NHL 19 Franchise Mode Thread

[bleedblue1223]

there IS technically a way to 'cheese' that. IIRC they set a 'flag' in-game for when the lottery is kind of 'set'. Don't know if they change it in 19 yet since I don't have the game myself. But I DO remember that if you saved your game manually BEFORE the trade deadline(turn off auto save, it helps for tanking), and then just re-sim the end of season/playoffs it changes who wins the lotto. (i suggest the day before the TDL just to be safe)
kinda dumb that the draft is set immediately once the season finishes. but it's EA lol

I understand why they do it, to cut down on manipulating the system. I know it's offline and doesn't matter, but I just think it's pretty lame to cheat the system to get all the top picks again and again.

 

[kinger8998]

New York Rangers Franchise Mode

2018-2019 NHL Season

Preview

~ Salary Cap is on.
~ No trading into Top 3 of NHL Draft unless I have a pick from 4-6.*
~ No trading up more than 5 spots at any other time during 1st Round of Draft
~ May trade into 1st round but only from 15-31. *
~ No signing Free Agents if they require ELC, unless of American Descent citing college hockey holdout.
* - Unless using player of overall 88+.

Spoiler: RANGERS ANNOUNCE BRANT KING AS NEW GM

After Jeff Gorton stepped down, the Rangers introduced rookie GM Brant King as the guy they've pegged to carry out their re-entrance into contending. Here is what he had to say:

The team is obviously going to be young and inexperienced, but I'm not expecting a dead last finish. We have a very talented group here, and if I have an opportunity to make this team better in the long-term during season, I will assuredly make sure it happens. I'm not coming here to say we have to bottom out to rebuild, we can build a new contender with what we have now, and with good drafting wherever we draft. We will bring back the Stanley Cup.

Spoiler: RANGERS LEADERSHIP GROUP

The Rangers announced that Mats Zuccarello, Marc Staal and Chris Kreider will all wears "A's" for the upcoming season. The Rangers traded captain Ryan McDonagh at last years Trade Deadline, and with yet another year of uncertainty coming, they felt it was best to not name a captain.

Spoiler: FREE AGENT SIGNINGS

Sept. 18th, 2018
The New York Rangers have signed Free Agents Joe Colborne and Kari Lehtonen to 1-year deals.

Colborne, 28, is coming off a 13 game stint in the AHL last season, and the Rangers believe he can bounce back to the 19-goal scorer he once was, or atleast become a valuable 4th liner.

Kari Lehtonen, 34, is coming off his best SV% since 2013-2014 with the Dallas Stars.

Spoiler: PLAYER INFO

Player	OVR	Age	Potential	Position	Player Type	Stats	Years/AAV
Joe Colborne	77	28	N/A	C	Power Forward	13 GP 2G-2A-4P +3 ... 4 PIM (AHL) (17-18)	1/$0.800M
Kari Lehtonen	82	34	NA	G	Hybrid	37 GP 15-14-3 .912 SV% 2.56 GAA 1 SO	1/$1.250M

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Spoiler: GM KING ON ROSTER DECISIONS

On Lias Andersson starting in AHL
We just felt it was better he get full exposure in all situations down in the AHL, atleast for the time being. NHL rosters never stay the same for a whole season, so expect to see him up here at some point.
On starting the Season with 8D
The thought here is that we'd rather have to sub a D in on the 4th line as opposed to subbing a forward in on D. That is, if we run into injuries.
On Georgiev in the Minors
Alexandar gets it. We are very invested in his development, and what's best for that is him starting in the minors.
On Chytil in the NHL
Filip has talent. The consensus is that we got the steal of the 2017 Draft, and we come out with possibly the best complete player in Lias. Our future is very bright, and it is built around those two.

LW	C	RW
Kreider 83	Zibanejad 85	Buchnevich 83
Spooner 82	Chytil 77	Zuccarello 85
Namestnikov 83	Hayes 83	Fast 81
Beleskey 76	Colborne 77	Vesey 79
Nieves 75

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

LD	RD
Skjei 85	Shattenkirk 84
Pionk 79	McQuaid 81
Smith 80	DeAngelo 77
Staal 78	Claesson 77

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Starter	Backup
Lundqvist 90	Lehtonen 82

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

First Half of Season

Spoiler: UPDATE

Oct. 27th, 2018
The Rangers have lost 4 straight, and sit last in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 3-6-1 after 10 games.

Kevin Hayes leads the team in points with 8 (3-5-8).

Spoiler: TRADE ALERT

Nov. 3rd, 2018
After their losing streak extended to 6 games, the Rangers had seen enough. Changes were inevitably going to be made, but Adam McQuaid was not expected to be the first domino. After just a month with the team, the rugged defenseman was shipped to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for prospect Dmytro Timashov and a 3rd round pick in the upcoming Draft.

Timashov will join AHL Hartford.

Marc Staal draws in for McQuaid.

Spoiler: PLAYER INFO

Player	OVR	Age	Potential	Position	Player Type	Stats	Years/AAV
Dmytro Timashov	71	22	Low Top 6F	LW	Playmaker	9 GP 2G-3A-5P -3 ... 0 PIM (AHL)	1/$0.695M

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Spoiler: TRADE ALERT

Nov. 16th, 2018
As the Rangers struggles continue, they continue to clean house. Vladislav Namestnikov, a key piece in the Ryan McDonagh?J.T Miller trade, has been sent to Montreal, along with a 2nd round pick in 2020, for a 2020 1st, a 2019 3rd and pending UFA defenseman Jordie Benn.

GM King on trade
Well Vlad was struggling, and when Montreal came to us with this offer we felt it was fair value for Names if he was at the top of his game. Frankly, he wasn't for us, so we took this deal with little rebut. Jordie is going to take Marc's spot in our lineup and were going to see how he fits here. He didn't get into Montreal's lineup so we haven't seen what he can bring. He's a pending UFA, so there's no risk to seeing how he performs.

Spoiler: PLAYER INFO

Player	OVR	Age	Potential	Position	Player Type	Stats	Years/AAV
Jordie Benn	78	31`	N/A	D	Defensive D	77 GP 4G-11A-15P -2 ... 34 PIM (17-18 NHL)	1/$1.100M

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

LW	C	RW
Chytil 77	Zibanejad 85	Zuccarello 85
Buchnevich 83	Spooner 82	Fast 81
Kreider 83	Hayes 83	Colborne 77
Beleskey 76	Nieves 75	Vesey 79

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

LD	RD
Skjei 84	Shattenkirk 84
Smith 80	Pionk 79
Benn 78	DeAngelo 78
Staal 78	Claesson 77

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Starter	Backup
Lundqvist 90	Lehtonen 82

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Spoiler: HENRIK LUNDQVIST INJURED

Spoiler: HENRIK LUNDQVIST INJURED

Nov. 26th, 2018
After leaving a game against the Ottawa Senators to be evaluated, it was determined that Henrik Lundqvist has a fractured collarbone (from a shot). The club announced their franchise netminder would be out for 2-4 weeks.

Alexandar Georgiev has been called up from the AHL in his absence.

