EHM The Blue Line

Manimal wrote:

kuulapaa wrote: The goalie problem was the one thing I was able to solve - I hope. I made a trade with Capitals, they got Dan Ellis, Jonathon Blum and Chet Pickard and we got Jose Theodore. Let's see what he can do.

Jose Three-or-more?! For that package you could have gotten someone better, I think

Totally agree, I've had Jose in previous games and he has been horrible. I still think I got the best deal with getting Fleury;)

I just made my 2 trades for season 3! I have significantly bolstered my offense!!!

Predators trade David Legwand and Villi Koistinen to the Flyers for Mike Richards.

Predators trade Martin Erat Mark Dekanich and Patric Hornqvist to the Hurricanes for Eric Staal.

Very happy with those 2 deals, added alot more than I gave away, and with Arnott getting older really helps me for the future aswell.

I tried to sign a few good UFA Dmen but failed and then failed for my 3rd and 4th choices, so I'll be going the waiver route in the 3rd season.

sjsharkz wrote:

Manimal wrote:

kuulapaa wrote: The goalie problem was the one thing I was able to solve - I hope. I made a trade with Capitals, they got Dan Ellis, Jonathon Blum and Chet Pickard and we got Jose Theodore. Let's see what he can do.

Jose Three-or-more?! For that package you could have gotten someone better, I think

Totally agree, I've had Jose in previous games and he has been horrible. I still think I got the best deal with getting Fleury;)

Okay, hit me and spit on me afterwards, as it wouldn't be hard enough leading this infirmary for a hockey team! I made the best deal available (maybe Esche would have been better, but I don't think so), no-one was interested of making any deals involving Ellis (and their goalie) except Capitals. I believe Theodore would do better than Ellis did, if our defense wasn't playing with some kind of all-doors-open -mentality. Getting Arnott back from injury is helping, but I'm beginning to wait for getting fired if things don't improve a lot. After 15 games we are 14th in our Conference with 4-8-3, but the Board says they are pleased with me. Just a few days ago Milwaukee's GM got fired without one single warning, so I have to remember to go and check the Board Confidence day by day.

Because of the injuries I had to make my trade #2 of the season already now. We gave Ville Koistinen and got Niklas Hagman, Joel Kwiatkowski and Ben Ondrus from Toronto. I'm not a big fan of Hagman as he doesn't product as much as his rates let's one expect but I think both Hagman and Kwiatkowski are on the same level than Koistinen so it was done because of pure need. Now I just wait and see, if someone will waive a player I want. If I don't get sacked first.

Hi all. I just signed up, and intro'd myself in arrivals. I'm going to give this challenge a shot. Maybe not the best one to start with (Preds ranked last in the season preview), but what's the worst that can happen?

Anyway, I'm in the preseaon, fired Bouchard and hired Colin Miller, and hired Bennett to scout the draft.

Makita21 wrote:Hi all. I just signed up, and intro'd myself in arrivals. I'm going to give this challenge a shot. Maybe not the best one to start with (Preds ranked last in the season preview), but what's the worst that can happen?

Anyway, I'm in the preseaon, fired Bouchard and hired Colin Miller, and hired Bennett to scout the draft.

Welcome! And Good luck(you're gonna need it with this naff team)

mustardstew wrote: Rough season... gotta try to save my wife's job in Milwaukee, LOL

LOL! You put your wife as your AHL affiliate's GM? I always put my dog in that role.

kuulapaa wrote:In game #12 against the Blues Legwand went down for about three months. Arnott is still out after his last injury and so is de Vries. Where's the revenge button!

OUCH! You're running into some bad luck there.

Is it just me or is the draft for season 2 looking really weak? I'm scouting for it and I'm just not coming up with a whole lot of players that look good. The guys I'm seeing ranked to go int he first round look like guys I wouldn't want to take in the third round most years.

bruins72 wrote:Is it just me or is the draft for season 2 looking really weak? I'm scouting for it and I'm just not coming up with a whole lot of players that look good. The guys I'm seeing ranked to go int he first round look like guys I wouldn't want to take in the third round most years.

Yeah the draft for season 2 is pretty bad, there are only about 3-4 players in there that look the goods.

Hi All,

I finally got tired of playing the demo and purchased the game today!

I'm going to try this challenge (even though I'm a bit late), it is my first so don't expect much. I've read all the rules and guidelines and I will follow them.

Welcome to all the newbies! The challenge is tough, but we're all in the same roster boat. The point is to see what we can do with the hand we've been dealt.

