NHL 18 Franchise Mode :Expansion Edition

[kinger8998]

Halifax Highlanders Expansion Mode

Starting The Franchise and First NHL Season

* - sorry about the size, thumbnail seemed too small. And yes I know original Highlanders were orange and blue, but wanted to make this version yellow and blue to pay homage to NS flag.

Expansion Draft

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, Martin Biron, Pierre McGuire
Trade Bait: Craig Button
Deadline Panel: Jamie McLennan, Aaron Ward

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Duthie: Welcome to TSN folks, we are here to present to you the 32nd NHL Team, the Halifax Highlanders. They have conducted the Expansion Draft and the NHL has released the results:

LW	C	RW
Grabner 81	Danault 80	Berglund 81
Pouliot 77	Tierney 79^	Brown 79
Ferland 78	Soderberg 79	Doan 78*
Laughton 77	Dzingel 78^	Ennis 78
Boucher 76	Paquette 76	Stafford 79*
Di Giuseppe 76		Zurco 76^

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LD	RD
Matrinez 84	Myers 83
Brodin 83	Manson 81
Ekholm 83	Petrovic 79
Cole 81	Prout 78
Ouellet 79^	Pulock 76

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Goalie

Grubauer 82

Lehtonen 80

Korpisalo 79

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* - pending UFA
^ - pending RFA

Ferraro: The Highlanders struggle here up front. They have some depth but the star power, or even the Top 6 power isn't there. Their best forward is Patrik Berglund, followed by Michael Grabner and Phil Danault. Theres just no way you can see this ragtag group putting together a season in which the Highlanders make the Playoffs.

McGuire: I see what you're getting at there Ray, but if they do have a chance at making the Playoffs, it's on the back of this defense. Their left side is very strong, and their right side isn't that far behind. This defense could really be the backbone of any potential surprise season.

Biron: Although there defense is strong may I add that their goalies are really impressive. Grubauer and Neuvirth can really make a great tandem duo here. Not to mention, Joonas Korpisalo is one of the best goalie prospects in the league, and will provide the Highlanders with instant success when he finally does make the jump.

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NHL Entry Draft

Button: The Highlanders hold the 4th overall pick at this years Draft. With a roster that has depth, but no star power, this pick could be the Franchises first true star. Big things at stake here.

McKenzie: Yes well Craig, the Highlanders GM Brant King is upping the stakes even more. He has just traded defense Alec Martinez to the Boston Bruins for their 19th overall pick.. The Highlanders obviously must be going for youth right now with a non-existent prospect pool.

GM Brant King: With the 4th overall selection in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, and the first selection in Highlanders history, we are proud to select Elias Pettersson.

O'Neill: Great pick. He is an offensive building block and will be the teams future along with Korpisalo. Future face of the Franchise there.

GM Brant King: Hello again. With our second pick in the first round, we select goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Thanks.

Biron: This is a great pick. Already having Korpisalo, Grubauer and now Luukkonen, Halifax has a very bright future in nets.

Dreger: In the later rounds, the Highlanders grabbed Jonah Gadjovich, Nikita Popugaev, Jake Kryski and potentially the steal of the Draft , offensive defenseman Ruslan Latypov (Low Elite).

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Re-sign
​

Player	OVR	Age	Potential	Position	Player Type	Stats	Years/AAV
Connor Brown	79	23	Med Top 9F	RW	2 way F	82 GP 20G-16A-26P +3 ... 10 PIM	3/$1.750M
Xavier Ouellet	79	23	Med Top 6D	D	Defensive D	66 GP 3G-9A-12P +2 ... 51 PIM	2/$1.250M
Alex Petrovic	79	25	Med Top 6D	D	Defensive D	49 GP 1G-13A-14P -1 ... 79 PIM	3/$2.500M
Chris Tierney	79	22	Med Top 9F	C	2 way F	80 GP 11G-12A-23P 0 ... 6 PIM	3/$2.000M
Shane Doan	78	40	N/A	RW	Power Forward	74 GP 6G-21A-27P -3 ... 48 PIM	1/$1.750M
Ryan Dzingel	78	25	Med Top 9F	C/LW	2 way F	81 GP 14G-18A-32P +7 ... 30 PIM	2/$1.675M
Michael Ferland	78	25	Med Top 9F	LW/RW	Grinder	76 GP 15G-10A-25P -1 ... 50 PIM	2/$1.750M
Scott Laughton	77	23	Med Top 9F	LW/C	2 way F	60 GP 19G-20A-39P +17 ... 40 PIM (AHL)	3/$1.300M
Reid Boucher	76	23	Med Top 9F	LW	Sniper	39 GP 6G-4A-10P -6 ... 8 PIM	2/$0.850M
Phil Di Giuseppe	76	23	Med Bottom 6F	LW/C	2 way F	36 GP 1G-6A-7P -12 ... 15 PIM	3/$0.875M
Tomas Jurco	76	24	Med Bottom 6F	RW	Sniper	29 GP 1G-0A-1P -12 ... 4 PIM	3/$0.900M
Elias Pettersson	67	18	Med Elite	C/LW/RW	Playmaker	N/A	3/$0.925M
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	60	18	Med Elite	G	Hybrid	N/A	3/$0.900M
Philip Grubauer	82	25	Med Starter	G	Hybrid	24 GP 13-6-2 .926 SV% 2.04 GAA 3 SO	3/$2.900M
Nikita Popugaev	62	18	Low Top 6F	LW	Power Forward	N/A	3/$0.875M
Ivan Kosorenkov	61	19	High Top 9F	RW/C	Sniper	N/A	3/$0.875M
Jonah Gadjovich	59	18	Med Top 9F	LW	2 way F	N/A	3/$0.875M
Jake Kryski	57	19	Med Top 9F	C	Playmaker	N/A	3/$0.875M
Ruslan Latypov	52	18	Low Elite	D	Offensive D	N/A	3/$0.900M

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McLennan: The Highlanders are in a decent position here guys. They got their #1 goalie locked up for a bit, and got all their young pieces signed. I really like the one year deal they gave to Shane Doan. Halifax have alot of young players who can learn a ton from Doan, who will almst certainly be the first captain of the team.

Ward: The Highlanders are going to be a real young team and after this re-sign phase they still have alot of Cap Space. I think they want to give their young guys a chance, but if they get an opportunity to sign some middle aged players to a team friendly multi-year deal, they'll do it. This team won't be good at first but watch out as this young team grows together.

McGuire: All this is true, but I question their decision to let Drew Stafford walk. I get if they want to allow their young players to play, but letting him go leaves the club with just one player above the age of 30: Shane Doan, Carl Soderberg and Benoit Pouliot.

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Free Agency

McKenzie: A relatively weak Free Agent class this year, but the Highlanders went bargain bin shopping. Jiri Tlusty sat out last season training and believing that he could get back to playing top level hockey. Here's his chance. He's signed a 1-year deal with the Halifax Highlanders worth almost $3.000M.

Dreger: Besides that, I'm hearing reports that GM Brant King has taken on a reclamation project in Beau Bennett. The former 1st round pick still hasn't established himself at the NHL level and this could be his last shot. The 25 year old inked a 1 year deal.

LeBrun: Guys, Halifax isn't done there. Theyve also inked defensemen Robbie Russo and Frank Corrado to 3-year deals and forwards Roman Lyubimov and Oscar Sundqvist to 1 and 2 year deals respectively.

Miller: Around the league various big name players have also signed. Matt Nieto has signed with Colorado, Sam Gagner has signed on in Vancouver, Simon Despres is headed to Dallas and Justin Williams has decided on Toronto as his new home. Also, Nick Bonino is going to be playing in Montral for the next 2 years and Trevor Daley will be in Edmonton for the same time. Toronto also snagged D Karl Alzner, while CAR signed Kevin Shattenkirk and big fish Martin Hanzal is going to LA.

O'Neill: You know, the Halifax Highlanders did good for themselves on their 1st Free Agency. Didn't overpay, got some guys on 1-year contracts they can sell off at Trade Deadline. It was an overall good summer for them.

Ferraro: I have to agree. Tlusty is a supremely talented hockey player and could really prove to be a great value signing for this club. Beau Bennett, although a risk, is one worth taking because of his youth. Both these players are chances and could both pay off hugely for GM Brant King.​

Player	OVR	Age	Potential	Position	Player Type	Stats	Years/AAV
Jiri Tlusty	80	29	N/A	LW	Sniper	N/A	1/$2.750M
Beau Bennett	77	25	Med Top 9F	RW	Sniper	65 GP 8G-11A-19P -3 ... 20 PIM​	1/$0.975M
Roman Lyubimov	75	21	Low Bottom 6F​	LW/RW	2 way F	47 GP 4G-2A-6P -2 ... 8 PIM​	1/$0.975M
Frank Corrado	74	24	Med 7th D	D	Defensive D	35 GP 2G-14A-16P +9 ... 20 PIM (AHL)​	3/$0.825M
Robbie Russo	73	23	Med Top 6D	D	2 way D	58 GP 7G-25A-32P +15 ... 37 PIM (AHL)​	3/$0.800M
Oskar Sundqvist	73	23	Med Bottom 6F​	LW	Power Forward	63 GP 20G-25A-45P +12 ... 52 PIM (AHL)​	2/$0.900M

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Dreger: And we have a trade to announce ... speaking of the Kings, they have acquired Michael Grabner and Ian Cole from the Highlanders in exchange for their 1st rounder in 2018. The Kings are really beefing up for a playoffs run.