Spoiler: PLAYER INFO

Player	OVR	Age	Potential	Position	Player Type	Stats	Years/AAV
Alexandar Georgiev	78	22	Med Fringe Starter	G	Hybrid	11 GP 9-2-1 .924 SV% 2.12 GAA 1 SO (AHL)	2/$0.790M

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

​

Record	Home	Away	GFPG	GAPG	PP%	PK%	Division	Conference	League	Playoffs?
17-22-2	11-10-0	6-12-2	2.44 (24th)	2.90 (26th)	19.4% (14th)	76.6% (23rd)	7th	14th	27th	No.

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Goalie	Record	SV%	GAA	SO
Henrik Lundqvist	12-15-1	.922	2.48	5
Kari Lehtonen	5-6-1	.905	3.26	0
Alexandar Georgiev	0-1-0	.904	4.01	0

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Quick Hits
~ Henrik Lundqvist has been incredible despite the teams struggles
~ Kari Lehtonen has been poor
~ Alexandar Georgiev struggled in his callup.

Player	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
Kevin Shattenkirk	41	4	22	26	-3	4
Brady Skjei	41	3	15	18	-4	22
Tony DeAngelo	41	7	5	12	-9	6
Brendan Smith	41	4	2	6	-3	30
Neal Pionk	41	2	1	3	-3	8
Jordie Benn	22	1	1	2	-8	8
Marc Staal	7	0	0	0	-3	0

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Quick Hits
~ Kevin Shattenkirk's first full season on broadway is a major success so far
~ The rest of the defense has struggled.

Player	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
Kevin Hayes	41	9	18	27	+2	18
Mika Zibanejad	41	10	15	25	-9	17
Chris Kreider	41	5	19	24	-9	20
Mats Zuccarello	41	10	13	23	-5	4
Filip Chytil	41	5	16	21	-9	8
Pavel Buchnevich	41	7	11	18	-12	12
Ryan Spooner	41	6	12	18	-12	2
Jesper Fast	41	4	10	14	-12	6
Jimmy Vesey	41	5	6	11	-4	6
Matt Beleskey	41	7	3	10	+3	24
Joe Colborne	41	4	3	7	-2	16
Boo Nieves	22	3	4	7	+2	2

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Quick Hits
~ Kevin Hayes is having an incredible season, either earning himself a nice extension from the Rangers - or becoming a nice rental piece
~ Pavel Buchnevich has disappointed
~ Filip Chytil has been very good in his rookie season

Second Half of Season

Spoiler: HENRIK LUNDQVIST INJURED

Jan. 27th, 2019
The Rangers goaltender is expected to miss 1-2 weeks. This is the second time he's been injured this season.

Alexandar Georgiev has again benn recalled to backup Kari Lehtonen.

Spoiler: PLAYER INFO

Player	OVR	Age	Potential	Position	Player Type	Stats	Years/AAV
Alexandar Georgiev	78	22	Med Fringe Starter	G	Hybrid	23 GP 15-7-1 .919 SV% 2.10 GAA 4 SO (AHL)	2/$0.790M

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Spoiler: HAYES INJURED

Feb. 8th, 2019
The Rangers leading scorer, Kevin Hayes, has bruised ribs and will miss 2-3 weeks. The team has been unable to come to an extension with him, so the upcoming weeks were going to be crucial in other teams scouting him heading into the Trade Deadline.

Lias Andersson has been recalled from the AHL and will center a line between Ryan Spooner and Jesper Fast.

Spoiler: PLAYER INFO

Player	OVR	Age	Potential	Position	Player Type	Stats	Years/AAV
Lias Andersson	76	20	Med Top 6F	C	2-way F	48 GP 15G-27A-42P +1 ... 10 PIM (AHL)	3/$0.895M

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Spoiler: TRADE DEADLINE

Trade Deadline

The TRADECENTRE broadcast team:
Host: James Duthie
Trade Breaker Desk: Bob McKenzie, Darren Dreger, Pierre LeBrun, and Gord Miller
Instant Analysis Panel: Ray Ferraro, Jeff O’Neill, Dave Poulin, Martin Biron, Pierre McGuire
Trade Bait: Craig Button
Deadline Panel: Jamie McLennan, Aaron Ward

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Duthie: Welcome to the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline show here on TSN. It's a big day all around the world for hockey fans, as their teams are either selling, buying, or left in limbo. Let's get right to it with Craig recapping who's doing what.

Button: Well, theres a few sellers that should be selling everything but the Franchise. One of those teams are the New York Rangers. Despite Henrik Lundqvist's best efforts, the team sits well out of a Playoff spot, and they're better off bottoming out and grabbing a high Draft Pick. Extension talks are ongoing with Mats Zuccarello, so not sure if he goes yet, but Kevin Hayes, Ryan Spooner, Jimmy Vesey, Joe Colborne, Jordie Benn and Kari Lehtonen are all pieces that we could see get moved. Chris Kreider has another year left and is an OG Ranger, but if they're really ready to hit the reset button watch out for him too.

McKenzie: Sorry to interrupt, but the League just announced 3 Trades involving the Rangers. Kevin Hayes has in fact been moved. He's on his way to Montreal in exchange for prospect Nikita Scherbak and a 2020 3rd round pick. Kari Lehtonen has been traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who needed an upgrade over Louis Domingue for backup, with a 2019 3rd round pick and prospect Alexei Lipanov coming back. Dregs do you wanna announce the last one?

Dreger: Yeah, sure. Joe Colborne has been traded to LA for a 6th round pick in 2020. Just minor picks moving here, but Henrik Lundqvits was a 7th rounder, so every pick is a pick.

McGuire: If I were the Rangers, I'd be disappointed I didn't get more current picks. This is a very important Draft for the Rangers. Being an Original 6 team does not go simultaneously with being a bottom feeder.

Ferraro: They probably could have had Montreal's 1st for Hayes, but I like the pickup of Scherbak. He was starting to become a failed prospect in Montreal's eyes, and he can join the Rangers and help them right away.

LeBrun: The Rangers have made yet another trade. Jordie Benn has been sent back to Dallas for a 4th round pick in this years draft.

O'Neill: Jordie is back with Jamie. Seriously though, the Rangers are doing a good job identifying which teams need what and getting a solid return. Let's not forget, Benn was a throw in in an earlier trade with Montreal (Namestnikov trade) and he hadn't played a game to date. They turned that into a 4th round pick in a few month. Solid work.

Miller: Bigger name involved in this trade. The Rangers are proving the be serious about the "tank" if I may, as they have moved Ryan Spooner to the Anaheim Ducks for 2nd and 3rd round picks in this years Draft.

Ward: Once again, as Jeff said, the Rangers are finding the right trading partners. Anaheim is desperate for a center with Rickard Rakell being injured. Spooner can play center, but when Rakell comes back, Spooner can go back to the wing where he is actually more comfortable. It's some very smart maneuvering by a rookie GM in Brant King.

Dreger: It seems extension talks with Mats Zuccarello have been ended, the two sides were about $1.000M apart. Be on high alert for a Mats Zuccarello trade in the next couple minutes as they've prepared for this scenario.

