S11 Preview - METRO

Hi, for those of you who have been on this site for a while you might remember my writeups from earlier seasons, I finally got bored enough to return to making writeups again. I can't promise I'll do every division, but I'll try my best to do them all. Anyways, Enjoy.

EDIT: I'm also going to sort of utilize the best/worst contracts thing @LEGAL x 76 and a dude on Xbox did to make it interesting, so credit to them for that idea. I was already thinking of doing some sort of thread relating to ranking contracts before they did their respective threads so I thought I'd incorporate it this way.

Would also like to thank those of you who helped me with some input on certain players I wasn't 100% on.




Carolina Hurricanes

@TKonecnyX11 is returning again after a rough go last season, heading into this season he picked up @JJr to be his GM who as a player looks like he's a decent pick for a free contract. From the few times I've played with him he seemed like a good player, and has numerous good seasons on Xbox under his belt as a testament to that.

On the offensive end the Hurricanes have a few good pieces, but the overall picture is not pretty. As I mentioned @TKonecnyX11 picked up @JJr as his GM who looks like he'll be the overall best player/forward on this team, he's solid enough to put up some good points on a 1st line with a capable C. To fill this role the Canes picked up another Xbox'er, @NicoH58 ;I personally have never played with him or seen him play, he's had some really solid NHL seasons over on Xbox in the past, but none of these have been on 19 as he's spent both seasons playing in the AHL which might be concerning, however from asking a couple people he's a good player and should be a decent fit on the top line with @JJr . Unfortunately those are the only two potential big impact forwards on this team. Aside from these two you have a few decent depth players in owner @TKonecnyX11 and @bigMonge12 . Neither have ever really put up great numbers but just as players I think there's some decent 2nd line potential in these two, @bigMonge12 in particular from playing with him in Arizona has the skill to be an impact player with the right guys around him, but I just don't see it with the roster around him unless he's playing top line. @Reddy was once a solid producer in the league, but other than a poor season 9 hasn't really been around since season 6 so he's more of an unknown. The rest of the roster is filled with either AHL players or failed NHL'ers (or a combo of both). For their sake, I hope 7th overall pick @INI_SkilzZ_99 is a NHL level player, he put up 76 points last season in the AHL and could be a depth player if anything for them. Overall however other than maybe like 5 guys max (that's being optimistic) there isn't a whole lot to look at here, it really just looks like 1 good line and a whole lot of meh that follows.

Unfortunately the defense on this team doesn't look too promising either. The "big fish" picked up in bidding here is @Alexdrum100 , he has consistently been a solid player for years on LGPSN now. I'm more familiar with him as a forward, but was surprised to find that he's been a LD the past few seasons. As a player, from the times I've seen him he's more of a good 2nd pairing guy, but he did put up great numbers last season in Anaheim so maybe he'll do a good job as the #1 guy, though I think the money was there to go after some well known top pairing guys that went slightly higher.

Other than Alex there isn't a whole lot to look at here, I like their draft pick @XxParadis7117xX who from the one time I saw him looked like a half decent 2nd line type of guy, hopefully they call him up as he's most likely the 2nd best guy on this defense. Carolina also has @Chaskin12 who used to be known as somewhat of a borderline top dman, and though I've not played with him at all in the past couple NHL's, that title has slowly faded away and his very poor numbers on both consoles in recent seasons really reflects it, though I'd expect at the very least he's a decent 3rd line guy. The rest of the defense is filled with AHL guys once again, some of these guys have put up good numbers in their respective leagues, but generally its not a good formula to form a team with AHL experienced talent.

In net you have an NHL tandem! Both @jasonx1755 and @Xeazyklllx put up mediocre numbers on bad teams, I wouldn't expect them to carry, but they won't be the cause of their losing and should be as good as the team in front of them.

Overall you have a team with a couple good pieces, but after that it really falls off a cliff. I think @JJr is a decent pick as a free contract, but its most likely going to be wasted on a team filled with bad bidding decisions. About 2 or 3 AHL level guys on both offense and defense pile up for a decent amount of cap combined that really could've been used on good well known NHL talent. At best I see this team as having a solid 1st line and a couple of decent guys sprinkled in other areas throughout. I really don't expect Carolina to be very good at all this coming season, I hope they prove me wrong.

