Personal Historical Challenge, the future years

[lawrence97]

Final part of the challenge, which shold be the easiest. Paying from 2025/2026 till 2038/2039 which will be when most real players will have finished their careers.

Reminder, game set to 9 goals a game since 1959 and never changed. Couldn't sign anyone who till the 2025/2026 season hadn't scored 100 pts as a forward and no defender who had 85 points plus. The first 10 years were bny far the hardest as a real struggle to match the Chicago power house. the 80's against Gretzky and Minnesota were tough, but once the salary cap era came along and the expansion to 32 teams its been too easy as teams became too dilluted. Other slight issue is that players age too fast once you get to the 2010's.

Future Rules:
I will get rid of the salary cap for the 2027/2028 season, and change the nhl to a 3 division conference with all teams seeded after the division winners.

[lawrence97]

2025/2026 Pre Season


I had traded Sorokin for Seatlle's 1st rnd picks last year, but i have a lot of players that are 20/21 that are ready for nhl, but not much room for them.

We trade 31yo+ defenders Klingberg and Reilly, who have been excellent as we have Jiiricek and Nemec 10 years younger and ready to play(and much cheaper). I can't trade legends Kessel and Kopitar, and they'll go next year, but Necas wlil go, a\s will prospect Ohgren, Mitchkov and Leonard to replace out two superstars, who contract run out this year adn can't afford to keep them both.

Ovechkin traded to Detroit at 39. Klingberg-32 2nd best ranked d in game for 3 Boston picks. Reilly, 7th best ranked D to Carolina for 2 1st. Necas Ohgren and Pickering get me a 1st from Vegas and Tor in future

I have 3 picks in the draft and there are 11 players who are usable for me. Hopefully i can get three of them. I do, and also a 4th with my 2nd round pick at 64, but they are the 4 weakest of them. Still a decent draft

[lawrence97]

2025/2026 Season Preview

1) Rangers
2)Colorado- McDavid/Draisaitl/Forsberg/Hamilton
3)Toronto-Heintz Rantanen Necas, ottinger Gavrikov, good number of 3.5 star players and above
4)Edmonton-Vasilevsky Landeskog Eichel,
5)Florida-Tkachuk, Stutzle,Q. Hughes, Kuznetsov Ullmark

Ovechkin at Detroit are 7th, Crosby's Blue Jackets 24th but neither look able to contend.

New Jersey have a very strong team, 12 players 4 star or more.Zegras, B. Tkachuk, Luke Hughes and Eklund, and all young.

[lawrence97]

2025/2026 Regular Season

Main aim is to get Heiskanen, Cozens Thomas and Raymond to 100 points.

Season starts off with a shock 5-10 loss to Penguins! And it continues, we are 6-3 after 9 games, usually we don't lose 3 games till about 70 games in! Those four palyers are struggling, but im' keeping them in, makes it more intersting.

First Quarter, Colorado have a 15-2-0 record, technically better than my 18-3-0. We recovered from the shaky start, the four palyers are noy all on course for 85 points plus as we've gotten stronger as the season progresses. After 10 games we were on course for 500 goals, now its 580.

We then lose just one game on the way to a 37-4 record for turn of they year, we are back to normal, Colorado lose 10 games in the same period. Thomas and Hieskanen on 100 point pace, Raymond 85 and Cozens 95. Raymond moved to pp1 unit to hopefully get him to 100 points.BIG TRADE MCDAVID FOR MATTHEWS as NYI get McDavid for their superstar Matthews! Matteews was a big time free agent signing for the Islanders!

10 games to go, and Cozens needs 14 points to get to 100, other three need 11 points or less. With 4 games to go, Cozens is within 2. but now attention is to the scoring race, Matthews of Colorado is 1 point ahead of Tarasenko. He actually will play 1 more game as was traded to a team that had played less games! McDavid third 14 points behind. Tarasenko is top scorer, and all 4 make 100 quite comfortably. Being on PP1 brings in the points quickly. Get to 626 goals, conceded 270 which is our highest since 2015/2016

McDavid Islanders don't make playoffs as 9th in east, Crosby's BJ's and Ovechkin's Red Wings are in bottom 3 of east. Seatle finish last i'll get a 1st rnd pick!!

