NHL 20 Any tips for Franchise Sim?

[ThePuckStopsHere]

NHL 19 was way too easy to be successful in Franchise mode, but I am struggling in 20.

It’s not difficult to acquire talent, but I seem to constantly be stuck as a fringe playoff team, regardless of team ratings.

 

[SlapshotTheMovie]

NHL 19 was way too easy to be successful in Franchise mode, but I am struggling in 20.

It’s not difficult to acquire talent, but I seem to constantly be stuck as a fringe playoff team, regardless of team ratings.

Super stars dont win in sims. Depth players are king.

If you are running a team with overalls like this you will be in the play offs a lot.

85+ 87+ 85+
84+ 85+ 84+
83+ 84+ 83+
80+ 81+ 80+

87+ 88+
84+ 84+
82+ 82+

86+
82+

Realistically if you are close to those numbers and not going crazy with 90+ guys you will have left over cap. You also either need to find the right coach or turn injuries off and set the lines yourself so the game isnt putting an 87 center on the 4th line right wing. The coaching system is still very broken. Best advice is seriously stay away from all star teams. They never ever work. Its stupid by ea but is what it is. Also you can make cool cup runs by replacing 2nd or 3rd line guys with deadline pick ups of aging vets with 1 or 2 years left and thats always fun. Like you can get ovi for real cheap 2 or 3 years in and he will still be a 90+.


Also i try to find the best players i can with high defense stats. The overall stats dont really show how players sim so dont be afraid to give up on someone. Some times guys are listed as snipers and play like playmakers so dont get hung up on what player type ea gave them. The sim engine isnt that advanced. If you sim to year 3 you can get a good idea of how players are simming and then can really target the right guys for your needs. So if you tank the first couple of years you can fill up on talent while freeing up cap and set your self up for a 20 year dynasty which is less fun but thankfully you can just gm a different team after a few years.

I am not 100% sure of your player level so i dont want to talk down but dont want to talk over your head either. So if this comes off as super obvi its just because of that. I would be more then happy to dig a lot deeper and really make the thread nerdy if you are looking for that.

 

[ThePuckStopsHere]

Thanks for reply!

This makes a lot of sense. I use the Red Wings, and end up with cap troubles and usually finishing just outside the playoffs. To your point, it’s more difficult to fill out the bottom 6 than the top. It’s much more difficult to get defensemen, and players take longer to develop. I enjoy the challenge. I will take your advice.

I thought that poor character players were causing issues, but I don’t think so now. Also going heavy on defensemen doesn’t seem to help either, and neither does high end goaltending. Just like real hockey, you can have a very expensive roster and get nothing out of it.

Byfield and Lundell are the best players to draft. Byfield can be signed for 8 years at around 5 million a year, and Lundell has an insanely high DEF rating.

I am going to try and micro manage the lineups like you said, and see what happens.

 

[Tak7]

If you're finding that your team is really good on paper, but really struggling to perform, consider doing a bit of a deep-dive into the statistical side of the game.

Things I always look for when I'm not getting results:

1. Goals For : At or above 3.00 Goals Per Game? If it isn't, then I start looking into my lines & line chemistry. If a line is struggling offensively, then I try and identify why - ignore all the player types (SNI, TWF, PLY, etc). Go into their individual stats and see what you can find; start with shots - the guys that take lots of shots in games, are the ones you want to focus on. The guys that don't? Look and see how else they are contributing. If they aren't shooting, aren't putting up points, and for example, aren't hitting or getting Takeaways, then they aren't really doign much for your team - these are the guys that become prime trade bait for me. As a rule of thumb, I like to put the best shooters on my team, with guys that have a very high Takeaway - Giveaway ratio. For example, as Detroit GM, for some reason, Joe Veleno is a super shooter - he gets about 250 shots a season. In free agency, I found Tyler Tiffoli for cheap (82 overall, $2 million a year), and I picked him up because I noticed that he has an insane Takeaway/Giveaway ratio (meaning, he wins back the puck a hell of a lot more than he loses it). Tiffoli also isn't a shooter (he averages like 80 shots a season, or 1 shot per game). So naturally, when he's on the ice he likes to give the puck to other players. I put him on Veleno's wing, and Veleno instantly became a 40-goal scorer, and Tiffoli had a 68 point season playing as a playmaker for Veleno.
2. Goals Against: Below 3.00 Goals Per Game? If it isn't, then look into why that's the case. If your goalie's numbers are pretty good (SV% .905 or above), then it has to do with the quality of chances your team is giving up, which is tied directly to your Dmen. Look into a deep dive of your Dmen's stats - for some reason, all Dmen give away the puck a lot more than they Takeaway the puck, but look for things like Hits, Blocks, and Takeaways. Those Dmen that have high stats across all of those advanced categories, are guys that you want to try giving more ice team to, or pairing them up with your better Dmen or the Dmen that are struggling. You do not want to be putting together Dmen who don't block / hit / takeaway the puck, as the game will act as those that pairing just don't ever have the puck.

