Personal Historical Challenge, p3 Salary Cap yrs

[lawrence97]

Recap,- Not allowed to sign any player who has scored 100 points in a real nhl season. Not allowed to sign a defender who has scored 85 points or more. Can not trade for anyone unless they have signed an NHL contract. Goals set at 9 per game, and injuries set to very low. Trading at hardest difficulty.

-Started in 1959/1960. First 10 year dominated by Chicago's Hull and Mikita.

1960-1980 Expansion years. We really dominate this era, winning 11 cup in a row.

1980-1995 Gretzky/Lemieux years. This was the closest and hardest challenge, won 6 cups in this time period, Red Wings with Gretzky and Lemieux Oilers were tough. Minnesota North Stars and LA Kings also winning multiple cups

1995-2005 Free Agency years. Apart from the first year no significanty players become free agents, Rangers win every single cup bar 1 in this period.

2006-Salary Cap years. The game will play on 2038/2039 which will have been 80 years of game time. Salaray Cap will be turned off in 2029/2030. 30 odd Seasons more to go.


Players who have been otherworlds for me, Yvan Counoyer-Dominated the 70's. Mike Modano- Dominated 10 years from 95-05. Wingers Bondra, Palffy, Redmond and Neely all have stellar careers with us. Lidstrom Carol Vadnais and Brad Park have been the backbone of our success.

[lawrence97]

2005/2006 Pre Season

Salaray Cap
Set at 39 million this year, and we are at 48 Million!

Satan, Linden Palffy and Huet will have to go. Vishnovksy also.

Trades
Satan for Rick Nash
Linden , ana 1st for Ana 1st 06&07
Palffy & 3rd Rnd pick for Blake Wheeler
Huet and Wsh 1st Rnd pick for NJ Pick.
Vishnovsky- Chi 1st Rnd pick this year and next

this gets me under salray cap, but have lost a lot of talent

Draft, Can't pick Kane, Giroux or Marchand. No decent d's in this game, not even Erik Johnson

1)Marchand-Minnesota
2)J. Teows, Bobrovsky, a goalie i'd want, but have to trade up
3)Kane-Toronto Maple Leafs
4)Pacioretty-Philadelphia
5)Bobrovsky-Pens
6)Giroux-Carolina
7)J. Staal-Anaheim
10- David Perron-looks good,m can't waste the pick
13-Varlamov -GK depth i need
18-Milan Lucic, a steal, but i'll take it!
22A. Anisimov

This leaves me with a decent looking team

Kovalchuk-Modano-Gaborik
Yashin-Richards-Havlat
Nash-Spezza-Brind'Amour
Wheeler-Backes-Semin

In the propsect pool-Kessel, Toews, Perron, and Lucic

Def
Lidstrom-Markov
Pronger-Streit
Weber-Burns
No prospect pool

GK
Lehtonen
(sign a 1 star back up)

Varlamov, in prospect pool

Total Salary is 38.615, 000, just under the cap.

Next year i'm at 38, with gap going up to 44, with Markov asking for the earth!. He may well hit free agency!

[lawrence97]

05/06 Season Preview


This team should still be top team, real question is how close will other teams be. Sign TJ Oshie on a free transfer. In youth pool now have Kessel, Toews, Lucic, Anisimov and Perron. Lehtonen will get about 70 games this year.
Trades:Scott Niedermayer and a 1st, to Anaheim, Atlanta get Daniel Sedin. Markov signs for 4.5 million. Down from his 5.2 asking price. THERES NO GAP FOR THE OLYMPICS. Looks like i'll lose players for 10 games at least. So frustrating the game does this. I must have not generated schedules, but i usually do.

1)Rangers
2)Ducks-Elias, Linden,Hesky Iginla, Niedermayer Rafalski and Backstrom in goal
3)Canadiens-Demitra and Zetterberg, with Blake Lehtinen and Reechi.
4)Calgary-Bure Allison and Brodeur.
5)Chicago-Marleau Miller and Brierie.

