So... I picked up NHL 19 this weekend. I was happy and disappointed at the same time.
I love the changes made to Franchise mode with Fog of War and the new scouting. That being said, it is really easy to see who is going to hit their potential and who isn't. The prospects who demanded outrageous amounts on their second contracts for a 6-8 year term (despite still being in the mid to high 70's), are the ones who pan out. Those that will accept like 2.5 million on an 8 year deal, do not. With how little the cap increases each year, it makes keeping some of your own players that much harder. Not that it should be easy but there should be a certain risk/reward to handing out longer contracts.
I wish they would get rid of the stupid facility repairs and upgrades. It is such a waste of time and so stupid but, if you want to play with any sort of challenge and be able to be fired, you need to keep that part of the game on.
The new scouting is really good - although keeping track of 20 scouts takes a lot of time.
Fog of war is great and it adds a nice challenge and element to the game. HOWEVER, I have a prospect that I drafted when he was 18 - A goal keeper in the OHL (I have multiple scouts in the OHL and AHL) and he is now 22 and is still all question marks with no potential, no trade value, no overall. This is the second prospect I have had this happen with. I find it hard to believe that after 4 years, the team doesn't even have a VAGUE idea of what this guy is going to look like.
CHEL - tried it but gave up very early as the create a character mode is broken. Hair colors don't work, hell, I couldn't even give my guy a beard, etc.
I give the the changes to franchise mode an A. If you enjoy franchise mode it is worth getting. I give the rest of the game a C-. Just sloppy and lazy. Be A Pro is still the same boring shit it always is. It doesn't need a ton of production value to be more fun. Add drills/work outs/practice time to help with character progression. Go look back at what NHL Hitz did for their mode. They had legend equipment and such. There is so much more that can be done even within a tight budget.