With a lot of new NHL Faces for S26, figured I would bump the MGMT Handbook to maybe help you guys out. I know i will get a bunch of TLDR and chirps, but worth it if it even helps one guy. BIDDING 1.) Have a plan going into bidding 2.) Talk to the players you want to bid on, see if they are interested and if not ask them what you can do to make them interest or else dont bid on them 3.) Finances - have your cap straightened out, where do you want to spend money maybe throw total values onto each line. 1st 2nd 3rd 4.) Know your lane, dont reach on players you have never played with or against 5.) DO NOT BID on team cancers, everyone knows them, dont waste your time 6.) NEVER spend too much on Goalies (1-2M starter) (500K-1M backup) 7.) Don't put too much on one player as it can cripple the rest of your team (7M seems to be the agreed upon number) Any more than that can cripple your teams ability to add depth and usually ruins your season for the player and your team if it doesnt work out. 8.) Bidding on a guy you really want no matter how high he goes, sometimes its better to let them go for a lower price so you can trade for them down the road COMMUNICATION *These things make everyone feel apart of the team instead of just getting of for 3 games a week (1-3) 1.) GroupMe, WhatsAPP, KIK are all much better options than the LG team chat. They are also free for canada and US 2.) Using these makes late line changes and getting people together for club much simpler. 3.) Playing club together, this is a good way to be able to play with more people then just your normal line incase things ever come up 4) Add yourAHL MGMT and TOP ECUs players to your friends list (NHL add AHL) If it is cutting close to gametime use the XBOX BUTTON below the main page chatbox to grab any ECU (select your AHL team and send a mass message to all, asking only certain position you need to respond. MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION 1.) ANSWER ALL PMS from other managers. Even if they are a joke offer for a trade, its better to tell them no thanks not looking to move him or not even close then to completely ignore them. This puts a bad taste in some managers mouth, you may not have to agree of things, but should always respect each other 2.) Direction of the team - This seems to be a small issue that has happened the last few seasons when players take GM spots in order to not go into bidding, but say they don't want anything to do with trades and management stuff. I think its important to ask your GM and AGM their opinion on all moves before making them CATERING TO PLAYERS 1.) Tell everyone on your team that if they want a trade just to let you know and you will move them, don't make him use his request, that way you can shop him and possibly find a better deal than if people know he requested one. 2.) Ask player what you can do in order for you to get him to stay (change lines, bring new guys in etc) 3.)Trading within conference isn't always the best idea if you have a shot at making playoffs 4.) Arguments after losses, get involved, settle everyone down and don't be afraid to shop someone who is a problem if its effecting the whole team, but don't allays have that be your first move. A lot of times people will calm down the next day and get over it. Sometimes just switching them lines and not playing them together could be the difference. 5.) Issuing strikes - I do not do this at all, i think i did it once ever to desrosier bc he kept no showing and not telling me. If people can't make it but contact you even if its last second you shouldn't make a big deal about it and cause any animosity amongst the team. You have ECUs for a reason CHATBOX/FORUMS As MGMT were held to a higher standard, do not be a troll or get into arguements in the chatbox and be one of the toxic people in the communities. I warned @brandonbramanti of this last season, he didnt listen and look how hard of a time he had with his players, when hes actually a pretty good guy, good manager and solid on the sticks RULES LEARN THEM. This is something we have all had to deal with or had go against us at some point, especially early on in your management career. A lot of managers will do whatever it takes to win or get a game overturned. I am not a big rule stickler, and you can bitch and complain about it, but the rules are there for a reason so you cannot dispute them, no matter how valid the argument may be. *The worst is when it happens to you and then you start doing it back Bc someone else did it, create a lot of bad blood and more teams and players hating each other or arguing in the CB and Forums OTHER 1.) Chemistry at time came trump talent, a lot of us have built good teams with not so big name players by having people that play together a lot or when we acquired them started playing club together a lot. Additionally, as stated by SMP you can build around a top player with other guys that play together Bc most top players who are good guys can and will fit in with anyone 2.) Dont panic if you have a bad week or two and start trading everyone, wait for the right trade (At the same time, don't be afraid to shake things up if you're doing well, but get an offer that can help your team improve) 3.) DO NOT play OTP or Drop Ins - too many owners do this with their players and it is a bad idea. You are playing against awful competition and most of the time it is against people playing out of position, dicking around, quitting out, not communicating or just not playing their position correctly at all. START A CLUB or make an LG 6s lobby 4.) CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM - this is def one of the hardest things to do. There are some people who ask for it and thats great, but theres others who can't take it and get defensive. Its important to know how to approach a player when people see them doing something wrong continually and want to point it ou but not cause an argument. 