Best of luck to all!

bruins72 wrote: LOL! You put your wife as your AHL affiliate's GM? I always put my dog in that role.

Yes - I did that once (cat), and got some response like, "Oh, our cat's smart enough to run a hockey team, but I'm not?", LOL...

Finally off-season for the trainwreck that is Nashville. I ended up 1st overall, and took Tavares (have to, right? Never had this opportunity!), and got Cole Penner in the 2nd... with C. Wilson (who tore up the WHL) I have a good young core of forwards to replace Arnott, Sullivan, Bonk, etc. when the time comes. Unless I ruin them, of course

Like everyone, goalie is where we need the help... so, staying away from the old FAs, I traded Hornqvist and Rinne (who made the Rookie Team!! ) to Montreal for Halak. The asking price for most everyone else was way too high - we don't have that much talent, so I moved someone out of my glut of 4th liners... and I get a young G prospect my scouts like (and save him from Montreal LOL)...

I'm saving my second trade for deadline / injury help... I can feel it coming, LOL

Looks like I may be going the waiver route - my UFA choices all went somewhere else, or want too much money... the rest are redundant.... luckily there are 4-5 teams very close (or over) the cap... come on Vanek, LOL - jk

Wilke wrote:Hi All,

I finally got tired of playing the demo and purchased the game today!

I'm going to try this challenge (even though I'm a bit late), it is my first so don't expect much. I've read all the rules and guidelines and I will follow them.

It's not too late to join! We've still got more than a month left to play.

I'm glad to see not only that we're getting more and more new members joining TBL and participating in the challenges but also that people are still buying the game.

I've managed to pull out my first trade for season 3.
It became quite expansive for me, but I hope that my results in the future will be worth it.

To Anaheim
Steve Sullivan, Martin Erat and Jed Ortmeyer

To Nashville
Ryan Getzlaf

Sullivan has for the last two seasons been a part of my first line, but he's 36 years old and also he's the one who's had the most injuries of the three of them.
Martin Erat had a good second season, but I'm planning on letting Colin Wilson try for a spot in the team and take Erat's spot in the second line.
Ortmeyer was meant to be my enforcer, but his ratings has just been 6.67 and 6.74 the last two seasons, I will try and find a better one in Milwaukee or among my prospects.
The board didn't like it, but I think it was because Sullivan has had over 100 points in my two seasons in the team.

Getzlaf, who has "competent" as a left winger, will take Sullivan's spot in my first line and hopefully he won't be injured as often as Sullivan was.

Getzlaf is very talented but that's a whole lot to give up from your team's depth. It could work out for the best though. I don't know if it matters much to you and how you play but I tend to shy away from playing guys in positions where they are just "competent". I usually stick to either "natural" or "accomplished". That's just me though. Then again, if Arnott is heading towards the end of his career, Getzlaf would be a great replacement!

In my game, it's late December and I just lost Ortmeyer for 4 months with a separated shoulder. There goes the rest of his season. I'm debating on playing a man short or bringing someone up. I don't know that I've got someone that plays his role down on the farm.

At the moment I try to get a better player for my first line LW, as my prospects aren't close to that spot yet, I got a decent one on his way in as a Free Agent, but if I sign him I won't be able to sign anyone more. Arnott is 35 years old, but he has won Art Ross Trophy, third for Hart Memorial Trophy, Lester B. Pearson Award in season 1 and in season 2 he won all of them and he has been in First All-Star Team and won Fan's Player Of The Year for both and he also has been 130+ points in them. But Getzlaf is better, and younger, so I hope he can take Arnott's spot this season.

mustardstew wrote:Like everyone, goalie is where we need the help... so, staying away from the old FAs, I traded Hornqvist and Rinne (who made the Rookie Team!! ) to Montreal for Halak. The asking price for most everyone else was way too high - we don't have that much talent, so I moved someone out of my glut of 4th liners... and I get a young G prospect my scouts like (and save him from Montreal LOL)...

So most people have been going for a goalie as their as primary trade/acquisition priority? I'm only eight games into season 1 and have spent most of that without Ellis (out for about three weeks with an injury picked up during the first regular season game). Although Rinne is a weak backup, I'm tempted to bring in a winger when the Challenge trading window opens. My initial plan is to try to play Ellis as much as I can and either stick with Rinne as backup or possibly bring in a slightly stronger goaltender in addition to a good third/second line winger.

Throughout the preseason my team was really strong (13-0 vs Boston - even for an exhibition game, that's a big win), leading me to think I'd gotten the tactics sorted out. However, come the regular season and things have been very different. After throwing away leads and losing on shootouts, I lost the next couple of games in regular time. I changed tactics a little and won the next two (including a nice win at NJ) but now just lost at Vancouver 4-6.

