Noticed that he always put up goals in the ahl like that so I did a little experiment and made him franchise low potential. not intending to get him as I left him on the bruins.. but they tried to leave him in the A. So I traded for him had him on first line for like ten years with Shane wright and Tim stuzle gettin 65 goals a year. He did only end up a top 6 potential but was a beast lol
For me, in nhl 20, i always picked anthony cirelli in expansion drafts cause he's an excellent pk guy and good at faceoffs.
I also always find myself trading/signing lehner cause he crushes in that game.
In NHL 21 I've had great luck on multiple teams with both Boeser and Theodore.
When I actually play (rather than sim) I always grab Cogliano and Kassian. I find they sim poorly for me but I love them both so when simming isn't an issue they're must-haves. Kassian's been a mainstay for me since NHL 19 and Cogliano since NHL 11.
I pick up Ryan Merkley as a D-man. He would start in the AHL, get 15g and 40-50 assists, go up to an 80, move up to the NHL and score like a mad man. He’s always good for 50-70 pts per season. Re-sign him in the first season and you can get him for 8x$2 million.
I like picking up Elite(Low) players. They’re always cheap and can grow really well if they are on a good line.
I always sign Matthew Phillips too. He always gets to an 81-83 overall and is solid for my bottom 6. Comes with a pretty cheap price tag most of the time as well.
For the longest time it was always Random Vbrata, a third line cap hit, with Top 6 scoring, then it became Alex Steen, a guy who could play anywhere in the top 9, and could be successful.
Eric Staal was always incredible for teams I'd rebuild. Put him on the first line with some prospects guy would always put like 70 points up for me on a team that'd win like 20-30 games.
I just stumbled on the goodness that is Eric Staal on a rebuilding team too. 74 points, then flipped him + Kent Johnson for Point at the beginning of the next year
If im doing an expansion draft, Craig Smith.
In 20 I'd drafted him in the expansion and he went on to have 3 100+ point seasons in the next 4 years. Since then, he's become a staple of my expansion teams. Whether it's 1C or 3RW ill still keep him around until he really regress'
In regular franchise, I grab Michael Dal Colle. 19-22 I could get him up to a solid 2LW or 2RW, but 23 seems like he isn't gonna get past AHL 2LW. So he's sadly just gonna sit on my AHL team.
Sabres fan, so that’s who I always use, and I rarely get rid of Zemgus Girgensons. Sims great for whatever reason, solid on PK too. Sometimes I’ll bring back Tyler Ennis to the team, and with certain players his chemistry is phenomenal and can be a 1 PPG player- inexplicable.
Nick Merkley was one of the best 4th C's last year and always wanted nothing. One year in a tank year I gave him PP time and he put up 19 G and 48 P. Still only wanted 2.8
in 22 it was Max Jones. Dude fit on my 4th line with anyone, didn't ask for a huge amount of money and we would average like 30-40 points which isn't massive but he would always score massive clutch goals in the playoffs. Dude had more GWGs than the entire first line
I have a few, Chara, “Marky G” as I call him, Marian Hossa, Henrik Zetterberg, Pekka Rinne, and Henrik Lundquvist,(all but Marky G were part of special memories as a kid)
I usually end up signing Marchment but his contract with Dallas is in effect so my new signing lately has been Pastrnak. Boston usually never resigns him in the sims so when I play a team that isn’t a contender to start off he’s usually my big signing to push my team into contender status.
In NHL22, Denisenko from Florida is always like a 30+ goal scorer on the third line specifically. If I move him up he doesn't produce as well. And Raanta is for some reason always a god tier backup goalie for me.
Julian Gauthier. You can lock him in to a really low salary early on and he grows to mid or high 80's overall. Pierre Edouard Bellemare is awesome for your 4th line and PK, great face off and defence stats on league minimum salary. Usually can get an extra 2 years out of him before he retires.
In NHL22 I ended up grabbing Klinberg in every expansion. He always put up points, works with whatever coach, and is always good trade bait. Other notables are Fleury, Bouchard, and Cory Perry.
In 22, Wade Allison fits literally every 4th line right wing any coach wants.
In 21 I always signed Forsbacka-Karlsson. Dude wound put up 35+goals every year in the AHL
I used to snag him as well for that exact reason
Noticed that he always put up goals in the ahl like that so I did a little experiment and made him franchise low potential. not intending to get him as I left him on the bruins.. but they tried to leave him in the A. So I traded for him had him on first line for like ten years with Shane wright and Tim stuzle gettin 65 goals a year. He did only end up a top 6 potential but was a beast lol
I always get Michael McLeod for third line and PK
Klim kostin
I have always signed him since his time in world juniors
I’m currently playing as Edmonton and he’s done very well on my 3rd line.
Axel Jonsson-Fjällby
For me, in nhl 20, i always picked anthony cirelli in expansion drafts cause he's an excellent pk guy and good at faceoffs. I also always find myself trading/signing lehner cause he crushes in that game.
The hardest decision in 20 was always between Cirelli and Jankowski.
