EHM The Blue Line

I'll try to remember what I've done with the Hawks, but as I'm at work it might be a little hazy!

I've just finished the third season after conference finishes of 14 12 and 2. I'm pleased with the progress, although my seeding when I made the playoffs was boosted by awful Central and Pacific divisions, with 4 of the 5 Northwest above me on points. In the playoffs I went 3 up against St.Louis and was then swept out of the first round 4-3 overall. Hightlights over the three years include Detroit being my whipping boys, the only team I consistently beat and that's about it.

I'm sitting on the day before the draft with the following players lined up for next season BEFORE the UFA frenzy kicks in:

Kovalchuk-Madden-Ruutu (Kovy yet to play for me, he just cost 4 firsts and Modin)
Prucha-Kessel-Vorobiev
Hagman-Halpern-Ortmeyer
Pandolfo-Handzus-AHL scrub

Gleason-McCabe
Allen-Orpik
Barker-Seabrook

Khabibulin
Scrub

Notables: Esposito, Mueller, Hamill, Petrecki, D.Bowman, Kerr, Aliu

I'm set up Centre for many years to come, but after giving Espo and Mueller shots at the big show, they went back to juniors. I may keep one of them up as second line centre, move Kessel to the right and Vorobiev back to the fourth where he's spent three years already.

The Draft looks appaling, only one player looks worth a first round pick in the whole draft and he's weaker than most top-5 picks. I need a back-up goalie, or a trade in nets, Pitts and NYR wouldn't take 7 first round picks and Khabi for Fleury and Lundqvist respectively!

Biggest players in over the years include Hossa and Samsonov who both came in but traded out for more at deadline. Madden signed for 12M over 4 years as he had no club at first game time, and Halpern, Handzus and Modin all came in October for the same reason. Not sure where to target my UFA signing if anywhere, I want to let the youngsters develop slowly but get a chance in the end. As for the draft, I'll just take best player available at all times as there appears to be no great players in there who will get a chance for years.

I'll update more frequently than once every three years, and do it with EHM running for a better update as well.

Thinks haven't gone well in the off-season. I went for a blockbuster, trading Esposito for Malkin and a second as Malkin had been dynamite in two seasons at the Pens, including the GWG in the SCF. To get the cap space for Malkin, I brought in Raycroft to replace Khabibulin. Sadly, no-one want Khabibulin even for a 7th round pick, and Malkin wont sign a contract as I don't have the cap space.

This means I have two goalies earning a total $8million for the season
My RFAs, Malkin, Gleason and Ott all wont sign contracts so I'm far more stretched than I ever imagined. I signed no RFAs and no UFAs and we're going into training camp with:

Kovalchuk-Madden-Ruutu
Prucha-Handzus-Kessel
Hagman-Halpern-Ortmeyer
Pandolfo-Mueller-Vorobiev

Allen-McCabe
Barker-Orpik
Petrecki-Seabrook

Khabibulin
Raycroft

That leaves three defencemen having rookie seasons at the same time and I wanted to leave Mueller in juniors. If I can resign Ott and Gleason then Mueller and Petrecki go back to juniors, I have the cap space for that, but unless I can shift Khabi then Malkin stays an RFA for the year

Waive Khabby and assign him to Norfolk.

I probably would if that would guarentee getting Malkin in but I'm not sure he'd come over anyway. When I try to negotiate it just says has no interest in joining rather than I can't offer enough. I'm thinking as this is Khabi's last season to just ride him for this year and pick up Malkin next season, but that's a helluva gamble that no-one puts in an offer sheet for him

I've never had opposing teams put in offer sheets for one of my RFA's, not a single time. So you could probably gamble a bit.

Well the gambling worked. January rolled round and Malkin accepted $1.5 a year for three years! Spezza was a UFA in January for $2m a year as was Prospal and Demitra. It's spoiled the game a bit for me, it just shouldn't be possible to see players like that without a club for so long, and then sign so cheaply.

Naslund and Havlat were other UFAs available for peanuts in January I didn't pick them up and there were other solid NHLers out there for minimum wage

I got rid of Khabibulin for a couple of reasonable AHL-ers as a salary dump.

Calgary sit at about 35-3-2 so my team is second again and looks like:

Kovalchuk-Malkin-Kessel
Prospal-Spezza-Demitra
Prucha-Madden-Ruutu
Pandolfo-Halpern-Ortmeyer
Ott

Tyutin-McCabe
Gleason-Seabrook
Barker-Orpik
Allen

Raycroft
Backup

Notables: Mueller, Hamill, Kerr, Bowson, Aliu, Petrecki

Your four offensive lines are pretty darn mean; especially your second line. I'm a bit fan of Madden in the game - he makes a good third/fourth liner.

Who's your backup G?

I think Minstrel would be quite happy if the Hawks were sat in second place irl

The backup G is Karl Goerhing or some similar name I traded out Khabibulin in about November and needed a backup, he was the best UFA Goalie without a team.

I can't believe these lines in a cap world, but having Malkin, Prospal (who had 299 points in 2 regular seasons!), Spezza and Demitra sign for a total $7million a year as no-one else wanted them helped.

My first ever game on the new version was as the Hawks, and I loved it. Took the game to the year 2015, eventually becoming one of the most dominating teams in the league year in and year out. My favourite line that I developed was Picard-Malkin-Gaborik. That line was absolute dynamite, with each player scoring 130pts year in and year out.

I remember I posted a long, detailed story about it at another (and former, I think) EHM site, I honestly cant remember any more details as I had moved on to bigger and better challenges.

Hmmm, I actually managed to win the Stanley cup in season 4, and then picking up the best goalie (fleury) and best defender (whitney??) of the last two years as RFAs, I lost interest. Too easy to sign outstanding players to cheap contracts without competition from other clubs and build a superteam. I was hoping managing in a cap world would be more fun but it's actually less. Not sure where to go now, I wont try the NHL for a while, but the Euro leagues don't appeal. Maybe Canadian juniors?