Rangers 74-8-2. Devils are seconded, and they beat me twice, even if i did put 15 past them once.

[lawrence97]

2025/2026 Playoffs

1st Rnd, is a suprinsgly tight game with Ottawa, three games finish 4-3, one of which they win. But we are through in 5. Two main threats Colorado and New Jersey are in game 7's! Devils win theirs, but Colorado out to the Wild, JT Miller who they got from Edmonton for Landeskog gets the winner!

2nd Rnd, Devils are strong this year beating me twice and pushed us to 7 this year, looking forward to the match up. Toronto who underperformed this year i felt with their strength in depth. are still in. No one from west conference looks like they can challenge though.. Two of the first four games go to ot. Devils win one of them but are 3-1 down. Game 5 at MSG is a massacre, 10-1 with Barkov tormentor in chief.

3rd Rnd, Toronto are through losing 1 game this playoffs, Minnesota and Kings in other final.Toronto led by Rantanen and Hintz, Kings by Jack Hughes and Miller for the Wild.. 3 games with toronto have been decided by 2 goal or less with Toronto winning one, so should be close. first game is 12-2 to us though! However Toronto come storming back 6-4 in the next! Then with a 4-3 win take a 2-1 series lead! we equalise the series with a Meier hat trick for a 6-2 win. Tarasenko leads us to a 3-2 seriers lead, but we get hammered 10-4 in game 6! Then sensationally we are dumped out 6-5!! Was not expecting that, they win 6-5 win a 3rd period winner! Their strength in depth was enough to win 4 games!


Toronto go onto win, Patrick Kane gets a SC along with Oettinger & Rantanen! 4-1 easy win over the kings! In that team is Stamkos, Drsydalye, Necas Terry, Hintz, Gavrikov and Poulin. Such a suprise they didn't do better in the regular season!

Hart: Matthews COL
Conn Smythe: Cole Sillinger (LAK)
Calder:Macklin Celebrini (STL)
Norris:Miro Hesikanen
Vezina:Vasiesvki(EDM)

[lawrence97]

2026/2027

last season of salary cap era nad 2 divisions per conference. Want the SC back after our shock exit to Toronto! Kopitar and Kane leave the team after tremednous service. Ovechkin retires, without a sc 5x maurice richard trophy winner, 15 x all star. number retired by MInnesota and Carolina! He is 4th all time in goals, behind Jagr, Lemieux and Gretzky.

Kessel and Kopitar replaced by Mitchov and Leonard, Tarasenko again will lead our charge at 34.

I have numbers 1 15, 21, 26 and 32. I could do with a nothe attacker def and goalie to shore up the last 13 years of this playthrough. I trade for 9th pick with nashville to get Clark in D, losing Perrault, but he's an excellent off D, and i get a superstar hopefully in Dray on the wing. Beset player in the draft was a defensive defender, which i was not interested in. Hopefully picked up a decent goalie, and players Sumual(w) and another off d in Larsson. Hopefully that should keep us at the top till 1939.

[lawrence97]

2026/2027 Season Preview

1)Rangers
2)Toronto-Rantanen Hintz Necas, but doubt they'll repeat despite 9 3.58 players
3)Edmonton-Vasilevskym and 5 others 3.5* players
4)Boston-Bedard leads 5 3.5 star players
5)Calgary-old kopitar and decent goalie in Binnington with 7 3.5 star players.

McDavid Islanders and 39 yo Crosby Blue Jackets in bottom 10

Ii should really romp this one, Deils underated, they could upset us, but doubt anyone else can.

[lawrence97]

2026/2027 Season

First month without Kopitar and Kessel, and although scoring slightly down, we are 14-0. At the turn of theyear we are 43-0, with 320 goals. Devils and Colorado best next teams 20 pts behind.Matthews of Colorado on a tear, alraedy on 113 points after 43 games. Tarasenko at 34 starting to slow down. Our perfect season comes at the hand of Ottawa with a 6-1 loss, but only defeat in 63 games. Devils slow down, mainly as they lose 3 times to us in shoret succession. Colorado lef by Matthews 147 points in 61 games have 92 points. Kyle Connor top goalscorer but 5 players between 57 and 59 goals. Matthews gets another 200 point season as he gets the art ross and maruice richard double. We end up 81-3.