EDIT: I didn't feel like redoing a whole portion of this writeup so I'll add it in like this. Carolina acquired @OohDat-Twiggle_ from FLA in exchange for @Reddy . Twiggle was once considered a top C, from what I've heard though he isn't as good as he once was and is extremely hard to get a hold of on top of this, though all this being considered as a player is still an upgrade over @Reddy and if he shows up would fill a big hole as the 2nd line C which would be a big help for this offense. Not to mention they also got a 1st round pick in the deal which they can use to get some more help on depth in a future trade. On the defensive end @Kingduckbuttah and @TWiiiGzz were both put on waivers, and @Wadda_Buffawo was brought in via trade. Once again @Wadda_Buffawo has very little NHL experience (-14 in 8 games, 1 point), but had very strong numbers last season in the AHL so there's maybe more upside there than with kingduck or @TWiiiGzz . I'd also assume @XxParadis7117xX will be brought up once those guys are either cleared or claimed on waivers. I still think there's too many holes on this team, but I do like these moves and believe there's a little more room for optimism.


*Best Contract*

RW - @bigMonge12 (500K)

As I mentioned he for the most part has put up middling numbers in his time in LG, but from playing with him a little on ARZ in S9 I believe he has the potential to do a lot more. He has half decent thumbs, and an above average mind for passing, I think if put with some good players he can thrive, in my opinion they should let him play first line with Nico and JJr and he can play off them, if he's playing lower down the depth chart though I'd expect more of the same middling numbers, overall though the potential ability that's there is a steal for 500k.

*Worst Contract*

LD - @Smitterr (4.25M)

The Hurricanes put about 1 - 3 ish mill each on multiple AHL level type guys in bidding which is their biggest downfall. Of this group @Smitterr is the highest paid at 4.25, he also seems to have the biggest upside for NHL success though with some really good numbers as a forward in the AHL. Nevertheless when you have very well known top line NHL level defenseman going for only about 1 - 2 million more than @Smitterr its a missed contract for me.




Columbus Blue Jackets

Leading the charge on offense for CBJ is the management duo of @i9-Stamkos-1i and @Akonvict21 which looks to be both one of the best management and C combos in the league this season. I've never really played with @Akonvict21 ever, but I always hear really good things about him so I'd expect him to be a good 1st line C and a great pick for a free contract. Owner @i9-Stamkos-1i is capable as a 1st line C, but in my opinion is perfect as a top tier 2nd line C. Both these guys can also play wing from what I know and should provide some really good options for line combos moving forward.

To tag along with the management combo is @jeff0012 who as a player should be a steal at his $4M price tag, however he's had a history of having trouble showing up for games (can say this from experience on Chicago way back in S4). From what I know he's not as elite as he used to be, but is still a good 1st line level player who should do very well playing with either one of stamkos or akon. The other two bigger contracts on this forward group are @Schwartz_x9 and @The_Blind_Ref . I think both of these guys are decent middle tier 2nd line guys who should do well with either of the top 2 C's. @Schwartz_x9 is a bit overpaid in my opinion at 5.25, I think they could've capitalized on something better for a slightly higher price or the same price even, from what I've seen he still has a good understanding of how to play and can play well off other really good players, but his overall ability has definitely taken a hit over the last couple NHL's, but you should still be able to count on him to put up decent 40-50 point numbers as he has once again. @The_Blind_Ref really struggled last season on a bad Detroit team with a 29 point season, I'd expect him to return to putting up 50 - 60 points, once again though I haven't seen Ref play since NHL 17 and haven't heard much about him since then so unsure of how good he is these days. To fill out the the final top 6 spot they've got @eZDangles , another guy who I haven't seen play in at least 2 NHL's, but has been a solid secondary player since the beginning of LG on PSN, although his one season at forward on NHL 19 was very underwhelming which might draw some concerns, but hopefully he returns to form for CBJ. All things considered though I think CBJ boasts a strong top 6. For their 3rd line CBJ is banking on @AgedEmbryo and @Maxx_20 to do some things, Aged has shown some potential at the NHL level with a couple half decent seasons, but still doesn't look like a sure thing, @Maxx_20 on the other hand has had some good success in the NHL and looks to be a good pick to finish off this strong C core. @curlew7 hasn't really done anything since season 4 so I wouldn't expect much from him. Overall, though there's some unknowns, CBJ has the pieces to be a strong offensive team this coming season.

To lead, CBJ has one of the premier game 7 defense pairings in the league with @RSall14 and @stammerchel . Stammer has really come out of nowhere this year as one of the better LD's on the console and I'd expect him to have a really good season. @RSall14 is also a good player and consistently puts up good numbers. Past these two there's potential for decent depth but some unknown wildcards. @Goouuu x 27 has some skill and I think should be solid playing along side Sall. To bottom out they have @Oso-Sic , @bigdogrex , and @killerzqc . Oso from what I heard is not very good these days though I'd expect him to still at least be a decent 3rd line guy. @killerzqc hasn't played since like season 6 and even then he was putting up mediocre numbers. @bigdogrex is sort of the same deal as he hasn't been around since S4, he was a pretty good depth producer back then, but its hard to say if he can still produce at that level now. The top 2 is as strong as any team, but the depth does show cause for concern as most of these guys haven't played in the league during the course of 19 and its hard to tell whether they are still good contributors or has-beens.