McLennan: Mats Zuccarello is the heart and soul of the Rangers. This has got to be gut wrenching for NYR fans, but hockey is a business after all.

Poulin: Exactly. That being said, the Rangers really do have to nail this trade. It has to be a home run.

Biron: I wouldn't rule out an offseason return for "Zucc" to the Rangers either. He loves them, they love him. Give the guy a shot at a cup this year, maybe get him back later. If not, Artemi Panarin has been frequently connected to the Rangers and he is a UFA as well as seasons end, barring an unforeseen extension.

McKenzie: Here it is: Mats Zuccarello has been traded along with Anaheim's 2019 2nd round pick for a Toronto's 1st round pick, Andreas Johnsson and prospect Seyon Der-Arguchintsev. Also: Peter Holland and Cody McLeod have been recalled form the AHL.

McGuire: Well, the Rangers got a good young forward for their NHL team, upgraded a 2nd to a 1st, and also got a damn good prospect just drafted this past year. I'd call this a home run, but it's not out of the park.

Ferraro: But how often does a team really hit any trade 100% out of the park? I'll take a home run any day. Rangers did pretty good for themselves here.

Duthie: Well, that's the end of our coverage here at TSN. We will see you back here July 1st for our annual Free Agent Frenzy!

Spoiler: PLAYER INFO

Player	OVR	Age	Potential	Position	Player Type	Stats	Years/AAV
Andreas Johnsson	79	24	Med Top 6F	LW	Sniper	62 GP 7G-10A-17P -3 ... 8 PIM	1/$0.790M
Nikita Scherbak	77	23	Med Top 6F	RW	Playmaker	56 GP 13G-21A-34P -1 ... 14 PIM (AHL)	1/$0.895M
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev	57	18	Med Top 6F	C	Playmaker	44 GP 10G-24A-34P +15 ... 40 PIM (OHL)	N/A
Alexei Lipanov	65	19	Low Top 9F	C	2 way F	42 GP 20G-27A-47P +8 ... 6 PIM (OHL)	3/$0.780M

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

LW	C	RW
Vesey 79	Zibanejad 85	Buchnevich 84
Kreider 83	Chytil 78	Scherbak 78
Johnsson 79	Andersson 76	Fast 81
McLeod 75	Nieves 76	Beleskey 76
Holland 77

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

LD	RD
Skjei 86	DeAngelo 79
Claesson 77	Shattenkirk 84
Smith 80	Pionk 79
Staal 78

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Starter	Backup
Lundqvist 90	Georgiev 78

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Spoiler: CLAESSON SIGNS EXTENSION

Feb. 28th, 2019
One of the lone player with an expiring contract to avoid the Rangers deadline purge, Frederik Claesson has signed a 2-year extension with the club worth a total of $1.850M. The former Ottawa Senator has been in and out of the lineup with the Rangers having 8D, but he has proved to be a valuable depth option.

Spoiler: PLAYER INFO

Player	OVR	Age	Potential	Position	Player Type	Stats	Ext. Years/AAV
Frederik Claesson	77	26	7th D	D	Defensive D	4 GP 0G-0A-0P +3 ... 0 PIM	2/$0.925M

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Spoiler: CHYTIL DONE FOR SEASON

April 1st, 2019
Filip Chytil fractured his collarbone in a game agaisnt the New Jersey Devils and will miss the last 3 games of the Regular Season. The rookie forward was the Rangers leading point scorer with 51 points in 79 games after an electric post deadline offensive burst led the Rangers to a record of 11-3-3.

Peter Holland draws into the lineup to replace Chytil.

Record	Home	Away	GFPG	GAPG	PP%	PK%	Division	Conference	League	Playoffs?
39-38-5	22-17-2	17-21-3	2.56 (20th)	2.72 (19th)	19.0% (T-14th)	81.0% (20th)	6th	12th	22nd	No.

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Goalie	Record	SV%	GAA	SO
Henrik Lundqvist	30-25-3	.923	2.36	9
Alexandar Georgiev	3-3-1	.915	2.80	1

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Quick Hits
~ Henrik Lundqvist returned to his elite form, and the 30-win plateau.
~ Alexandar Georgiev once again proved to be a viable solution to the backup situation.

Player	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
Kevin Shattenkirk	82	4	47	51	+3	4
Brady Skjei	82	9	22	31	-3	40
Tony DeAngelo	80	11	13	24	-15	14
Brendan Smith	82	5	5	10	-1	68
Neal Pionk	82	4	5	9	-8	12
Marc Staal	18	0	1	1	-6	0
Fredrik Claesson	23	0	0	0	-2	15

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Quick Hits
~ Kevin Shattenkirk's was dominant offensively throughout his first full season with NYR
~ Brady Skjei took major steps forward compared to last season's sophomore slump
~ Tony DeAngelo was great offensively, but has another level for sure.

Player	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
Mika Zibanejad	82	21	31	52	-14	43
Chris Kreider	82	18	34	52	-12	34
Filip Chytil	79	16	35	51	-4	10
Pavel Buchnevich	82	17	28	45	-19	18
Jesper Fast	82	10	19	29	-17	12
Jimmy Vesey	82	11	17	28	-3	16
Andreas Johnsson	82 (20)	12 (5)	13 (3)	25 (8)	-8 (-5)	12 (4)
Matt Beleskey	82	12	9	21	+2	44
Lias Andersson	29	6	13	19	+2	6
Boo Nieves	63	8	7	15	-7	10
Cody McLeod	20	5	2	7	+6	9
Nikita Scherbak Peter Holland	20 3	2 0	5 2	7 2	+9 +2	2 2

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Quick Hits
~ Filip Chytil was excellent in his rookie season
~ Chris Kreider got back above 50-points, but he needs to score more.
~ Mika Zibanejad continued to prove he can be a #1 center.
~ Pavel Buchnevich was disappointing in his sophomore season and stagnated in production
~ Nikita Scherbak was great
~ Matt Beleskey proved to be a viable depth option
~ Lias Andersson was pretty good after being called up.


Next Post: 2019 NHL Offseason!​

 

[Dylonus]

So, I drafted a franchise player. Offer him a contract after his first year... and the game refuses to show him IN THE SYSTEM. Literally won't let me call him up even though he has a pro contract.

Wasted a year of his ELC, because EA is stupid.

 

[Romkey]

I found a HIGH Elite LW in the 6th round, right after drafting a MED Elite Goalie, then a MED Franchise goalie in the 7th....I think there needs to be less talent late in draft tbh. Far too many elite guys available after 4th round.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I found a HIGH Elite LW in the 6th round, right after drafting a MED Elite Goalie, then a MED Franchise goalie in the 7th....I think there needs to be less talent late in draft tbh. Far too many elite guys available after 4th round.

A lot of those guys don't develop because their starting overall is so low. The potential is just a pure upper-ceiling, it's not what they'll likely become. I've seen plenty elites and franchise players found in later rounds that don't even reach 80. Both in my drafts, and from others online.