[lawrence97]

26/27 Playoffs

McDavid's Islanders don't make playoffs, Crosb's BJ's the same, probably his last season. Colorado Toronto and Devils are as expected the next best teams, Kings, with Jack Hughes right there in that pack. I really don't expect much resistance.

Rnd 1 is a sweep of detroit, but Devils, are tough in Rnd 2 and its take 6 games for us to get through. Rnd 3, and Tampa bay are our opponents as they knocked out Toronto in 5.

Colorado gets Calgary in the other conference final. Both Colorado and us win in 5 games. But we are def scoring less and having closer games than we did in regular season. Am mulling whether to change line, but will leave it for first game


Stanley Cup Final: Matthews is the big threat here. He's better than McDavid in this reality it has to be said. Dariasital and Lundell also excellent, then its just procession of 3* players. Its our lower lines that can hopefully win it and Shesterkin in goal.

Game1: 5-2 win for the Rangers, Matthews has one assist, but Setrh Jarvis is the first star with 3 assists. Kyle Connor leads the playoff race with 27 points, 1 ahead of Matthews.

Game2:It takes 46 seconds for Howard to score the opener for Colorado, before a Raymond double puts us into the lead, Benoit equalises soon after, but no more goals in the first after a frantic first 8 minutes. 2nd Period, Colorado twice takes the lead through Simonton and Draisaitl, but pegged back both times by Barkov and Heiskanen. Matthews has 1 assits, Connor 2. Its all tied up into the third, Rangers have the edge with a 13-7 shot count, but only 1 goal is scored in the period, and its in the first minute by Bratt to give the Rangers the win!

Game3: This is the opposite to the previous game, in which a dominat rangers game was a close game, this was a closely played game but which the Rangers dominate. Askarov gets the start and dominates! we win 5-1, Hesikanen with 2 goals., Matthews pointless. Shesterkin should be in net, but for some reason goalie settings not working

Gam24: Shesterkin in net! and we get the SC back with an 8-4 win, Bratt with 5 points. Matthews 0 again! Connor with 31 points in playoff leader ahead of Matthews(27) and Bratt(25)


Hart:Matthews
Conn Smyth:Connor
Calder:Michkov (NYR)
Norris: Dahlin
Vezina:Velmakin (CBJ)

[lawrence97]

2027/2028

Am now finally getting big contract requests. This is the year, i abolish the Cap, and create a 3 team division. Thomas Cozens, Bratt and Dahlin all above 11 million a year, UI have 2nd overall pick of the draft, and several late picks. 2nd pick was Carolina's, which was an easy one to spot with ovechkin aging. No such obivous ones here, as Crosby is on a bad team.

Will have to make some trades so next year i am under budget as am proecteds to have around 120 million and already at 134.

Draft

With the second pick i get a superstar attacker Miller to compliment Dray. Both will make the team next year to take the place of Tarasenko and either Thomas or Cozens.

Lundqvist is traded to Utah along with 2 1st for Utah two firsts in hope that Kessel retires and they plummet! HAve another young defender at 23 who i traded a few years ago who has developed into a stud.

I have lots of pieces for the next few years now comes the balancing part. Askarov/Shesterkin are best two goalies in league!

[lawrence97]

2027/2028 Season Preview

Expecting another dominant season. Barkov and Tarasenko both go to fourth line with Leonard! Michkov, Rosen promoted to top lines

1) Rangers 12 player average-5*
2)Toronto -3.6
3)Ney Jersey-3.6
4)Edmonton 3.3
5)Calgary-3.3

McDavid-Islanders are awful
Crosby-still playing on Columbus, they are even worse

[lawrence97]

2027/2028

Rangers scoring is down now kessel kopitar tarasenko and barkov are all either gone or on 4th line. Apart from Dahlin are defenders arew struggling. So after 44 games and 275 games i change up all tactics and roles. Rangers are 41-2-1, but sub 550 goal pace feels like a loss with a team stacked of 100 points calibre players. Defenders are now all rushing and point shooters with all two way roles abolished. Go along boards for breakouts.
End of Season,

Changes absolutley do not work, as we got 74-8-2, losing 7 games compared to 3 with previous tactics . But i'll keep them should make the playoffs more intersting. Panarian win points race! McDavid with a real down year with the awful Islanders, and Mattehws is 5th on 150 well down with the Av's.