In net @AhL_Allstar-3 and @Canadas__Game416 are both well known proven goalies who should be solid with the team in front of them.

Overall I think CBJ should at least be a playoff team, whether or not they will contend for a cup I think will depend a lot on some of the unknown wildcards that I highlighted on both forward and defense. CBJ definitely has the game 7 talent to lead them, how far they go this season will depend on depth, notably on defense.



*Best Contract*

LD - @stammerchel (1.25M)

As mentioned stammer is a top tier LD on this console, at 1.25M he's one of the best contracts in the league in my opinion, and has a contract that he could ride out for numerous seasons if he wants.


*Worst Contract*

LW - @Schwartz_x9 (5.25M)

I don't think this contract is absolutely horrible, but its definitely an overpayment. @Schwartz_x9 is a decent 2nd line player who can play off other good players but for 5.25M I think you'd hope for a little more, imo he's more of a 2 - 4 mill guy on this game.




New Jersey Devils

Man... where do we begin? Owner @BROSKI_002 is an AHL guy now given NHL management, and it really shows with this roster. To start with you actually have a couple pretty good impact players in @TMills71 and @VEXEloQuence . Vex has been a productive player ever since he switched from his Vezina like goaltending to forward way back in the days of the @Untuchabl led Capitals, he regressed a little this past season with around 50 points, but showed in season 9 that he is capable of putting up big points on NHL 19. The top line C/RW here is @TMills71 who from what I've seen is a talented player, loves to L2 (maybe a little too much) and can make plays, statistically he has consistently been a 55 ish point guy which is decent, but I'm sure there's more to be desired from a top line guy. Just as a player though I think @TMills71 is a solid player, and I think him and Vex should be able to do some things on the top line. @Gastr604 is an interesting case, he has only ever played one season in the NHL, but put up 70 points that one season, he hasn't played since that great S8, and though it wasn't that long ago its tough to say if he'll replicate it with 19 being a much different game than 18, hopefully for the Devils he can rekindle that magic this season. After this though it REALLY starts to fall off a cliff, literally everyone else on this roster is a CHL/AHL player who has either never played in the NHL or has failed miserably if they have, the only one that really even has impressive AHL stats is owner @BROSKI_002 so there really isn't much hope. Luckily for the Devils they have a little bit of cap space which they can use to call up a couple draft picks. I recently played with their 2nd overall pick @Crafted-95 , he's a talented offensive player who I think will get better and better with time and should forge himself into a solid 2nd line player if he just works on his defense a little more and continues to grow offensively. You also have 11th pick @xLeGenDaRyy- who I believe plays with @XxParadis7117xX who I mentioned was a decent player, if they do play together I'd have to assume @xLeGenDaRyy- is around the same skill? I'm reaching a bit here, but if he is a good player they'd still have to clear up some cap to be able to call up both him and Crafted. Overall you have 3 guys who I can guarantee for NHL success, a couple maybe guys, and a lot of AHL/CHL talent that follows after that, scoring will likely be scarce this season for the Devils.

On the defensive end things look a lot better as you have actual NHL experienced guys, but a lack of top end talent still hurts them, but I do like some of the depth I see here. To lead the defense is my favourite frenchie @NH4JP . Once upon a time JP was one of the premier RD's out there, That title sort of fizzled out as he pretty much has hated the game since he quit Nashville in season 1 and hasn't cared as much about the game as he once did. I do still think though that JP is a very solid defenseman, in an ideal situation he's a very solid 2nd liner, or a first liner if he's with a really good defense partner, unfortunately though he's the best option on this defense and will have to carry the load on his own, I think he'll be fine but its not the most ideal option. The rest of the defense is filled with pretty much 3rd liners, @BrandonUtd and @DodgesBlueShells proved themselves to be capable 3rd line options in their first NHL seasons. @vMustacho is a guy with a little bit more pedigree at the NHL level, but most of this was from season 7 and 8, he had a couple solid campaigns, but he'll have to prove himself on NHL 19. @XIBIGMUMMYIX had what looks like one of the worst seasons in LGPSN history last season with 6 points and a -52, but even with this in mind I still think he's a very solid 3rd line option as he's proven through the years. @TBennz had a very poor rookie season with Detroit last season, he may just be someone they end up moving to the AHL to bring up a DP. Unfortunately a lot of these guys are going to be forced to play 1st and 2nd line due to the lack of top end talent when they shouldn't be, still though things are a lot more stable here than they are up front.

In net you once again have an AHL tandem with minimal NHL experience, I can't really tell which one of these guys will be starting. In both their very minimal time in the NHL @Speedytdawg88 has held his own where as @JVIysterious- has struggled greatly whenever given the chance (small sample size of course), though @JVIysterious- has put up better AHL numbers than Speedy has, really anybody's guess who is better. At the end of the day though neither of these guys should be starting at the NHL level.

