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just wondering how you accquire 1st line players
I have tons of 3rd and 4th line guys. I usually draft forwards with my 1st round picks and/or sign 31 year old UFA if i have room to bring them in.

I have been successfull even winning multple cups but i believe its more to depth than stars. My guys aren't the top goal/assist guys at the end of the year.

Just wondering if i could get the Crosbys and Overcheckins of the draft.

The drafts do seem to get deeper later on(or it is just all my stars have retired)

I have won 0 Cup, though I came close once.

I drafted Crosby. As for acquiring first line guys? Trade for them. Teams are usually willing to trade decent talent for 1st or 2nd round picks. It's either that or wait until unrestricted free agency.

I only played 4-5 years in my dynasty, but I was able to acquire Scott Hartnell for a 2nd rounder and Justin Williams for a first rounder and a prospect. They were both on my first two lines and pretty solid players.

In my experience, you have to be willing trade prospects or high draft picks for 1st or 2nd line guys.

how is this game?

is the AI challenging and smart when playing and trading?

do you need to know the real players to play this game?

thanks

It's great. It took me a while to warm up to it, but when I finally did I was completely addicted.

The AI is challenging and is pretty good at trading. I was never able to take advantage of it.

Nope, don't need to know the real players at all.

I traded a 1st and a prospect for Rostislav Olesz ('Superb').

I traded a 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th for Joe Thornton ('Star').

Both teams were out of the playoff hunt when it happened which is a necessary pre-requisite. Thornton, who had been deemed untouchable, was not being qualified by Boston. Although he wasn't officially available, he was no longer untouchable and I managed to get him before the trading deadline.

Olesz had been playing in Sweden as Columbus couldn't come to an agreement with him. Keep an eye on RFAs who haven't been re-signed.

When I traded to get Crosby, I traded my first round pick (9th over all) and next year's first round pick to Pittsburgh for their first pick overall. They bit. I have been happy. But Crosby hasn't been tearing the league up ala Heatly and Kovalchuk. I think he broke 30 goals for the first time last season. Not shabby, but not insane. Could be the tactics I play or the quality of players around him. Though he spent most of the year on a line with Williams and Hartnell, which is decent.

jbmagic:

i love the game, i am getting close to 30 seasons in, the AI is very good, I don't feel like i ever have been able to steal anyone.

The only time I ever got an amazing offer from the AI was when Carolina offered me TWO first round picks and a player for Ty Conklin. That was nice...

does the game come with a great game manual?

does it explains all the things in the game like tactics, etc?

The manual is decent. It doesn't explain all the nuances, but gives you the basics. It describes each tactics in one or two sentence blurbs.