Others
Columbus Parise-Crosby-Malkin-Giordano and Toskala in net.
Minnesota-Ovechkin-Duncan Keith, Kesler Ziggy Palffy and Nieuwendyk. Brad Marchant also!
Toronto-Patrick Kane, but hes not made the team yet

[lawrence97]

05/06 Season

So much for a tight contest, the team is still strong, even with the very young players. At half way we were on pace for 550 goals. Kariya Lemieux Modano and Savard in the scoring race. Kariya gets goals 50 51 in game 46. Detroit finally are right down at the bottom! I have thisd year and next years pick from them. My picks, Dallas 29th, Detroit 28th, Anaheim 20th, Washington 14th, New Jersey 16th.

5 games affected by the Olympic games Canada beats Russia in final, but unimpressed. Game should warn you if theres a clash, so irritating. Dallas got 4 wins due to the ompyics games roster chaos. Moved up 5 spots in the standings, which means i'l lose spots in the draft! Cheated!

Mark Streit gets 100 pointgs, Spezza ended on 99 Detroit and Dalla give me 2nd and 3rd pick overall, Washingont NJ mid table, Anaheim won their division. 33 players get 100, a lot less due to olympics fiasco. 17 get 50.

Kariya got 70 to win Maurice Richard, Points... Savard, 159!

Onto playoffs

[lawrence97]

05/06 Playoffs



Rangers win playoffs. Crosby and Malkin at Columbus start with 2 sweeps, but predators too strong. Rangers go through fairly simply to meet Nashville for second straight sc final. Rangers go 3-0 up, but Nashville win next two, and in6th game scores 2 late goals in the 3rd to make it 4-4. In ot legends,Brind'Amour, from Pronger and Modano win it for us! McDonald and Modano share playoff pts lead with 31. Chara and Sharp played well for Nashville.

Awards

Hart:Modano(at long last!)
Conn Smythe:Gaborik 5 goals and 3 assists in the sc final. (28 in 22 in po)
Vezina-Manny Fernandez(Col)
Calder:Keith Yandle
Norris:Lidstrom(checked thats 11 in a row)

[lawrence97]

2006/2007 Pre Season

I am on the cap lmit for this season, but have 8 contracts for next year, which is 50 million. Leaves me 13 million. Mark Streit after his 100 point year asks for 5 million. I won't have room for him. So next year Rod Brind'Amour may have to go. Modano and Lidstrom will stay as long as they want, but i can't afford the same luzury to Rod. All three are 35+. Yashin is 32 and Pronger 31, but rest of the team is young.


Draft:
I have the 2nd, 3rd, 12th 13th and 18th picks. Def is my number 1 prioirty here.

1-Drew Doughtty(San Jose)
2&3-PK Subban and Jamie Benn
4-Spurgeon-New Jersey
6-Couture-LAK
8-McDonagh-ATL
11&12-Voracek & Van Riemsdyk
18-Cam Atkinson

This team should now be able to carry me through for the next 10 years, just need to find a couple of defedners in the next few years. Burrns, Subban and Weber are an excellent young three to have.

[lawrence97]

Have retired the manager created in 1959 at age 77. Matthewson. A final record of 2888-756-256. Average of 128 pts a season. 28 Championships in 48 years. 30 presidents trophies.

2006/2007 Season Preview

Chaning of the guard, Brind'Amour to 4th line after senstional 14 year stint as my number 2 centre. 9 100 point seasons and 3 90. Him and Yashin were a fantastic combo. Modano now goes to 3rd line, and Yashin gets top line status.

Kovalchuk-Yashin-Gabroik
Richards-Spezza-Semin
Nash-Modano-Wheeler
Havlat(Kopitar)-Toews-Brind'Amour

Lidstrom-Streit
Markov-Pronger
Weber-Burns

Lehtonen
[Mckenna]

We have Towes and Kessel almost ready to come up. Brind'Amour is taking too much cap hit for 4.3 so he'll have to be moved next year, as much as i'd love to keep him on my 4th line. But i trade backes and oshie to edm with a 1st and a 2nd for their 3 1st rnd pics

1)Rangers
2)Chicago-Ryan Miller-Datsyuk-Marleau-Briere
3)Florida Heatley-Thornton-Renberg-Gonchar-Khabibulin
4)Tampa-St. Louis-H. Sedin-Luongo-Jokinen
5)Anaheim-Tanguay-Elias-Iginla

12)Columbus-Kiprusoff, Crsoby-Malkin-Parise-Giordano
28)Minnesota-Ovechkin-Kesler-D. Keith-Marchand

Shall trade Backes and Oshie to Edm for their draft pics.