There's far too many holes on this team for them to legitimately contend for the playoffs, there's some good pieces, and some good depth in some spots, but too much dependence on AHL/CHL talent usually doesn't go very far (Unless you're @Moranaconda ). At best I see a 1 line team on offense and a capable defense.


*Best Contract*

C - @Crafted-95 (2M)

There weren't very many candidates for the title of "best contract". Assuming he's brought up to the NHL I think Crafted is the best bang for the buck contract on this team. As I mentioned he has good skill offensively and should produce decently at the NHL level.


*Worst Contract*

C - @JRow514 (2M)

Put up 21 points in his lone NHL season as a forward....Yikes. Not to mentions a mediocre 46 point AHL campaign in S10 to go with it, really don't understand why he is in the NHL at 2M.






New York Islanders

Fresh off a Cup winning season, the Islanders organization brings in new management, and unfortunately, barring some miracle, they don't look like they will repeat. New owner @memphisonfire has had success in the AHL the last couple seasons, unfortunately I don't see this success following NYI in the NHL with a team made up of mostly AHL players.

Starting with their biggest bidding acquisition and best forward, @coorsi88 isn't really known as a top player anymore, but has quietly continued to put up good numbers in his recent seasons and statistically at least looks like one of the more consistent goal scorers in the league, scoring 41 last season for his 3rd career 40+ goal season, and 7th career 30+ goal season, not to mention he has never scored fewer than 27 goals ever during his lengthy 10 season LG career;so though he isn't seen as a top guy anymore, his remarkable consistency begs to differ and I think this continued production itself can justify his 7.25M price tag. The other big contract on the team is @Pezdemic at 5.25M, and I can confidently say this likely is one of the worst contracts in the league. Mostly an AHL guy, @Pezdemic had a solid 67 point AHL campaign, but this still isn't something that makes me think "top 6 NHL talent", which I'm sure @memphisonfire is expecting putting over 5M on the guy. He has somewhat held his own in his short NHL stints, but this isn't enough to warrant anymore than like 1M at the NHL level. Other than @coorsi88 there isn't even a single guy in here who I'd seriously look at as an actual top 6 NHL talent, GM @mikelong11 had 58 points in his NHL rookie season back in S8, but his slightly above average numbers in the AHL the last couple seasons don't completely convince me he has the same form on NHL 19, but if he can produce the same numbers he had in S8 this season he might be another piece on the top 6. Other than him, the only others with even 1 season of NHL experience under their belts are @cLaPPxD , @deerhunter2911 , and @soul2cold77 . @deerhunter2911 and @soul2cold77 have proven their worth the past couple seasons as solid depth scorers, but not something you'd look for in a top 6. @cLaPPxD on the other hand went 3 - 12 - 4 with 10 points back in season 8....as a forward, so yeah basically an AHL'er. The rest of these guys are exclusively AHL/CHL so I wouldn't expect much out of them. @Cmutimmah10 and @GFalquez did have 80 point seasons recently in the AHL/CHL so there could be some potential (@GFalquez also did also only have 13 points in 13 games with a poor record when he was called up to NHL so yeah).

The defense spells the same story, with 3 of the 6 guys on the current roster being mainly AHL/CHL guys. When it comes to NHL talent the Islanders have a top 3 of @x-TML-x , @Samurai-Siaki , and @calmblueicex . The best of the bunch is @x-TML-x who I've seen around in club and is a solid player from what I can remember, @calmblueicex is another guy who I think is solid as a middle tier 2nd line defenseman. @Samurai-Siaki aka WildSamoan has been around forever and has pretty much always been a top tier 3rd line type of guy. @memphisonfire , @xOneTimer , and @phillysmvp are all AHL guys going into their rookie NHL seasons, this usually isn't a good sign, but at the very least they've all performed well at the AHL level, so it'll be interesting to see if they can take the next step into the NHL. Overall though I think there is a lack of top end talent to help drag along the AHL guys, I do think though looking at the lineup that there is certainly some potential, if the AHL depth can help bring at least some of their success to the NHL, it would for sure transform the dynamic.

In net, I'd assume the starter would be @StackedPads as he has NHL experience, and is coming off a great season on a top end Devils team, and I'm sure is hoping to carry that success here.

Verdict is this team will not come close to contending from what I see, you've got some guys who did pretty well at the AHL level, but the crazy scarcity of NHL talent here isn't a good look, especially on forward. They can make it work on D maybe with some decent pieces, but still even that is reaching. There also aren't any DP's or anything from what I can see that you can look to for depth or extra help, what you see is what you got on this roster. I see this team potentially bottoming out in the Metro.