Biron: This is a wonderful trade for Halifax. The 2018 draft is shaping up to be a very deep draft, and with expectations tempered heading into the season anyways, why not give the young guys a chance and trade off some vets for high picks.

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Preseason

Locks: Philip Grubauer
Competing for backup: Kari Lehtonen, Joonas Korpisalo

Locks: Mattias Ekholm, Tyler Myers, Jonas Brodin, Josh Manson, Alex Petrovic
Competing for 6th/7th D: Xavier Ouellet, Dalton Prout, Ryan Pulock

Locks on F: Patrik Berglund, Shane Doan, Carl Soderberg, Phil Danault, Jiri Tlusty, Benoit Pouliot, Connor Brown, Chris Tierney, Tyler Ennis, Michael Ferland
Competing for 11th/12th/13th F: Ryan Dzingel, Beau Bennett, Scott Laughton, Reid Boucher, Tomas Jurco, Phil Di Giuseppe, Roman Lyubimov, Cedric Paquette

Updated Lineup
LW | C | RW
Di Giuseppe 76 | Soderberg 79 | Bennett 77
Boucher 76 | Dzingel 78 | Ennis 78
Ferland 78 | Laughton 77 | Doan 78
Lyubimov 75 | Paquette 76 | Jurco 76
Pouliot 77 | Berglund 81

Ekholm 83 | Pulock 76
Brodin 83 | Prout 78
Ouellet 79 | Petrovic 76
Manson 81

Lehtonen 80
Korpisalo 79

In AHL: Myers, Tlusty, Danault, Brown, Tierney, Grubauer

Game	Score	HFX Goals	Goalie	Thoughts
1 (FLA)	8-0 HFX	Soderberg (1), Prout (1), Bennett (1), Pulock (1), Ouellet (1), Boucher (1), Doan (1), Ennis (1)​	Lehtonen (1.000 SV%)(0.00 GAA)​	Goals from 8 different players in first preseason game ... Soderberg with 5 points.​
2 (BOS)	3-1 BOS	Ekholm (1)	Lehtonen (.857 SV%)(3.07 GAA)​
3 (TOR)	5-4 HFX (SO)​	Bennett (2), Prout (2), Doan (2), Di Giuseppe (1)​	Korpisalo (.897 SV%)(3.69 GAA)​	First cuts to be made.

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BREAKING NEWS: Tomas Jurco, Roman Lyubimov, Cedric Paquette all cut.
Oct. 1st, 2017
After just 3 games the Highlanders roster becomes much, much clearer. They now have just 5 forwards competing for 3 spots, while the long cut on defense remains to be seen. There is still an ongoing goaltending battle between vet Lehtonen and young gun Korpisalo.

Updated Lineup
LW | C | RW
Di Giuseppe 76 | Soderberg 79 | Bennett 77
Boucher 76 | Dzingel 78 | Ennis 78
Ferland 78 | Laughton 77 | Doan 78
Pouliot 77 | Tierney 79 | Brown 79
Tlusty 80 | Berglund 81

Ekholm 83 | Pulock 76
Brodin 83 | Prout 78
Ouellet 79 | Petrovic 76
Manson 81

Lehtonen 80
Korpisalo 79

In AHL: Myers, Danault, Grubauer

Game	Score	HFX Goals	Goalie	Thoughts
4 (TBL)	3-2 HFX	Pouliot (2), Brown (1)	Lehtonen (.923 SV%)(2.00 GAA)​
5 (BUF)	6-3 HFX	Ennis (2), Brown (2), Ouellet (2), Laughton (1), Soderberg (2), Brodin (1)​	Korpisalo (.897 SV%)(3.00 GAA)​	Next cuts to be made.

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BREAKING NEWS: Reid Boucher, Ryan Pulock sent to AHL.
Oct. 5th, 2017
The Halifax Highlanders are being forced to make some very tough decisions. With the way everyone has been playing, these cuts get harder and harder. For Boucher, it's getting close to the end of the road with chances, but with Pulock it's more about getting a young prospect playing time.

Updated Lineup
LW | C | RW
Di Giuseppe 76 | Soderberg 79 | Bennett 77
Tlusty 80 | Dzingel 78 | Ennis 78
Ferland 78 | Laughton 77 | Doan 78
Pouliot 77 | Tierney 79 | Brown 79
Danault 80 | Berglund 81

Ekholm 83 | Prout 78
Brodin 83 | Petrovic 76
Ouellet 79 | Manson 81
Myers 83

Lehtonen 80
Korpisalo 79

In AHL: Grubauer

Game	Score	HFX Goals	Goalie	Thoughts
6 (MON)	2-0 HFX	Soderberg (3), Ennis (3)	Lehtonen (1.000 SV%)(0.00 GAA)​
7 (OTT)	6-4 OTT	Tierney (1), Brodin (2), Dzingel (1), Di Giuseppe (2)​	Lehtonen (.857 SV%)(5.05 GAA)​	Last cuts to be made.

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BREAKING NEWS: Halifax sends Di Giuseppe and Korpisalo to minors, Bennett and Lehtonen make team.
Oct. 10th, 2017
The Highlanders have finalized their roster by sending Joonas Korpisalo and Phil Di Giuseppe to the minors. That means that Kari Lehtonen will be this seasons backup, and Beau Bennett has made the team.

BREAKING NEWS: Highlanders name leadership core, including Shane Doan as Captain.
Oct. 12th, 2017
In the dressing room before the inaugural game of the Halifax Highlanders first NHL season, the team captain and assistants were announced. Shane Doan was named captain of his 2nd NHL Franchise, while veterans Carl Soderberg and Patrik Berglund were given the "A's" for the season.

Opening Night Lineup
LW | C | RW
Pouliot 77 | Soderberg 79 | Berglund 81
Tlusty 80 | Danault 80 | Ennis 78
Dzingel 78 | Tierney 79 | Brown 79
Ferland 78 | Laughton 77 | Doan 78
Bennett 77

Ekholm 83 | Myers 83
Brodin 83 | Manson 81
Ouellet 79 | Petrovic 76
Prout 78

Grubauer 82
Lehtonen 80

First Half of the Season

BREAKING NEWS: Highlanders sign Ron Scuderi after running into injuries.
Nov. 11th, 2017
Halifax has gotten hit with a pretty bad injury bug to start the season, so they've signed former Stanley Cup winner Rob Scuderi to a one year deal. The veteran will presumably stay with the NHL club until no longer needed, when he'll be returned to the AHL to mentor the prospects.

Player	OVR	Age	Potential	Position	Player Type	Years/AAV
Rob Scuderi	76	38	N/A	D	Defensive D	1.$0.900M

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Record	Home	Away	GFPG	GAPG	PP%	PK%	Division	Conference	League
17-19-5	9-10-0	8-9-5	2.37 (29th)	2.66 (T-21st)	13.3% (29th)	83.5% (9th)	7th	13th	27th

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Goalie	Record	SV%	GAA	SO
Philipp Grubauer	13-14-4	.919	2.55	1
Kari Lehtonen	4-5-1	.915	2.79	0

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The Halifax Highlanders have gotten very good goaltending from their duo. The first year starter Philipp Grubauer has been excellent in nets, while his older counterpart Kari Lehtonen has been performing much better than he has been in seasons past. The tandem has been stellar under the circumstances of an Expansion Club not giving them much goal support.

Player	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
Mattias Ekholm	36	3	11	14	0	20
Jonas Brodin	41	2	10	12	-12	11
Tyler Myers	39	6	5	11	-1	15
Josh Manson	41	4	5	9	-3	20
Xavier Ouellet	41	0	5	5	+9	19
Dalton Prout	7	2	2	4	+4	8
Alex Petrovic	41	2	2	4	-3	27
Rob Scuderi	4	1	1	2	-3	0

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The defense of the Highlanders has been pretty good. Led by Mattias Ekholm and Tyler Myers, the hulking first pair, they have steered the team to being better at defense than they are at offense. Xavier Ouellet, Alex Petrovic and Dalton Prout have provided good depth, while Josh Manson is on pace for his most points in a season. Jonas Brodin has been very underwhelming defensively though, sitting at a terrible -12 and could quite possibly find himself traded if he doesn't turn it around. Rob Scuderi has played just 4 games.

Player	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
Chris Tierney	41	13	11	24	+1	8
Patrik Berglund	41	8	14	22	-3	24
Carl Soderberg	37	5	16	21	-3	24
Shane Doan	41	10	9	19	0	12
Jiri Tlusty	41	8	11	19	-11	6
Tyler Ennis	40	8	10	18	-6	0
Benoit Pouliot	41	4	13	17	+5	20
Connor Brown	41	7	8	15	-5	12
Beau Bennett	30	2	12	14	+6	9
Scott Laughton	40	3	9	12	0	16
Ryan Dzingel	41	3	8	11	-6	16
Michael Ferland	37	4	5	9	-2	14
Phil Danault	17	2	5	7	-4	0

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While the offense has been a weak link for the Highlanders, there are a few bright spots. Chris Tierney, in the absense of #1 center Phil Danault for most of the first half, stepped up admirably to lead the team in points. The trio that forms Halfiax's leadership core, Berglund, Soderberg and Doan finished 2,3 and 4 respectively in points. Jiri Tlusty is on pace to tie his career high in points, while Tyler Ennis seems to be rebounding back to relevancy after two measly seasons. Benoit Pouliot and Connor Brown have been adequate, while Scott Laughton, Ryan Dzingel and Michael Ferland have been underperforming depth pieces. Beau Bennett has contributed very nicely in his performances, while Phil Danault had an injury riddled first half, and couldn't get going.