 

[DollarAndADream]

I just won the cup in 21/22 with this roster. Created Quinn Hughes before starting at 73 overall with low elite status. Didn't change anything else and by 2022 playoffs this was my roster:

Goldobin (82) - Horvat (90) - Boeser (91)
Marleau (83) - Pettersson (91) - Dahlen (84)
Leipsic (81) - Lind (82) - Virtanen (81)
Gadjovich (79) - Gaudette (78) - True (76)

Hughes (87) - Pietrangelo (91)
Tanev (85) - Juolevi (87)
Hutton (80) - DeMelo (76)
Stecher (74)

Demko (88)
Markstrom (84)

Hughes won playoff MVP. Lol.
I did make the conference finals and lose a couple seasons ago but this is the first time winning the cup. All through simming.

In 2019/20, Boeser won the Richard and Art Ross. Horvat won the Hart and Lester B. Pearson. Boeser had 121 points to Horvat's 119. They tore it the f*** up that year somehow, and haven't matched those totals since. Lost in Round 2 that year as well.

This cup winning season, nobody on my team was even top 10 in points. None of my players won any individual awards besides playoff ones.


Now going into 2022/23, I'm very much starting to have the same problem I always got in last gen NHL's, and that's too many elite/top potential players in the system and I have to release some because of too many contracts. It's kind of crazy. Finding gems upon gems in the draft with all these randomly generated guys.

Troy Stecher was usually 78/79, but last season he kept being a bitch about his ice time and went down to a 74.

 

[Echo Roku]

So, I drafted a franchise player. Offer him a contract after his first year... and the game refuses to show him IN THE SYSTEM. Literally won't let me call him up even though he has a pro contract.

Wasted a year of his ELC, because EA is stupid.

No, I think he probably went back to Juniors/where he played before for another season.

I believe players that are young enough often HAVE to play in the CHL if not on the pro roster. AHL has a higher age requirements than the NHL itself. It doesn't burn a year of the ELC, though. Don't worry about that.

You can check if they are by going to contracts, finding them, looking at their player profile, look at full career stats, and checking what league they're playing in that year.

 

[Shesty31]

I had same problem lol

So I did this, went to operations budget, upped it clicked save with updates, but then it doesn’t back out of the screen and gives me no buttons to back out. So I’m just sitting on the operations screen with nothing I can do to get out of it. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

[Panthaz89]

I really wish they would offer a "hardcore" draft mode. A way where you either get fewer elites in the later rounds or they find a way to prevent many of them from developing perfectly into elites. There is zero way your team should walk out of a draft with more than "3 elite players" in a draft. It just seems so unrealistic seeing people walk away with so many talents. I personally won't allow myself to trade for all the elites I see. I let myself pick the high ones and gamble on the low ones with my existing picks. I still its really unrealistic to be able to just pick out all the elites.

I wish some maybe had lower ratings but over a season or two they turn "into elites". instead of just being labelled elites. It's really easy to cheese in ea's NHL franchises. Maybe a safety measure like that would work better. Have an elite goalie look like a #7 D but 2 years in he becomes an elite prospect.

Sounds like your franchise is working for you though that is all that matters. I just wish they made it more real so I don't have to "handicap myself so hard" to make it more realistic. Have you guys seen a top 6 D or 7th D man eventually become an elite? or are they destined for their initial grouping?

low elites really aren't that good most of the time I've probably drafted 20 of them and only 2 or 3 have really been considerable picks though one 6th round pick was a 76 then 86 by his 3rd season. Potential can actually change though...when I made an expansion team and got Lafreniere and he jumped from high elite to med franchise.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

So I did this, went to operations budget, upped it clicked save with updates, but then it doesn’t back out of the screen and gives me no buttons to back out. So I’m just sitting on the operations screen with nothing I can do to get out of it. Has this happened to anyone else?

go into settings and turn the auto setting off

 

[Hockey Rush]

So, I drafted a franchise player. Offer him a contract after his first year... and the game refuses to show him IN THE SYSTEM. Literally won't let me call him up even though he has a pro contract.

Wasted a year of his ELC, because EA is stupid.

Sounds like he was already in Junior Hockey or College. Does anyone know if there are any restrictions on college players? I got a top end D man who is a 69 currently who I think may be NHL or AHL ready come playoff time. Do you just gotta watch and wait until their game totals stop climbing?

I found a HIGH Elite LW in the 6th round, right after drafting a MED Elite Goalie, then a MED Franchise goalie in the 7th....I think there needs to be less talent late in draft tbh. Far too many elite guys available after 4th round.

I agree there is way to many talented players in the draft. I see so many youtube videos of people picking up all the elites then trading them for real tangible assets. To me that seems like its cheating the system. Some like it. I think its broken.

I really hope they add a hardcore mode where there are far fewer. No way there should be so many med elite players in that late rounds. If they are "low elites" it makes sense since they are drafted so low.

I found a HIGH Elite LW in the 6th round, right after drafting a MED Elite Goalie, then a MED Franchise goalie in the 7th...I think there needs to be less talent late in draft tbh. Far too many elite guys available after 4th round.

There seems to be a way to get them to pan out more frequently by giving him AHL time when they are 50 OA. I just wish there were less of them and their trade value was considerably lower. I'd rather see a late pick of mine who's a low or med top 9 player turn into an elite over a few seasons. Now that would be fun.

 

[Hockey Rush]

I just won the cup in 21/22 with this roster. Created Quinn Hughes before starting at 73 overall with low elite status. Didn't change anything else and by 2022 playoffs this was my roster:

Goldobin (82) - Horvat (90) - Boeser (91)
Marleau (83) - Pettersson (91) - Dahlen (84)
Leipsic (81) - Lind (82) - Virtanen (81)
Gadjovich (79) - Gaudette (78) - True (76)

Hughes (87) - Pietrangelo (91)
Tanev (85) - Juolevi (87)
Hutton (80) - DeMelo (76)
Stecher (74)

Demko (88)
Markstrom (84)

Hughes won playoff MVP. Lol.
I did make the conference finals and lose a couple seasons ago but this is the first time winning the cup. All through simming.

In 2019/20, Boeser won the Richard and Art Ross. Horvat won the Hart and Lester B. Pearson. Boeser had 121 points to Horvat's 119. They tore it the **** up that year somehow, and haven't matched those totals since. Lost in Round 2 that year as well.

This cup winning season, nobody on my team was even top 10 in points. None of my players won any individual awards besides playoff ones.


Now going into 2022/23, I'm very much starting to have the same problem I always got in last gen NHL's, and that's too many elite/top potential players in the system and I have to release some because of too many contracts. It's kind of crazy. Finding gems upon gems in the draft with all these randomly generated guys.

Troy Stecher was usually 78/79, but last season he kept being a ***** about his ice time and went down to a 74.

Demko with some solid growth there. Marleau is still playing in 21/22? the guy is a G. Lol.

 

[Hockey Rush]

low elites really aren't that good most of the time I've probably drafted 20 of them and only 2 or 3 have really been considerable picks though one 6th round pick was a 76 then 86 by his 3rd season. Potential can actually change though...when I made an expansion team and got Lafreniere and he jumped from high elite to med franchise.