However i'm one million over budget, so have to trade havalt and some picks for Kopitar! Edmonton then accept 3 picks for TJ Oshie and Backes. Kopitar for Backes Oshie and Havlat is a major upgrade when it also gives Toews a roster spot! Brind'Amour will have to go next year as i continue to juggle salary. Also Streit.Markoc on 4.5 mil will be traded for a younger defenceman also at some point in the offseason

[lawrence97]

2006/2007

A lot of moving parts from last year, and start off with 3 losses! Detroit start with 3 losses, which is a pain as i have their draft pick. With all the players i traded away i have a lot of 1st rnd picks again this year, Anaheim, Dallas and Edmonton. Apart from Anaheim, the rest are ranked 22, 24 and 26. John Carlson is my target, if available,Karlsson, Josi, Hedman, Stamkos unavailable, in coming drafts, but Pietrangelo, Tavares and Kadri are. Hopefully can get 2 of them.

Anyway onto the season, and afer 21 games, we are 16-5-0 with TB and Nashville 16-5-1 lots of teams betwwen 33 and 28 points, so long way to go.Detroit happily are on a 9 game losing streak. We are on pace for 420 goals We lose a top of the talbe clash with Nashville 10-9!. Also Phoenix beats us twice, as this season is a proper battle. The loss of 1-2 punch Modano and Brind'Amour is really being felt, Yashin is best player, but its the second line of Spezza-Richards-Semin which are the problem. They have the worst plus minus of the team, but i'll leave them to gel. But put Spezza on wing and change his role to dangler, with Richards as centre playmaker.

The changes work and we go 10-1 after the changes. Puts us 3 points behind Nashville, with 3 games in hand. 8 taems all around 10 pts behind us. 10 points seperate 21st to 30th, so league is tight. Detroit currently last by a point, which is good for us.

Season ends with Yashin leading us to the presidenets trophy, ins a tight battle with Nashville-139-133 Yashin top scorers with 157, Ovechkin 139 is second, but he win Maurice Richards with 79. Bertuzzi 72 and Kovalchuk 70. We end up with 502 goals. Spezza stepped up second half of season, Semin didn't. Onto playoffs, Tampa Bay and Colorado

[lawrence97]

2006/2007 Playoffs



Rnd1: Boston put up a fight in six, 5 of 7 series go 7, Crosby's Blue Jackets dumped out by Lemieux Oilers! Nashville & TB through, Colorado out

Rnd2: Penguins led by ex Rangers Blake and Hejduk essily dispatched in 5.
Both big beasts in west are out, Lemieux is back in the conference final! TB make it through

Rnd3: Tampa Bay, led by Luonog Sedin and St. Louis, went 1-2 against the Rangers, but will not be easy. Anaheim at last fufilling potential up aginst the 40 year old Lemieux led Oilers. Lemieux runs out of steam, as Anheim win in 5, as do us.

Rnd4: Anaheim, despite no 100 point scorers, and a poor regular season, 311 goals for 313 against, still have a serious threat, Iginla and Elias are a danger up front, Linden, hensky and Tanguay an excellent second line. Rafalski Niedemayer(4.5* still) with Backstrom in net make an excellent 1st line of defence. After that thy are thin, we should be too strong.

Rangers take 1st game, with 2 goals in the third to turn a 2-1 deficit to a 3-2 win. Game 2, Rangers hold on for a 5-4 win. In Anaheim, its a whole different story, as despite being outshot 34-24, Lehtonen is lit up for 5 unanswered goals! A tight 2-1 win for the Rangers next game puts them in the drivers seat. Rangers romp home, being 5-0 up with seconds to play in the 2nd. Tanguay gets a buzzer beater in the 2nd, and Pilar gets another in the 3rd, but thats it. Rangers win!