Joonas Korpisalo has been a bright spot in the AHL for the Highlanders, with his team currently sitting 3rd in their division. He has played the 3rd most games in the AHL and owns the 2nd best SV%. He is also tied for 2nd in shutouts with 6.

Goalie	Record	SV%	GAA	SO
Joonas Korpisalo	17-11-5	.930	1.83	6

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Second Half of Season

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

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Duthie: Hello everyone and welcome to the 2018 Trade Deadline show. Here we've got coverage from around the League, but specifically our focus will be on the Halifax Highlanders. The first year team has fallen handily out of the Playoff race, as expected, and has a few pieces they can sell off. Let's head on over to our Trade Bait Board for some updates on that.

Button: Well James, we've already seen some big names fall off the board today. Josh Bailey has been sent from Long Island to Colorado for a 2nd in '19. The Jets picked up the top D available on the market in Mike Green from Detroit for a 2nd in '19. In fact, the prices for rentals seemed fairly cheap until Vegas gave in and traded James Neal to the Blues for a 1st '19 and D Brayden McNabb. Those were the biggest names to fall, we had a few minor deals in John Moore going to Philly and Antoine Roussel getting traded to NJD by Dallas. Also, last but not least, we saw the Pens make a move for two of the Isles d-men in a rare divisional trade. The Islanders sent Johnny Boychuk and Denis Seidenberg, their two veteran defenseman, to the Penguins for just a 2nd and 5th round picks in 2018.
That being said, even with all those trades we have yet to see Halifax make a move. It's known league wide they're selling so it's only a matter of time until the dominoes fall.

McKenzie: As you said Craig, it was only a matter of time. I have 2 trades coming out of Halifax; the first being them shipping Kari Lehtonen at half retained salary along with a 5th in '18 to the Caps for their 3rd in '18. The other is that they have moved their captain Shane Doan to the Minnesota Wild for a 4th round pick in this years Draft.

Dreger: And before we go to the Instant Analysis Desk, I have another one here. The Highlanders have moved pending UFA Dalton Prout to the Toronto Maple Leafs for pending RFA Seth Griffith.

Player	OVR	Age	Potential	Position	Player Type	Stats	Years/AAV
Seth Griffith	76	25	Med Top 9F	RW	Sniper	63 GP 21G-21A-42P +13 ... 4 PIM (AHL)	1/$0.815M

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Ferraro: On that Prout trade, the Maple Leafs have been looking for depth on defense and they get that there. Prout isn't a flashy player, but he can contribute his fair share to a winning team in a bottom pairing role. The Highlanders get yet another young forward in return. Eventually this collection is going to pay off for them.

Biron: That Lehtonen trade was brilliant. Getting a 3rd round pick for a goalie who just one year ago was undergoing the worst stretch of his career? No brainer. Great selection in the Expansion Draft by GM Brant King. Now Korpisalo gets some NHL playing time before presumably getting a legitimate shot at being starter next season.

McGuire: Last thought here guys, Shane Doan is a tremendous guy, and with Minnesota being 1st in the League this was a great thing for the Highlanders to do. Doan has been a hard worker his whole career and will finally get a chance at a Stanley Cup.

LeBrun: Well, the Trade deadline has passed, but theres always a few deals that trickle in after and here's one of them. The Highlanders finally gave in and traded Jiri Tlusty to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 3rd in this years (2018) NHL Entry Draft. Rumor had it they were really pushing teams around the NHL for a 2nd rounder but with time running out they gave into the Canes.

O'Neill: Well, with that trade signaling the end of the 2018 Trade Deadline for the Highlanders I guess you could say it was a pretty flawless effort by GM Brant King. Heading into this years Draft he now has a surplus of picks and does not have many players that will walk into the upcoming Free Agency for nothing.

Duthie: And that concludes our coverage of the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline Day. We look forward to seeing you at next years Draft!

BREAKING NEWS: Manson and Bennett ink contract extensions, avoid Restricted Free Agency.
March 3rd, 2018
Just after a busy Trade Deadline, the Halifax Highlanders immediately turned their attention to the upcoming Offseason. With just 4 contracts on the main roster ending after the season, the Highlanders renewed 2 of them. They signed defesneman Josh Manson to a 3 year deal worth close to $12.000M total and Beau Bennett to a 2 year pact worth a total of $2.000M.
Rob Scuderi will become a UFA at seasons end and will likely be allowed to walk, while Seth Griffith will become a RFA. Griffith was just acquired so the club likely wants to take some time to see what impact he makes before offering a deal.

Season Recap

Record	Home	Away	GFPG	GAPG	PP%	PK%	Division	Conference	League
28-41-13	16-20-5	12-21-8	2.24 (30th)	2.88 (29th)	16.5% (T-23rd)	81.9% (15th)	8th	16th	32nd (DEAD LAST LOL)

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Goalie	Record	SV%	GAA	SO
Philipp Grubauer	23-29-11	.913	2.73	1
Joonas Korpsialo	2-7-0	.883	3.47	0

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Philipp Grubauer really did all he could. He played fine, the team in front of him is just subpar. But what can you expect from an Expansion Club. Joonas Korpisalo was disappointing in his brief stint after the Trade Deadline.

Player	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
Jonas Brodin	77	3	25	28	-23	30
Mattias Ekholm	77	6	19	25	-17	38
Tyler Myers	80	9	11	20	-23	38
Josh Manson	82	6	8	14	-16	44
Alex Petrovic	76	4	3	7	+3	46
Xavier Ouellet	82	0	6	6	+6	29

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Rob Scuderi

11

1

1

2

-10

7

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Although the +/-'s look troublesome, just about every D on the team had a successful season. Xavier Ouellet and Alex Petrovic managed to keep their ratings in the +, while Jonas Brodin and Mattias Ekholm both surpassed last seasons point totals. Josh Manson barely missed his, but did take his game to a new level, while the lone disappointment was Tyler Myers. The highest paid defenseman on the club just didn't seem into it. Rob Scuderi was troublesome in the games he got into.

Player	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
Patrik Berglund	82	20	28	48	+1	52
Carl Soderberg	77	15	31	46	-3	52
Tyler Ennis	81	17	28	45	-6	2
Connor Brown	82	13	23	36	-17	20
Chris Tierney	79	17	18	35	-19	14
Phil Danault	58	13	16	29	-6	0
Benoit Pouliot	81	8	20	28	-4	31
Beau Bennett	50	3	20	23	-8	11
Scott Laughton	81	6	14	20	-13	26
Ryan Dzingel	81	6	12	18	-18	30
Michael Ferland	78	6	8	14	-19	24
Reid Boucher	19	2	5	7	-14	0
Seth Griffith Tomas Jurco	4 4	0 0	0 0	0 0	-4 0	0 0

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Really no need to rehash what was a league worst offense in a last place finish. So, let's take the positives. Veterans Patrik Berglund, Carl Soderberg and Tyler Ennis all bounced back to the career averages for them after all being off of that path for a season or two. Connor Brown built off his great rookie season by tying his career high in points, while Chris Tierney obliterated his old stats and scored new career highs in goals, assists and points! Although oft-injured, Phil Danault was on pace to tie his career high in points set with the Canadiens last season. Also, Beau Bennett finally cemented himself as a contributing NHLer.


Next Post: 2018 NHL Offseason!



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[kinger8998]

Halifax Highlanders Expansion Mode

2018 NHL Offseason

2018 NHL Draft

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: Earlier today we had Bill Daly on to do the 2018 NHL Draft Lottery and in the end, the Halifax Highlanders won the NHL Draft Lottery! Now before we head to Craig Button, we here at TSN would like to congratulate Jaromir Jagr in an illustrious career after he announced his retirement earlier today. And we'd also like to congratulate the Carolina Hurricanes on returning to the Playoffs and winning the teams 2nd Stanley Cup!

Button: Yeah James, it's a cetainty here that the Highlanders will take Rasmus Dahlin with their 1st overall pick today, as he is easily the top player available and will turn this Franchises fortunes around almost immediately. Although Halifax GM Brant King feels pull towards taking Filip Zadina, who is playing for the Halifax Mooseheads, it is too much of a stretch and Dahlin's too good of a player to pass on. And without further ado, I'll let Gm Brant King take it away.

GM Brant King: It is a great honor and privilege, that with the first 1st overall pick in team history, we are proud to select defenseman Rasmus Dahlin of the Frolunda Indians.

Poulin: This is a great pick. You just can't go wrong with this guy. It has to hurt to not take Zadina, who Haligonians adore, but this is Franchise changing.

McKenzie: Sorry to interrupt guys but I'm hearing rumblings about a trade between Philadelphia and Halifax. I don't have details yet but Philadelphia does have the 3rd overall pick so stay tuned.

McGuire: Although the Highlanders already got the big fish in Dahlin, this makes sense. Zadina will likely still be available with Veleno projected to go 2nd, and the Flyers feel pressure to get contributions now with Giroux and Vorachek only getting older. It 's just very hard to see...-

McKenzie: Okay, okay...thank you. Good luck. *hangs up phone* Here are the specifics. The Halifax Highlanders have acquired the 3rd overall pick in exchange for their 1st rounder next year, their 2nd rounder this year and Tyler Myers. Thats the deal.