*Best Contract*

RD - @x-TML-x (3.5M)

Haven't seen him enough to say much, but from the times I've seen him and from what I've heard he could be a potential steal at his price tag.


*Worst Contract*

C - @Pezdemic (5.25M)

Don't want to trash talk him too much, it isn't really his fault he had 5 mill put on him, and I'm sure he hates this contract too. As I said from what I've seen this is one of the worst contracts I've seen so far going through teams. AHL guy shouldn't be going over 5 mill in NHL.





New York Rangers

Heading over to the other NY based team, the Rangers coming off another great regular season led by owner @Bo-Dangles10 are looking to finally translate that success over to the playoffs. I actually did get some insight from within the team when it comes to line combos so it should help to better understand how this team will do this season.

Up front the Rangers are loaded with great scoring on each line. At the forefront is the Rangers' biggest grab in bidding, @x Chyzz . Statistically Chyz hasn't put up any impressive forward numbers since about Season 3 (though he did also spend a bunch of time playing D in the middle I'm pretty sure), but just as a player Chyz is well known as one of the better C's out there;unfortunately, and I hope I'm wrong, but from what I know he's actually playing RW this season alongside @Dansne and @Hra-ow . While this actually should be a very strong 2nd line I think to fully capitalize on the 9M they threw on him they're better off having him playing C where he can make a bigger impact as a top line C, nevertheless I think his line should perform well, and I'm sure Chyz would play C in a game 7 type scenario. @Dansne is a good player and is great on this contract skill wise, despite not really putting up great numbers. Though people have shit talked his contract a lot, I do like @Hra-ow as a player and don't think his 4.75M contract is as bad as people make it out to be, its more so the fact that he could've resigned for MUCH less. The top line from what I've heard will feature MTL's 26th pick @XxVermetteQCxX , @SirGabQc02 , and their second biggest bidding acquisition @APX x 93 . Truth be told this line is potentially weaker, but its apparently the 1st line, so yeah. I've never seen @APX x 93 play before, but have heard he's a good player, unsure if he's worth the hefty contract though as he's put up middling numbers on Xbox in recent seasons, and didn't do too well back in S9 on PSN, though he also did play on the struggling Hawks, nevertheless I think he should be a solid top 6 piece. @XxVermetteQCxX had a solid 74 point campaign in the CHL, from what I've heard he's not bad and would be a good 3rd liner in the NHL, though apparently he's playing top line. Don't know anything about @SirGabQc02 , but he had a very good rookie season where he went 21 - 5 - 1 with 64 points that included 43 goals, staying in the same organization especially I think should help him continue to produce at the same rate. Finishing off this lineup is the 3rd line that will likely include @Jasono_x_I96I , @SebQc97 , and @KMAC5 . From what I can tell this actually looks like a really good 3rd line. I remember playing with Jason once and thinking he was decent, and others I've talked to have echoed the same thing, he has only put up around 40 points the past couple seasons though, but still I think these numbers are fine for a 3rd liner. @SebQc97 put up a staggering 82 points in the AHL last season and has done pretty well in the NHL whenever he's been given the chance to ECU, excited to see what he can do this season. @KMAC5 has always been a dman, not too sure how good he is at forward, but I'm sure he'll be at least decent enough on a 3rd line. Overall I really like this lineup, I don't necessarily agree with certain decisions to do with lines, but clearly the offense is strong, with strong depth and skill on each line.

Leading the defense is the management duo of @Bo-Dangles10 and @Mike813499 , both guys are top tier defenseman and should be one of the better game 7 D pairings in the league, both have the skill and proven production to warrant their free contracts. For the regular season though these guys will be split from what I've been told. Bo will man the top D pairing along side 13th overall pick @Twisty-_-72 , I've heard some good things about Twist, and playing with Bo I think will help him have as good of a rookie season as he can hope for. The 2nd pairing should include @Mike813499 and @SMx71- , I've heard some not so great things about SM on D, but I think playing with Mike he should be fine, and being an established forward maybe over time he'll figure it out on D. I really like the bottom pair of @xBrando92 and @Big_Gren , I've seen Brando play, he's nothing outstanding, but I think should do well as a 3rd pair. I've also heard good things about @Big_Gren , who put up decent numbers last season on NYR. The Rangers also have @Maritime_Grit who they picked up in a trade, but according to the line combos I was given I guess he's odd man out? Not sure, but looking at numbers he's had average at best AHL numbers so I'd expect he gets sent down. Overall once again just as with the forwards, there's both top end talent to go along with depth.

The Rangers also have a solid goaltending duo, nothing outstanding, no big names, but I like @ciulla19 and think he's a good starter. @Breezy5457 also looks like a half decent backup with some experience playing goal in the NHL.

