NHL 11 Be A GM Mode

[lennylynk]

so I bought the game when it came out but now find myself restarting my gm modes every 2-3 yrs, usually draft/sign/trade for the same players any advice/tips on how to make the novelty last?

[Schmackity]

Only way you can change is to just mix it up. I try to not sign via free agency RFA at all. I've played franchises as Tampa Bay, Detroit, Edmonton and Washington. The big thing to me is to not sign "big name" players. For example if Mike Green makes it to free agency, I just can't see him being in a Red Wings jersey or whatever. I've never traded FOR a big named player, maybe a 4th line guy or young prospects but never trade for big name dudes. To me the players are who make the team (duh!) so I find it most fun to try to leave guys like Patrick Kane, Crosby, Stamkos, to their respective teams as best I can.

The drafting part, well that's just all up to you. Why do you restart after 2-3 years? Most of the CHL players I draft aren't ready for the NHL until the 3rd year so you don't even get to get those kids into your system! I just got to year 3 with Detroit and Ryan Nugent Hopkins is a 79 overall in his first year of his 2-Way 3-Year deal!

[lennylynk]

i restart cause my teams usually look alot similair by then even if i tell myself it will be different

[Bluesman]

A few ideas if you haven't tried them yet:

Turn gm firing on/switch teams at the end of your contract

Take an 'identity' team and try and work within that identity, i.e. PIT with crap wingers and deep down the middle/d, etc

Run two teams at once. I'll have a rebuilding team and a prime team that allows me to chase/place players according to that team. You could take one team and build for offense and another for defense, etc.

[bill2451]

You can try creating a team and having an expansion draft with them (you can look up the rules for protecting players online. Then figure out the unprotected players from each team).

It really adds to the attachment to your team imo

[Nunyerbiz]

At least with NHL09, the last version I religiously played before getting NHL11, I thought the GM mode was too flawed to be enjoyable. Player movement, contracts, CPU trades, they defy logic too often to make the mode worth it for me.

What I've done to keep things interesting was to just play season mode, then find a different team to play the next season with... or create a team of relative scrubs and play them through a season. I found that to be much more enjoyable, even if you don't necessarily get to see players develop. I did slightly over one season in GM mode, was irked by the flawed offseason, and then went to standalone season mode and found new ways to challenge myself and add new wrinkles to things.

[badboydrake]

I also would looking at making a list of about 10-15 rules before you do the gm mode This helped me a lot in mlb 10: the show, it made it challenging, and frustrating but more fun, because you really did feel like the gm of a realistic team