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

Thanks for reply!


Byfield and Lundell are the best players to draft. Byfield can be signed for 8 years at around 5 million a year, and Lundell has an insanely high DEF rating.

How is Byfield in this game, he wasn't great in 19

 

[SlapshotTheMovie]

How is Byfield in this game, he wasn't great in 19

I only had him on my team one playthrough and his overall got to 89 but he never broke 60 points and brought down every line he was on so he either still doesnt sim well or the coaches can ruin certain players.

 

[RememberTheRoar]

Super stars dont win in sims. Depth players are king.

If you are running a team with overalls like this you will be in the play offs a lot.

85+ 87+ 85+
84+ 85+ 84+
83+ 84+ 83+
80+ 81+ 80+

87+ 88+
84+ 84+
82+ 82+

86+
82+

Realistically if you are close to those numbers and not going crazy with 90+ guys you will have left over cap. You also either need to find the right coach or turn injuries off and set the lines yourself so the game isnt putting an 87 center on the 4th line right wing. The coaching system is still very broken. Best advice is seriously stay away from all star teams. They never ever work. Its stupid by ea but is what it is. Also you can make cool cup runs by replacing 2nd or 3rd line guys with deadline pick ups of aging vets with 1 or 2 years left and thats always fun. Like you can get ovi for real cheap 2 or 3 years in and he will still be a 90+.


Also i try to find the best players i can with high defense stats. The overall stats dont really show how players sim so dont be afraid to give up on someone. Some times guys are listed as snipers and play like playmakers so dont get hung up on what player type ea gave them. The sim engine isnt that advanced. If you sim to year 3 you can get a good idea of how players are simming and then can really target the right guys for your needs. So if you tank the first couple of years you can fill up on talent while freeing up cap and set your self up for a 20 year dynasty which is less fun but thankfully you can just gm a different team after a few years.

I am not 100% sure of your player level so i dont want to talk down but dont want to talk over your head either. So if this comes off as super obvi its just because of that. I would be more then happy to dig a lot deeper and really make the thread nerdy if you are looking for that.

Are there exceptions to this for guys like Patrick Kane? Or if you're say the Hawks, should you trade away Kane and Toews and focus on building a lineup around DeBrincat, Strome, and Saad and use the freed-up $21 million to bring in several 83+ guys?

Also, for your lineup I see you have a third line of 83 and 84 overalls. In most cases those are rated as second liners by the game. Do you recommend turning off morale to achieve this, or do you just make them happy by making sure all your top-nine is spread across your PP and PK? Same question for your third defensive pairing.

 

[SlapshotTheMovie]

Are there exceptions to this for guys like Patrick Kane? Or if you're say the Hawks, should you trade away Kane and Toews and focus on building a lineup around DeBrincat, Strome, and Saad and use the freed-up $21 million to bring in several 83+ guys?

Also, for your lineup I see you have a third line of 83 and 84 overalls. In most cases those are rated as second liners by the game. Do you recommend turning off morale to achieve this, or do you just make them happy by making sure all your top-nine is spread across your PP and PK? Same question for your third defensive pairing.

SO hawks are hard because toews conract and his sim level. Dude doesnt sim great. Kane is a keeper for sure. He would fall into the 85+. If you get him on a line with compatible team mates that sim well Kane will retire a ppg player and around an 85 overall. Toews i think you can get 3 good years out of him and this his overall and trade value jump off a cliff so its better to move him early.

For morale you need to leave it on because the game is broken. If you turn it off the coach cant tell you what lines they want players on so trading for people or signing free agents is a nightmare. With the guys on the 3rd line if they are getting PP or PK time they ussually dont complain too much. If someone is you might need to trade them. In my experience depth is the most important part of simming so having an average first line 2 second lines an a 3rd line checking line for the 4th your offense will out produce all other teams 5v5 and that should also make you one of the least penilized teams so your pk doesnt get exposed.

 

[RememberTheRoar]

SO hawks are hard because toews conract and his sim level. Dude doesnt sim great. Kane is a keeper for sure. He would fall into the 85+. If you get him on a line with compatible team mates that sim well Kane will retire a ppg player and around an 85 overall. Toews i think you can get 3 good years out of him and this his overall and trade value jump off a cliff so its better to move him early.

