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Old 07-29-2018, 01:31 PM   #2
Adam B
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Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: A Hockey Rink
Posts: 2,368
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZootMurph View Post
I am a new player to the game and I have a bunch of questions, so here goes.

1) I have 5 defensemen with high speed(15+), agility(13+), puckhandling(13+), passing(15+), and offensive read (14+). I wanted to use Activated D strategy but it is only rated 1 star in suitability. I thought having these type of defensemen would really allow me to use that strategy with 4 or 5 stars. The question is, what am I missing, or better still, what do I need to have in my players to have a good suitability with Activated D?

2) Speaking of strategies, how much difference does it make if your team uses a strategy that it is rated 1 star suitability as opposed to 5 star suitability?

3) In putting together lines, is it important to have different skill sets or the same skills? For example, my top 6 forwards have 3 guys with good offensive read and passing skills, one goalscorer with getting open and shooting accuracy, and two forwards with above average everything but no great abilities. I initially tried two good passers and a goalscorer on the top line using flexible triangle tactic but it didn't seem to have much success, while the second line with a passer and two all around average joes seemed to have better success.

4) Are ability scores or overall star ratings more important in the success of your players?

5) How important is speed in the overall picture. I had a speedy team and tried high tempo global tactic but that didn't seem to work very well.

6) What is the connection between ability scores and overall star rating? I seem to have a guy I drafted as a rookie, who was 0.5/4.5 rated... who is now 3.0/4.0 rated but his abilities have barely changed...

I had more, but I lost them in my thought processes somewhere, LOL.

Thanks very much for your time.
(1) What are your options available?

(2) It's more you're not going to be as efffective as if you were with one that has a higher suitability rating. Players may also get angry if they are in a system they don't appreciate.

(3) To be perfectly honest, I don't think it matters that much in hockey in general. We're at a point now where the vast majority of swing points come from special teams rather than five on five. I find having a balance of each is good, but it's going to depend on who the player is. For instance, in our Florida Panthers series Auston Matthews is playing on the wing (very successfully) because he's acting as a finishing type role for the two other guys.

(4) It needs to be a mixture of both. A higher star player can be better but that doesn't mean he won't fit a role as well. Chemistry is also important and can offset some of those rankings as well.

(5) Speeds fine, but High Tempo isn't just about speed, it's about stamina. If you're constantly playing High Tempo you'll really start seeing your players fatigue and then you'll start seeing offensive and defensive breakdowns that will lose you games.

(6) I'd need to see the exact stats but that doesn't sound right. Some would be adapting but he'd have to have improved in his baseline categories to go up, otherwise he'd still be at 0.5 stars.
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