I keep suffering small two week injuries during games. My lines are set to aggressive but hitting and backchecking for most lines are set to normal. Maybe I'll try dropping aggressiveness back down to normal - or maybe I'm just unlucky. After eight games, I've had 6 or 7 injuries - that's nearly one per game!

I had signed Platonov in the preseason of season 1, and he did a really good job playing that 2nd LW... and Ellis / Rinne did well through 2/3 of the season, but wore down by the end... I decided that I could get wingers easier than G through FA, , so I went after the G... turns out I couldn't get a winger I liked (or liked Nashville )

Hopefully Platonov / Ward / Philstrom can hold the fort for the year...

seson1 review :

Played very bad and had huge problems winning several games after eachother. I was ranked 12-13 th in west mostly and when 20 games was left i decided no point try winning any more and put rinne in the case. i won 4 of last 23 games and got the last spot. It was a planned strategy of me to have a chance at hedman or tavares.

In the draft we got Tavares,Desousa,Rajala and i was very happy with those 3.

___
Seson 2 reveiw

got 3 ufas, Jack johnson, ossi Väänenen, Giblert brule. i made 2 trades

first one was to correct my hole in the deapth chart at keeper spot

Pickard,Wilson, and blum for Al Montoya
was very costly but i tryed make trades with every team with a keeper under 30. A few teams wanted to negotiate and for me i think Montoya was best avaible.At age 24 he got many years to devolp and play top for Preds.

second one was
Arnott ,Sullivan for Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek
I reduced 8-9 years of age on both players and hopefully they will step in right away and produce same amounts as crazy arnott did last year. Vanek got an expensive contract but i like hes scoring ability wich is one of best in leauge.

The team Gelled togheter and played better then last year. Montoya was shaky in goal first games and ellis had first keeper spot to about half way into seson when rookie Montoya started to be very solid and canceded few goals.

Preds won division title just a few points aheads of red wings. It was so close that 7 less points and i had missed the playoff spot to Chigago.

I didnt have high expectations on the playoff as my strategy is to get young players and reduce average age of the old squad we had got from the old GM. We made it all the way to stanly cup final where Montreol canadiens with price and Hossa as star players crushed us with a 4-1 win

Vanek made a sick seson with 47g+73a in seson and 20g+18a in the playoff.

My plans for seson 3 is to get 5 (3 ufa, 2 from trade ) more young hungry players to squad and try trade away 4 old tired ones

So I believe you guys know about my acquisition this summer in Dwayne Roloson. Once October hit I made it my goal to use my trades to make my team better. First I dealt Pekka Rinne who was spending time in the ECHL and Patric Hornqist to Atlanta for Ondrej Pavalec. I then moved Ellis and Thuresson for Sergei Kostitsyn. I actually offered a very similar package to the Devils for Parise, but they ended up backing out at the last minute.
Of the RFAs I have brought in Kulyash has made the most impact. He has taken a powerplay that was hohum, and has turned it into one of the best in the league.

archibalduk wrote:So most people have been going for a goalie as their as primary trade/acquisition priority? I'm only eight games into season 1 and have spent most of that without Ellis (out for about three weeks with an injury picked up during the first regular season game).

I lost Ellis for half-a-dozen games at the beginning of the year too, after he started the season with a shutout!

archibalduk wrote:Although Rinne is a weak backup, I'm tempted to bring in a winger when the Challenge trading window opens.

I agree - this team needs some balanced scoring as well.

The first game against Dallas since the playoffs was in Dallas. Many were predicting several penalties especially against the Predators. Those people would be right. The Predators came out playing a hard aggressive style making sure to finish their checks and inflict pain on the Dallas Stars when possible. Dwayne Roloson had a good game between the pipes getting the 4-2 win. Dallas and the Bluejackets appear to be the big rivals this year as the Redwings have dropped off into oblivion.

2nd season went above all expectations, and I reached the finals. Pushed the Flyers really hard, but lost in overtime in the 7th game. Man, I hate when that happens!

Off to the silly season...

If anyone wants to see my lines here they are.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l218/ ... 2lines.jpg

Lidas wrote:

2nd season went above all expectations, and I reached the finals. Pushed the Flyers really hard, but lost in overtime in the 7th game. Man, I hate when that happens!

Off to the silly season...

Wow, Lidas-

That's incredible. Congratulations on a great season!

You really have this game sorted out. Any hints on tactics you would be willing to give us?