Ferraro: I really like this deal for both sides. The Philadelphia Flyers didn't want to wait on whoever they were picking 3rd, presumably Zadina, so the traded the pick. In return they got what's likely going to be another very high pick next year unless the Highlanders have a turnaround like we haven't seen from an Expansion Club. They also get a 2nd rounder this year, 33rd overall where they can get a very good player who's fallen out of the first round potentially. And the only piece with a name in this deal....Tyler Myers. One of Halifax's original selections in the Expansion Draft, Myers had a difficult year last year. He seemed uninterested in playing for the Highlanders, and while they're trying to build a winning culture they don't want that. In Philadelphia, he can be a veteran guy to their younger defensemen and gives them more of that physicality that they love in Philly. A right side of Myers and Gudas...yeah no thanks to going into that corner.

GM Brant King: Long time no see eh? Haha. Well folks with our 2nd pick in this draft, at 3rd overall, we are ecstatic to select from the Halifax Mooseheads, Filip Zadina.

Bettman: Well isn't that cool, staying in Halifax. Anyways folks were going to continue with the Draft but first an announcement. We here at the NHL are glad to say that Halifax will be hosting next years NHL Entry Draft. Thank you.

Biron: I love it. Halifax is a great city and this is really going to show NHL fans what it's all about. Although, crappy year to have traded away your 1st rounder. I don't doubt they'll find a way to get one in that round.

Duthie: Well were going to take a little break here. Halifax picks next at #16, so see you all then.

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

Duthie: Were back people. And were watching pick #15 happen right now. Okay they've made the selection and now Halifax is on the clock. What do youguys think they're looking for here Gord?

Miller: Another forward for sure. With Dahlin now, not that he solves all their defensive issues, but he helps. Hes not a bad defender and he's going to get the puck to the forwards. Now they need forwards that can put the puck in.

GM Brant King: With our third and final pick of the 1st round, we are glad to select Ryan McLeod from the Mississauga Steelheads.

Duthie: Well Gordo, you had it on the money. That's all for our coverage from the NHL Draft, see you at the Free Agent Frenzy!

Resign Phase

The Halifax Highlanders have plenty of cap space and barely anyone to resign. With $26.000M in space, and just 7 players with expiring contracts, it's an easy path to Free Agency for the club. Their biggest name they have to sign isn't even a resigning, it's Rasmus Dahlin. Get him locked up and your offseason has been the biggest success it could be before hitting Free Agency.

Player	OVR	Age	Potential	Position	Player Type	Stats	Years/AAV	Thoughts
Rasmus Dahlin	78	18	Med Elite	D	2 way D	N/A	3/$0.925M	Biggest addition possible.
Ryan Pulock	76	23	Low Top 4D	D	2 way D	72 GP 12G-14A-26P +10 ... 39 PIM (AHL)	1/$0.850M	Highlanders are really pushing Pulock to be NHL ready for this upcoming season. They like him, but he's got to put it all together.
Seth Griffith	76	25	Med Top 9F	RW	Sniper	63 GP 21G-21A-42P +13 ... 4 PIM (AHL)	1/$0.900M	Same issue here with Griffith. Has the potential to be a really good depth guy but Halifax is waiting for him to get it all in place.
Filip Zadina	71	18	Med Elite	RW	2 way F	N/A	3/$0.925M	Halifax's "hometown" boy, or as close as they have to one. Playing for the Mooseheads, he's become beloved in Halifax.
Scott Kosmaschuk	74	24	High Bottom 6F	RW	2 way F	80 GP 14G-9A-23P -4 ... 49 PIM (AHL)	2/$0.950M	Just an AHL signing.
Stuart Percxy	73	25	Med 7th D	D	2 way D	82 GP 7G-5A-12P -4 ... 4 PIM	2/$0.750M	Just an AHL signing.
Ryan McLeod	55	18	Med Top 6F	C/LW	Power Forward	N/A	3/$0.900M	McLeod is a ways from NHL, but should get there and be a big contributor.
Tyler Popowich	54	18	Low Top 6F	C/LW	Power Forward	N/A	3/$0.875M	Halifax's 3rd in 2018 has darkhorse potential. Watch this prospect closely.
Sergej Burmistrov	64	19	Low Top 9F	LW/C	Sniper	N/A	3/$0.825M	Highlander's 4th in 2018 isn't as promising as Popowich, but still has that darkhorse potential to be steal.
Will Clifford	56	18	Low Top 6D	D	Offensive D	N/A	3/$0.775M	5th in 2018. Halifax did well for them- selves in the Draft. Very good chance this guy gets to NHL as well.
///	//	//	///	///	///	///	///	/////

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

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

Free Agency

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: Free Agent Frenzy 2018 is here. The signings have rolled in and boy are there alot of them. Let's head to the Trade Breaker desk right now to hear them all.

McKenzie: This ones shocking, Daniel and Henrik Sedin will play on separate teams for the first time in their professional careers. Daniel is headed to Philadelphia while Henrik is headed to Detroit. Detroit has also signed defenseman Brayden McNabb. In other news Dallas has dipped their whole leg in the Free Agent pool, signing Rick Nash, Patrick Marleau, Stephen Johns, Antti Niemi and Carter Hutton. Also, former Edmonton Oiler Patrick Maroon has signed in Colorado, while Jason Garrison and Jack Johnson have signed in New Jersey. After losing Johnson, Columbus signed veteran Denis Seidenberg to replace him.

Dreger: Two time Stanley Cup winner Patric Hornqvist is headed to Florida along with Tyler Bozak. The Leafs lose Bozak here, but they have signed a multitude of FA's with the freed cash, including Blake Comeau, Aaron Dell and Kari Lehtonen. Another Stanley Cup winner is changing cities as well, with Justin Williams signing a 2-year deal with Ottawa. Some more interesting signings: the Vegas Golden Knights have signed Colin Miller, Griffin Reinhart and Riley Sheahan.

Miller: Former New York Ranger Antti Raanta has signed a 1-year deal in Tampa Bay, while Lars Eller, a player who the Highlanders were interested in, has signed in Vancouver. Speaking of the Halifax club, let's take you to Pierre LeBrun for more on what they did.

LeBrun: Well, the Highlanders were perhaps the busiest of any this Free Agency period. With a surplus of cap space, they went after one of the biggest Free Agents of the season, Jonathan Marchessault. They locked him up for 3 years and around 14 million dollars. But they weren't done there, signing 3 time Stanley Cup winner Patrick Sharp to a 1 year contract. He brings experience and a winning pedigree to the team. If they start to fall out of the playoff race, and they likely will, he would be a valuable asset to a contender.

LeBrun: Halifax has also signed the oft-injured Joffrey Lupul to a 1-year deal. The forwards contract with the Maple Leafs finally ran out and this is his chance to earn a new one. He will most likely have a top-9 role on the team, giving him ample opportunity to prove himself. They have signed another former Maple Leaf, in rugged defenseman Roman Polak. The 32 year old will likely serve as the teams 7th D for the season.

Duthie: Wow, what a busy day. Very exciting. With all our signings over and done with, we will end our coverage for the day.See you all at the Trade Deadline.

Next Post: 2018-2019 NHL Season​

 

[Jadenb]

What’s your arena called brant?

 

[kinger8998]

What’s your arena called brant?

my arena is called the "East Coast Lifestyle Center", you might know what that is but in the case that you don't its a local business that started out as a uni project and turned into a really huge thing here in Nova Scotia. (eh?). Just figured if the city needed help funding or a sponsor theyd be a good bet to get their names in, just a unique touch i thought of

​

 

[Jadenb]

my arena is called the "East Coast Lifestyle Center", you might know what that is but in the case that you don't its a local business that started out as a uni project and turned into a really huge thing here in Nova Scotia. (eh?). Just figured if the city needed help funding or a sponsor theyd be a good bet to get their names in, just a unique touch i thought of

​

I like realistic arena sponsors, great idea. Been really enjoying the mode, would love to see these guys in 2025-2026, you’re building an interesting team.

 

[kinger8998]

Halifax Highlanders Expansion Mode

*MY COMPUTER SHUT OFF AND I LOST THE 2018-2019 SEASON WRITE UP. HERE IS A RECAP OF IT*
~ The Highlanders finished 37-33-12, their best season to date.
~ Carl Soderberg had a breakout season with 30 goals, 33 assists and 63 points.
~ Patrik Berglund tied his career high in points with 16 goals, 36 assists and 52 points.
~ Mattias Ekholm struggled while missing 21 games to injuries.
~ Rookie defenseman Rasmus Dahlin had 7 goals and 9 assists for 16 points.
~ At the NHL Trade Deadline, the Highlanders traded Ryan Dzingel for a 5th, Patrick Sharp for Martin Kaut (Low Top 9F), and Joffrey Lupul for Sasha Chmelevski (Low Top 9F).
~ Also at the NHL Trade Deadline, Halifax acquired Mark Giordano and a 6th for Michael Ferland, Xavier Ouellet and a 1st in 2021. While also acquiring Craig Smith and a 4th from the Predators for Tyler Popowich.
~ In the 20 games following, Giordano posted a statline of 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points while Craig Smith 7 goals and 11 assists for 18 points.