[lawrence97]

27/28 Playoffs

I screw up by not changing the format, so newly created division don't show up correctly in playoffs! Colorado not in there but Kings are a threat with 123 point season, but they are not their either! TB and Fla 7 washington somehow end up in the west conference playoffs! I run through this quickly, as its a bit of a pigs ear. Washington almost win the west, but its actually Chicago who do, despite on 75 points and shouldnt have been in the playoffs at all! We win the sc cup and we'll just move on and i'll fix the playoffs next year.

Hart: Quinton Bytfield(was)
Conn Smyth: Martin Necas(CHI)
Calder:Eduard Sale(NSH)
Norris:Rasmus Dahlin
Vezina Andrei Vasilevskiy(edm)

[lawrence97]

2028/2029

Pick up rw marjets and Bajtos in the draft along with D Carlsson, all three can make the team.

Barkov and Tarasenko leave as Free Agents, and Bratt goes as can't afford his 11 million salary and get a 1st from Utah in return. Also trade Milenkov in D as need to promote Clark who is better. I have a handful of 20-21 year olds who i'll trade at the draft next year dependent on salary issues and player development.

Preview: No team should really come close from what i can see. Colorado although not ranked in top 5 seem next best to me.

Ranges
Toronto
Seatlle
Edmonton
Ottawa

[lawrence97]

2028/2029 Season

Maybe not so easy! 19-5-1 is our regular season record, and Ottawa and Edmonton are right with us! On course for just 440 goals! I tweak def roles, and let it play out for 30 games 25-4-1. An improvment but not as dominant as i was hoping, oncourse for 488 goals, which is still low. Ottawa lost 2 key games against us to fall 10 points behind. Byfield and McDavid vying for top points scorer. I don't ahve anyone in the mix. Kucherov top goalscorer after 55 games.

We finish 1st by 26 pts but with 138 points. 14 defeats is the bggest since 95/96! Matthews overtakes everyone to win both scoring titles. We ahve but 4 players with 100 points. Leonard is relegated to 4th line after failing his audition in the number 2slots . I let the ai set my lines for the playoffs, but tweak the mins played for all.

[lawrence97]

2028/2029 Playoffs

I have happily fixed my playoff error from last year, and the right 8 teams in the playoffs

Rnd1:We have Carolina, Kucherov, 147 points, Olausson Norris Seider Schiefler and Hudson all score 83 points and above. This team won't be easy! We won 2-1 in the regualr season in our 3 matchups. It was easy. Leonard not on top 2 lines really made a difference it seems.


Rnd2: We face the 7 seeded Devils, who stunned Ottawa, Devils have P;anarin and Zegars who both got 150 points. Luke Hughes on D who also got 100. We won 3-1 in the 4 games in the regular season. We beat them in 5,


Rnd3: McDavid's Islanders never made the playoffs. Colorado with Matthews are in the conference finals having survived two game 7's. They face the tough kings. We get Tampa Bay, front line of 130 point scoreres Rossi Robertson and Boldy, but not a huge amount else. We swept them in the regular season, but lose the first game 5-04 in ot! Then just liek that we are 3-0 down having lost the 3rd game 4-0! We rally to win the next two, but have to win again in Tampa bay to keep ourselves alive. and win! This would be the second time we've escaped an 0-3 hole! And we do, but play awful and need a goal in the last 3 mins to win it 4-3! Shocking performance!


Rnd3: We face the kings. I'm really dissapointed in our play and so give top two lines more time.

