AI shopping All-Star player

[TurboJ]

Year is 1977 so no salary cap. Team has plenty of room on their budget.

Robinson is playing in 1st pairing, is happy, and is doing very well overall.
For some reason AI put him on the trade block soon after season started.

Seems weird?

[wiggleman83]

Are the Habs bad?

[TurboJ]

Top of their division. After a few weeks they did remove him from the trade block but it's still weird why he was there at all.

[jumpSeat]

Originally Posted by TurboJ

After a few weeks they did remove him from the trade block but it's still weird why he was there at all.

I had a similar incident in a historical game with Roberto Luongo. Literally one of the best goalies in the league, in fact, THE best in most statistical categories, and yet right after acquiring him, the AI promptly put him on the trade block.

Not that there's anything wrong with seeing what you can get for somebody, but normally (IRL at least), no GM in his right mind would even consider moving one of the top players at his position. He'd be untouchable. (Unless you've got a glut of top guys at the same position and/or his performance has dropped and the contract is crippling your cap).

Mind you, from what I've seen myself (and read from other players), the AI does appear to struggle with the concept of a 'bad' financial contract. In the sense that it doesn't put much value on the opportunity to offload the monetary anchor in any given deal. (I'm thinking it should probably give you a discount 'cause it'd just be so darn happy to lose the financial shackles).

[TurboJ]

I have no clue what would trigger the AI to make a decision like that; of course it'd be worse if they actually did sell these guys for some mediocre returns.

Just like in Luongo's case this player would be more or less irreplaceable and the contract, I can tell you, is actually cheap compared to other star D-men in my save. That, and the fact that he's in the beginning of his prime years at 26. Meanwhile the team's budget was less than halfway used overall.

Good news is I've not seen AI actually make the trade yet on its own, in instances like that.

[JeffR]

If they haven't made any changes from their historical roster, it's likely shopping him because of their surplus of star defencemen. A little surprising that's their first choice, though; I'll have a look and see if he's a little under-rated at that point, or if Savard and/or Lapointe are over-rated.

[TurboJ]

Originally Posted by JeffR

If they haven't made any changes from their historical roster, it's likely shopping him because of their surplus of star defencemen. A little surprising that's their first choice, though; I'll have a look and see if he's a little under-rated at that point, or if Savard and/or Lapointe are over-rated.

Three seasons later they still haven't successfully traded him but he's been on the block ~3 times in that time. Your assumption of a stacked team and 'someone has to go' might just be it. They have pretty much been #1 or #2 team in the league every year so far. Still, IMHO the AI should not look to trade away stars who still have many prime years ahead of them (cap issues not being a thing). For the record, in this save, as far as I can tell they haven't been shopping any other stars of theirs apart from players past their prime.

Generally I have to say the historical rosters are very, very well done and playing with them is enjoyable. Player roles and individual player ability and potential seem to be highly realistic and what I like especially is that there is era-appropriate levels of scoring in NHL. A question about that though; when I continue the historical game year by year into the '90s, will the average scoring also decrease as it did IRL?

[JeffR]

Originally Posted by TurboJ

A question about that though; when I continue the historical game year by year into the '90s, will the average scoring also decrease as it did IRL?

Yup, the goals per game settings get adjusted each season. It'll decline in the later 90's, bottom out in 03-04, and then in 05-06 get back to the mid-90's level. It's also editable in the league screen in commissioner mode if you want to try ahistorical scoring levels.

[jumpSeat]

Originally Posted by TurboJ

Generally I have to say the historical rosters are very, very well done and playing with them is enjoyable.

Just wanted to second this opinion that the historical rosters are very well done. (Too bad we don't have an agree button).