2019 NHL Offseason

2019 NHL Entry Draft

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: Before we get to our Draft Coverage we would like to congratulate the St. John's Notes on winning the Calder Cup. Michael Sgarrbosa scored the winning goal in Game 6 OT. Kasperi Kapanen and Reid Boucher led the team with 20 points in 21 games, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen posted a .930 SV% en route to the Calder Cup win.

McKenzie: Also, we should applaud Justin Williams, Scott Hartnell, Patrick Sharp, Radim Vrbata and the giant Zdeno Chara among other retirees on great NHL careers.

Duthie: And with that we start our coverage of the 2019 NHL Draft in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Button: The hometown Highlanders don't have a 1st rounder but they have a multitude of picks throughout Rounds 2-7. There isn't much talent available in a pretty top heady draft, so we'll just Recap them at the end.

Ferraro: Yeah Craig, for the first time in Franchise history, the Highlanders won't get top end talent in the Draft. Somewhat of an accomplishment you could say, as it shows progression towards a Playoff team.

O'Neill: Although it shows progression, they are still a ways away I think. They have their #1 D in Mark Giordano and as he declines Rasmus Dahlin will take that over quickly. They have a great young goalie in Korpisalo. They have a nice group of young and veteran forwards but you see teams that make playoffs for the most part have a name that pops off the sheet at you. Carl Soderberg just had a breakout season, but can he realistically be expected to repeat? They are a couple pieces away.

McGuire: A couple pieces that might be named Elias Pettersson and Filip Zadina? They both are not that far away from making a humongous impact for the Highlanders guys. Those 2 will be cornerstones for a long, long time here. With them up front, Dahlin on the back end and Korpisalo in nets; oh boy look out.

Duthie: Anyways that's all for our Highlanders segment of the coverage. Check out the following for a recap of their draft picks. Sadly none of them seem like they will be legitimate contenders to make lasting NHL impacts.

Round	Pick	Player	OVR	Age	Potential	Position	Player Type
2	45	Vyachezslav Denisov	55	17	Med Bottom 6F	C	Sniper
2	57	Mathias Rensfeldt	55	18	Med Bottom 6F	LW/C	Sniper
4	104	Ryan Tripp	53	18	Med Bottom 6F	RW/C	Playmaker
4	109	Samuel Versi	52	18	Med 7th D	D	2 way Defenseman
5	141	Ted Miller	55	19	Low Bottom 6F	RW	Power Forward
5	146	Samuel Foss	53	18	High AHL Top 6F	LW	2 way Forward
6	161	Phillip Nieuwendyk	61	19	Med AHL Top 6F	C	2 way Forward
6	180	Per Oduya	57	18	Med AHL Top 6F	LW	2 way Forward
7	205	Randy Webster	54	18	Med AHL Top 6F	RW	Power Forward
7	212	Mitchell Prowse	57	19	Med AHL Top 2D	D	Defensive Defenseman
//	//	////	//	//	///	//	/////

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Re-sign Phase

With "big" UFA's Benoit Pouliot, Joonas Korpisalo and Tyler Ennis already signed, the Highlanders had a relatively easy Re-sign Phase to complete. Not to mention their enviable cap situation of $26.170M in space. Their to-do list consisted of 6 RFA's and 2 UFA's, including Reid Boucher, Kasperi Kapanen and Roman Polak.

Player	OVR	Age	Potential	Position	Player Type	Stats	Years/AAV	Thoughts
Redi Boucher	78	25	Med Top 9F	LW	Sniper	82 GP 27G-37A-64P +7 ... 10 PIM (AHL)	1/$0.950M	Reid Boucher was a catalyst on the reigning Calder Cup winning Notes. The Highlanders hope he can get that level of play to translate to the NHL, but nothings certain. This deal keeps his value high on a cheap contract if he manages to make an impact at the NHL level and if not easy trade bait.
Seth Griffith	77	26	Med Top 9F	RW	Sniper	81 GP 21G-42A-63P +15 .. 12 PIM (AHL)	2/$0.975M	Seth Griffith is another guy who Halifax hopes can translate his AHL success to the NHL level. This contract ensures he won't take up too much cap if sent back down to AHL, or can be traded if NHL doesn't pan out.
Kasperi Kapanen	76	22	Low Top 6F	RW	Sniper	79 GP 22G-31A-53P +31 ... 6 PIM (AHL)	3/$0.950M	Kasperi Kapanen should make the NHL roster at some point during the duration of this deal. The Highlanders are very high on him. Good job keeping the money under control.
Oskar Sundqvist	76	25	Med Bttm 6F	LW	Power Fwd.	20 GP 2G-1A-3P +2 ... 4 PIM	1/$1.100M	Good deal for a guy who finally broke through to make the NHL roster after the Trade Deadline. Should be a valuable 4th liner for Halifax.
Gustav Olofsson	75	24	Low Top 6D	D	Defensive D	71 GP 10G-5A-15P +14 .. 54 PIM (AHL)	2/$0.850M	Long shot to make NHL, but great top pair D in AHL, and it's always good to have NHL longshots in system.
Frederick Gaudreau	74	26	Med Bttm 6F	C	Playmaker	82 GP 8G-40A-48P +0 ... 8 PIM	1/$0.875M	Good AHL guy.
Sergei Kenins	64	19	Med Bttm 6F	LW	Playmaker	N/A	3/$0.775M	ELC.
Vitali Jass	61	20	Med Bttm 6F	LW	2 way F	N/A	3/$0.775M	ELC.

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

The Highlanders allowed Roman Polak and Bobby Butler to walk.

Free Agency

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 back folks to yet another Free Agent Frenzy. We here at TSN are very excited as this is our deepest Free Agent pool in a long time. Let's take you to Craig Button right away on that info.​

Button: Yes James, it's a very deep pool this year. We have Franchise defenseman Drew Doughty available as are other elite defensemen OEL, Ryan Ellis and Jake Gardiner. On top of that, top offensive weapon Jeff Skinner is there, as are veterans Henrik Sedin, Blake Wheeler, and Anton Stralman. Adding to the fun, is an interesting situation with RFA Mitch Marner who can be offer sheeted by any team, which Toronto would likely not be able to match. We've already got signings pouring in so let's send you off to the Trade Breakers.

Miller: A few small signings here we've got Nicklas Kronwall in Detroit, former Highlander Kari Lehtonen in Washington, former Highlander Joffrey Lupul in LA and Nick Bonino in Florida. We also have goaltenders Chad Johnson and Jonathan Bernier commiting to Colmbus and the Rangers respectively, while defenseman Mark Pysyk is heading to the Isles. Not to mention Anders Lee and carl Gunnarasson signing in Nashville.

LeBrun: The LA Kings got top offensive player Jeff Skinner to commit long term on a 7 year deal, while the Sabres pitch to Ryan Ellis worked to the tune of a 3 year pact. The Arizona Coyotes were also big winners in this Free Agent period adding former 1st round Draft pick of their own who spurned them, Blake Wheeler on a 5 year term, and elite goaltender Cam Talbot on short term deal. In the news of top FA's, NJD signed Drew Doughty to a 3 year deal, while OEL also signed a 3 year deal but with Calgary.

Dreger: The Highlanders have sent an offer sheet Marner's way guys. The compensation for for the rumored deal would be this years 1st and 3rd round pikc, leaving Halifax without a 1st round pick for 3 consecutive Drafts due to trading 2019's and 2021's previously. The Toronto Maple Leafs do not have the funds to match so it looks like the Highlanders got their first real offensive talent.

McKenzie: The Highlanders didn't have to offer sheet this guy. They have signed marquee veteran Henrik Sedin to a 1 year deal. Sedin comes here a veteran of 1000+ NHL games, bringing more experience to a very young team. This is interesting, maybe Sedin and Marner could be linemates.

Ferraro: I really like the Highlanders offseason. They are building a real interesting team here. Lot's of young talent, but enough veterans to level out the inmaturity. Watch for a real Playoff push this year. I'm not sure they;ll get in but this team will be much improved.

McGuire: Ray, it was rumored they were heavily in on Drew Doughty and when the lost out on him switched their focus to Mark Pysyk. If they had gotten either, I'd say this is 100% a PO team. Without them, it will be an interesting situation to watch.

Duthie: Very good points guys. That is all we have for youguys today here at TSN, we'll see you at the Trade Deadline, where your Halifax Highlanders could finally go all in as buyers!

Next Post: 2019-2020 NHL Season​

 

[NYRangers3061]

New York Rangers GM Mode
2017-18 Season: Intro

BREAKING NEWS: New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton announced he would be stepping down as the general manager of the team today after just one season on the job. Gorton cited personal reasons as to why he was stepping down.

Gorton took over from long-time GM Glen Sather some time around the 2015 NHL Draft. He was responsible for big trades such as the one that saw New York add Eric Staal at the 2015 deadline, a mid-summer trade in which the Rangers sent Derick Brassard to Ottawa for Mika Zibanejad, another trade deadline deal with the Red Wings that brought Brendan Smith to Broadway, and a draft day shocker that moved Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta to Arizona for the 7th overall pick and Anthony DeAngelo.

Rangers' owner James Dolan hired someone who has been climbing the ladder in the Rangers organization. Chris Drury (who played for New York from 2007 to 2011) was named Director of Player Development in 2015. In 2016 (after Gorton took over the Head GM job), Drury was named Assistant General Manager, and was set to be named the GM of the Hartford Wolfpack (the Rangers' AHL team) this season, but will now serve as the Rangers Head GM.

