Russian undrafted dman I found in 2011) will be fighting for 7th dman spot. Niemi is the oldest so will likely get it. He has played 3 years in Manitoba as was drafted in his 2nd year eligible, whereas Forbert has 2 years and Berdyakov 1.


Schneider
Poulin

For once I am going into a season without cap concerns. However...that is going to change again for next season as both Sedins, Ohlund, Edler and Schneider are all due up. Mattias is going to be 37 so he may or may not begin to decline. No sign yet. callahan Loktionov and Cracknell are also due for new deals. BUT THE MOST PAINFUL IS YAKUPOV who is finishing up his entry level deal this year. Uh oh. maybe I should cut him.

Anyway..does any one read this stuff and find it interesting>....if not I will stop doing it.

[Tyees]

Please keep posting! Hope you don't swap over to the new rosters yet as I'm enjoying this!

It's fun reading your play when you aren't playing challenges (more trade freedom)

May I ask for some of your scouting plans? You pick up some fancy undrafted guys, curious where you focus your resources. I never scout Czech leagues personally, and focus mostly in Sweden and Finland personally.

[nino33]

way..does any one read this stuff and find it interesting>....if not I will stop doing it.

I read/enjoy the posts in this forum (I like the fact that I can learn more about how EHM plays/works via the experiences of others)

[CeeBee]

I find this very interesting as well. Always something to learn in this game it seems.

[philou21]

I read it too keep going!!!

[batdad]

OK

Scouting for me works like this.

I scout the NHL teams in August.
I send my Euro scouts to their nations in August. In some cases (Sweden, Russia)--I send those scouts to the top league.

I have those scouts scout only people between age 17-22 (Euros) eligible for draft and just out of draft. I do not care about 30 year olds who could be 4th liner so do not scout them.

I have one guy set (weakest) to scout next opponent...a North American guy.

after NHL teams are done rotating through each team with scouts...I split them up.

I have one Canadian scout go to OHL, one to Q, one to W.
I have one American to Hockey East, one to Central Collegiate Athletic Assoc, one to Western Collegiate Athletic assoc, one to Hockey East, and then rotate them through to the next stops which are

Eastern Coll Hockey Assoc
USHL
NAHL
Eastern Junior Hockey League
US HIgh School West
US HIgh school East

(Sometimes Midwest Junior league)

Canadian scouts rotate those three leagues...each does each one once.

I have another scout go to BCHL, AJHL and OPJHL along the way.

I also have guys scout AHL teams...I usually end up doing that in November after the 1st runs through CAnadian Junior Leagues or US colleges. Two or three guys on AHL only.

I have one scout to WOrld Jr Div 1, and same scout to World Junior.

After CHristmas (January) I look at ISS list for draft, and see who has not been scouted in the top 200. Where are they from.

Send scouts to those leagues, and sometimes to the individual.

I rotate my Euros through nations and all leagues that may have a player in them for the draft.

Once I have all my bases covered I start assigning to shortlist. Anyone who has got 3 stars from a scout and is eligible for the draft is in my shortlist, as are the occasional prospects I have not signed and the interesting free agents.

In February I assign my 3 best scouts at potential to the NHL Draft. 3 only. No more.
Then the rest of the scouts hit the shortlist and work it hard.

Every single draft...I have had at least 3 scouts see every single player eligible in the top 200 and usually well more than that by doing things this way.

[philou21]

Holy s.....That's some serious scouting business right there.

[Tyees]

Thanks Batdad! I'm not nearly as in depth about it haha. Ususally set my scouts on permanent, and leave it at that until March, then send my top three to the draft. Rather lazy


Do you do a scouting purge when you start with a new team, or do you keep it pretty intact and make minor changes? Coaching staff aswell?

I know you like a good ol' defensive game, (are you Mike Farkas on HF?) do you bring in defensive minded coaches or play with what you've got and adjust?

[djskek]

Jo!! I'm back

I've been playing for some time with the Predators.




I'm so good!

[Garethw87]

Jo!! I'm back

I've been playing for some time with the Predators.




I'm so good!

Nice to see it in German

[Tyees]

Playing with the 6.0 Rosters..


Tanner Glass just beat out Ben Ondrus for the Selke.

[philou21]

Tanner Glass just beat out Ben Ondrus for the Selke.

[batdad]

THat kind of silliness happens all the time. The mechanism for the Selke and what awards it is totally messed up.

[Tasku]

I've given up hope. I was holding off playing EHM, thinking something new and better would come along in the form of FHM, or some other, but it doesn't seem to be happening, so I've downloaded all that stuff, logos, facepacks, the game, patch, and I'm ready to go EHMing again

Starting with the Caps. Nothing else to report at this point.