Hart:Alexei Yashin Completes an art-ross-lindsay triple
Conn Smythe:Mark Streit
Calder:Kris Versteeg
Norris:Zdeno Chara(NAS) finally breaks Lidstroms run
Vezina-Brodeur(Cgy)

[lawrence97]

2007/2008 Pre Season


Nabokov looks to be the only decent free agent. Brind'Amour has to be let go, as he's just too expensive a 4th liner, still get 2 1st rnd picks for him from Ottawa for 09 & 10 drafts. Ottawa are a perenial 90 point playoff making team with Lecavalier and Morrison.Hopefully they'll struggle soon, but unlikelyLEMIEUX RETIRES will post his numbers and his record vs Gretzky.

Draft: We have pick number 2, 5 18 and 23. Carlson and Tavares the targets. This is a stack draft, and its going to hurt to pass on players LIke Stamkos and Josi

1)Hedman-NYI
2)Carlson-NYR- best defender i could select. Karlsson and Josi are better though
3)Josi-Phil
4)Stamkos-St. Louis
5)John Tavres-NYR
12)E. Karlsson-Caroline
13)Pietrangelo-Atl(damn)
14)Kadri-LAK-(damn)
18)Voynov-this guy has good stats
23)Ekholmgood defender

Modano and Yashin currently unsigned for next year. Benn and Lucic to take their spots. Lidstrom i want to sign but asking for too much. PK Subban is nearly ready and Pronger most likely next to go.

[lawrence97]

Mario Lemieux

The all time leader in assists of the league finally retires, he had 12 200 points seasons which is a record, Gretzkyt however, with the better team, edegs him on most other stats. Lemieux wins 1 Stanley Cup, no presidents trophies, but 3 conn smythes. With Edmonton lost 4 stanley cup finals, 3 to the Rangers. Finishes on 4632 points, second all time, and 1719 goals for 2nd all time as well. When he joined the league, he had Robitaille and Brett Hull as teammates, and were on course to derail the Min North Stars as top team in the west, but Gretzky's Red Wings signed Brett Hull, and EDmonton were second fiddle. Then they traded Robitaille for Eric Lindros and went on mutplie sc final runs, winning one.As Mario got older, Edmonton became less and less of a force, but were always top 2 in their division. He got to 14 confrence finals, and in playoff head to heads against Gretzky it was 4-3 to 99. Stats below, next page is the final points comparison between 66 and 99

[lawrence97]

With Lemieux and Gretzky both retired, here are their final stats.

Numbers in white are NHL records.

[lawrence97]

2007/2008 Season preview

Things start with a bang, Malkin is traded for Daniel Sedin, and Brodeur for Elias!

Spezza-Kopvalchuk-Gaborik is our top line,
Nash is the unlucky man to get 4th line minutes but will put him on power play. Toews and Kessell will be 4th line. Everyone else gets 17 mins per game time.

1)Rangers
2)Ducks-Brodeur/Iginla/Niedermayer/Tanguay
3)Blackhawks-Datysuk/Marleau
4)Lightning-H. Sedin/Luongo/St. Louis
5)Thrashers-Lundqvist/Malkin/Havlat

7)Blue Jackets-Crosby/D.Sedin/Kiprusoff/Parise/Giordano
28) Wild-Ovechkin/Kesler/Keith

Draft picks Ott(17) and Edm(27)

This year really should be a breeze. Sakic is not the player he was, and as good as Chara is, i can't see him leading Nashville against us.

[lawrence97]

2007/2008 Regular Season

Salary Cap era so far is not as hard as i hoped. Been able to make several friendly contracts, Wheeler, Koipitar, Weber and Burns, Gaborik and Semin, all average out at 2 mil a year for a while. Modano(4.2) and Yashin(3.1) Lidstrom(3.7) all want 5 million plus, which i can't allow. Maybe Lidstrom as he's a defender will get 3 more years. Kovalchuk Richards Streit and Markov are only players over 4 miln next year, everyone else is signred around the 2 million mark. I should be able to hold the core of this team for the next 5 years, and i can't see anyone challenging us. We might come unstuck in the playoffs to a hot team, but presidents should be comfortable for a while. Lets see.

October we go 15-0. Semin underperforming and goes to 4th line before he'll get traded. Rest of the season isn't quite that dominant, but still end up 146 pts, but 'only' 488 goals. Spezza gets 129 Kovalchuk127. Hejduk was a one man wrecking crew for Pens, 168 pts, and 84 goals to lead both categories. Lidstrom signed for 3 more years.