"Chris is a guy who knows New York. He knows management. I have full confidence in him to take this team to great places", said Dolan.

Drury is set to hold a press conference shortly, so we will bring that to you live when it begins. For now, let's go live to our Rangers Insider, Larry Brooks...

...

Anchor: So Larry, you've been covering this team for a while. Management changes don't often happen in New York as James Dolan kinda stays out of the hockey side, unlike how involved he is with the Knicks. Is that a good thing?

Brooks: Well, I think it's both good and bad. In some ways it's good because...look, there's a reason you hire a General Manager. They're there to, well, manage the team. It's in the name. These owners may think they know a lot, and maybe they do about business, but they don't know a whole lot about managing a sports team for the most part. But on the other hand it has its downsides. Because you get a guy like Sather who was basically under zero pressure and could do whatever he wanted because he had such a long leash and knew he was never in danger of being fired. Gorton, who's much younger, could've potentially had the job for a very long time had he not stepped down.

Anchor: That's a good point. So, what are you expecting from today's press conference?

Brooks: Well, I came here thinking, you know, he'd unveil his plan for the team, talk about himself a bit, thanks Dolan. But I'm noticing there's four seats at the table here. He's sitting in the middle-left seat and in the far-left seat is Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh. So there's two empty seats. Notably absent from this room (at least for now) is Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault. So I think maybe...

Anchor: You think he's making a coaching change already?

Brooks: Quite possibly. Remember, this is not someone new to the organization who needs time to assess the situation. He's been here. He may feel the team needed a change. Now we'll have to see...okay it looks like we're getting ready to start here.

Anchor: Alright thank you for your time Larry. We now go live to the press conference being held by new New York Rangers General Manager Chris Drury...

...

Drury: Thanks everybody for coming on short notice. I wanted to get this out of the way so I can get to work building this team into a winner. It's been twenty-three years since this team won a Stanley Cup. The amazing fans of this team and the great people of this city deserve better. During this drought that has lasted over two decades, we have iced some of the most expensive teams and given up many valuable future assets for a chance to win now. Despite those facts, we have only made it to the Finals once in those twenty-three years. My goal is to make sure the fans never have to go through this long a drought again.

My plan going forward is to stick with what we've got for the most part for this season. I may make a few moves, but I don't anticipate doing too much in terms of trading until the offseason, when I'll re-evaluate. This team can't contend forever, so I'm going to try to win in the next few seasons. However, we have traded young player after young player and draft pick after draft pick and it still hasn't gotten us a cup, so I will limit the amount that we do that.

I am also happy to announce today that I have brought on some new personnel. I am officially announcing that Brian Leetch will be my Assistant GM and will also serve as the Head GM of the Hartford Wolfpack. Darryl Sutter will be the Rangers new Head Coach, with Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis serving as the Assistant Coaches. Keith McCambridge will remain on as Hartford's Head Coach with Jeff Beuekeboom coming back on board as Assistant Coach as well as Ron Wilson, who will be joining the team.

Position​	Old​	New​
NYR GM​	Jeff Gorton​	Chris Drury​
NYR Assistant GM​	Jim Schoenfeld/Chris Drury​	Brian Leetch​
NYR Head Coach​	Alain Vigneault​	Darryl Sutter​
NYR Assistant Coach​	Lindy Ruff​	Martin St. Louis​
NYR Assistant Coach​	Scott Arniel​	Brad Richards​
HAR GM​	Chris Drury​	Brian Leetch​
HAR Head Coach​	Keith McCambridge​	Keith McCambridge​
HAR Assistant Coaches​	Joe Mormina/Mark Cesari​	Jeff Beukeboom/Ron Wilson​

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

While I never had the honor of playing alongside Brian, I know how intelligent and passionate he is about the game of hockey. And I believe he will be able to give me good advice when I need it.

Darryl is a staple in the hockey community and is one of the most knowledgeable guys I know. Alain was a good coach, but he made some decisions in the playoffs that I strongly disagreed with and I felt the team needed a change.

Brad and Marty are two more very smart people who have been around the game for a long time. They're very good friends both on and off the ice so I expect that they'll work well together.

Keith is the one guy I've left in place because he hasn't had much of a chance to prove himself, so I want to give him some time.

I never wanted to see Jeff go. I thought it was a mistake, so I'm happy to bring him back. As for Ron, he hasn't coached at the NHL level in a while but he's one of the best there is in my opinion so I want to give him a chance in the AHL and see what he can do.

I just want to end this off by saying I'm very grateful to James Dolan for giving me this opportunity, I love the city of New York and the New York Rangers, so let's go win a Stanley Cup!!

...

So there you heard from the new GM of the New York Rangers, Jeff Gorton. Larry Brooks was right as we saw quite a few changes both behind the bench and in the front office in both the NHL and AHL. Many former Rangers getting jobs and a few seasoned vet coaches getting a chance here under Drury's watch.​

 

[NYRangers3061]

New York Rangers Be A GM Mode
2017-18: Preseason Update (September, 2017)

____________________

September 16, 2017

It is now officially Chris Drury's first day on the job as GM. The Rangers first preseason game is in two days against the Flyers, so let's look at the team's roster and some players to watch in preseason...

Key:
BOLD = Lock to make NHL team
GREEN = Likely to make NHL team
RED = Unlikely to make NHL team
No Color = Possibility to make NHL team
(U) = Unsigned

Forward Depth Chart:
Spots Available: 2 + 1/2 Healthy scratch
Competing Players: 13 (2 likely, 11 possible)​

LW	C	RW
Miller (83)	Zibanejad (85)	Zuccarello (85)
Kreider (83)	Hayes (82)	Fast (80)
Nash (82)	Desharnais (77)	Buchnevich (80)
Grabner (82)	Holland (76)	Schneider (73)
Vesey (80)	Nieves (72)	Catenacci (68)
Carey (76)	L. Andersson (70)	Ronning (U)(66)
McLeod (75)	Lettieri (70)	Nejezchleb (65)
Tambellini (69)	Fogarty (68)	Stromwall (65)
Kovacs (66)	Chytil (58)	Virta (U)(63)
Gropp (65)	Fontaine (58)
Gettinger (61)
Leedahl (61)
Lakatos (U)(61)

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Defense Depth Chart:
Spots Available: 2 + 1 Healthy scratch
Competing Players: 6 (6 possible)
​

D	D
McDonagh (86)	Shattenkirk (84)
Skjei (84)	Smith (81)
Staal (80)	Holden (79)
Sproul (77)	DeAngelo (77)
Kampfer (75)	Graves (74)
C. Andersson (71)	Bereglazov (65)
Pionk (65)	Gilmour (64)
Zborovskiy (62)	Sjalin (U)(61)
Reunanen (U)(59)	Day (58)
Crawley (U)(57)

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Goalie Depth Chart:
Spots Available: 0
Competing Players: 0
​

G

Lundqvist (88)

Pavelec (80)

Sheshtyorkin (64)

Halverson (64)

Georgiev (63)

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

...

REPORT: Rangers Looking to Move Out Contracts

Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that the team is looking as possibly signing a couple Free Agents or some of their currently unsigned prospects, but are already at 49 out of the 50 allowed contracts, so they'll try to move out a few players.

One of those players who could possibly be traded is Cody McLeod, he says, who has yet to play a game as a member of the Rangers. He was claimed off waivers from the Nashville Predators recently.

Brooks also said these players can be had for cheap as the Rangers are trying to move quickly to sign some players.

____________________

September 17, 2017

TRADE ALERT: McLeod Sent to the Windy City

acquire:	acquire:
2018 6th round pick (CHI)	W Cody McLeod
2018 7th round pick (CHI)	C Steven Fogarty

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Analysis: "Welp Brooks hit in on the nose with this one. Rangers moving out two contracts for a couple picks, likely below market value. Rangers clear space and get two picks for a 24 year old who will likely never make the NHL and a player they got for free not that long ago while Chicago picks up an AHL player and a depth forward for a potential playoff run for cheap."

...

TRADE ALERT: Nick Holden Moved to Winnipeg

acquire:	acquire:
2018 3rd round pick (WIN)	D Nick Holden

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Analysis: "New York is putting some trust in guys like Ryan Sproul and Anthony DeAngelo here, as they just moved out a good 6th/7th defenseman. He did only have 1 year left on his contract, and they got a 3rd for him, so it's a nice deal for New York in my opinion. If I'm the Jets, I would've like to have gotten him for a little bit cheaper, but maybe there were other teams interested."

...

OFFICIAL: Rangers Sign Ty Ronning to ELC

The New York Rangers have signed winger Ty Ronning to a 3 year, $925K AAV entry-level contract. Ronning was picked in the 7th round in 2016, but has developed nicely and could turn into a future NHLer.

...

OFFICIAL: New York Signs D Calle Sjalin to First Contract

The Rangers signed another draft pick today, this time 2017 5th round pick Calle Sjalin to a 3 year, $900K AAV ELC. This puts them at 48 out of the 50 allowed contracts.

____________________

September 18, 2017
Game Day: Preseason Vs.

Score: 8-3 NYR

____________________

September 20, 2017
Game Day: Preseason Vs.