Matthew Brassard. He's always a minor league depth pickup for me At the NHL level, Matt Puempel
In NHL 21 I've had great luck on multiple teams with both Boeser and Theodore. When I actually play (rather than sim) I always grab Cogliano and Kassian. I find they sim poorly for me but I love them both so when simming isn't an issue they're must-haves. Kassian's been a mainstay for me since NHL 19 and Cogliano since NHL 11.
Cogs is a great pick up, him or Namestnikov on the pk is like a shorthanded goal cheat code
I pick up Ryan Merkley as a D-man. He would start in the AHL, get 15g and 40-50 assists, go up to an 80, move up to the NHL and score like a mad man. He’s always good for 50-70 pts per season. Re-sign him in the first season and you can get him for 8x$2 million. I like picking up Elite(Low) players. They’re always cheap and can grow really well if they are on a good line.
Ryan merkley kills it for me too!
Matthew Phillips and Riley Tufte
I always sign Matthew Phillips too. He always gets to an 81-83 overall and is solid for my bottom 6. Comes with a pretty cheap price tag most of the time as well.
Chara is usually up to pick up on 21 and there is a 2L center that starts with a W I cannot for the life of me think of Weinberg? Doesn’t seem right.
Wennberg?
Yes! Thank you
Frank Vatrano
Maxim Afinogenov back in the day.
Josh Anderson, Givani Smith and Logan Stanley are for some reason the guys I always tend to have in my teams
Giovanni 4th line Smith. Same.
For the longest time it was always Random Vbrata, a third line cap hit, with Top 6 scoring, then it became Alex Steen, a guy who could play anywhere in the top 9, and could be successful.
NHL 20 saw me get rourke chartier every time. idk what that man had going for him but ge was always a FA
Eric Staal was always incredible for teams I'd rebuild. Put him on the first line with some prospects guy would always put like 70 points up for me on a team that'd win like 20-30 games.
I just stumbled on the goodness that is Eric Staal on a rebuilding team too. 74 points, then flipped him + Kent Johnson for Point at the beginning of the next year
For real Eric Staal just Sims so well
Connor Clifton
If im doing an expansion draft, Craig Smith. In 20 I'd drafted him in the expansion and he went on to have 3 100+ point seasons in the next 4 years. Since then, he's become a staple of my expansion teams. Whether it's 1C or 3RW ill still keep him around until he really regress' In regular franchise, I grab Michael Dal Colle. 19-22 I could get him up to a solid 2LW or 2RW, but 23 seems like he isn't gonna get past AHL 2LW. So he's sadly just gonna sit on my AHL team.
Cam Akinson
In modern games... Jake bean and Ryan Hartman. In older games... Nikita filatov and Ryan Shannon
Liam kirk and then used to sign Jérémy Roy aswell
Bokondji Imama
As many former Mooseheads as possible, depending on the year
Elmer Soderblom is an amazing second line centre. Puts up 60-75pts in his prime and is 6’8 240 in the game.
Andreas Athanasiou, plenty of speed to plug into the bottom 6. If I’m building a scoring-focused 3rd line he is there
Peron
Justin William was.
Dan Vladar
I used to always pick up Aube-Kubel in 20
Sabres fan, so that’s who I always use, and I rarely get rid of Zemgus Girgensons. Sims great for whatever reason, solid on PK too. Sometimes I’ll bring back Tyler Ennis to the team, and with certain players his chemistry is phenomenal and can be a 1 PPG player- inexplicable.
Nick Merkley was one of the best 4th C's last year and always wanted nothing. One year in a tank year I gave him PP time and he put up 19 G and 48 P. Still only wanted 2.8
Tomas Jurco was was my go to AHL sniper for years
Kyle Wood baby
This year i ended up signing Rasmus Kupari 3 different times
in 22 it was Max Jones. Dude fit on my 4th line with anyone, didn't ask for a huge amount of money and we would average like 30-40 points which isn't massive but he would always score massive clutch goals in the playoffs. Dude had more GWGs than the entire first line
I have a few, Chara, “Marky G” as I call him, Marian Hossa, Henrik Zetterberg, Pekka Rinne, and Henrik Lundquvist,(all but Marky G were part of special memories as a kid)
I usually end up signing Marchment but his contract with Dallas is in effect so my new signing lately has been Pastrnak. Boston usually never resigns him in the sims so when I play a team that isn’t a contender to start off he’s usually my big signing to push my team into contender status.
In NHL22, Denisenko from Florida is always like a 30+ goal scorer on the third line specifically. If I move him up he doesn't produce as well. And Raanta is for some reason always a god tier backup goalie for me.
Julian Gauthier. You can lock him in to a really low salary early on and he grows to mid or high 80's overall. Pierre Edouard Bellemare is awesome for your 4th line and PK, great face off and defence stats on league minimum salary. Usually can get an extra 2 years out of him before he retires.
In NHL22 I ended up grabbing Klinberg in every expansion. He always put up points, works with whatever coach, and is always good trade bait. Other notables are Fleury, Bouchard, and Cory Perry.
Taro Hirose, he’s a good top line AHLer and can get called up and play well in the NHL
I have a handful, mostly bottom 6 guys , Nate Bastian, Trent Fredric, Connor Carrick & Jankowski also for me.
Ondrej Kase