EHM The Blue Line

played 3 games

Playing in my first season as the Maple Leafs. After 52 games we are 27-20-5 which is good for the 8th and final playoff spot in the east.
My goal coming into the season was to try and make a run at a playoff spot. I would try to make the playoffs but i wouldn't do so by trading away any of our future young talent just to make a playoff run.

In my first week as GM i cleaned house firing most of the coaching staff and scouts and adding the best people i could find as replacements. Currently I have Torts as my head coach and Deboer and Gretzky as my assistance head coaches (Unrealistic yes, but since i coach all the games so it doesn't matter as much)

List of the transactions I have made this season.

Robyn Regehr- (Waivers from LA) Leafs need plenty of depth at D and i figured we could use the extra leadership and added depth and if it didn't work out his contract was up and the end of the season so since we are under the cap and didn't need to trade any pieces away to acquire him it's a no lose situation.

Stephane Robidas - Great leader but with his declining skills and the fact that he played himself out of the lineup and down to the Marlies it was apparent to me that it would be doubtful he'd play another game with the big club. So with a cap hit of 3 mil a year until 2017 i decided to test the market and received an offer from Arizona that i could not turn down. We acquired the 2015 3rd round pick (Min) and the 2017 4th round pick.

Leo Komarov - I kind of jumped the gun on this trade. Komarov was quickly put on the 4th line after a less than stellar start to the season. I once again decided to test the market do to his lack of ice time and 2.95 million dollar salary it really wasn't worth keeping him around on the forth line if i could get a good deal for him. In stepped the Kings and offered a 2nd and 4th round pick pick in the 2015 draft so it jumped at that, and the transaction was completed.

Roman Polak - Gritty guy, but time in and time out was one of our lower rated D-men on the team. Decided to test the market with him and SJ swooped in a offered a 2nd round pick in 2015.

James Reimer - This was a no brainer. Bernier is our number one guy and since there is not a lot of incentive to keep Reimer since your starter can pretty much play most of the season i decided to trade him. His numbers were atrocious and Bibeau has filled in nicely as backup and saved us over 1.5 mil in cap space. The Kings once again stepped up and we accepted a deal for two 3rd round picks in 2015,2016 and we picked up Nolan who would add some much needed depth up front and his versatility would come in handy as he could play any of the three forward positions. We used him at center.

Devin Setoguchi -(Waivers from Calgary) Very speedy right winger and at a cheap price who's contact is expiring at the end of the year. Nice piece to add some depth to our team.

Jordan Nolan - Sometimes players don't work out. Played less than 10 games with us and had a 5.88 rating before he was demoted to the Marlies. He's another guy at this point i didn't think would have an impact on the team that i had hoped and i decided to try and flip him. Chicago bit and we picked up a 3rd round in 2017 and a 4th round in 2015. So looking back at that Reimer trade we essentially picked up three 3rd rounds and a 4th for him. No bad !

Yannick Weber- I noticed that Vancouver was shopping him around and i was desperately looking to upgrade by defense. Was able to swing a deal with the Canucks for our 2nd round pick in 2017 and a 3rd round pick in 2016. I didn't like giving up picks but i had accumulate a lot already this season so i didn't mind trading them away for a solid guy that was likely going to log a lot of minutes with our team and add some good depth to our blue line. Currently he's leading all of my defense in ratings with a 7.25 and about 18 minutes of ice time a game.

Robyn Regehr It did not work out with Regehr and with the addition of Weber and the fact that Regehr was having a bad season and had been a healthy scratch for about 5 games i pulled the trigger on the deal that sent him to Columbus for Brian Gibbons and Corey Tropp. I don't know much about either one and to be honest i was only interested in Gibbons as he seems like a speedy guy with decent stats and can play any forward position.

Highlight of Regehr's time in TO. A very strange own goal.


Here is my current line-up prior to the addition of Brian Gibbons and the return of Nathan Horton

JVR - Bozak - Kessel

Lupul - Kadri - Kozun

Booth - Lindstrom - Panik

-------- Nylander - Setoguchi


Reilly - Phaneuf

Gardiner - Weber

Erixon - Brewer

Percy

Biggest surprise on my team so far has been the play of Brandon Kozun. In 28 games he had 17 points and has been solid on the second line with Kadri and Lupul.

Finally, i do coach all the games my self but i don't mess with the tactical settings or tactical systems to try and make my game as realistic as possible since those systems are currently over powered in the game

Just finished the 2023-24 season with the Ottawa Senators. Still haven't won a single cup and not even a single cup final appearance

Ended the season with a record of 46-29-7 (2nd seed). Lost to the Pens in the first round in 7.

We were the better team in the game 7, we had a 1 - 0 lead going into the 3rd and a lot of our shifts were in their zone, but they tied it with 1 minute left. We were all over them in OT as well but then my best d-man (Shea Theodore) had a massive brain fart, turns the puck over to one of their guys in the slot, and that was game. I felt crushed... and what transpired after, I rather not say.