Score: 3-2 NYR (OT)

____________________

September 22, 2017
Game Day: Preseason @

Score: 10-2 NYR

____________________

September 23, 2017
Game Day: Preseason @

Score: 6-1 CBJ

____________________

September 26, 2017

Game Day: Preseason @

Score: 5-1 WSH

____________________

September 28, 2017

Game Day: Preseason @

Score: 3-1 NJD

____________________

September 29, 2017

Game Day: Preseason @

Score: 6-1 CAR

____________________

September 29 ,2017

Final Preseason Record: 3-4-0 (6 points)

Final Preseason Stats (Skaters):​

Player	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM
Ronning	7	5	2	7	-3	0
Holland	7	4	3	7	2	4
Lettieri	7	2	4	6	-1	0
Tambellini	7	1	5	6	-1	2
Carey	7	3	2	5	0	2
Desharnais	7	1	4	5	1	4
L. Andersson	7	2	2	4	-3	0
Sproul	7	2	2	4	-5	2
Gropp	7	1	3	4	0	2
Nieves	7	1	2	3	-1	0
Catenacci	7	1	2	3	1	0
Graves	7	0	3	3	2	6
DeAngelo	7	0	3	3	-5	0
Kovacs	5	1	1	2	-2	4
Bereglazov	7	0	2	2	2	7
Pionk	7	1	0	1	3	2
Schneider	2	0	1	1	1	0
Day	3	0	1	1	0	0
Kampfer	4	0	1	1	-2	4
Stromwall	7	0	0	0	-1	0

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Final Preseason Stats (Goalies):​

Goalie	GP	W	L	OTL	SV%	GAA	SO
Halverson	4	2	1	0	.868	3.56	0
Georgiev	4	1	3	0	.881	4.11	0

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

____________________

Up next, October 2017!​

 

[SPV]

Today I made up the Hartford Whalers for the 32nd expansion slot, & then swapped divisions with the Red Wings. I did the expansion draft, & then traded my 1st round pick for a 2nd & a 1st the next year; hoping I can move up and snag a real talent.

My roster looks like this;
J.Abdelkader-M.Hanzal-J.Williams
M.Grabner-C.Cizikas-P.Eaves
S.Hartnell-B.Richardson-T.Brouwer
M.Beleskey-A.Andreoff-C.Clutterbuck

B.Coburn-J.Demers
J.Gorges-D.Girardi
M.Borowiecki-L.Schenn

C.Ward
K.Kinkaid

 

[nucker11]

!Saskatoon Armadillo's Named 32nd NHL Franchise!​

24 years after almost gaining an NHL team Saskatoon has finally gained theirs in the "Armadillo's" with Victoria gaining an AHL affiliate.

Expansion Draft:​
Depth Chart​
LW​	C​	RW​
M. Grabner (81)​	P. Danault (80)​	P. Berglund (81)​
M. Ferland (78)​	C. Soderberg (79)​	C. Brown (79)​
A. Russel (78)​	C. Tierney (79)​	J. McGinn (79)​
S. Laughton (77)​	R. Dzingel (78)​	D. Smith-Pelly (78)​
R. Boucher (76)​	J. Khaira (71)​
J. Nordstrom (76)​
LD ​	RD​
A. Martinez (84)​	T. Myers (83)​
J. Brodin (83)​	S. Vatanen (83)​
M. Ekholm (83)​	Z. Bogasian (82)​
B. Dumoulin (81)​	J. Demers (82)​
G​
P. Grubauer (82)​
J. Korpisalo (79)​
M. Subban (76)​

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

​

NHL Draft:

Saskatoon moved down to the #6 spot while NYR, Carolina, and Detroit moved up to #1,2, and 3 respectively.

Draft Activity:

SKT: A. Martinez (84) S. Laughton (78) (TOP 9)	LA: 1st 2017 (12th) D. Sharipzyanov (59) (AHL Top 2)
SKT: Tyler Myers (83) 5th 2017 (131)	PHI: P. Myers S. Morin M. Read (79)
SKT: 4th 2017 (99)	CGY: 4th 2017 (113) 5th 2017 (145)
SKT: R. Dzingel (78)	BUF: 4th 2018 5th 2017 (154)
SKT: X. Qullet (79) (Top 6)	FLO: 3rd 2017 (74)
SKT: J. Demers (82)	CBJ: S. Milano (73) (Top 6)
SKT: Z. Bogosian (82)	EDM: 2nd 2018 3rd 2018 B Beiffers (63) (AHL)
CBJ: V. Abramov J. Ttyska	VGK: D. Perron
EDM: 2017 2nd	NYI: T. Hickey (81)
DET: Frans Nielsen	MIN: 2018 1st

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Drafted:

Draft #	Name	Position	Potential	Overall	Player Type
6th	C. Foote	D	Elite	63	TWD
12th	P. Joseph	D	Top 4	59	OFD
35th	R. Thomas	C	Top 9	58	PLY
67th	M. Geekie	C	Top 9	61	TWF
74th	I. Scott	G	Fringe	57	Hybrid
107th	H. Nichol	D	Top 6 D	52	TWD
113th	K. Zanon	RW	Bottom 6	54	TWF
134th	J. Kryski	C	Top 9	57	PLY
145th	S. Moilanen	RW	AHL Top 6	56	SNP
163rd	W. Wikman	LW	Bottom 6	66	TWF
195th	S. Mckenzie	C	Bottom 6	59	PLY

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Next: Resign phase and Free Agency

 

[plaaplaa72]

Currently at the start of my 9th season with my Quebec Eagles. No cups so far, but 2 presidents trophies abd have made the playoffs 5 out of 8 seasons. (2x 1st round exit, 2x 2nd round exit, 1x 3rd round exit)

Roster at the start of 2026-2027 season:
(*indicates a rookie)

LW:


Kimmo Mäkinen, 87ovr, SNP, 25yo, LOW Elite, Undrafted

*Jesper Stalberg, 84ovr, TWF, 20yo, MED Franchise, 2016 1st ovr (QUE)

Topi Tukonen, 85ovr, TWF, 24yo, LOW Elite, Undrafted

Petri Markkanen, 81ovr, PWF, 24yo, LOW Elite, Undrafted

C:


Evgeny Luznetsov, 87ovr, PLY, 34yo, EXACT Top 6 F, 2010 26th ovr (WSH)

Wes Ballard, 84ovr, GRN, 23yo, LOW Elite, 2022 178th ovr (QUE)

Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, 81ovr, TWF, 29yo, EXACT Top 9 F, 2015 45th ovr (BOS)

Nicholas Oliver, 78ovr, TWF, 25yo, MED Top 9 F, 2021 116th ovr (QUE)

RW:


Caedmond Andersons, 91ovr, SNP, 24yo, MED Elite, 2020 7th ovr (QUE)

Jayden Sarno, 88ovr, TWF, 27yo, EXACT Elite, Undrafted

Johnny Simon, 81ovr, PWF, 23yo, MED Top 6 F, 2020 60th ovr (QUE)

Boris Volchenkov, 79ovr, GRN, 27yo, EXACT Top 9 F, 2017 75th ovr (LAK)

D:


Cesar Picard, 87ovr, OFD, 25yo, LOW Elite, Undrafted

Johan Martensson, 85ovr, DFD, 26yo, LOW Top 4 D, Undrafted

Rickard Koivunen, 86ovr, TWD, 26yo, LOW Elite, Undrafted

Logan Subban, 85ovr, TWD, 21yo, LOW Elite, Undrafted

Rod Powe, 81ovr, OFD, 22yo, MED Top 4 D, 2024 28th ovr (QUE)

*Laurent Vainier, 81ovr, TWD, 24yo, LOW Elite, 2020 36th ovr (QUE)

G:


Tony Fergunson, 90ovr, HYB, 22yo, MED Elite, 2023 21st ovr (VGK)

*Ladislav Orzsagh, 79ovr, HYB, 26yo, MED Fringe Starter, 2019 130th ovr (NYI)

Healthy Scratches:


*LW Byron Little, 79ovr, TWF, 23yo, LOW Top 6 F, Undrafted

D Callan Foote, 80ovr, TWD, 27yo, EXACT Top 4 D, 2017 5th ovr (QUE)

*C Dan Zacharias, 77ovr, SNP, 23yo, LOW Top 6 F, Undrafted

Lots of undrafted players on my team, since a lot of them end up on free agency.

 

[NYRangers3061]

Delete.

Seems to be next to impossible for me to edit a post with this new update lol. So I'm just gonna rewrite it in a doc and paste it here.

 

[NYRangers3061]

New York Rangers GM Mode
2017-18

____________________

October 1, 2017

2017-18 Opening Night Lineups

New York Rangers:
F
Miller (83)-Zibanejad (85)-Zuccarello (85)
Kreider (83)-Hayes (82)-Nash (82)
Grabner (82)-Buchnevich (80)-Vesey (80)
Holland (76)-Desharnais (77)-Fast (80)
D
McDonagh (86)-Skjei (84)
Shattenkirk (84)-DeAngelo (77)
Smith (81)-Sproul (77)
G
Lundqvist (88)
Pavelec (80)
Scratched: W Paul Carey (76), W Cole Schneider (73), D Marc Staal (80)

Hartford Wolfpack:
F
Lettieri (70)-L. Andersson (70)-Ronning (66)
Tambellini (69)-Nieves (72)-Kovacs (66)
Gropp (65)-Chytil (58)-Stromwall (65)
Catenacci (68)-Fontaine (58)-Leedahl (61)
D
Graves (74)-Pionk (65)
Sjalin (61)-Bereglazov (65)
C. Andersson (71)-Zborovskiy (62)
G
Halverson (64)
Georgiev (63)
Scratched: W Richard Nejezchleb (65), D John Gilmour (64), D Greg Noonan (68), D Michael Paliotta (70), D Steven Kampfer (75)

____________________

October 8, 2017

REPORT: Rangers in the Market for a Defenseman

Darren Dreger reports that the New York Rangers are looking for a top 4 defenseman to strengthen their group. They currently have Anthony DeAngelo as their number four defenseman, and while he's played well so far, they're not too sure he can keep up this level of play the entire season. Also now with Brendan Smith being injured, it puts even more stress on this already relatively-weak defense core. It is rumored that the Blues, Senators, Islanders, and Coyotes have NHL defenseman on their trading blocks.

