Challenge #34 - Carolina Hurricanes Discussion Thread

[bruins72]

He's currently got a short term injury in my game (just a week) but the team has no depth to and cover for his loss. He is a loser. Oh and Semin is a tool. He got suspended for 2 games for throwing an elbow.

On the plus side, I'm very pleased with Faulk. Murphy isn't as goood as I had hoped though.

[batdad]

Semin is what he is. I have him up to 12 positioning with off season training, and he has been scoring occasionally, getting 20 for me last season. Doing just fine. Not great but fine.

Kept him in my core over Tlusty who is a plug.


So...off season moves

FA signings: NONE
Trades: NONE
Waiver claim: none until the end of ex season, where I claimed a player from of all teams the New York Islanders.

They had this 6'3 227 lb LW/C by the name of Anders Lee. Anders played in Bridgeport last season and lit up the ECHL scoring 52 goals and getting 62 assists 114 points. 8.93 avg rating. He is now 25 and the Isles were sending him down. He is a C rated player in the spreadsheet so I claimed him. I Know it was the ECHL but ...still...impressive and I love his size and he can scrap and has decent aggression.

Finished my ex season, and my leading scorers were E Staal, Skinner and Rask....thankfully.

Rask will fit in on this team as my homegrown. There are several internal changes to the roster, and I Will be giving and incredibly improved and recently signed (In camp) Haydn Fleury his 9 games before he likely goes back to junior. I know in EHM it does not have the Entry level thing, but I play the game as close to real life as possible.

Gerbe got injured in camp and he played 3 games...his ratings 5....5....6....

So guess who is my #1 trade candidate. Well...him, Tlusty. Liles anyway.


Here is the roster for season 2, 2014-15

Skinner-E Staal-Semin
Tlusty-J Staal-Lindholm
Lee-McClement-Osala
Nash-Rask-Jared Staal
Gerbe
Faulk-Murphy
Gleason-Sekera
Fleury-Hainsey
Liles-Harrison

Harrison will get time up front.

Call up list for injuries: Holmstrom, Brody Sutter, Bellemore, Carrick, Boychuk, Shugg.

Ward
Khudobin

Thought about dealing Khudobin and signing an UFA goalie as a back up but nothing that was decent enough was available for this season, so he will stay with me.

My salary cap right now? 43 985. If I send Fleury back to junior I gain a couple hundred grand, and will go with 22 players on the roster until I have an injury or two.


Gerbe is likely not going to get much time for me.

[Aladyyn]

I flipped Gerbe for a 2nd rounder, both Rask and Osala proved to be better on the 2nd line over the course of this and last season so far. Tlustý walked in free agency so my depth hurt but oh well, at least we have a defensively sound 3rd line

Also I hate Semin. He's ruining my plans of shopping him by playing like the tool he is.

Rask is awesome, leading the team in assists as the second line LW.

Jordan Staal is also awesome, best AvR on the team and outperforming Eric in pretty much every way.

Jeff Skinner got hot at the start of the second season, but for stretches his teammates apparently decided that no one else would be allowed to score.

I also am very happy with Faulk, he's consistently been my best defenseman. Murphy is struggling on a pairing with Karl Alzner, having just under 7 AvR.

The team also can't hold a lead to save its life and has a lot of trouble scoring goals unless one of the Staals dominates the game

[Apollo]

40 games into season 1 and things have gone interesting. Started off terrible in first 20 games now on edge of playoffs in 40 games. Goal scoring is terrible, leading goal scorer only has 13! PP at 14% but PK saving me at 90%

[bruins72]

Gerbe has currently got a short term injury in my game (just a week) but the team has no depth to and cover for his loss. He is a loser. Oh and Semin is a tool. He got suspended for 2 games for throwing an elbow.

On the plus side, I'm very pleased with Faulk. Murphy isn't as goood as I had hoped though.

If Gerbe wasn't a part of my core, I'd be sitting him. While he was injured, I moved Martin up to the LW on that second line and put Harrison on LW (instead of LD) on the third line. It started to work! I think Martin added a physical element that the line needed. And Harrison seemed to have a good effect on Tlusty and Dwyer. That line was performing pretty well too. So of course Gerbe comes back from injury and now I've got to give him Tier B minutes.