Game1 : Doesn't work as we lost 5-3 in game 1 to the kings. I drastically change tactics lines and roles! Kings have Jac Hughes Laine(ex ranger) and Misiak who score 100 points. they also have a second line which can score. They werew 11th overall in the league with 420 goals. We were top with just 488. Our lowest in such a long time(13/14). I expect a reaction!

Game2: We beat the Kings 6-5 and 5-1 in our two regular season match ups, i dont want to be in another hole. The Rangers come out and Jiricek with a goal and assist gives u a 2-0 lead after 1. However LA come flying back with Hughes and Lardis tying it up. The third is evenely played but shesterkin makes the save, and Oettinger doesn't! 6-3 final score as we score 4 in the 3rd. Jiricek finishes with 3 points, Raymond also.

Game3: We dominated game 1, but lost, game 2 was more even, so expecting a battle in la. will happily come away with a split, and looks like we'll have to as we lose 6-3 to Ziemmer 4 points! Kings deserve the win jumping out to a 2-0 lead and never lose it with the 3rd period goal by hallgren iscing the game at 6-3/


Game4: We HAVE to win this, and we play like we do. Shesterkin is my player of the game, although he's not that bust, 49 shots for us 23 for them. They get a late consolation, as 2 early 1st period goals gives us a comfortable 4-1 win Jarvis and Connor had 2 points each.

Game5: Another must win, in fact all games have been nervouis since we played tampa bay, but all of a sudden we turn into the Rangers of old, Adam Fox gets 6 points as we hammer them 11-0! 59 shots to 21. This team is jekyll and hide.

Game6: I don't trust this team at all, and i don't want a game 7. but we get one, another 6-3 loss. Cole Sillinger and Jack huges get 4 points. we had come back from 0-3 down, but couldn't complete the come back.

Game7: Kings have the better of the play to start and take the lead through Misiak. We come storming back with 2 in 2 to make it 2-1. Connor and Michkov. Lardis equalises for an even period. LA dominate the 2nd, 10 shots to 5, and take the lead through Sillinger. In an even period in the third, Shesterkin saves all 18 LAK shots as the game is end to end. Oettingers saves 12, but, he had 15 to deal with, and so we escape a tremendously badly played playoffs with a nailbiting win. Dahlin with the 16:09 goal in the third to give us hte 4-3 lead, and a last 5 second goal by rosen ends it 5-3.

This team tremendously under performed. I will evaluate and make changes accordingly! Matthews led all playoff performers with 44. despite playing 3 game less. Hughbes top scores for kings with 35. Cozens for us had 33, Fox 32.


Hart:Matthews
Conn Smyth: Adam Fox
Calder: Zeev Buium(CHI)
Norris: Rasmus Dahlin
Vezina: Shesterkin

[lawrence97]

2029/2030 Pre Season and Season Preview

Rangers have to update after we've dropped from 640 goals to 488 in a couple of seasons. We've also got a lot of 21 year old players who are ready for NHL but won't make my team.

Players cut from the team are Leonard(c), Schupbach(w) and Clark(d). Replacing them are Marjeta(w, Trujillo(w) and Bolin(d). Connor Thomas Jarvis will be top line, Miller and Dray wlil get 2nd pp line minutes, both are top 2 draft picks. Hopefully this will put us back at the top. Jiricek in D will get more time, Heiskanen, this will be his last season.

players who never made the team, bruincke, vale watson also traded. We get 3 1st rnd picks for this, Utah and Fla.

Only florida is for this year, and with my 2 top 15 picks i get two excellent centres in Scheidegger and Chapdelaine.

Preview

1)Rangers
2)Bruins-Bedard-Panarin(FA)-Caufield & newcas and a 5 star Johnston.
3)Kings-Jack Hughes
4)Maple Leafs-9 players around 4 star
5)Senators-Cale Makar and another 7 4 star players.

Crosby has retired, McDavid's Islanders not made the playoffs 5 years in a row.

Targets are 140 points and 550 goals. Lets see if the changes i've made work

[lawrence97]

2029/2030

Ten seasons left, do not want to let slip my record of winning presidents since 2016 and as many SC as possible.

