2021 Offseason

[SharksGM]

This is just a brief reminder of the timeline of our offseason:

- Entry draft: This will begin sometime next month (last year it started July 17th). Given the uncertainty around the real NHL draft and the fact that I haven't even started this year's class, it might start a week or two later than usual.

Kevin, do you have your fancy-pants draft spreadsheet with compiled rankings and such? That would be very helpful.

- Farm playoffs: I have not entirely abandoned this idea and will figure out if it's possible to do with minimal effort in the next week or so. If we go ahead, it will be with AHL rosters as of the middle of the first round of the pro playoffs, i.e. no retroactively demoting players who were in the pros. If not, I'll give the usual leadership boosts based on AHL standings.

- Contract re-signing: This will begin after the draft. The cap calculator has been updated with current player ratings. Barring any small bumps from leadership boosts for AHL players, these will be the figures for contract extensions this offseason.

Now, I admire your enthusiasm, but please do not post contract extensions now. It will be months before we start entering them, and chances are some of you will have traded some of your pending free agents in the meantime, so just leave it for after the draft.

- Rule changes: I'm not planning anything significant; in particular, the cap calculator formula will not change. However, there were a few things I wanted to adjust for this offseason:

1. Changing the minimum salary for a given contract length. Currently it's 2 years - 600k, 3 years - 1.05M, 5 years - 3M+. I would like to change this to 1 year - 600k, 2 years - 800k, 3 years - 1.2M, 5 years - 3M+. I think this is a more sensible progression: it seems nonsensical for decent players to be willing to sign for league minimum for 2 years, and the 1.05M minimum for 3 year contracts was an annoying not-quite-round figure that consistently caught people out. Naively, this may slightly raise salaries on the bottom end, but hopefully it will also be a slight deterrent on spamming 600k x 1 and bumping them up to 600k x 2 just before bidding closes (not that I ever did that...).

2. Changing the minimum qualifying offer to 800k. Currently, a late-round pick (600k salary) is due a 720k salary which rounds down to 700k, but as Marty noticed last season, there is no compensation due for offer sheets of $800k or less, so you may as well spam offersheets at every RFA qualified at 800k or less. I will probably also adjust the RFA compensation sheet to require a 4th round pick @ 800k (or drop the 3rd round pick level to there) to get ahead of the nuisance 800k x 2 years offers.

3. Buyouts. Our current buyout rules are bad and nonsensical. I'm going to come up with an alternative system, and this offseason only allow for using whichever gives the lowest number. So if you're considering a buyout, keep in mind that it might come at a lower price than expected.

Feel free to opine on any of those issues here.

[DetroitGM]

This is just a brief reminder of the timeline of our offseason:

- Entry draft: This will begin sometime next month (last year it started July 17th). Given the uncertainty around the real NHL draft and the fact that I haven't even started this year's class, it might start a week or two later than usual.

Kevin, do you have your fancy-pants draft spreadsheet with compiled rankings and such? That would be very helpful.

[...]

- Rule changes: I'm not planning anything significant; in particular, the cap calculator formula will not change. However, there were a few things I wanted to adjust for this offseason:

On the draft side, not yet, but I will. This is the busy period at work for me, once we get to mid-late June (the House should rise latest of the 23rd) I will have a lot more free time and can get on that. The draft rankings and profiles also tend to ramp up closer to the draft, so anything I do now will probably have to be redone in a month when someone publishes their super-dooper-promise-this-one-is-actually-final rankings 2.0 (then they realize they put three players in twice, had been scouting Pavel Ponomaryov instead of Pavel Ponomaryov*, and somehow forgot about Owen Power)

On the rule changes, these seem decent and I support your suggestions.



*I spent way too long skimming draft eligible names on eliteprospects to find two people with the same name where at least one of them could actually be drafted just for that not very good joke.

[NYRNYRNYR]

Will comment with some more detail later on, but I 100% support reworking the buy out structure. Obviously we shouldn't allow any amount without penalty, but I agree the current rules just don't make much sense. Three cheers for examining this.

[Dallas Stars GM]

Possible top 5 pick of this years' draft, defenseman Brandt Clarke played here in Slovakia, for our Extraliga team|First league| for Nové Zámky, little town just about 30 mile away from me. Weird thing to happen here.

Anyway, if you need some help with projecting prospects cellings and stuff, I could help you out a bit if you'd like.

[AvalancheGM]

Will comment with some more detail later on, but I 100% support reworking the buy out structure. Obviously we shouldn't allow any amount without penalty, but I agree the current rules just don't make much sense. Three cheers for examining this.