[Syvis]

After 40 games I'm sitting at 7th place. The inconsistency of the team is driving me crazy. They were 3rd after 20 games (albeit with a losing record), then went as low as 13th and back up at 7th during the 20 games between 20 and 40 games. Thankfully, Ward is finally starting to play consistently good hockey which wasn't the case at the start of the season. First line is playing well and the second line is coming along after I replaced the useless Gerbe from it for Osala. Faulk has been easily the best defenseman and the biggest surprise on the defense has been the suckage of Sekera. He only has 5 points in 40 games and is a -19. Hainsey has climbed up to first pairing and is playing really well with Faulk. Sekera on the other hand has been demoted to third pairing with Harrison/Liles.

Can't wait until Jordan Staal comes back. Riley Nash has been ok as the second line center piling 25 points in 40 games but I think it'll push my team to an another level when I get a legit second line center in the lineup.

[batdad]

Harrrison has played virtually all of the games that he has played for me on Left wing. Of the 93 regular season games my Canes have played Harry has dressed in 83 games and played LW probably in 75. Dwyer is playing for you anywhere? Dude just sucked in my game, I let him go to Free Agency after year 1, and had sent him down to minors after about 20 games in year 1. CHecked--he played 8 games for me at 5.51 rating, then sent him down. Played 65 in Charlotte at 6.5 rating. He has yet to sign with anyone at end of October of season 2.

Cam Ward continues to be ridiculous for me in season 2, and Khudobin is picking it up. AFter 11 games I am 10-0-1, and Ward has 3 shutouts while Khudobin has 1. Currently in a streak situation.

Carolina 4 Philadelphia 0 (Ward)
Carolina 2 Florida 0 (Khudobin)
Carolina 2 Pittsburgh 0 ( Ward)

Now have Detoilet and Toronto ... ridiculous as have not given up a goal in three games. I do not even know what I Did other than change my neutral zone defense to 1-2-2. ALl else is the same as always.



Shutout streak for team and Cam Ward ends at 6:48 of third period vs Detroit with Ericsson scoring shorthanded. Detroit only goal of game as hammer them 6-1

[batdad]

Haydn Fleury playing in his 9th game Nov 6th vs Boston. IN this 9th game...JM Liles gets injured (torn ACL) and is out for 7 months. Fleury has been playing well averaging 7.4 on third pairing...but dang I really do not want to keep him. Harrison and Bellemore to the rescue.

Also I have not used my trade yet...so .... hmmmm

[Syvis]

Getting Staal back has helped this team immensely. I'm back in the division lead and had a great stretch of games. They are still inconsistant though. I had a 8-1-2 stetch going and then out of nowhere lose three in a row against Jets, Oilers and Flames. They are 15th, 10th and 12th respectively in the West. And it wasn't like I was beating naff teams during my streak as I defeated the Penguins, Canadiens and Kings during it. It's also frustrating that I outshoot almost every opponent by a wide margin but Ward and defensive breakdowns keep every opponent close. I had a good stretch of games though and if we can continue like this, I'll be really happy with the season after the start we had.

Around the league: Capitals traded none other than Alexander Ovechkin to Canucks for Jake Virtanen. I'm glad he's gone from the division as he destroyed me in every game so far but still, that's just ridiculously bad. Also, Toronto traded Dion Phaneuf for Ryan Callahan. Hopefully the Leafs will still consider trading Callahan during the summer as I was going to target him as soon as trading is allowed.

[batdad]

SO I made my trade and have taken a bit of a risk.

Sent Zach Boychuk (C) and 7th round pick off to Calgary for DEvin Setoguchi. Seto scored 27 goals for Calgary in year 1. For some reason they sent him down to the farm this season. This is the risk....I put him on reentry waivers and called him up immediately.

We beat Montreal 7-0, and Seto has 1-1 with a 9 rating and is plus 2. Uh-oh. Hope he does not get claimed.