Dreger also added that he believes the Rangers have offered a contract to a Free Agent center who can rotate in on the fourth line with David Desharnais as insurance if he doesn't fit well. The top available centers are Mike Fisher, John Mitchell, and Marcel Goc.

____________________

October 10, 2017

TRADE ALERT: Marc Staal Goes to Steel City

acquire:	acquire:
2018 7th round pick (PIT)	D Marc Staal

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Analysis: "Very interesting move here, as I have to think the Rangers have something else up their sleeves. Staal is a good bottom pairing defenseman. Problem is he's drastically overpaid, so the Rangers get out of his contract while the Pens get a cheap depth defenseman (but they're close to the cap too, so I'm not sure why they'd do this). I think this must mean the Rangers have another deal lined up however because there's no way they trade a defenseman while Smith is out (leaving them with 5 NHL defenseman, 2 of whom have very little NHL experience) without bringing someone else in.

____________________

October 10, 2017

TRADE ALERT: Rangers, Islanders Make Rare Trade

acquire:	acquire:
D Thomas Hickey	D Tarmo Reunanen (Unsigned)
	RW Richard Nejezchleb
	LW Dominik Lakatos (Unsigned)
	D Brandon Crawley (Unsigned)

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Analysis: "Here's the other trade we were expecting. Nobody expected it to be with the Islanders however as the teams have completed just two trades since 1972. Yes, you read that right. Just 2 trades in 45 years. And this is arguably the biggest trade they have completed, as Hickey is a very good bottom pairing defenseman and can play on the second pair if needed, which is likely were the Rangers will place him. The Rangers paid a pretty big price for a slight upgrade to Staal (Hickey is better, but not by a ton), giving up a B level prospect, 2 D level prospects, and an AHL player for that upgrade and a 7th round pick. But they also dump Staal's awful contract, which is a big plus.

____________________

October 12, 2017

OFFICIAL: Rangers Sign FA Center

As Darren Dreger reported earlier, the Rangers made an offer to a free agent center, and they got one. Mike Fisher, who's an NHL veteran, was signed to a 1 year, $1.5M AAV contract. He is expected to make his Rangers debut tomorrow in Columbus.

____________________

November 1, 2017

October, 2017 RECAP

Injuries
NYR: Smith, Fisher, Lundqvist, Pavelec
HFD: Pionk, Lettieri

Records
NYR: 8-3-2 (18 points)
HFD:

Ranks
NYR: 2nd in Division, 4th in Conference, 5th in NHL
HFD: 8th in Division, 15th in Conference, 29th in AHL

Team Stats
NYR: 46 GF (1st highest), 40 GA (3rd highest), 28.6 PP% (5th highest), 77.4 PK% (22nd highest)
HFD: 28 GF (19th highest), 38 GA (4th highest), 15.0 PP% (15th highest), 75.0 PK% (29th highest)

Player Stats

New York Rangers (Skaters):

Player	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM
Zibanejad	12	6	11	17	-4	6
Miller	13	3	10	13	3	8
Zuccarello	13	7	5	12	-5	0
Nash	13	7	3	10	7	2
Hayes	13	3	6	9	7	0
Vesey	13	4	3	7	-3	2
Kreider	13	3	4	7	6	10
Grabner	13	2	4	6	-5	0
Shattenkirk	13	1	5	6	7	2
Buchnevich	13	1	5	6	-1	4
Hickey	13	1	5	6	4	16
Skjei	13	0	5	5	-5	8
Fast	13	2	2	4	2	0
Holland	12	1	3	4	0	0
McDonagh	13	1	3	4	-6	7
Fisher	7	1	2	3	-1	4
Smith	9	1	2	3	1	2
Desharnais	6	1	1	2	0	0
DeAngelo	13	1	1	2	3	4
Carey	1	0	0	0	0	2
Sproul	5	0	0	0	1	0

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

New York Rangers (Goalies):

Goalie	GP	W	L	OTL	SV%	GAA	SO
Lundqvist	11	7	2	1	.902	2.57	0
Pavelec	4	1	1	1	.859	4.13	0

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Hartford Wolfpack (Skaters):

Player	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM
L. Andersson	12	4	8	12	-2	4
Ronning	12	7	4	11	1	2
Lettieri	11	3	4	7	2	12
Tambellini	12	2	5	7	3	10
Kovacs	12	3	3	6	1	2
Chytil	12	3	1	4	-3	4
Pionk	11	1	3	4	-4	10
Nieves	12	1	3	4	2	2
Sjalin	12	0	4	4	0	9
Gropp	12	1	2	3	-5	2
Graves	12	1	2	3	-7	15
Bereglazov	12	0	3	3	1	10
Stromwall	12	1	1	2	-5	0
Zborovskiy	12	0	2	2	-4	0
Catenacci	12	1	0	1	-6	2
Fontaine	12	0	1	1	-6	0
Leedahl	12	0	1	1	-6	2
C. Andersson	12	0	1	1	-5	9
Gilmour	1	0	0	0	-1	0
Schneider	1	0	0	0	-2	0

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Hartford Wolfpack (Goalies):

Goalie	GP	W	L	OTL	SV%	GAA	SO
Halverson	10	3	5	2	.891	3.17	0
Georgiev	2	0	2	0	.915	3.02	0

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

NYR Recap:
The Rangers offense has propelled them to the position they’re in now, because it certainly hasn’t been their goaltending. Zibanejad is killing it as the top line center, leading the team in goals, assists, and points and sitting just one point behind the league leader. Miller is playing at a point per game pace, and Zuccarello and Nash have both reached double digits in points. The only other teams with four or more double digit point scorers are St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Buffalo, and Detroit. So New York is going to need their offense to keep performing, and hope their goaltenders can pick up the pace a bit.

HFD Recap:
Hartford lost a couple key guys to injury and lost their starting goaltender when the Rangers had injuries in net, but still many expected better than this with how much talent the Rangers have in Hartford. They have a relatively young team compared to others, but a highly skilled team.

____________________

Next Up: November, 2017​

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

So I drafted a medium elite 79 OVR in the fourth round, idk how but I’m thrilled.

 

[plaaplaa72]

I had two insane regular seasons back to back with my expansion Quebec Eagle, one 64-14-4 season, and the next one a 61-16-5 season.

But both seasons i lost in the goddamn conference finals.

 

[NYRangers3061]

Aaaaand I just realized this thread is only for expansion teams. I didn't even realize the pinned one is the right one because it doesn't say NHL 18 lol.

Sorry for posting in this one. If you want to keep following along, I'm gonna move my posts to the other thread.

​

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Aaaaand I just realized this thread is only for expansion teams. I didn't even realize the pinned one is the right one because it doesn't say NHL 18 lol.

Sorry for posting in this one. If you want to keep following along, I'm gonna move my posts to the other thread.

​

Lol i only put expansion in the title cause it was in game, u can post it here still.

 

[NYRangers3061]

Lol i only put expansion in the title cause it was in game, u can post it here still.

Oh okay. I see lol. It's alright I'll leave this for expansion teams and just post in the regular thread. Thanks though

 

[tezgm99]

Oh okay. I see lol. It's alright I'll leave this for expansion teams and just post in the regular thread. Thanks though

You can always make the Old York Rangers

 

[NYRangers3061]

You can always make the Old York Rangers

True

Edit: Wow that smilie is kinda scary lol

 

[kinger8998]

lost the write up for yet another season, just gonna drop this one and do a new GM mode. probably go back to a Rangers one.

 

[tezgm99]

I managed to win the Cup in year 3 with my created Alabama Bandits. We lucked out and got the 1st overall pick (went with Hischier) and then nabbed Pastrnak as an RFA. Hischier went beast-mode on the 2nd line and won the Conn Smythe with 26 points from 22 games

 

[raymond23]

Anyone have tips on building a SC worthy team? If seems the better my roster gets, the worse the results.

 

[Jadenb]

Anyone have tips on building a SC worthy team? If seems the better my roster gets, the worse the results.

Know what kind of team you want to be, tough, goal scoring, defensive. Build around some players, keep the chemistry high in the locker room. Make sure you always experiment in the preseason because maybe you’ll find a 74 ovr who nets 4 goals that has been in your minor league system.

 

[Hope Bringer]

Know what kind of team you want to be, tough, goal scoring, defensive. Build around some players, keep the chemistry high in the locker room. Make sure you always experiment in the preseason because maybe you’ll find a 74 ovr who nets 4 goals that has been in your minor league system.

Do you play those preseason games or sim them? I've always just simmed through preseason, or play one game with the minor league lineup to see if I like a player, but just curious. Maybe I should be paying more attention to this . . .