I would like to see AHL scrubs have only like a 10% penalty. As a rebuilding team I'm going to find it hard to fit all my 20+ prospects (and underagers) under the contract limit.

Or have a higher penalty but only for one year, perhaps, for scrubs with multiple years left.

[SharksGM]

I have updated the file to June 11, which is apparently the first day where trades are allowed again. Welcome to the future!

I will ask (nicely) the trade committee to start reviewing trades again and simmers to enter them once they're approved.

[TorontoGM]

I will ask (nicely) the trade committee to start reviewing trades again and simmers to enter them once they're approved.

[NYRNYRNYR]

I will ask (nicely) the trade committee to start reviewing trades again and simmers to enter them once they're approved.

It's one part lazy summer and two part realizing you can't trade 2025 picks so realizing all those trades need reworked.

[TBGM - Geoff]

I tried to rework a trade with a '25 pick, but the other GM seems to think there's no issue

[AvalancheGM]

Yeah there is definitely an issue with any of those trades that involve 2021 picks, since 2025 picks can't be dealt till after the rollover. It is pretty cut and dried.

[TorontoGM]

Better to ask to for permission than to ask for forgiveness ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[DetroitGM]

Better to ask to for permission than to ask for forgiveness ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Show me the rule that was broken that would require forgiveness?

[TorontoGM]

Better to ask to for permission than to ask for forgiveness ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Show me the rule that was broken that would require forgiveness?

No reason why someone couldn't have just posted a question about trading future picks, instead posting a bunch of invalid trades

[DetroitGM]

No reason why someone couldn't have just posted a question about trading future picks, instead posting a bunch of invalid trades

If someone only uses the site, and not the game, how are they supposed to know the trades are invalid? That the picks cannot be moved in game?

And again, as I keep pointing out, we also trade injured players, expiring contracts, and conditional picks, none of which are things the game can do.

[AvalancheGM]

Well, I did point out to him early on that only picks in the next four drafts can be traded in-game, regardless of what GM Office says. He figured it would be ok.

[TorontoGM]

No reason why someone couldn't have just posted a question about trading future picks, instead posting a bunch of invalid trades

If someone only uses the site, and not the game, how are they supposed to know the trades are invalid? That the picks cannot be moved in game?

And again, as I keep pointing out, we also trade injured players, expiring contracts, and conditional picks, none of which are things the game can do.

The site literally lists the picks available, I assumed everyone understood those were the only ones we were allowed to trade.

[TBGM - Geoff]

No reason why someone couldn't have just posted a question about trading future picks, instead posting a bunch of invalid trades

If someone only uses the site, and not the game, how are they supposed to know the trades are invalid? That the picks cannot be moved in game?

And again, as I keep pointing out, we also trade injured players, expiring contracts, and conditional picks, none of which are things the game can do.

The site literally lists the picks available, I assumed everyone understood those were the only ones we were allowed to trade.

The site lists 5 years of picks (up to 2025 right now), while EHM only allows for the trading of 4 years worth (up to 2024).

[TorontoGM]

Okay fair enough, I didn't look. You guys do whatever the hell you want cause clearly that's what you want

[DetroitGM]

You guys do whatever the hell you want cause clearly that's what you want

I'm not trying to "do whatever the hell" I want, I just think it's a tricky situation when there are 8 trades, possibly others that are chained to them, and that we should find the solution that works best for all involved.

I just don't get why there needs to be animosity about this? So 9 GMs made a simple mistake in an area where the rules are not clear. There's no need to be a dick about it...

[TorontoGM]

9 GMs failed to ask and clarify what the rules were. And now Dan is forced to make a ruling.

IMO, it's on the GMs. I think the picks should be changed or nullify the trades.

[DetroitGM]

9 GMs failed to ask and clarify what the rules were. And now Dan is forced to make a ruling.

IMO, it's on the GMs. I think the picks should be changed or nullify the trades.

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. Still not sure why you need to be a prick about it.

[AvalancheGM]

It's mostly on the GM who made all the deals but part of it, in all honesty, is on the commish for not immediately pointing it out when the first invalid trade was posted. *shrug*

[DetroitGM]

in all honesty, is on the commish for not immediately pointing it out when the first invalid trade was posted. *shrug*

I get that position, but I'd rather not put any blame on the hardest working person involved in the league. Which is why I'd rather we just find a solution that works for the affected GMs and move on. It's really easy to fix this and I will happily do the extra work required to fix it, I'm just not sure why some seem so put out by these trades.