Goals per game is around 7.7 since 2002. Entering the period now where the attacking talent doesn't go as deep as previous years, so expecting that to not improve despite me not changing the expected goal of 9 per game. 1987/1988 had highest average of this playthrough at 8.66.

[lawrence97]

2007/2008 Playoffs

Rangers in a stroll.

Hart:Milan Hejduk
Conn Smythe: Shea Weber
Calder: Patrick Kane(Tor)
Norris:Shea Weber
Vezina Khabibulin(Fla)

[lawrence97]

2008/2009 Pre Season

Toes four years 2.5 mil Pronger, another 3 years at 2.5, and Varlamov three years 0.65. Spezza last reamining fa, and i have space, of 8 million but he asks for 6.5. I'm not going past 5, so if he doesn't sign he'll be traded. Semin also at risk is anything at draft is usable. Spezza breaks off trade negotiations, i'll wait it out.

Draft-Have 6th pick of the draft, and 23rd. Ottawa sensationally 24th last year, Edmonton my hope for 1st, were 8th!

Panarin biggest star by miles.

1)Panarin-NYI(Not best pleased with that!)
2)Krieder-Wild
3)Fowler-Van
4)Barrie-Atlanta
5)Krug-Boston
6)Tarasenko-Rangers
11)Duchesne-Toronto
23)E. Kane

Semin not traded, as couldn't find anything better.

Free Agents
Modano-Calgary(7.25)
Yashin-Calgary(8)

Calgary have them with Bure Tkachuk, Elias Connolly, Peca, Straka, M. Staal, Gleason. They ahve a decent team!

Pominville, a 4 star foward joins the Islanders for 6 million a year.
Spezza comes back to the tabel and io sign him to a 5.1 mil contract rising to 5.8.

[lawrence97]

08/09 Seaon Preview

1)Rangers
2)Lightning-Sedin/Luongo.St.Louis/Jokinen
3)Ducks-Iginla/Tanguay/Brodeur
4)Blackhawks-Datsyuk/Marlea/Briere
5)Thrasers-Lundqvist/Malkin/Pavelski/Havlat

8)Columbus-Crosby/Kiprussof/D. Sedin/parise
28)-Wild-Ovechkin/Kesler

Flames are 16th.

[lawrence97]

2008/2009 Season

No Modano-Yashin two punch anymore, Richards/Toews/Spezza area my 3 centres, with Kessel, Kovalchuk Kopitar Gaborik, Semin and Nash on the wings. Should be too strong for everyone again.

Semin decides to turn up this season, at least currently, half way through hes on 53 points. Main reason he's on a line with Nash and Spezza. Nash is team leader with 32 goals, with Gaborik(29) Kopitar(28) and Kovalchuk(29) all close behind! Rangers lapping the competition on 78 points, Closest is Phoenix on 63. Savard leads all poiints scorers with 85, being on a line with Heatley and Hossa really helping him! Joe Pavelski, suprising goal leader at half way with 39, Malkin is his wingman suprisingly! Yashin 67 points and Modano 55 points are lighting it up for Calgary, but rest of the team is struggling, and so have a 500 record. For us, everyone in the top 3 lines is producing, i switched them all to 18 mins, rather than 17, and these lines are all firing. The youngsters on fourth line dont get much to do, but it works. On pace for 550 goals at half way.

I juggle lines rest of the way to keep all 9 forwards on 3 lines on 100 point pace and it works! Kopitar is our best player, Kovie tops rangers stats sheets though. Im the league. Savard keeps up his pace for 187 points and Crsoby overtakes Pavelski to most goals with 79 to 73. Rangers stomp over everyone, 161 points and 569 goals. Goals this year accross the league go up. 7.91 compared to averaging 7.68 last 6 years.

Rest of the league, Phoenix were the suprise package, with only Satan an established goalscorer they storm to 123 points. Predators as ever are there, Chara is a real defensive beast in this game and Nashville are reaping the rewards, never predicted as a top 5 team, they are always there. Colorado and Columbus finish up the top 5. Playoff time

[lawrence97]

2008/2009 Playoffs

Two straight sweeps of Kariya's Buffalo and Thorton's Florida

Montreal second seed meets us in Conference Final, Colorado shocked in 1st rnd, Nashville survive Crosby's Blue Jackets in 7 in the second rnd, and will meet Number 1 in west Phx.