5.) Send out the lineups for the upcoming games the day of or the night before. Yes, there is a lineup thread and an app, but some people still do not always check the site and/or app and sometimes people just forget, so its important to do this. It can also help in giving you more time to find an ECU if someone can't make it. 6.) Management Courtesy to other Managers - If a manager asks you for time running late and they have an ECU ready, give them some time to have their guy get. Sometimes, players do not tell managers they are not coming and managers have to scramble to get ECUS, alert the other team and most will be cool about it, but remember we all signed up to play 6s, not to take forfeits but they do have the right to take it and although it is scummy some people will do it, but you can get upset if they do bc its in the rules, but as a common courtesy most managers will not do it, as long as you give them a heads up. Others will do whatever it takes to play and give you as much time as needed bc they only get 3 games a week and they just want to play, no one likes to take a forfeit NHL PIT @brandovedo NJD: @BigJayAyotte NYI @brandonbramanti NYR @Bake703 CBJ @Potsy44 PHI: @POOPIE SNOOPY WSH @SmiTTy x 12 CAR @Sejje 19 BUF @Savvy x91 OTT @Sty l27l FLA @Stifmeister x 7 DET @Brisan66 TBL @l Sackagawea l TOR @PSYCHIC TACO 24 MTL @Jer Dubz BOS @Colonel20 STL @Draisaitl 29 WPG @Kbsmith37 CHI @JBT NAS @Tb Toxic DAL @zBLINDFOLDz COL @Zincyyyy MIN @CoN x93 EDM @SweeT 9 LoU 84 CGY @Gulash l4l SJS @Duggan LAK @AO l24l ARI @STlCK VAN @Glitch Goaling ANA @Kryss85 TLDR 1.) Dont listen to the people in the chatbox during bidding 2.) Go into bidding with a plan 3.) Do some research/scouting: club with and against people, check LG stats, check league stats 4.) Msg to people before placing a bid on them 5.) Dont get people who dont want to play for you 6.) Don't bid on team cancers 7.) Dont overbid on players bc you really want them or think there isnt a better option, go to another guy, save the cap, potentially trade for him down the road 8) Have a way your entire team can communicate: GROUPME/WHATSAP/KIK/SKYPE/DISCORD 9.) Know the rules 10.) Don't be a troll or scumbag in the CB or Forums, youre an owner, youre held to a higher standard
4.) CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM - this is def one of the hardest things to do. There are some people who ask for it and thats great, but theres others who can't take it and get defensive. Its important to know how to approach a player when people see them doing something wrong continually and want to point it ou but not cause an argument. 100%
@SweeT 9 LoU 84 Keep up the good work. Hopefully this will lower the percentages of complete failure for new owners in the NHL. Need more things to read here in the forums to distract me from studying.
CATERING TO PLAYERS 1.) Tell everyone on your team that if they want a trade just to let you know and you will move them, don't make him use his request, that way you can shop him and possibly find a better deal than if people know he requested one. @SweeT 9 LoU 84 and this part if where u give the players all the power in the world to dictate what you do with them. If they are on your team they should suck it up and play. If they want to play wth their friends then that's what proseries is for. That's all LG is becoming. Is a free version of proseries. Where players only sign up to be management with friends or go into bidding and when get placed on a certain team they demand to be traded elsewhere. Now I'm not saying to try and make things a bit easier for them. If you see they are unhappy but are still playing and being respectful about things. Then you could open the door to moving them. But never give them the power because they will abuse it and walk all over you.
Tell them you will trade them once you can work out an offer that doesnt hurt your team and also works for them so they keep playing till then - or tell them no you arent trading them and to 'SUCK IT UP BECAUSE THIS IS LG NOT PROSERIES' and they show up and play like an idiot... seems like a pretty easy choice to me
U obviously didn't read what I had said. If they are being respectful about things then u find a trade for them. But if they are straight assholes about it then you don't move them. Also make sure management is in any game they are in and record any game if hey are acting like an asshole and get them canned. Once they buy out their ban they end up back on the same team so. Gotta stop giving players all the power. I'm all for trading someone and not holding them hostage but at the same time it's needs to be done respectfully and the trade has to make sense for the team the player is currently on. Too many times have we all seen a top notch player be traded for almost nothing, only because said player demanded to be traded. Respect works both ways around the league and is a 2-way street.