For morale you need to leave it on because the game is broken. If you turn it off the coach cant tell you what lines they want players on so trading for people or signing free agents is a nightmare. With the guys on the 3rd line if they are getting PP or PK time they ussually dont complain too much. If someone is you might need to trade them. In my experience depth is the most important part of simming so having an average first line 2 second lines an a 3rd line checking line for the 4th your offense will out produce all other teams 5v5 and that should also make you one of the least penilized teams so your pk doesnt get exposed.

Using the Hawks as an example again, would you order your lines based on three best forwards (DeBrincat-Toews/replacement-Kane) or would you drop DeBrincat to the second line (since he shoots a lot and so does Kane) as long as your have an 85+ player to play LW on Kane’s line?

 

[SlapshotTheMovie]

Using the Hawks as an example again, would you order your lines based on three best forwards (DeBrincat-Toews/replacement-Kane) or would you drop DeBrincat to the second line (since he shoots a lot and so does Kane) as long as your have an 85+ player to play LW on Kane’s line?

It would be two fold. If they match on a line and are getting a +2 or higher keep them together. If not separate them but thats all on the coach. I would also keep them together for 15 games and appart for 15 games and just do a quick check of the stats. If the first 15 games they each have 8 points and in the next 15 they each have 15 pts them sim better apart.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

I got successful in my NHL17 save when I got rid of players that had Low Morale in the room. Even though they were rated in the high 80's, my team seemed to do better when they were traded for draft picks and/or acquired for other talent that the rest of the squad liked.

 

[SlapshotTheMovie]

I got successful in my NHL17 save when I got rid of players that had Low Morale in the room. Even though they were rated in the high 80's, my team seemed to do better when they were traded for draft picks and/or acquired for other talent that the rest of the squad liked.

NHL 15-18 had this weird thing where if you took say a 93 overall and surrounded him with 60 overalls he would score 100-150 pts. It was this real stupid glitch. You can find youtubers talking about it too and a full explanation on reddit. 19 had a little bit of it but for the most part is fixed and 20 seams to be the same as 19. Its a fun test to try if you still have those games.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

NHL 15-18 had this weird thing where if you took say a 93 overall and surrounded him with 60 overalls he would score 100-150 pts. It was this real stupid glitch. You can find youtubers talking about it too and a full explanation on reddit. 19 had a little bit of it but for the most part is fixed and 20 seams to be the same as 19. Its a fun test to try if you still have those games.

I’ve noticed that with NHL17 the playmakers would outscore the snipers. Recently in my season, I had my Low-Top6 2nd line LW Sniper put up 12(!!) goals while putting 53 assists. Meanwhile my playmaker puts up like 40 goals. Made no sense.

 

[CartographerNo611]

Spend a week editing rosters, they have the slowest NHL players with 90 speed, the softest players with 85 checking, and career AHLers with star potential. Straight up outrageous rosters. Its like EA is scared to give players weaknesses.

 

[JuJu Mobb]

Spend a week editing rosters, they have the slowest NHL players with 90 speed, the softest players with 85 checking, and career AHLers with star potential. Straight up outrageous rosters. Its like EA is scared to give players weaknesses.

I'm waiting till the next AHL update to edit everything.

Why do I have to do all of the work instead of paid EA employees?

 

[JSn0w93]

Spend a week editing rosters, they have the slowest NHL players with 90 speed, the softest players with 85 checking, and career AHLers with star potential. Straight up outrageous rosters. Its like EA is scared to give players weaknesses.

I'm waiting till the next AHL update to edit everything.

Why do I have to do all of the work instead of paid EA employees?

Agreed it's ridiculous. You'd figure they'd hire a few real scouts and have them do the ratings. The attributes are atrocious.

 

[SlapshotTheMovie]

I’ve noticed that with NHL17 the playmakers would outscore the snipers. Recently in my season, I had my Low-Top6 2nd line LW Sniper put up 12(!!) goals while putting 53 assists. Meanwhile my playmaker puts up like 40 goals. Made no sense.

I kinda went into that in the first post. Its been like that since they introduced the mode and i have no idea why. After about year 3 of simming you can get a good idea of how players sim and can easily target low overalls that sim far better then they should. Like last year it was Anthony Duclair. I could sing him for 8 years 2.4m and he would put up 35 goals a year simming. This year he get nerffed and i havent found the next secret stud but they are out there i am sure.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

Spend a week editing rosters, they have the slowest NHL players with 90 speed, the softest players with 85 checking, and career AHLers with star potential. Straight up outrageous rosters. Its like EA is scared to give players weaknesses.