Conference Finals: Montreal 112 pts let by Zetterberg Yandle, Giroux Phaneuf and Brad Boyes. Doesn't matter they are swept but a couple of games are close! Nashville handles Phoenix in 5, and its a 3rd meeting in 5 years between Nashville and the Rangers

Stanley Cup Final, Nashvilel are effectively a one man team-Chara, does have help from Pat Hsarp and Vermette, and Vokoun is a decent net minder. We are 8-3 against them in finals history but they were one of just 4 teams i think to beat us this year. We both won our home games 3-2. Still expecting a fairly easy victory. Playoff stats Pat Sharp leads with 25 for Nas, as we've played so few games we still have that core 11 scoring at a decent rate, with Spezza leading us with 21

Game 1: Nashville wins! 6-4 Joe Sakic at 39 with his 6th of the playoffs! Skoula and Bezinna had 2 goals as well, and that made it 5-2 after 2! Gagnon makes it 6, before two later goals by Richards and Semin make it seem closer. Nashville's lower lines doing some very unexpected damage!!Media blames Pronger, and i lay in on him as well for the fun of it! We did outplay them though, 39- shots to 19. Real problem was our goalie

Game2: Back to normal! 7 different scoreres in a 7-1 victory. Just like our regular season the top 11 players getting on the scoresheet.

Game3: 4-3 win for the Rangers, again outshoot them but this time McElhihney stesp up in goal for Nashville! In a game we can't shake them 2-2 after 1, we take the lead in the third through markov, but Skoula with another goal, assisted by Chara, makes it 3-3. We win in OT, with Semin. Would have been great if Nashville had stolen this game, would have made it a much more interesting series. 38-24 shots for the Rangers

Game4: 31 shots to 16 for the Rangers, and its a low scoring game. Andy McDonald scores in the 3rd to halve the Nashville deficit, who have fallen 2-0 behind through Spezza and Kovalchuk. But they barely get another shot, Rangers on brink.

Game5: Again Rangers outp[lay Nashville 36 shots to 22, and in first period they take adv, with a 5-2 lead! 5 different scorers, however Nashville come back in the 2nd, Lehtnon had a really poor series it has to be said, Bertuzzi and Stoll make it 5-4 Rangers. Kovalchuk with his 14th and 2nd of the game makes it 6-4, but its nervy when Craig Adams makes it 6-5. But thats the end of the scoring, Rangers win again! The salaray cap era is not prooving to be as hard as i thought, the lack of 100 point scorers in this era, lets me build strong teams. Maybe when we get the McDavid years, it'll be more of a challenge. I will maybe next version do a 85 point limit on fwrds and 70 point limit on defenders to make it much much harder.

Hart: Savard(Col)
Conn Smythe:Streit
Calder:Stamkos(STL)
Norris:Streit
Vezina-Lehtonen- despite his cup final fumbles

[lawrence97]

09/10 Pre Season

Selection headache, although within cap, Benn and Subban are ready for nhl action. Pronger is the man to make way, Lidstrom is still brilliant
Voracek, Benn all ready for NHL, but giving them opne mroe year in minors before i promote, problem i have is all my forwards are under 30 and all peak. I may well have to trade Richards or Gaborik next year.

I still have Edmonton and Senators 1st rnd picks this year, following years i just have my own. So will see if i can trade someone for Preonger and long time future draft picks. Detroit Edmonton Calgary and Ottawa most likkely to drop off. Pronger allows trads to Cal, Det and Ott, so will see what i can do

Draft, first few players are decent, Klingberg/Kuzentsov my targets.

1)Seguin-NYI
2)Johansen-Det
Pronger to Cgy + a 2nd rnn pick for 3 CGY picks.
3)-Hyman-Min
4)Stone-Bos
5)Landeskog-Van
6)Courtier-Phil
7)Klingberg-NYR
8)rUST-dAL
9)Kuznetsov-NYR
16) Cgy pick i use to get Forsberg GK

Excellent draft, get an excellent Goalie, Defender and attacker!