I just don't get why they have so much trade value. If they were considered "low elites" by the entire league they'd arguably go higher or have less trade value. There is a guy on youtube who I saw draft like 10 Med Elites and like 4-5 Low Elites in 1 draft. He loaded up on like 20 picks it was nuts. He started off by cherry picking elites then flipping the ones who were "slower developing" into more picks then just repeated the cycle lol. It makes me sick to my stomach but hey it makes him happy lol.

I am blown away in my franchise though. I am the Kansas City Sting. Ottawa got 1st overall in 2018 and they drafted a MED Franchise winger named Sweatt. I got 3rd overall and took my boy Markku Granlund. Sweatt started at 81 overall Granny started at 77. Sweatt has 12 freaking points in 9 games. That is bananas lol. Kid is a stud. Granny has 8 points in 10 games with me trying my heart out to get him points lol. Love the new changes I just wish there were less labelled as elites with possible room for lower projected guys to gain more potential. I am glad to hear guys can climb potential though. Do you know if its possible to go up more then 1 potential grouping? like top 9 to elite over a season or two?

 

[DollarAndADream]

Demko with some solid growth there. Marleau is still playing in 21/22? the guy is a G. Lol.

Yeah, haha. I signed Marleau in the previous off-season to contract to try and win him a cup....then won the cup. Now he's still playing in 22/23.

Also, Demko is a 90 now.

 

[Hockey Rush]

Yeah, haha. I signed Marleau in the previous off-season to contract to try and win him a cup....then won the cup. Now he's still playing in 22/23.

Also, Demko is a 90 now.

Wow, that's amazing.

 

[Hockey Rush]

Does anyone have any suggestions for helping the CPU get more shots against me? i keep cranking up the settings but I find a way to counter them lol. I don't want to bump the difficulity itself because it gets way to challenging. any suggestions? I am loving the slight body contact to bump people off the puck lol. Positional play actually means something now. i'm doing pretty good at keeping shots to the outside as well.

 

[Shesty31]

go into settings and turn the auto setting off

That’s the first thing I did. I turned auto finances off, then went to operations budget, adjusted the scouting budget then clicked “back” The game then asks you if you want to set this as your new budget. I click “save budget” but then it keeps me on the operations budget screen with no buttons available to go back to the menu. So I’m just stuck sitting in this screen unti I reset my Xbox.

 

[Dylonus]

No, I think he probably went back to Juniors/where he played before for another season.

I believe players that are young enough often HAVE to play in the CHL if not on the pro roster. AHL has a higher age requirements than the NHL itself. It doesn't burn a year of the ELC, though. Don't worry about that.

You can check if they are by going to contracts, finding them, looking at their player profile, look at full career stats, and checking what league they're playing in that year.

I know how that works. I signed him in the offseason so he could play in the NHL from the beginning of the season; like someone like Crosby / Stamkos did. That IS ALLOWED; but this game doesn't always recognize that. It's so stupid. I've had times where it allowed guys before their 2 years post draft status is up; others times it does not.

 

[Echo Roku]

I know how that works. I signed him in the offseason so he could play in the NHL from the beginning of the season; like someone like Crosby / Stamkos did. That IS ALLOWED; but this game doesn't always recognize that. It's so stupid. I've had times where it allowed guys before their 2 years post draft status is up; others times it does not.

I think you need to make sure they’re moved up well before the season then.

 

[sandviper]

I'd rather see a late pick of mine who's a low or med top 9 player turn into an elite over a few seasons. Now that would be fun.

I haven’t got 19 yet, but I had a great story for a guy I drafted in NHL 18. Picked a kid from Russia called Carlos Bouchard (lol). He was a 6’3, 215lb power forward LW I picked late in the 6th round. He was rated high potential bottom-6.

I don’t remember exact numbers but by his first year he was low-60’s heading to the AHL. He grew to a 75 after one year and by the start of the next season, he made my pro team as a 79 4th liner. When the season started, he got bumped to the 3rd line.

By the end of his ELC, he was an 82 rated top-6 low potential. It was because of the low potential rating I think that I was able to secure him for 8 x $3.5m. By age 27, he was rated 89 exact elite top-6. He was a beast for me with 6 straight 25+ goals, 50+ points. Career year was when he was 26 where he potted 34g, 74pts and won the Conn Smythe when we won the cup. I think he scored 26 points but led the playoffs (and generally regular season) with hits. I loved crushing players with him.

He never won any other trophy in his career but I remember this because he was drafted as a nothing player. Yeah, I’ve drafted franchise players and other high elites who have had much better careers but Carlos was easily one of my favorites since he was one of those throwaway picks that I initially had no plans for.

 

[kinger8998]

New York Rangers Franchise Mode

2019 NHL Offseason

Spoiler: RETIRED PLAYERS

June 15th, 2019
Former Rangers defenseman Michal Rozsival has announced his retirement along with current NYR F Cody McLeod and former Ranger Ryan Malone.

Also among retirees are Brooks Laich, Martin Erat, Paul Martin and Jason Chimera.

Spoiler: DRAFT LOTTERY RESULTS

June 19th, 2019
The Rangers fell one spot in the NHL Draft Lottery. They will pick 10th overall.

They also have the 1st round selection of Toronto.

NHL Entry Draft

June 23rd, 2019
The Rangers held 13 picks heading into the NHL Entry Draft. Their 2 first round picks were 10th and 29th.

They also owned 5 3rd round picks.

Spoiler: TRADE ALERT

NHL Entry Draft
The Rangers have traded Jimmy Vesey to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for the Blackhawks 5th Round Selection and defenseman Brandon Manning.

Manning has 1 year left on his deal at $2.275M.