The Rangers are one of the stronger teams in the division for sure, there aren't really any holes, every line has good scoring, to go along with a good game 7 line. They maybe could've managed the bigger contracts better in bidding, but that's about all I can think about really. I think the biggest question for the Rangers will be if Chyz can play up to his ability and put up around 60 - 70 points, and how well @APX x 93 performs, both these guys playing up to their contracts will be key for the Rangers, I can see it with Chyz, I'm not too sure about APX. Whether or not they will go far I think will depend more on the mental aspect of knowing they have failed in the playoffs in the past, but I think the pieces are here to contend.


*Best Contract*

LW - @SirGabQc02 (1.5M)

Never seen the guy play, but I think 43 goals for 1.5M as a rookie is a steal and warrants a spot as the best contract, though there were definitely a lot of candidates for this.

*Worst Contract*

RW - @APX x 93 (7.75M)

From what I hear he's a decent player, just not 8M good. More of a top tier 2nd liner than a good 1st liner, and his middling stats sort of help support this. I think they could've really bolstered their C depth even more with a better option with the money they put on him, still though he's a decent top 6 guy and should do fine, just isn't gonna have the impact you'd expect from someone with his type of contract.





PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

The Flyers offense isn't as heavy as other top end teams, but they do have a decently balanced forward group with some decent top 6 talent and depth, at the same time though I do see some noticeable holes in their lineup. GM @HJHF14 highlights this forward core and is completely worth the free contract, even though people consider him as being a pretty good player I still feel he sort of falls under the radar when it comes to being considered a top C, in my mind he's a top 10 C over here. I was however surprised to find out that he has pretty much always been a 45 - 55 point guy his entire career on both consoles, not bad but you want more out of a top line C, I also always felt his playstyle would work well in league play which is why it surprised me even more so, regardless I think if he has the wing support he can be a 60 - 70 point guy. That's where the questions comes in for me, I see some solid middle tier 2nd liners, but not a real top end winger that can tear it up with HJ, I'd expect HJ to put up the same sort of numbers he always has on this team. Forming that top line with HJ likely is @ScooTz-10 and @Krejci l46l . @ScooTz-10 by himself is a decent 2nd liner at best, but he's one of those guys who I feel understands how top C's play and knows how to play off them, he's shown this throughout his career with guys like @JClaus33 and @CCPiper , HJ obviously isn't at the same level as those guys, but I see @ScooTz-10 being in a similar role here where he has generally succeeded as a 50 - 60 point guy. The left side of this line is where I have some concerns, @Krejci l46l generally puts up 50 ish points, but as a 750k guy on Xbox I see him likely being a decent 2nd liner at best. This line will likely get things done and be competitive, but lacks a little bit of top end talent to help them really compete with the other top end forward lines.

I also see some concern with the C depth on this team, @Extendo28 used to be a decent mid level 2nd line player back in like NHL 17, but hasn't been around since then. He held his own in his short stint with the Ducks last season but I still find it tough to see him still being at the same level he was at a couple years ago on a much different game, but who knows. The only other C is draft pick @Goofy_indian , and while I love to see my fellow brown brethren succeed, I don't see him being much more than a 3rd liner. The other way this can work is if they put @ScooTz-10 as a C on the 2nd line, but then that causes some issues at the RW position. There certainly are some question marks behind @HJHF14 at the C position on this team. There's also holes at LW, I don't see @Krejci l46l as being more than a 2nd line guy, but as I said with a good C like HJ it can work. @SEJerome26 from what I've heard isn't the same player he was on old gen and his mediocre numbers last season help support that. These two are the only LW's as Philly is down a LW spot, and no one in the AHL name wise popped out to me as a solution other than @Sejje who would be a nice addition to the top 6, but will be near impossible to bring up on his contract, I see them likely using him as an ECU any chance they get. The RW position is a little better, but once again I'm not completely sold. You have @ScooTz-10 who as I mentioned can get it done on a top line with other good players, but without a top end LW to go a long with HJ, scootz's effectiveness is lessened, and past him there are serious question marks. @djunreal2010 came into the league with a lot of hype because of his old gen pedigree, but really hasn't shown himself to be much more than a half decent 3rd liner with multiple 30 point seasons. Then you got @ll-lMaGiiKzl-ll who had 49 points in season 2 then peaced out for the 8 seasons, so yeah don't know what to expect there. Honestly this forward group looks a lot like the virtual version of the real life Vancouver Canucks, you have NHL depth throughout your lineup, but a lack of top end guys will prove the offense to come at a challenge, I see them being competitive, but find goals hard to come by on a lot of nights.