I kinda went into that in the first post. Its been like that since they introduced the mode and i have no idea why. After about year 3 of simming you can get a good idea of how players sim and can easily target low overalls that sim far better then they should. Like last year it was Anthony Duclair. I could sing him for 8 years 2.4m and he would put up 35 goals a year simming. This year he get nerffed and i havent found the next secret stud but they are out there i am sure.

Do players still grow even if the attributes are 'maxed' out?

I notice during free agency there are Elite players with ratings only in the low-80's. If I sign them, do they grow rapidly to the high-80's? or was the development ruined?

 

[SlapshotTheMovie]

Do players still grow even if the attributes are 'maxed' out?

I notice during free agency there are Elite players with ratings only in the low-80's. If I sign them, do they grow rapidly to the high-80's? or was the development ruined?

So they can change still but i am not sure the direct effect. I have had some where i signed them as a FA and they shot up before the preseason started and others that did not. I am not sure if the coach effects it or if its a crap shoot. The trade value is a little bit of a spoiler. You can also go to the find a player function and search the players in free agency and see there value before you sign them. If the value is low the odds of them getting a bump are a lot lower. It still happens but not always. I think the biggest thing with this game is there is still a lot of cause and effect where they dont tell you the cause so you are just randomly hit with effects.

 

[ETTHAKING67]

How are the prospect in year four ? Are they unrealistic South Korean player like in the past or there still a good mix of NA and EU

 

[zukezuchegno]

How are the prospect in year four ? Are they unrealistic South Korean player like in the past or there still a good mix of NA and EU

No it's a good mix.

Any tips on how to grow your players? Good stats in AHL? only play them when they have an NHL tole? I'm in year 6 and only have 3-4 players make my NHL team so far and 2 of them are top 5 picks. Have drafted a decent amount of top 6 med and a few elite players.

 

[ETTHAKING67]

No it's a good mix.

Any tips on how to grow your players? Good stats in AHL? only play them when they have an NHL tole? I'm in year 6 and only have 3-4 players make my NHL team so far and 2 of them are top 5 picks. Have drafted a decent amount of top 6 med and a few elite players.

I don't know if it's the best way to do it but here is what I do ;
- I usually play them for 1 year in the AHL (every Off-season I want to make sure I have good vets to play with my young guys so they can produce). I will give them Special team time, either PK,PP or both. I won't call them up for a full season what ever I need.
- If they are special talent (My experience with Byfield) I did what my coach recommended me to do and played him for the first 9 game of the season and sent him down after. Next training camp he was ready for a role on my team (started on the third line with PP time).
- An other thing that can help is that I like to draft player that are either in Europe or 20 yrs old (in the 5th round or later) so they they balance my AHL talent and they can play more time in the AHL (better for the Dev than in the CHL imo).

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Is there a way to turn off chemistry it’s annoying.

 

[kevsh]

I can't say how important it is in '20 (haven't played it yet) but I've found in the past that building up your AHL team really helps. For one, a strong team can go deep in the AHL playoffs, giving your prospects more playing time.

For prospect forwards I put them on a line with two strong (rating-wise), complimentary veteran linemates. E.g. if the prospect is a sniper, pair him with a solid playmaking center. Players in the mid-to-high 70s are easy to find as free agents as there are dozens and they're all cheap contracts. The prospect should also put up solid numbers with a strong team around him, as long as you don't put him too far ahead of his comfort level (say, a 62 overall shouldn't be on the top line).

For d-men, same philosophy.

If I have any eligible prospects on my NHL roster, and assuming the NHL team misses the playoffs or is eliminated early, I send them down to AHL for their playoffs. Again, more playing time and possibly help win the AHL cup.

 

[SlapshotTheMovie]

Is there a way to turn off chemistry it’s annoying.

If there was i would play this game again. Year 6 i sign on to be bruins GM. They are in desperate need of a rebuild. Before i do anything we win daft lottery. 1st over all. Franchise center 84 overall. Great way to start. Go to my coach. Hates my new franchise playmaker. Plays him on the 4th. Fire the coach and scroll through every coach in the game and not one would play him in the top 6. I didnt just look at head coaches. I looked at every single coach available. What a f***ing joke. So i either turn off coach made lines and injuries So he can play in the top 6. Or i let him rot on the 4th line and lose all value. Game is a disaster.