Spoiler: DRAFT RECAP

[TABLE="class: brtb_item_table"][TBODY][TR][TD]Round[/TD][TD]Pick[/TD][TD]Player[/TD][TD]OVR[/TD][TD]Age[/TD][TD]Potential[/TD][TD]Position[/TD][TD]Player Type[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]1[/TD][TD]10[/TD][TD]Nikita Loktionov[/TD][TD]72[/TD][TD]18[/TD][TD]Med Top 6F[/TD][TD]LW/C[/TD][TD]Playmaker[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]1[/TD][TD]29[/TD][TD]Nolan Foote[/TD][TD]62[/TD][TD]18[/TD][TD]Med Top 6F[/TD][TD]LW[/TD][TD]Power
Forward[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]2[/TD][TD]41[/TD][TD]Hector Benn[/TD][TD]63[/TD][TD]18[/TD][TD]Med Top 6F[/TD][TD]RW[/TD][TD]2 way Forward[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]2[/TD][TD]53[/TD][TD]Colton Ellis[/TD][TD]57[/TD][TD]18[/TD][TD]Med Starter[/TD][TD]G[/TD][TD]Hybrid[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]3[/TD][TD]72[/TD][TD]Sasha Mutala[/TD][TD]55[/TD][TD]18[/TD][TD]Med Top 6F[/TD][TD]RW[/TD][TD]2 way Forward[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]3[/TD][TD]74[/TD][TD]Krystof Hrabik[/TD][TD]61[/TD][TD]19[/TD][TD]Low Top9F[/TD][TD]LW[/TD][TD]2 way Forward[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]3[/TD][TD]86[/TD][TD]Nando Eggenberger[/TD][TD]60[/TD][TD]19[/TD][TD]Med Top 6F[/TD][TD]LW[/TD][TD]2 way Forward[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]3[/TD][TD]90[/TD][TD]Tucker Thornton[/TD][TD]49[/TD][TD]17[/TD][TD]Med Elite[/TD][TD]RW[/TD][TD]2 way Forward[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]3[/TD][TD]91[/TD][TD]Samuel Fagemo[/TD][TD]62[/TD][TD]19[/TD][TD]Med Top 9F[/TD][TD]LW/C[/TD][TD]2 way Forward[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]4[/TD][TD]114[/TD][TD]David Levin[/TD][TD]61[/TD][TD]19[/TD][TD]Med AHL
Top 6F[/TD][TD]LW[/TD][TD]Sniper[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]5[/TD][TD]134[/TD][TD]Spencer Montoya[/TD][TD]52[/TD][TD]18[/TD][TD]Loe Elite[/TD][TD]C/LW[/TD][TD]2 way Forward[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]5[/TD][TD]135[/TD][TD]Dimitri Varlamov[/TD][TD]51[/TD][TD]17[/TD][TD]Loe Elite[/TD][TD]C/LW[/TD][TD]Playmaker[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]6[/TD][TD]165[/TD][TD]Emmett Serensits[/TD][TD]58[/TD][TD]19[/TD][TD]Med AHL
Top 2D[/TD][TD]D[/TD][TD]2 way Defender[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]7[/TD][TD]209[/TD][TD]Thomas Harley[/TD][TD]56[/TD][TD]17[/TD][TD]Low Top 6D[/TD][TD]D[/TD][TD]2 way Defender[/TD][/TR][/TBODY][/TABLE]

GM King on his 1st Entry Draft
My philosophy is that we take the best player available. We had 14 picks, and 11 of them were forwards. We would've preferred to have more defense and goalies, but we were taking the best player available no matter who that was. We think we come out of this Draft with an even better outlook than we had before, and probably one of the better futures in the league at this point.

Nikita Loktionov is an extremely skilled. two-way forward, which is very rare for a player so young. He was a prime target of ours heading into this weekend.

Resign Phase

The Rangers entered the Resign Phase with around $28.000M in Cap Space. They had just 1 NHL UFA to sign and 6 NHL RFA's to sign.

They allowed F Peter Holland, G Dustin Tokarski (AHL),and F Steven Fogarty (AHL) to walk.

The Rangers also bought out the last season of Brandon Manning's contract.

Spoiler: NEW CONTRACT SIGNINGS

[TABLE="class: brtb_item_table"][THEAD][TR][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR][/THEAD]
[TBODY][TR][TD]Player[/TD][TD]OVR[/TD][TD]Age[/TD][TD]Potential[/TD][TD]Position[/TD][TD]Player Type[/TD][TD]Stats[/TD][TD]Years/AAV[/TD][TD]Thoughts[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Pavel Buchnevich[/TD][TD]84[/TD][TD]24[/TD][TD]Med Elite[/TD][TD]RW[/TD][TD]Sniper[/TD][TD]82 GP
17G-28A-45P
-19 ... 18 PIM
(NHL)[/TD][TD]5/$7.250M[/TD][TD]Risky business signing
a guy who's career high
in points is 45 to a big $
contract...Rangers better
hope he explodes or else
this deal looks horrid.[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Tony DeAngelo[/TD][TD]80[/TD][TD]23[/TD][TD]Med Top 4D[/TD][TD]D[/TD][TD]Offensive
Defenseman[/TD][TD]80 GP
11G-13A-24P
-15 ... 14 PIM
(NHL)[/TD][TD]3/$2.750M[/TD][TD]DeAngelo finally broke
into the NHL in a huge
way. Still a project on D,
but his growing offensive
production should make
this deal more than worth
it.[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Andreas Johnsson[/TD][TD]79[/TD][TD]24[/TD][TD]Med Top 6F[/TD][TD]LW[/TD][TD]Sniper[/TD][TD]82 GP
12G-13A-25P
-8 ... 12 PIM
(NHL)[/TD][TD]1/$1.750M[/TD][TD]Rangers want to find out
what they have in a player
that has become an after
thought in the Zucc deal.
No risk in a 1-year deal.[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Nikita Scherbak[/TD][TD]79[/TD][TD]23[/TD][TD]Med Top 6F[/TD][TD]RW[/TD][TD]Sniper[/TD][TD]20 GP
2G-5A-7P
+9 ... 2 PIM
(NHL)[/TD][TD]1/$1.475M[/TD][TD]Scherbak showed promise
in his post deadline aud-
ition with Rangers, and
the 1-year deal gives him a
chance to translate that
into a full season.[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Neal Pionk[/TD][TD]79[/TD][TD]23[/TD][TD]Med Top 6D[/TD][TD]D[/TD][TD]2 way
Defenseman[/TD][TD]82 GP
4G-5A-9P
-8 ... 12 PIM
(NHL)[/TD][TD]2/$1.225M[/TD][TD]Pionk struggled in his first
full NHL season, but the
low cap hit, 2-year deal
offers him a chance to
progress into a solid 3rd
pairing guy.[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Boo Nieves[/TD][TD]77[/TD][TD]25[/TD][TD]Med Top 9F[/TD][TD]C[/TD][TD]Playmaker[/TD][TD]63 GP
8G-7A-15P
-7 ... 10 PIM
(NHL)[/TD][TD]2/$1.450M[/TD][TD]Showed promise as an
offensively adequate 4th
line pivot. This deal shows
Rangers have confidence
he is their guy in that role.[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Rob O'Gara[/TD][TD]76[/TD][TD]25[/TD][TD]Med 7th D[/TD][TD]D[/TD][TD]Defensive
Defenseman[/TD][TD]76 GP
6G-12A-18P
+14 ... 69 PIM
(AHL)[/TD][TD]1/$0.900M[/TD][TD]There is a logjam of depth
defenders in the Rangers
system, with Claesson and
Staal in front of him,
but 1-year term shows NYR
is willing to give O'Gara a
chance to take a run at the
7th/8th D slots.[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Vinni Lettieri[/TD][TD]75[/TD][TD]24[/TD][TD]Med
Bttm 6F[/TD][TD]RW/C[/TD][TD]Sniper[/TD][TD]69 GP
19G-41A-60P
+14 ... 6 PIM
(AHL)[/TD][TD]1/$0.875M[/TD][TD]Solid bet to be depth F or 4th
line option for NYR. Has
speed, and is a volume
shooter. Proven to be a solid
AHL producer if not.[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Chris Bigras[/TD][TD]74[/TD][TD]24[/TD][TD]Med Top 6D[/TD][TD]D[/TD][TD]2 way
Defenseman[/TD][TD]76 GP
8G-11A-19P
-3 ... 16 PIM
(AHL)[/TD][TD]2/$0.800M[/TD][TD]Former can't miss prospect
looks like he could miss. 2-
year deal shows that NYR
are willing to wait a tad
longer on the supremely
talented dman.[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Nikita Loktionov[/TD][TD]72[/TD][TD]18[/TD][TD]Med Top 6F[/TD][TD]LW/C[/TD][TD]Playmaker[/TD][TD]51 GP
10G-10A-20P
-3 ... 2 PIM
(Russia)[/TD][TD]3/$0.925M
(ELC)[/TD][TD]ELC for the Rangers 2019
10th overall selection. Will
join Hartford and have a
huge role. Very exciting
prospect.[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Marek Mazanec[/TD][TD]73[/TD][TD]27[/TD][TD]N/A[/TD][TD]G[/TD][TD]Hybrid[/TD][TD]36 GP
20-10-6
.914 SV%
2.51 GAA
3 SO (AHL)[/TD][TD]1/$0.800M[/TD][TD]With Georgiev getting full-
time promotion to NHL,
Mazanec is #1 in AHL. Solid
option on a cheap deal.[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Dmytro Timashov[/TD][TD]72[/TD][TD]22[/TD][TD]Low Top 6F[/TD][TD]LW[/TD][TD]Playmaker[/TD][TD]74 GP
13G-22A-35P
-1 ... 8 PIM
(AHL)[/TD][TD]1/$0.750M[/TD][TD]Curious move to sign a 22
year old to a 1-year deal.
Timashov is still a year or
two away from NHL action.[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Michael Limdqvist[/TD][TD]71[/TD][TD]24[/TD][TD]Med Top 9F[/TD][TD]RW[/TD][TD]Sniper[/TD][TD]76 GP
14G-14A-28P
-2 ... 6 PIM
(AHL)[/TD][TD]2/$0.800M[/TD][TD]His first year on NA ice didn't
go as hoped, but Lindqvist
still has hope for the NHL.
Atlest the Rangers think so
anyways.[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Dominik Lakatos[/TD][TD]69[/TD][TD]22[/TD][TD]Med
Bttm 6F[/TD][TD]LW/C[/TD][TD]Playmaker[/TD][TD]51 GP
25G-12A-37P
+0 ... 6 PIM
(Extraliga)[/TD][TD]3/$0.800M
(ELC)[/TD][TD]ELC for NYR 6th round pick
in 2017. Could be premier
4th liner one day, is just a
project.[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Calle Sjalin[/TD][TD]67[/TD][TD]19[/TD][TD]Low Top 4D[/TD][TD]D[/TD][TD]2 way
Defenseman[/TD][TD]44 GP
4G-4A-8P
+5 ... 8 PIM
(Hockey
Allsvenskan)[/TD][TD]3/$0.875M
(ELC)[/TD][TD]ELC for NYR 5th rounder in
2017. Darkhorse to be the
steal of the 2017 draft, but
once again is another project
pick. [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Brandon Halverson[/TD][TD]68[/TD][TD]23[/TD][TD]Low Backup[/TD][TD]G[/TD][TD]Hybrid[/TD][TD]N/A[/TD][TD]3/$0.775M[/TD][TD]Labelled as a busr, not
wrongly, by many, the 2014
2nd round pick still could
have a future in the NHL.
Rangers intend on finding
out.[/TD][/TR][/TBODY][/TABLE]