On D they have the man himself @Desjy99 , if anyone could be justified at 12M its him. A top 3 dman in this league, and considered by most as the best overall defenseman on the console. Him playing top line will for sure I think help mitigate the lack of a top end winger. Alongside @Desjy99 you have @Bry2230 , some consider him to be a little overrated, and while I don't completely disagree with this opinion, he has better chemistry than pretty much anyone else with @Desjy99 , he knows how to play with him and is very good defensively, all the keys to meshing with a top defenseman. After this top pairing there's more question marks, owner @xCounter43x is proven as a very good 3rd line/fringe 2nd line option, and @Jeown is another guy who has proven himself as a good 3rd liner, they might function decently as a 2nd pair, but once again not an ideal pair on a 2nd line if Philly wants to be a contender. @JSILVERS and @Tk3rr1994 both seem like fridge NHL'ers. The top end talent is here, but the depth is a bit lackluster in my opinion.

In net you have a solid pairing here with @chadkillz134 and @Navyynick , Navy is the likely starter, but chad has proven himself in the league in the past and should make a fine backup. Not a tandem that will carry, but they won't cost games.

Philadelphia has some pieces, but for me there's too many holes both on offense and defense to compete with the top teams in division. I think they could sneak into the playoffs with a wildcard spot, but I don't see them making a serious run in the playoffs unless Desjy carries the team to multiple wins every round. The biggest hope this team has is the talented management, @xCounter43x has built several winning teams, and @ScooTz-10 who isn't technically management is still most likely involved in some capacity when it comes to decisions being made, if the team falls flat out the gate you know big changes will come, and you can count on them to make the right moves.


*Best Contract*

If I'm being honest I can't really see a contract on this team that I'd consider a steal or even just someone that stands out as having a good contract. This team doesn't have many bad contracts either, pretty much everyone's contract on this roster is pretty fair to their value in my opinion.

*Worst Contract*

C - @Goofy_indian (1.5M)

I hate to do this to one of my brown brothers, but if I had to pick a bad contract its this one. I was thinking of having @Krejci l46l as my bad contract, but I just don't know enough on him to put him here, being someone who consistently puts up 50 points I didn't want to jump the gun. Anyway I put @Goofy_indian because anything more than 500k (ik he was a DP) on a guy with 54 points in the CHL is an overpayment in my mind.



Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh aka the Colorado Coyotes, on paper, look like the best team in the division, unless the Arizona curse follows @KingClutch x 77 and @Hriiz . The overall forward core at first glance looks absolutely stacked and I see them dominating this season offensively. The first line will run a combo of @KingClutch x 77 , @eastons17 , and @nehxC aka Defenestrate. Clutch as we all know has been an elite C, and one of the console's best for the past 2 years, in my opinion when on his game is easily a top 2 or 3 C on this console. He struggled to put up points his last time playing forward in season 9 with 39 points, but I have no doubt in my mind that he'll return to being a 60 - 80+ point guy this season, from experience I can say that clutch was much worse at the start of 19 compared to where he's at now, it's not even close, when this man grinds the game and is serious he's about as dangerous as anyone I've seen on this game. The wingers on this line are also dangerous players and should help put together a very good top line, @eastons17 as everyone knows is a top end LW and has historically been a great scorer in LG. @nehxC has been slept on so hard all year its insane, very good thumbs and good passing ability, I can easily see him putting up a lot of points on this line, with help from @x_ReAcTiiOnz_71 on the back end I can easily see this line getting 20+ wins. Moving on to line 2, you have @xNav61 , @Hriiz , and @alanscanucks . This essentially is a 1B line and I can once again see them absolutely dominating against 2nd and 3rd lines, but also have the talent to take down a top line. @xNav61 and @Hriiz are both top end players at their positions and also have very good chemistry with each other, not to mention the west connection, I can see both these guys putting up a shit ton of points. Alongside them you have @alanscanucks who is the obvious 3rd wheel, but I feel like Nav knows what he's doing having him here, considering he had 70 points playing on his Avs last season. The 3rd line once again I think could end up doing well, running a line combination of @Tychi66 , @mooresy 27 , and @Claeys . Don't know anything about @Tychi66 and @Claeys , but they grind the game together, so that's worth something. @mooresy 27 struggled to do much last season, but he has done well on Xbox, from playing with him I think the skill and ability is there, more so a matter of producing consistently. Looking at this offense I can safely say there's absolutely no holes, you have a top 6 with extremely good top end talent at each position, and a 3rd line with potential to dominate.