[batdad]

Have you ever played anything other than the Caps? LOL

[Tasku]

Have you ever played anything other than the Caps? LOL

Yes I have. Espoo Blues.

[batdad]

Only after signing Backstrom to the team

[Tasku]

Only after signing Backstrom to the team

I don't think I could do that without the Pregame Editor. Or the game is seriously flawed.

[batdad]

2013-14 Vancouver Canucks...UUDB 6.1

Well...we are now catching up to real life dates.

Off season for the Canucks--as you all know we lost Kesler as an UFA to the Dallas Stars and put ourselves in a bit of a predicament at Centre. Time to rely on some young guys..Loktionov and Leblanc...and possibly our newest recruit who we got in the John Moore trade (Moore was an RFA who wanted way too much money for a guy who had played 10 NHL games.) NIck Bjugstad.

Some of my prospects seem to be stalling in development and are getting shoved further down the depth chart, such as Ryan Johansen our 2010 first round pick. He slipped huge in Manitoba this year to the third line and a 6.5 rating through the season. No points either. He fell behind Hertl the turtle (Who is really a turtle in the game with 6 speed), and Fred Bourque who came in from college. Ryan may be on the way out if he cannot make the big team in 2014. Brought in Chris Higgins as an UFA at a reasonable rate, and then during camp claimed Janis Sprukts off waivers to fill in the 4th line and PK issues I have had.

So lineup was this to start the year

Sedin-Sedin-Vlasanek
Moulson-Loktionov-Callahan
Higgins-Richardson-Cracknell
Tropp-Leblanc-Karamnov
Bjugstad (injured to start year), Sprukts

Ohlund-Edler (matty is aging at 37...saw some things slip in off season, and during year...not big slips but they are coming)
Shattenkirk-McDonough
VIshnevsky-Berdyukov (the 2nd undrafted RUssian Dman to pull up and make himself a spot on the team...was outstanding in camp with 9.4 ratings through the ex season)
Martine

Schneider
Kevin Poulin (finally makes the squad after 2 years of not quite being there)


Interstingly, the 5 year reign of my team being ranked #1 at the start of the season came to a crashing halt....the loss of Kesler was apparently devastating to the team according to the press. We were ranked 18th overall, and behind 3 of the other 4 teams in our own division.

Well...we will prove that wrong.

Team got off to a slow start, but eventually begin to rise up the standings and pass Ryan Kesler and his new buddies (inluding Alex Burrows) in DAllas and take our rightful position in 1st place in the conference in DEcember. Both us and Dallas are well ahead of any teams in the East....with my other big giveways on the top 2 teams in the East. ROBERTO AND ATLANTA in 1st at CHristmas, and STEMPNIAK and New Jersey in 2nd.

Vlasanek still going strong for me. This guy....totally undrafted, my FA signing who I almost let go of in 2011....just keeps getting better. His shooting is up to 15 now. He fits in well with the twins and on the PP....and is SUPER STREAKY.

Twice during the year had 5 game goal streaks, and again in the playoffs. Ended season with 22-36-58 in 73 games mostly on 2nd line and occasionally with twins.
Callahan did not have a great year. Higgins and Richardson have been disappointments. Sprukts was okay but will not be resigning him.

Leblanc, Bjugstad and Berdyukov were up and down, but all 3 as basically rookies (Leblanc had 40 games in the show prior to this year) have been very good in the 7.4 rating and up range. Like what I see from Bjugstad who had 37 assists after 50 games before hitting the wall and not getting another point until the playoffs.

Poulin has been okay. NOt great not bad. Schneider has become a star. Ratings are way up. Like what I see from him.

Loktionov....was freaking awesome. as 2nd line C....played only 64 games due to injury and was 13-38-51. And wait for the playoffs....


So at trade deadline new I had to make a move for a RW....VLasanek and Callahan were doing okay for 2nd liners but not enough to be top line guy. Needed someone....

Off to look at the Eastern conference standings....the bottom dwellers were

Florida, Philadelphia, Carolina, and surprisingly at the very bottom....THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS.

everyone on this team was available inluding Ovechkin. Who did not get moved despite several rumours and 2 with the Leafs looking at him.

But...the 2nd leading goal scorer (Behind ALex) in the NHL was on this team and is a Right Wing...expiring contract....