The Rangers also signed D John Gilmour (1/$0.825M) and Cole Schneider (3/$0.800M) to AHL deals.

Free Agency

The FREE AGENT FRENZY broadcast team:
Host: James Duthie
Deal Breaker Desk: Bob McKenzie, Darren Dreger, Pierre LeBrun, and Gord Miller
Instant Analysis Panel: Ray Ferraro, Jeff O’Neill, Dave Poulin, Martin Biron, Pierre McGuire
FA Bait: Craig Button
FA Panel: Jamie McLennan, Aaron Ward

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Duthie: Hello folks and welcome to the 2019 Free Agent Frenzy here on TSN. The New York Rangers are rumored to be the huge players today, so let's get right to it and head over to Craig.

Button: Well James, the Rangers are very active today. They have the Cap Space to be a really big player today, and they have holes to fill. They've now missed the Playoffs 2 years in a row, and they want to put an end to that. Joe Thornton and San Jose have finally parted ways and no one would be surprised for Thornton to fulfill his long rumored desire to play in New York. Mats Zuccarello is a Free Agent, and he made his desire known that he wanted to be a Ranger again. Artemi Panarins last minute decision to sign with Columbus opens up a Mats Zuccarello return.

They're also in the market for a LHD. Their options are Zdeno Chara, Nate Schmidt, Brayden Coburn and Denis Seidenberg. I'd have to say, I think they go with the younger Schmidt, but they could be eyeing Chara with such a young team.

McKenzie: The Rangers have just announced they've signed Mats Zuccarello to a 4-year deal. The diminuative winger was sent to the Maple Leafs at last years Deadline and helped them get to the Conference Finals.

Ferraro: The Rangers are not going to be bottom feeders next season, they're going to make their return to the Playoffs, and I'm not convinced they're an easy out.

McGuire: Let's pump the brakes on that. Zuccarello was with the team for 3/4 of the year last year and he couldn't get them to be relevant so let's see what they do over the course of the whole day before we start signing their praises.

O'Neill: I have to agree with Pierre. Not to be pessimistic, but can a 37-year old Henrik Lundqvist really repeat last years resurgence? I'm not so sure. Theres a lot of question marks.

Dreger: Zdenp Chara is a New York Ranger. It's a 1 year deal somewhere in the $5-6M range. Chara was expected to re-sing with the Bruins, but when relations were severed, the Rangers were in hot pursuit of Chara and apparently they didn't have any real competition.

Biron: The Rangers weakness on D last season was they lacked a solid #1B option behind Brady Skjei. Now that Skjei is the clear #1, Chara can settle into a #2 role and that should allow him to keep up pace with the speed of today, even at 42. This guy's a beast, and he could turn out to be the most impactful signing of the offseason for the Rangers.

McLennan: I agree he's a major upgrade over their LHD last season, but once again I think some of youguys just get too wound up. He's 42, how much can we expect him to change?

Poulin: I think you can expect him to make a huge impact on the Rangers young D. Brady Skjei may be the longest tenured Rangers D after Marc Staal, but he's still young. Chara really can mentor him, and he can still play this game.

LeBrun: No surprise here. Joe Thornton has signed a 1-year deal with the Rangers worth just shy of $5.0M. This was expected at some point today, so this just confirms the speculation.

Ward: I like this Rangers strategy. They're getting leadership and experience to surround their youngsters. I'm not sure Thornton is a great fit though. Their center depth now includes Zibanejad, Chytil, Andersson, Nieves and Thornton. That's 5 guys who should be playing on a nightly basis, and only 4 of them can play center.

Ferraro: Furthermore, signing Thornton presumably pushes Lias Andersson down to #4C, and that's not ideal for his development. I wonder if we see the Rangers shop Zibanejad at some point this season.

