[Next Gen] How to draft/develop properly in Be a GM

[Choub890]

Hi all!

I've been playing NHL since the 2007 version and I am quite fond of the Be A GM mode because of all the team management aspect it brings. One of those aspects that I really like is player drafting/developing and I have a few questions about that for NHL 15 on the Xbox One.

1) When I draft a player, if I don't sign him right away (I usually wait until the last year where he becomes RFA to do so), will he develop as good as if I had signed him but left him in the CHL/AHL (knowing that they don't "exist" per say in the next gen version of the game)?

2) If i have a player that is 77 overall for example, which is often too low for me to consider them to play on my NHL team, is it better if I make a place for them in my roster, or do they develop as good if I leave them down in the CHL/AHL? (once again, not sure of this one since you can't manage anything else than your NHL team)

3) Is there a magic way to detect which player will be good or not during the draft? I often win the stanley cup, so I usually draft last and all the obvious choices are gone by then and I'm left guessing as to what player I should draft. Often I choose players that never develop into anything other than 78-80 overall or less after many years of waiting. When their potential are not sure (because I haven't scouted them enough), should I just go with the projected round that they should get drafted?

Thanks for your time guys!

 

[Tak7]

1 - Don't think it matters. I've tried both ways and it seems unaffected by whether or not the player is signed or not

2 - Look at a player's specific role. Sometimes a 77 overall might be listed as a depth forward, or a 4th line forward, at which point you probably want to make room on your roster. Other times he's listed as a minor league scorer, at which point you probably want to leave him down in the minors and rely on him as a call up.

Pay attention to player roles. It seems in NHL 15, more so than games in the past, really matter when players develop.

3 - I like to scout all 3 Canadian leagues for 6 weeks - over the course of the season you can hit all 3 leagues twice. Then just sort by potential during the draft, and make your selection based on accurate potential ratings

 

[Choub890]

Thanks for your answers!

As for your answer to 3), do you mean I should select "exact" players before "high" (green), "medium" (yellow) or "low" (red) potential players? I've read on the subject a bit, and some people say that green potential players are better than exact, since they can exceed their potential (for example, a top 6 F becoming an elite) while the "exact" potential players do not. In that sense, shouldn't I prioritize green "high" potential?

Thanks!

 

[Tak7]

Thanks for your answers!

As for your answer to 3), do you mean I should select "exact" players before "high" (green), "medium" (yellow) or "low" (red) potential players? I've read on the subject a bit, and some people say that green potential players are better than exact, since they can exceed their potential (for example, a top 6 F becoming an elite) while the "exact" potential players do not. In that sense, shouldn't I prioritize green "high" potential?

Thanks!

No worries, and sorry for the answer to 3 - having re-read it, I could have been clearer.

You have the right idea. I'm not sure specifically how it works on next gen NHL 15 (I haven't put enough time into it, whereas on current gen it works the same way as it has for about 3 years now).

Basically: scouting a region for a long time + having a good scout = highly accurate information about prospects, which show up in white / exact. Scout long enough and sometimes player potentials turn white / exact.

This means that a player's potential, when white / exact, is guaranteed to be that potential.

What it doesn't tell you, is the color / probability of the player hitting that potential.

So a 4-white star potential prospect, once drafted, could be either 4-star red, 4-star gold, or 4-star green. Or, said in another way, he has either a low, medium, or high chance of reaching his potential ceiling.

You don't know which one until after you draft and actually look at the player.

Hope that helps.

Going back to your original question regarding 3), by doing basic scouting and then sorting by potential when it comes time for your pick, you should be able to find a good potential player almost anywhere in the first round. I don't really ever pay attention to the projected draft rank thing until I have multiple picks (maybe there's a 3.5-star player I really like, but he's projected to go in the 4th or 5th round - why waste my 3rd rounder on that player, when I can get another and then use my next pick to get the player I originally liked, etc).

Sorry I know that's longwinded. Let me know if that helps at all