[batdad]

Of course he gets claimed. darn Capitals. A division rival nonetheless. UGh

[bruins72]

[bruins72]

So I just lost Gerbe for a month to a broken arm. Boo-hoo. I'm really broken up over that one. I got a screenshot of the injury because I don't think he's going to make his Games Played minimum. Of course, I don't have much depth to replace him with. Lindholm needs to hurry up and get back from his knee injury (10 days). I'm still in mid-December so I don't have Jordan Staal back yet either.

[batdad]

Yeah..I figured you would get a laugh out of my wasted trade. Oh well, got rid of a loser player off my books.

And as for Gerbe...good thing you lost him, I am just letting him go UFA as well as Liles after season 2.

[batdad]

ONly took til end of November in year two:

Hurricane goal scored by #12 Eric Staal assist to #11 Jordan Staal and #22 Jared Staal.

Loved that the in game on screen goal call looked like this Staal(Staal, Staal)

[bruins72]

Maybe make a trade for Marc Staal? Rename the team the "Carolina Staals".

So I've got a few poorly timed injuries and all I keep singing to myself is "All I Want For Christmas Is Jordan Staal Back...".

[batdad]

Cannot trade until next season now. Thanks to the Seto move. One trade per season is all I allow myself. (What do the rules say?)

[bruins72]

The rules don't limit the number of trades. They just limit the types of trades and the players you have to keep on your roster.

[batdad]

Hmmmmm. I kind of knew that, and will have to consider options as approach deadline. Unfortunately my two most likely candidates...Liles and Gerbe are both injured. Oh and wait...#3 just went down too -Khudobin.

[Asher413]

Just when things went well Q2 of season 1 (Well by my naff coaching standards)... Semin and Tlusty both go down for 3 weeks in the same game. God help me... Gerbe will be a top 6... and Boychuk's 6 points in half a season will be a top 6.

[batdad]

So I decided to make a couple deadline deals. Khudobin wants 2.7 and got it to be a backup? Well....off you go. So moved him to San Jose for two C rated players..Mark Stone and Jesper Fast. Both are RW with decent size, well Fast is a little light. BUt Stone was the key to this deal, I have a feeling he can score for me on the right side, and it needs a shakeup.

That left me with two soon to be UFA who I do not really need...JM Liles as Haydn Fleury will take his spot next year and the enigmatic midget with injury problems Nathan Gerbe. Gerbe has hardly played for me. I offered the two of them up together and got Milan Lucic if I wanted him. Felt this was a bit ridiculous and a trade Boston would never ever make, so I did not take it. Besides I need a back up goalie not another forward, and wanted to lose a little salary.

So UFA to be Liles was sent to Buffalo in exchange for Michal Neuvirth.

So with those moves I have 24 players on the roster and needed to send one man down. Jesper Fast will go play a bit for Charlotte while I see how he can do.

My lineup now looks like this:

Skinner-E Staal-Semin
Tlusty-J Staal-Lindholm
Osala-McleMent-Stone
Lee-Rask-Jared Staal
Nash-Gerbe

Faulk-Murphy
Gleason-Sekera
Harrison-Hainsey
Carrick

Carrick and Belmore will switch up and down for rest of season.

Ward
Neuvirth

[batdad]

Heh. 2 games into his career with the CAnes, Mark Stone goes down with a torn calf muscle. Out for 3 months. Up comes Jesper for his chance.

[batdad]

Jesper scores in his first game. Ward goes down for a week. Yikes...here we go.

[batdad]

Could not help myself, at deadline I moved Nash for a 4th round pick. Nash Bryzgalovs me off, so had to go

[batdad]

Deadline players who moved.

Buffalo got Giroux, Seidenberg, Rick Nash, and of course Liles.
Was-Tanguay, Gilbert, Edler
Phi-Wisnewski, Grigorenko, Girgensons, Pysyk
NYR-Stuart, Eakin, Burakovsky, Armia and a couple minor prospects
Blues-Higgins, Meszaros, Ryder

Dallas remade their defense completelyGirardi, Jack Johnson, Tyutin, Byfuglien
San Jose-Khudobin Yandle


And of course me NEuvirth, Fast, Stone