McGuire: I don't know if they shop Zibanejad right away, but it's a possibility they will eventually. He's their #1C and I don't see them wanting to hand that role over to a 39-year old Thornton or a sophomore Chytil in a season in which they cleary expect to contend.

Miller: The Rangers have made another signing. Anthony Duclair, their 2013 3rd round pick, is returning to New York after stints with Arizona, Chicago and Columbus. The deal has a term of 1-year and looks to carry a slaary of about $2.5M.

O'Neill: Now this is a signing I can get on board with. Duclair is just 24, and is coming off a season in which he scored 24 goals. Columbus obviously couldn't afford an extension after signing Panarin, but the Rangers will reap the rewards of that decision. Duclair might have trouble repeating 24 goals, but he can be a very valuable depth piece for the Rangers. Speed and youth, it's the modern NHL.

Biron: Duke is going to be a very good offensive player for the Rangers. But his downfall is the defensive side of things. We'll see which linemates he has and if they can support his defensive downfalls.

Ferraro: But this signing isn't about defense, it's about the goals he's going to bring.

Duthie: Well folks, that's all the time we have today! Until next time, at the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline.

Spoiler: PLAYER INFO

[TABLE="class: brtb_item_table"][TBODY][TR][TD]Player[/TD][TD]OVR[/TD][TD]Age[/TD][TD]Potential[/TD][TD]Position[/TD][TD]Player Type[/TD][TD]Stats[/TD][TD]Years/AAV[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Mats Zuccarello[/TD][TD]85[/TD][TD]31[/TD][TD]N/A[/TD][TD]RW[/TD][TD]Playmaker[/TD][TD]82 GP
18G-32A-50P
+1 ... 10 PIM[/TD][TD]4/$5.900M[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Zdeno Chara[/TD][TD]85[/TD][TD]42[/TD][TD]N/A[/TD][TD]D[/TD][TD]2 way
Defenseman[/TD][TD]82 GP
9G-7A-16P
-3 ... 57 PIM[/TD][TD]1/$5.500M[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Joe Thornton[/TD][TD]84[/TD][TD]39[/TD][TD]N/A[/TD][TD]C[/TD][TD]Playmaker[/TD][TD]82 GP
10G-39A-49P
-11 ... 12 PIM[/TD][TD]1/$4.800M[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Anthony Duclair[/TD][TD]80[/TD][TD]24[/TD][TD]Low Top 6F[/TD][TD]RW/LW[/TD][TD]Sniper[/TD][TD]82 GP
24G-15A-39P
+4 ... 12 PIM[/TD][TD]1/$2.475M[/TD][/TR][/TBODY][/TABLE]

Next Post: 2019-2020 NHL Season​

 

[AveryStar4Eva]

No doubt that the scouting is improved, but there are still some big issues with the game. When rebuilding its nearly impossible to win the lottery. Can’t remeber how many times I’ve picked fourth. Once you have a powerhouse team it seems like more often then not you’re getting knocked out in the second round. Last six seasons I’ve finished between 50-55 wins and I’ve been knocked out of the playoffs four times in the second round, once in the third, and once in the finals.

Not saying I should win the cup every year, but with my team I should have come close by now.

 

[Hansen]

Just encountered a very weird bug, Im in the 2032-33 season, my long time captain, Bo Horvat, retired after we won our 2nd cup last season at the age of 37, having played something like 17 years and scoring 800 points. He was our 4th line C and occasional healthy scratch during the season but became a staple during the cup run due to injury and put up 12 points in around 25 games.

Anyways, fast forward to next years training camp, I've got a couple good prospects trying out for his 4th line spot, I always sim pre-season games until the last 5 minutes and then play around with the new prospects to see whos got what (there are some players who are way faster than they should be or have good hands or shot, etc. beyond the rating system) and did that even before the fog of war system.

This time I just straight simmed until the last game to get a good look at who can produce between the three guys gunning for 4C. I got to the 5 minute mark and then decided to go CPU v. CPU for the game. It loads up, after a minute my 4th line goes out, and I see #53 Horvat on the ice. I paused right away and checked the scoresheet, sure enough B. Horvat was there listed as having played 14 minutes through the time I simmed, he even scored a goal and went 60% on the dot. I watched him play the rest of the game and then went to the lineup, roster, and stat sheet and he was nowhere to be found. Really weird glitch, I can only imagine that the old vet decided to force his way into a PTO and get on the ice one last time before calling it quits for good

 

[Hansen]

No doubt that the scouting is improved, but there are still some big issues with the game. When rebuilding its nearly impossible to win the lottery. Can’t remeber how many times I’ve picked fourth. Once you have a powerhouse team it seems like more often then not you’re getting knocked out in the second round. Last six seasons I’ve finished between 50-55 wins and I’ve been knocked out of the playoffs four times in the second round, once in the third, and once in the finals.

Not saying I should win the cup every year, but with my team I should have come close by now.

I've won the lottery quite a bit more often than usual in my several quick run throughs when I was playing around. One thing I've noticed is that the high-end prospect pool in each draft goes a little further out than it did last year, where it cut off around pick 3 and sometimes 4 or 5. This year there is pretty consistently a high end elite prospect available at 5, and I even just got a 78 overall LW med elite at #7 who was rated 5 by my scouts and fell to me, so it makes rebuilding or tanking a little more rewarding.

But yeah the lottery can get weird, I had one save last year where for like 4 years in a row the #11 team won 2nd overall, and in the 4th year I had specifically traded for that pick and won the lottery in that spot myself, other times it feels like you can do nothing but lose. In my current save I was tanking all year in 2019 for Jack Hughes (literally went in and pulled the goalie for the last 20 games if I was winning) only to fall to 4, so I moved up anyways. The next season I just nearly missed the playoffs, I was within 2 points or something, and I won the lottery for #1 from that position and got a franchise LW who is still on my team in 2033 and consistently puts up 30g 40-60a

 

[AveryStar4Eva]

I've won the lottery quite a bit more often than usual in my several quick run throughs when I was playing around. One thing I've noticed is that the high-end prospect pool in each draft goes a little further out than it did last year, where it cut off around pick 3 and sometimes 4 or 5. This year there is pretty consistently a high end elite prospect available at 5, and I even just got a 78 overall LW med elite at #7 who was rated 5 by my scouts and fell to me, so it makes rebuilding or tanking a little more rewarding.

But yeah the lottery can get weird, I had one save last year where for like 4 years in a row the #11 team won 2nd overall, and in the 4th year I had specifically traded for that pick and won the lottery in that spot myself, other times it feels like you can do nothing but lose. In my current save I was tanking all year in 2019 for Jack Hughes (literally went in and pulled the goalie for the last 20 games if I was winning) only to fall to 4, so I moved up anyways. The next season I just nearly missed the playoffs, I was within 2 points or something, and I won the lottery for #1 from that position and got a franchise LW who is still on my team in 2033 and consistently puts up 30g 40-60a

True you can still get good talent at 4, just sucks missing out on franchise talent every year. Feel like they don’t have the odds correct though. If you finish last there is a 50% chance of a top three pick, sucks to finsh last four years in a row and pick fourth each time.