[Bernyhawks]

Im not

Mikey(TOR) is just mad his Canucks shit the bed again this year while my Habs are in the finals go habs gooooooo lets gooo!!!!

[Jets GM]

The site literally lists the picks available, I assumed everyone understood those were the only ones we were allowed to trade.

[Jets GM]

Well, I did point out to him early on that only picks in the next four drafts can be traded in-game, regardless of what GM Office says. He figured it would be ok.

FYI

We started talking in mid-May (and if you look at the PM's between May 10-11, Im trying to convince you we can trade 2026 picks after the rollover ). I had been talking with teams about trades and structures since late March.

May was early for us, late for a lot of the other deals.

[TorontoGM]

in all honesty, is on the commish for not immediately pointing it out when the first invalid trade was posted. *shrug*

I get that position, but I'd rather not put any blame on the hardest working person involved in the league. Which is why I'd rather we just find a solution that works for the affected GMs and move on. It's really easy to fix this and I will happily do the extra work required to fix it, I'm just not sure why some seem so put out by these trades.

I have nothing against the trades. This is a massive waste of time that could have been easily avoided. Making the deals, leaving them on the boards for a month and then complaining when the commish ruins the party? I take issue with that. That's all.

[DetroitGM]

Making the deals, leaving them on the boards for a month and then complaining when the commish ruins the party? I take issue with that. That's all.

Sorry that we didn't break any written rules and so didn't delete or rework trades that we didn't know needed to be deleted or reworked?

[Jets GM]

ok ok simmer boys

everyone just got back to hating me

[SharksGM]

This discussion is devolving into unproductive finger-wagging so please cease that and stick to the actual issues. Here is my final declaration.

1. Most of the GMs who traded only 2025 picks are willing to trade 2024 picks instead. If you are one of those GMs and haven't made a decision yet, please do so ASAP.
2. I already asked the GMs involved in deals with 2025 + 2024 1sts if they're willing to switch; COL is not, and EDM hasn't replied. I didn't even get around to Hugo's deal with 2023, 2024 and 2025 1sts because what am I even supposed to do with that?

So, in the interest of moving things along, those trades and only those trades will proceed as agreed upon, and the 2025 pick trades will be entered after the rollover.

If you were one of the GMs who dealt only their 2025 pick and thinks this is unfair, or an innocent bystander who has a strong opinion about this for some reason, my reasoning is that this minimizes the disruption and only allows those who have already committed to moving their 2024 1st to also move their 2025 1st, and whatever competitive advantage is gained by doing so is minimized.

Going forward, the rule will be:

- Teams may only trade the picks that are available to trade in-game.

I'll edit the team pages to show only those. Incidentally, the in-game rollover in picks happens on June 20 (the date when a few file updates include POT boosting happen), not the final roll-over from June to September. So if you're really itching to deal 2025 picks, you only have to wait until just after the draft is complete and entered in the file rather than for the start of UFA. That's typically the 2-week gap when we enter free agent re-signings.

Some other related issues you may want to discuss:

Yes, we do allow trading injured players (as does the NHL). This can be done in-game by temporarily adjusting the number of injured days in statistics.ehm so that the player is day-to-day. This is annoying, but only slightly more so than trading expiring contracts in the offseason (which can also be done in-game by bumping the contract up to 2 years and then back down to 1 after saving). Both kinds of trades retain the benefit of entering trades in-game - ensuring that teams actually have the assets that are being traded; minimizing input errors; and having in-game records of the trades in the news files and player bios, all of which I want to maintain.

Yes, we also allow options. As you can see by the list from this season, they aren't very popular. Two of three were of the "higher pick out of two" variety. Those are basically fine - the team trading them gives up one of them in-game, and is still free to trade the other if they want, with the understanding that the picks will be swapped if necessary at the end of the season regardless of who owns them at the time.

More complicated options depending on re-signing like DET/TB are more of a problem. If these are trades made at the deadline with conditions resolved at the end of the season, I suppose that's fine. Otherwise, the issue is that one could inadvertently (or deliberately) trade a pick with a condition on it, so simmers would have to check the list of all such picks every time they enter a trade, and that's a big nope from me. So if anyone has input on this, I'm all ears. We don't have an exhaustive set of rules on options because good luck making that airtight; it's basically 'be reasonable' (so note that this creative piece of work from JC no longer passes the smell test).

Lastly, whether this is explicit enough in the rulebook or not, any trades that you make that are dependent on another trade going through are done at your own risk. We're not going to move any faster than 48 hours in approving deals because this is an entertainment league for fun, not super serious business.