First Quarter, Results are bang on 20-1-0. ON course for 524 goals, yes to get a game in double figures. Connor on an absolute tear

Halfway, we are 40-2, with 532 goal pace, Connor now on 96 points, was on 58 after first 21 games.Bedard third on 76

3rd Quarter, 3rd straight 20-1 quarter! Connor clear in both points and goals race. Ranges on pace for 550 goals. David Miller only playing not producing and possibly Jiricek on D.

End of Season, 4th straight 20-1 quarter to finish 80-4! We get 564 goals to hit our targets. Connor just misses 100 goals with 97 and gets 189 poitns to win Maurice and Art Ross. Boston Chicago Ottawa and Colorado all get 120 points plus, so they'll be no easy out. McDavids Islanders finally make playoffs!

[lawrence97]

2029/2030 Playoffs


Rnd1: McDavid's Islanders should be sent packing he is currently 23rd in all times points. He'll have a job catching Crosby in 3rd. 900 points behind at age 32. We go through 4-1, a suprising singular win for the Islanders, as
every other game was an average of 9-2!


Rnd2:Ottawa are one of the big boys to fall, but Chicago, Colorado and Boston all through. We get old rivals Toronto. They still have a very solid team but we sweep them. All other series go to 7! but the 120 point teams all go through!

Rnd3:Boston-pre season the second favourites, Conor Bedard 69 goals and 92 assists, with 6 other palyers getting 90 points or more! Boston gets 433 goals in the regualr season, and this won't be easy. They take the first two games at MSG, but we rally to win two at theirs! It goes to 7, and we win 5-0 at home. Again this team doesn't fill me with confidence.


Stanley Cup Final: Chicago are back in the showpiece. Elias Pettersson and Demidov lead their team.

Game1: 6-3 Win for Rangers. Michkov Hatrick has Rangers up 6-1 before 2 late consolations

Game2: 9-4 win for Chicago! Svechnikov with a hat trick, as Shesterkin who is playing really badly is lit up for 6 goals in 16 shots.

Game3: 8-7 win for Rangers. Shesterkin awful again, but i can't bring myself to dump him. Bailed out in a game that changed lead several times, with 2 goals in the last 4 minutes giving the Rangers a crucial win. Raymond has a 5 point night

Game4: 10-7 win for the rangers, another sub 800 save performance by Shesterkin, he is out for the final games. Cant have this. Another hat trick for Michkov


Game5: 7-3 win, and we get the SC. Askarov in net, Shesterkin is done, he'll be traded. Meier also out, as his contract won't be renewed as don't ahve the space. Connor had 47 points to lead all playoff performers.

Hart: Connor
Conn Smythe: Connor(connor only fourth person to take home all 4 major trophies-hart, conn smythe, art ross and maurice, others are Kopitar, Gretzky and Bobby Hull)
Calder:Andy Lyons(DAL)
Norris:Fox
Vezinaamian Clara (BOS)

[lawrence97]

2030/2031 Pre Season

Huge list of free agents this year, with the top two rated players in the league up for grabs, in Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid!

We are going to maker some changes, Meier is a free agent, Shesterkin is to be traded after his SC performance as is Hesiknanen. Youngsters who can't make the team also trade bait.

Shesterkin and Hesikanen to Minnestoa and Islanders for 5 1st rnd picks.
my 32 1st and 3 22 year ol 3 star rated players to Avs for 31 1st.

We get 3 decent forwards in Mesnikov, Roy and Midlgey. That should set us up for the finla 9 years

In D, Eliason will have to play one more year in the AHL before we move him up, presumbly for Nemec who we';ll have to trade.

New Jersey sign 3 big free agents, including McDavid, Matthews goes to Calgary!

Team Free agents New Team
NYI Connor McDavid New Jersey
COL Auston Matthews Calgary
ANA William Nylander Washington
NYR Timo Meier Anaheim
OTT Adam Ingram Winnipeg
VEG Ville Koivunen Pittsburgh
WSH Alex Barkov Ottawa
CHI Dawson Mercer Detroit
NJ Trevor Zegras Detroit
PHIL Nils Lundvist New Jersey
CAROskar Olausson New Jersey
ANA Tim Stutzle Philadelphia
OTT Drake Batherson Pittsburgh