Alex Ponikarovsky. We all know I like the big players.>>>>>But Washington was being very very difficult. The price was steep....But I did eventually get Poni to play with the twins

Gave up

2014 1st round pick (30th overall---and draft appears weak, but still i hated to give it up)
Rights to Murray Morrison G my 2013 2nd round pick. Expected to become a very solid starter (I have Schneider, Poulin and a Russian named Chernov who are looking really good ahead of him)
Danny Royer RW--6,3 (Rights to this guy as well..my 3rd rounder in 2013) appears to be peaking a bit and his previous scouting reports of 2nd line guy have dropped to 3rd and 4th line.

Also got a 3rd back in the deal from Washington.

But this left me needing to move another player as I did not want to send Bjugstad or Leblanc (only non waiver forwards I have) .... And I moved Corey Tropp (offer to all, take the 2nd highest thing offered back)....for a 4th from Anaheim. Good luck to Tropp there, he was never going to be more than a 3 line guy tops for me.

PLAYOFFS

Lost my first two to 8th place Edmonton. THen won 4 straight.

Knocked off Minnesota in 4 straight.

Uh oh...Dallas and Kesler (Fitting I suppose)....Won the first 3 games here before dropping one and ending by 11 game winning streak. Then won game 5 in OT (Vishnevsky...got to love a Russian undrafted dman)

Then i get...yep you guessed it ....it was either going to be STEMPNIAK AND THE DEVILS or LUONGO AND THE THRASHERS Right?

Well it was Roberto....uh oh.

Hammer him with 6 goals in game 1 and game 2. Win both. Then uh oh...Roberto decides to play. I outshoot Atlanta 65-21 in game 3. LOSE 3-2 in OT. Ugh.

Lose game 4. Lose game 5.

Game 6 win in OT (EDLER)

Game 7 win...on a 2 goal performance from ADAM CRACKNELL....love this guy in the clutch.

LOKTIONOV in the playoffs....12 game point streak...ended with 8-20-28 in 23 games to lead the team in scoring...from the 2nd line. (Henrik had 27 points)


Now on to the next year...

I think I could have some issues again...

Edler is refusing to resign. Does not seem to like me.
Ohlund may retire.

Not resigning Ponikarovsky....time for Yakupov to get the call as a player on the team ( he only got 1 game during the season with us) but lit it up in Manitoba.

Will be a good battle in many spots on the team.

1. Back up goalie---Poulin vs Chernov (Chernov 2012 1st rounder). Likely Poulin as Chernov should get a year in Manitoba.
2. Defense-Martine, Forbort (5th rounder 2010), Paul Phillips 6th rounder 2009, Niemi (7th-2009) will be battling for spots on the roster. 2 or maybe 3 available.
3. Up front...Lots of young guys on the verge..Yakupov, Kassian fighting on the right side, Ambroz, Barbashev, Ouimet and Beck on left side. And down the middle Johansen, Tomas Hertl and Fred Bourque are all hopefully wanting 4th line jobs this year.

Moving on will be Karamnov, Sprukts, Ponikarovsky and possibly (would not be surprised) Alex Edler.

So some spots to fill and competition to be had.

Off to the most boring and worst draft ever, as I have no 1st round pick.


BUT I won the Stanley Cup.

SO that is 2 in a row for the first time.

One more Cup for me in Vancouver and I move on. 3 in a row is enough.

Will be time to move on to whoever the worst team in the league is (on a 3 year average) and take them through some changes.

[philou21]

Keep those posts coming I LOVE them! Almost make me want to go back to EHM.

[chessarmy]

Started a career with my New Jersey Devils using the newest roster update (v6).

For my first season, I immediately took advantage of the CPU AI's questionable trade logic and completely fleeced LA for Jeff Carter. I gave them a scrub prospect that they thought was 4 stars and got me some Carter! I made an absolute miracle run to the playoffs after being in 10th/9th all season long, I won the last 6 games of the regular season to hop into 8th place after winning the final game of the year. Then, I was swept by the Penguins in the 1st round .

In the offseason, I knew changes had to be made. I signed Paul Stastny for 5 years 5M per, Radek Dvorak, and a few role players. I traded Ryan Clowe for Andrew Cogliano, and Marek Zidlicky for David Moss. I fired Pete DeBoer and hired Don Hay as head coach. My line-up for season 2 with me as the GM of the Devils looks like this:

Andrew Cogliano-Paul Stastny-Jeff Carter
Dainus Zubrus-Adam Henrique-Radek Dvorak
Patrik Elias-Travis Zajac-David Moss
Riley Boychuk-Stephen Gionta-Steve Bernier

Adam Larsson-Kevin Shattenkirk
Andy Greene-Eric Gelinas
Mark Fayne-Anton Volchenkov

Cory Schneider
Thomas Vokoun

Unfortunately, Marty Broduer and Jaromir Jagr retired in the offseason

So far I'm 20-9-1!