And We’re Back! Unlike the Minnesota Franchise I had, this one is a lot more rule heavy and I’ve got multiple different spreadsheets keeping track of a million different things. Hopefully it keeps this franchise mode more interesting.
Here’s a layout of the general rules to start:
Player Morale
If a Player’s Morale lowers his overall, he must be traded immediately. If he has a NTC, treat it like it is the last year of his contract
Signing Free Agents
- Can only change contract length by +1 or -1
- If length is changed, you must offer the asking price or lower
- One “Major” (aka 77+ OVR) signing allowed for each position (F,D,G). One Free slot allowed per year. Free Slot is not transferable to following year if not used
Scouting Staff
3 Amateur Scouts allowed (1 CHL, 1 USA, 1 Europe)
Allowed 1 Amateur Scout signing every offseason
Can hire more scouts if drafting goals are met:
(Apply only to picks outside the 1st round)
Select Med Top 6 F / Med Top 4 D - 1 Scout for League player played in
Select Med Elite Goalie - Hire Scout with best goalie attributes
Select Low Elite - Hire Scout with the highest “Prospect Discovery” Rating
Select Anything Better - 1 Scout for League player played in + 1 Free Scout Hiring
Can also lose Scouts for Poor Drafting:
(Apply to ALL picks)
No Players above Med Top 6 F / Med Top 4 D - Fire 1 Scout
Poor 1st Round Selection (Player within 5 picks after clearly better) - Fire Best Scout
No Players above 65 OVR - Fire 1 Scout
Poor Selection (Player within 5 picks after clearly better) - Fire 1 Scout
Trading- Trade has to make sense for the AI, can't abuse broken values. Basically, if I wouldn't take that trade as the other GM, I can't do it.
- Can only trade away picks from next three years
- Cannot trade Free Agent Signings until last two years of contract
- Can only acquire one AI draft pick per trade, unless the AI offers the trade. (Exception for Superstar Trades)
- You are allowed THREE chances on trades. The first initial offer to see how interested they are, and then the second and third / final offer to get the deal done. If final offer is turned down, you can not try again with those players until next year
Drafting- Can only trade up once, can only trade down once
- Must pick one of each forward position, two defenseman and a goalie
- When trading down in the draft, you can only use Trade Finder to accept offers. You cannot make a manual trade. (This simulates reality better since not every team will actually want to trade up into your spot)
Contract Negotiations
UFA’S
WANTS Extension
Can be signed during Re-Sign Phase.
Can only Modify contract length by +1 or -1
DOESN’T WANT Extension
Must let player go to Free Agency.
Can still be signed during Free Agency
RFA’S
WANTS Extension
Can be signed during Re-Sign Phase.
Can only Modify contract length by +2 or -2
DOESN’T WANT Extension
Can only sign for a 1 year Contract OR Qualifying Offer
GM Goals
Owner Mode will be kept on for this franchise. The sole purpose of this is to have the ability to use different teams throughout the Franchise. To give myself a challenge and have a chance of not being allowed to come back, I’ve given myself goals for every season. There will be On Ice Goals, Roster Goals, Salary Goals and Owner Goals. These goals can be adjusted as the years go by. I will need to achieve at least 10 points to have the opportunity to come back, should I so choose. Here is how the layout would look like:
ON ICE GOALS
Year 1
Win 35 Games (+2 Points)
Bonus - Make the Playoffs (+1 Point)
Year 2
Make the Playoffs (+2 Points)
Bonus - Advance to 2nd Round (+1 Point)
Year 3
Make the ECF (+2 Points)
Bonus - Make the Stanley Cup Finals (+1 Point)
Roster Goals
Year 1 - Trade one of the middle tier salaries by the end of the draft (+1 Point)
Year 2 - Acquire a 1st Round Pick in the upcoming Draft (+1 Point)
Year 3 - TBD (+1 Point)
Salary Goals
Can’t be within $5.000M of Cap Limit until you make it past Round 2 - (+1 Point)
Owner Goals
Main Owner Goal (+1 Point)
Player NTC’s and NMC’s:
A spreadsheet from reddit is used to give players NMC’s and NTC’s throughout the franchise. Adds some realism and makes it harder to trade players. Search up NHL Contract Mini game on Reddit and you should be able to find it. (Shoutout to the creator of the sheet btw!)
Team Status:
Before the start of every season I will need to choose a “Team Status” based off what I’m expecting from the team that season. Each one of the status options (Champion, Contender, Hopeful and Rebuilder) will have different rules and expectations for that particular status. Failing to achieve an expectation or breaking a Status rule will result in another event added, which we’ll get into later.
Superstar Trade Requests
A different spreadsheet I borrowed and made adjustments too was from the Basketball Dynasty section of OS. I’d highly recommend everyone to check out Marshdaddy’s “The Golden Era” Dynasty over there as it has some of the best work on this site. What this sheet does is determine if a player rated 90 Overall or better either wants to or is willing to leave his team. Similar to how the free agent sheet works, it will take multiple factors into consideration to determine a player's decision. This will be used every offseason (Starting in Year 3) for our teams Superstars or/and whenever I try and trade for a Superstar player
Free Agency Interest Mini Game:
I’ve created a spreadsheet where it takes into account a team's success over the past three seasons as well as teammate ability, team location and teammate nationality to determine a player's interest in a contract offer. There is also a possibility a player has a request for the contract, such as wanting to join a team that is a Contender. Being able to reward these requests will make the player more interested in wanting to sign. However, if you tell a player you will accept their request but don’t follow through, there will be an event added to the event wheel spin. Let’s get into that event system now…
Event System:
A list of over 180 different events/scenarios will be randomized every year and at least three will take place every season. More events can be added due to multiple different things such as Failing a GM Goal, Failing or Breaking a Team Status Rule or ,as you read earlier, not keeping a free agent request. These events can be bad or good (majority are bad). The Event wheel will be spun at the beginning of the regular season and will be woven into the story aspect of this series.
After all that I think we can begin to get into this franchise. We’ll see how it goes to start and potentially make tweaks along the way if needed. I’ve already started this so expect a rapid fire of posts up until the end of year one. I hope you guys enjoy!
To start this series we'll be running with the....
VANCOUVER CANUCKS!