[AvalancheGM]

Re our trade for Patrick, if WPG is agreeable, I'd like to process the 2024 1st and Ladd for Patrick and 2021 2nd now (to make sure I get that pick) and the 2025 1st for Grans and 2022 2nd after the rollover. The trade can easily be rescued, just in two parts.

[AvalancheGM]

Also, as far as getting trades approved, I went through the first 10 or so that were posted but it's time-consuming for me because I only have playerscout at home, and due to wifi not working the most recent file I have downloaded is from last summer, so players drafted in 2020 don't come up.

If GMs wanted to post the potential of prospects in their trades (OF/DF only would suffice), personally it would help me approve the trades much faster. Probably the same for other TC members too. Then we can get them entered and have accurate rosters.

[NashvillePredatorsGM]

Jets GM did not reply me

[SharksGM]

Jets GM did not reply me

It's fine; you don't have to change your deal per my earlier post.

Re our trade for Patrick, if WPG is agreeable, I'd like to process the 2024 1st and Ladd for Patrick and 2021 2nd now (to make sure I get that pick) and the 2025 1st for Grans and 2022 2nd after the rollover. The trade can easily be rescued, just in two parts.

Since we'll have other 2025 picks to enter after the rollover, I'll just do it all now rather than leave the 2022 2nd in limbo.

[SharksGM]

As you may have seen if you obsessively refresh the draft spreadsheet (and hence have undoubtedly not seen), I have finally entered all of the biographical details for the draftees and (barely) started the arduous process of rating them. I'm aiming to finish that over the next couple of weeks. At this moment, no further action is needed on your part, but I'll let y'all know if/when I inevitably get bored and want assistance around the 100th OV mark.

[Jets GM]

Woo Woo!

[AvalancheGM]

Awesome! Thanks for the hard work.

[Dallas Stars GM]

Excellent work

[SharksGM]

Excellent work

But.. I just started...

Anyway, since people have been asking, we are running considerably later than usual. I've done a first pass at 20-odd draftees... so 2-3 weeks at least to finish them. That means drafting in August and free agency in late August, maybe early September.

If we decide to start the preseason by the in-game schedule, I suppose we can do it before UFA is completely done, or we can push things back a bit, or condense the preseason schedule (2 sim nights at a time is fine; 3 would be unpleasant).

[TorontoGM]

If you want more material for setting up prospects, I can send you the EP draft guide

[DetroitGM]

So we might want to replace Logan Mailloux in the list, seeing as he's renounced himself from the 2021 draft.

[PittsburghGM]

also Ruben Rafkin (he was created and selected in our 2020 draft)

[TBGM - Geoff]

also Ruben Rafkin (he was created and selected in our 2020 draft)

What's the deal with Rafkin? He's one of my few prospects

[DetroitGM]

also Ruben Rafkin (he was created and selected in our 2020 draft)

Good spot Pens.

What's the deal with Rafkin? He's one of my few prospects

Rafkin went undrafted in real life last year, so is again eligible and relatively highly ranked. Since the 2020 EHEC draft took place before the 2020 NHL draft, it's not too surprising that some players we included would go undrafted in reality, something that would not happen in a more typical year.

[SharksGM]

In past years we started the draftee rating process as early as January, so there are plenty of EHEC players who were never drafted.

[SharksGM]

It's that time of the season where I complain about reading another goddamn scouting profile that says 'strong two-way, physical player... plays larger than their size'.

Just stop pumping out hard-hitting 5'10 skaters, please, junior hockey?

[DetroitGM]

It's that time of the season where I complain about reading another goddamn scouting profile that says 'strong two-way, physical player... plays larger than their size'.

Just stop pumping out hard-hitting 5'10 skaters, please, junior hockey?

Sometimes I wonder if we should just add an inch or two to everyone in game, to try and compensate for that. Either that or find a way to decompile, edit, and recompile EHM ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
(note: I don't have enough tech skills to know if that's even possible)

[SharksGM]

I already add an inch or two to some draftees that would get the most out of it (5'11 to 6' and 6'1 to 2).

Decompiling code.... yeah, not going to touch that.

[AvalancheGM]

I'd support bringing more guys up to 6'2 for sure. Just one inch can ruin a guy's potential in EHM lol

[DetroitGM]

So we might want to replace Logan Mailloux in the list, seeing as he's renounced himself from the 2021 draft.

Welp, guess Bergevin had other ideas