3rd season - playoffs (2nd year running) - Top of the west and highest points scorers this time. Arizona vs TBL round 2!

Feel sorry for teams in my division though, so strong that the lowest points tally would be good enough for a playoff spot in the east but not even close in the west.

Season 6 another cup

My "Blank the Devils of all players and staff and start over" game is in Season 3. Last overall for two years, but entering third year between FA (especially poaching via RFA), waiver claims, and really hammering away at the trade market to get some deals, I've built a real team. Here's my opening night roster for Season 3:

G - John Gibson (RFA)
G - Petr Mrazek (RFA)
G - Matt Hackett (UFA)
D - Marc Staal (Trade)
D - Darnell Nurse (Trade)
D - Jakub Kindl (Waivers)
D - Matt Greene (Waivers)
D - Dalton Prout (Trade)
D - Jan Hejda (Waivers)
D - Damon Severson (Trade)
F - Milan Lucic (UFA)
F - Brandon Saad (Trade)
F - Viktor Stalberg (Waivers)
F - Mike Fisher (UFA)
F - Boone Jenner (RFA)
F - Brooks Laich (Trade)
F - Vladislav Namestnikov (RFA)
F - Frans Nielsen (RFA)
F - Riley Sheahan (RFA)
F - Dustin Brown (Trade)
F - Marian Hossa (Trade)
F - Tomas Jurco (RFA)
F - Kirill Kabanov (UFA)

If you scrounge to get any assets you can, trade them for draft picks, and then use your abundance of draft picks to prey on RFA's, you can then get real assets built up. UFA isn't too terribly helpful most of the time aside from depth players or stocking your farm, and trades can be very rough at the moment with how wildly the AI can overrate their own assets. Make sure you stock up on 2nds and 3rds and you can prey on those RFA's as long as they're not Ryan O'Reilley types whose compensation is just going to be too high.

Nurse is a good example of the AI giving up on a kid though. He had a terrible time in the NHL (was getting 3rd pairing time and not doing well at all, nor developing), so I traded for him and played him in AHL Albany for last year instead, and now in my Year 3 he's ready and doing OK in NHL duty.

Hossa was good for the year I got him, and then his Physical abilities began to deteriorate and he's now a 3rd liner with mad sense and skills, but fairly bad feet and legs.

I think I may have just made my favourite preseason pick up on any EHM...

rmt_1982 wrote:I think I may have just made my favourite preseason pick up on any EHM...

Heh nice! Although knowing Nottingham's luck, he'll get a season-long injury!

archibalduk wrote:

rmt_1982 wrote:I think I may have just made my favourite preseason pick up on any EHM...

Heh nice! Although knowing Nottingham's luck, he'll get a season-long injury!

Hes out for a month after his first game...

Shame

Finally won the Stanley Cup in 2026.

The Detroit series was nerve wracking. Not only were they scoring a lot, their goalie was playing like he was possessed. He didn't have a single bad game in that series. They took the 1st two games on our turf but we were able to respond by winning two on theirs. Eventually we took the game to 7 and won it in OT. I actually thought we would lose that series, because Detroit had more "big name" players on their roster and they led the entire league in scoring and had one of the best powerplays.

For whatever reason, the team was on fire in the playoffs. I hardly made any changes other than unloading on a few expensive players for draft picks + bottom six forwards.

FInished up the season with VAncouer where I moved all guys over 28 at the deadline. Vrbata Edler, Hammer and Matthias had already been dealt away when I took over as I posted above.

Season ended with this lineup (sent 2 of my waiver claims down-Santorelli and Gordon...they were horrible)

Conacher-Bonino-Jensen
Bartschi-Brad Richards (waiver-chicago)- Read (Phil in Edler deal before I arrived)
Stahlberg(waiver-Nash)-Anders Lee (came from Isles for Burrows 2015 deadline)Kassian-
McMillan-Vey-Jaskin (Blues for Miller 2015 deadline)
Sestito-Goodrow (from SJ in deal prior to me coming in for Hammer)

Emelin (from Mon for Jordan Subban/6th round pick)-Tanev
Connauton (from CBJ Sbisa, also I got a 4th)-Clendenning
Stanton-Weber
Haakanpaa (From Stl prior to me arriving for Matthias, also got two picks)


Markstrom
Lack

--Pastrnak (Boston for Vrbata prior to my arrival) stayed mostly on farm. Utica is heading for championship glory right now.


Canucks final record for 2015-16 19-55-8. Dead last in West by 10 points, and 29th overall. Only team worse? New Jersey---who ended up with 7 points less than us.


Utica Roster looks like this right now--I sent Jensen down as soon as my season ended. Funny since he was my leading goal scorer this year. Jaskin down too. Good experience playing in winning environment.