On D myself and many others start to have some questions, I don't think this team lacks a good defensive unit, but if you were forced to pinpoint a weakness on this team its here. The best player by far is @x_ReAcTiiOnz_71 who is a legitimate top end game 7 RD, alongside him is @jmligt , don't really know who he is, but he put up good numbers last season, as long as he's half decent he can easily get backpacked to victories. The 2nd pairing of @ItsJodach and @Girgs28 is an interesting one as you have two forwards playing defense. I've seen jodach play D and he actually isn't bad at all, I think he's solid as a 2nd pairing guy, never seen @Girgs28 play, but know people say he's skilled at forward, we'll see how he fairs on D. I'm sure @Hriiz and @xNav61 will communicate with them to get them playing the way they want. Hriiz and Nav are also guys who like to run the offense themselves and don't really require their D to do a whole lot to be successful, as long as this pairing is stable and plays simple they'll be fine. To end off the 3rd pairing will be led by @CelpHxTitleD506 and @Reincremation . I've seen @Reincremation and think he's solid as a 3rd liner. Haven't seen @CelpHxTitleD506 play in like 2 years, but up until he decided to leave after season 8 was a solid depth guy in the league, and I'm sure he'll find himself doing the same again this season. I don't think this defense is bad at all, they're better than a lot of teams in the league and sure as fuck are better than most of the defense cores in this division.

In net you have a really solid tandem of @Lehk- and @Lach12 (patdene). Lehk coming off a strong S10 should be the starter. @Lach12 has struggled a little the past few seasons, but has been around forever as a solid goalie and see him being a good backup.

Up and down the lineup there are very few if any holes, this is easily the most stacked team in the division and I see them being one of the leading cup contenders this season. Up front on forward they are absolutely stacked and should score goals at a crazy rate. On D they could do better, but they don't slouch at all. I think the D is solid enough with the forwards and goaltending around them.


*Best Contract*

RW - @nehxC (1M)

Was tough to choose between him and @eastons17 , but I decided to go with @nehxC . Skill wise I think he's easily worth like 5M, it'll be important for him to produce this season and prove he's a top guy in the league.

*Worst Contract*

RW - @Reincremation (2.5M)

Not really a horrible contract, but a bit of an overpayment an average 3rd line guy.



Washington Capitals

I like what Washington has offensively, the roster isn't flashy with top end heavy talent, but I feel like they're a team that can fly under the radar and can surprise. Washington's biggest acquisitions were @Kev l97l and @GhostMK , never seen Kev play, but judging from his stats on both consoles, whether its regular LG or ESHL he seems to perform, don't know if he's 8.5M good, but I'd assume he's someone who can hold his own on a top line. @GhostMK was an overpayment in my opinion, good guy and solid player, but not someone you'd put 7M on. I really like the depth on this team on both the wings and at C. I think the Caps have an underrated top 2 C combo with @LaPlante94 and @oshlag . Neither of these guys are gonna carry, but they're both solid players who will help facilitate offense and have decent wingers to work with. Don't really know who their 3rd C @CRAZYROGO-1-7 is, but he put up 40 points last season so I'd have to assume he can hold down the 3rd line C spot. I really like @ItsWillee at the contract they have him on, I remember playing with him once a few months back and thinking he was really solid, he's someone who I think can fit in well on the top 6. @x_Jedi_x420 and @toslick are two guys who have consistently been solid 40ish point guys since the early days of LG PSN and fill out the 3rd line really nicely. I really like what I see here, you have proven players on each line, I think the biggest question will be if their top 6 guys can produce to their potential, since the production for some of these guys hasn't always been there in the past. At the very least I see the caps having a competitive forward line on any given night.

The defense concerns me a little with the lack of top end talent, pretty much any contending team is going to have that "go-to" defense pairing, or at least a standout defenseman that can come in and make a big impact whenever they play. All these guys are NHL guys, but I don't see anyone who is better than a mid tier 2nd liner, all of these guys vary from decent 2nd liner to fridge NHL'er.

@Agger23 is the likely starter, not really known as a top goalie, but he's put up decent numbers. The backup last played a full LG season back in season 8 in the CHL as a dman, and appears to have no goaltending experience, so not sure whats going on there.

Overall I generally like what I see. You know the team will have good depth scoring, the main question especially on D is maybe a lack of top end talent. Up front you have some pieces at forward who definitely have the potential to put up points, but on D a lack of a solid top pairing will prevent WSH from being a real contender in my mind.


*Best Contract*

C - @oshlag (500k)

A well known Vs player, oshlag has skill and I think has the potential to be a solid 2nd line C.

*Worst Contract*

RW - @GhostMK (7M)

A good player, but as I said earlier not 7M good. Can put up 50 - 60 points which is solid, but for his price point I think you'd be looking for someone who can make a significant impact on the top line, which I don't really see. Not really a horrible contract, but if I had to pick a bad contract its this one.




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Cool writeup nuck. We already called up our draft picks

 

good write up. carolina will actually be pretty decent this szn, they drafted those guys that grind club games together.

 

Good write up man! @Soup_61 is worth a mention though and also we have 3 lines of full chemistry pretty much

 

I love it !!!!

 

Devils Szn

 

Really great work on this @canuckftc12W

 

Wow great job man. Excited to read more from you

 

Nice write-up!