Salary Cap...ouch

[anticubicle]

Yeah...just finished my first season. Won the Cup. Did great but damn...for me to resign even 1/2 the players from last year's team, no new additions at all I need to trade away a player or two to free up cap space.

Some of my players (Staal, Girardi) wanted slight raises but I'm guessing my maximum cap went DOWN this season.

Gonna really need to plan this out now

[TwisTz]

My first line is

Ovechkin - Crosby - Gaborik.

I'm stuffed... lol

[GlennN]

Quote: Originally Posted by anticubicle

Yeah...just finished my first season. Won the Cup. Did great but damn...for me to resign even 1/2 the players from last year's team, no new additions at all I need to trade away a player or two to free up cap space. Some of my players (Staal, Girardi) wanted slight raises but I'm guessing my maximum cap went DOWN this season. Gonna really need to plan this out now

Congrats on the Cup! Yeah, the cap is hard to take when you work hard building a team, only to have to tear it apart. Me? I can't handle such restriction in my videogaming. I say no to cap!

[Vikes1]

Congrats on winning the Cup Ant!

Yeah...I've been kinda wondering what I'll face as far as the cap goes myself. I know of a few players I don't plan to resign. Their current contract demands would most likely put me in a real jam, if I resigned them.

I can't say I'm looking forward to losing a bunch of my top players. But I really enjoy the thought process of trying to decide who to keep/let go...and who to bring in.

That to me, makes any franchise mode interesting. And better yet...I actually believe it really matters with the NHL game, the ratings of the players. And their strengths and weakness make a difference. It normally takes me a few hours to go through an off-season. Because I really enjoy, making the most of it.

[anticubicle]

So here is what went down...


Resigned my core players: Jokinen (@ a discount!) Staal, Girardi, Prospal, Dubinsky as well as other important players to long term deals. I signed a lot of my less skilled but still important players to 1 year deals.

Unfortunately, I had to trade away Bryan Rafalski to free up cap space to resign a lot of my prospects. Lost quite a few defensivemen from my AHL affiliate

I only made three pickups. Blair Betts to replace Eric Christensen on my 4th line. His defense is going to be a big plus. I'll have him on the PK. I also picked up Jamie Lundmark to add some depth. (I always liked both of those guys). And Auld to backup goalie.

To replace Rafalski, I've brought up Bobby Sanguienetti full time. His performance in the playoffs really impressed me.

That puts me 1 million under cap.


Hopefully I can pull the trigger early in the season for a 1st line forward

[jsquigg]

I'd play with the Cap on if it was realistic or even if certain players didn't end up stuck in the free agent market for years and years. You have a different strategy as a GM without the cap and other GMs are much stingier with their players. The free agent market is filled with average players as all the good players get swallowed up. I'll have to wait to see how the off season goes, but I have already resolved not to abuse the free agent market.

[Gagnon39]

The Blackhawks seemed to figure out their problems in real life, however I'm about go go into the offseason and Kane Toews and Kieth are all free agents.

[anticubicle]

Quote: Originally Posted by Gagnon39

The Blackhawks seemed to figure out their problems in real life, however I'm about go go into the offseason and Kane Toews and Kieth are all free agents.

You ought to be able to resign them both but be prepared to let some of your AHL guys walk.