Shinkaruk-Horvat-Pastrnak
Jaskin-Santorelli-Jensen
Goodrow-Gordon-Cassels
Kenins-Pacquette (TB for Hansen)-Gaunce

Koekkoek (from TB for Bieksa)-Tommernes
Biega-Corrado
McNally-Severson (NJ for Chris Tierney, who had come in Hammer trade, and Erikson-Ek one of my 2015 picks)

Ericsson
Cannata

Highlights

Nick Jensen with Vancouver 27-12-39
Sven Bartschi with Vancouver 18-28-46
Jaskin played 32 games, scored none until game #23...then scored 7 goals in last 9 games with us.
Connauton played 42 games for us 3-12-15 and 14 of those points in last 25 games

Yeah that is about it for VAn highlights, save for Sestito and his 310 PIM, Kassian and his 11 goals 208 PIM and Anders Lee 201 PIM


This team really struggled.

In Utica though....

Pastrnak 42-35-77 in 53 games (was called up here and there and had started year in Van)
Shinkaruk 31-39-70 in 69 games
Horvat 20-43-63 in 70 games
Tommernes 7-44-51 in 67 games
Jaskin 26-23-49 in 49 games
Koekoek-48 points in 65 games


Unsigned prospects
Nich Roy-Chicoutimi 52 points 37 games (injured knee)
Zach BRatina-Peterborough-35 goals point per game
Virtanen 40 goals 70 points 65 games Calgary Hitmen
Mitch Marner 62 points 57 games with London
Sebastien Aho--led World Junior defensemen in scoring, and was third overall. Doing very well with Skelleftea playing on third pair at age 18
Demko 40-3-7 with Boston College
Oliver Kylington 3rd pair with Farjestads average rating is 7 so good there for young guy in adult league
Brendan Carlo-top pair team USA world Junior, and 39 points in 52 games with Tri City WHL


Will not be re-signing Gordon Richards or Santorelli. Have Stalberg for one more year.


Expect the youngsters to push for big time lineup spots next year, but if they do not will bring some old farts in off waivers.

Pastrnak, Horvat, Shinkaruk, Koekkoek, Tommernes all likely to get shots with the team. Virtanen maybe too straight out of juniors. Goodrow played half time wtih Nucks and half with Utica and has legit shot of cracking lineup. Severson also, but another year on the farm with valuable ice time since Slater and Henrik will likely graduate, Biega not being re signed and likely Corrado getting up to the big club here and there....will be beneficial for him

Demko will come in, Cannata gone.

Well at least the future looks bright. Virtanen and Estephan win Mem Cup with Calgary. Roy plays in it. Utica wins the Calder Cup.

Playing with the Red Wings and trying to move Franzen to free up a roster spot for a young player but I cant seem to deal him due to his NTC. Anyone have any luck moving players that have a NTC?

Yes,,,

1. Lower his role on the team...make him a fringe player.
2. Discipline him 3-4 times.

Be warned disciplining popular players too much can sometimes make teammates upset,

I find that changing the player's status to "not needed" also works. If that doesn't work, then you're gonna have to discipline 'em until he wants out.

Usually just putting them on the transfer list is enough for them to waive.

In my save the Habs offered Gallagher for Franzen at the deadline

Defender wrote:Playing with the Red Wings and trying to move Franzen to free up a roster spot for a young player but I cant seem to deal him due to his NTC. Anyone have any luck moving players that have a NTC?

See if he has a favorite team and trade him there

MWE wrote:Shame

Although, my top line (Nathan Robinson - Handzus - Greg Jacina) is working pretty well right about now..

I beat Cardiff 8-1 earlier

Looks like it's quite a challenge to play Cardiff ... Sounds like an interesting choice

Is Cardiff the new WIghtlink? Becasue if MWE is beating them 8-1 (Without Sestito the superstar) I know they must be really BAD>

I wondered how long it would be before you said something

LOl. Too funny today, played an ex game vs Colorado.

-Each team scored a PP goal and a SH goal. McDavid and Landeskog for them. STalberg Sh, and Connauton for me on PP

What makes me laugh,..

Three stars of a game I won 6-4

Ist star Viktor Stalberg Van 3-0-3
2nd star Kevin Connauton Van 3-0-3
3rd star Bo Horvat Van 0-4-4


Two guys with hatties on my team in one game, and it is Stalberg and Connauton. LOL

batdad wrote:Is Cardiff the new WIghtlink? Becasue if MWE is beating them 8-1 (Without Sestito the superstar) I know they must be really BAD>

I'd say Bracknell are the new Wightlink. They'll be better with their new investment in 2015/16 but in 2014/15 they're pretty much stuck with using mostly youth players.

Pretty big scoreline with Cardiff there. Calv and I have been working on the EIHL and EPL attributes and Roles. Hopefully this will close the gap a little. Cardiff aren't that bad IMO.