How's your franchise mode going? NHL 18

[MizzouRah]

Initially I wasn't too interested in the expansion mode.. but since I always play with the Blues, I think this year I'm going to dive into the new 32 team expansion mode and create my own team.

Just not sure yet if I'm going to make a team in Seattle, Quebec or some other city like Kansas City (if it's in the game).

I think it will be fun doing the expansion draft, then the rookie draft, plus.. it's a bonus for me being in the same division as the Blues so I can keep tabs on them as well as play against them.

Guess you don't really even have to wait for updated rosters if you're doing this mode.

What is everyone else doing?

[franch1se]

Re: How's your franchise mode going? NHL 18

Just started an expansion franchise with the Hartford Whalers. Won my first pre-season game 4-3 in OT





Had the #1 pick in the draft and took Nolan Patrick who's starting on my 2nd line at a 77 overall.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R7FIxC-MwtE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[MizzouRah]

Re: How's your franchise mode going? NHL 18

I tried the expansion mode tonight.. pretty cool stuff. Made the Seattle Sting and had a good time with the mode drafting and playing my first game.

I don't think I'll do a serious franchise with it though.. I already miss playing with my Blues.

This mode would be a good one to just sim and build up your team over many seasons!

^^ Hartford Whalers, good stuff!!!

[oilersfan99]

Re: How's your franchise mode going? NHL 18

I've been thinking of starting a franchise with the 32nd team. Not sure of a name but brining back the nordiques might be a good idea. Might try to get into it tonight

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[Mike Lowe]

Re: How's your franchise mode going? NHL 18

Are you guys seeing AI being a threat at all on breakways in your franchise? I play on Superstar, and the AI just isn't very scary :/

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[Splitter77]

Re: How's your franchise mode going? NHL 18

I have my created team on NHL 17 now.
Is there a way to get that on NHL 18 without having to create every player. uniform, rink again???

[MizzouRah]

Re: How's your franchise mode going? NHL 18

Are you guys seeing AI being a threat at all on breakways in your franchise? I play on Superstar, and the AI just isn't very scary :/

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I'm getting lit up in a good way.. but I haven't installed the latest tuner.

[RPIBruin]

Re: How's your franchise mode going? NHL 18

Has anyone else noted that if you "overpay" a player the contract ends up resetting to 925K?

I was under the cap floor in an expansion franchise (Viva North Dakota Killer Hawks) and went to sign a player at 10m to get above the floor comfortably to do a couple roster call-ups and send downs. But when the player ended up on my team he was at less than a million.

[Inhocmark]

Re: How's your franchise mode going? NHL 18

Started up a franchise in good old Hamilton, ON. Modelled it after the greatest team in Hamilton history, the Hamilton Mustangs.

My initial draft looks similar to the OP save I took Korpisalo from Columbus and loaded up on a few more Top 4 defenseman.

I cheated a little to ensure I was at #1 or #2 picking (5 is for the birds) and did end up finally getting the #1 pick and grabbed Patrick.

The excess defense allowed me to load up on a mixture of higher picks (Martinez went back to LA for a 1st in 2017 and a 3rd in 2018 which seems to be a standard offer from the Kings if Reddit is to be believed). Ultimately I was able to trade some of that excess defense and some draft picks for Nugent-Hopkins (I believe he cost me Vatanen) and the rights (after negotiating period) to Niederreiter and Burkovsky (all with medium trade logic). I also overpaid some short term veterans to bring me to the cap floor and allow younger players some time to develop.

My first two lines are solid and there's enough at the back end that my owner expectation is to challenge for a playoff spot.

[kinsmen7]

Re: How's your franchise mode going? NHL 18

Put together a quick expansion team yesterday (Seattle Spartans) to test it out.
Didn't quite spend enough time on the uniforms, and it's not something that I'm super strong with,(I kind of wish they had some pre-sets. similar to NBA's expansion mode), but I'm going to start again and see if I can get them where I want.

I'm actually very surprised at how different my original lineup was compared to the OP's. When I get my new one to where I want it, I'll post my drafted lineup.

Very excited to read about how everyone is building their team though!

[TomSellecksMustache]

Re: How's your franchise mode going? NHL 18

Started a 32 team expansion franchise as the Kansas City Outlaws.

Took the highest rated players I could in the expansion draft than sold them for picks.

Starting year 6 now and I've built up a wealth of young talent and made the playoffs for the first time in year 5 but was booted in the first round.

Looking to make a big jump in year 6 as I was finally able to sign some top rated FAs to go along with my 5-6 Elite potential youngsters.

[oilersfan99]

Re: How's your franchise mode going? NHL 18

So I started a franchise in 18, I havent really done this since probably NHL 13 or so as the AI is just brutally bad but I love the idea of expansion. I created the Portland PRowlers and we play out of the ESCO Arena in Portland.

My Lines to start the season after the expansion draft are as follows...

Connor Brown - Sam Gagner - MArcus Kruger
Michael Raffl - Phillip Danault - Alexander Burmistrov
Cal Clutterbuck - Jori Lehtera - Jimmy Hayes
Antoine Roussel - Melker Karlsson - Andrej Nestrasil

Defense is...

Alec Martines - Mattias Ekholm
Jonas Brodin - Sami Vatanen
Jack Johnson - Brian Dumoulin

Goalies are...

Jimmy Howard - James Reimer

Played my first game vs the Golden Knights and lost 4 - 1. Solid game though still getting used to playing vs the AI again and watching them play keep away. Brodin scored the first goal in Team history although it was Fleury that put it in. Next up is vs the Islanders...

[oilersfan99]

Re: How's your franchise mode going? NHL 18

Just to add on to my other post before this one. I played vs the Islanders and I have to say, the 2nd game was much mmore enjoyable and James Reimer stole the game for me. They were all over me as I got into early penalty problems and Reimer bailed me out time and time again. As the game went along though, the Islanders kind of faded away and didnt do quite as much but they came on in the 3rd period. Score ended up being 3 to 2 and it really did come down to the last few seconds of the game when Reimer stoned Tavares in close to get us a hard fought win.

We were 1 for 3 on the power play and they were 1 for 4 so the penalties equalled themselves out. Islanders had 7:12 TOA to my 5:35. 31 to 27 were the shots for the Islanders but I took it to them in the 2nd after being under a barage of fire in the 1st.

I got goals from Connor Brown (1), Jimmy Hayes (1) and Marcus Kruger (1) who is filling in for the injured Nyqvist.

One thing I have noticed about this franchise I am doing right now is that no one played less than 9 minutes which I dont mindd at all. Nestrasil played 9:36 and Vatanen played 22:59 at the other end of the spectrum.

Overall I was very pleased and I hope that the games keep this play up, they are getting to be a blast to play.

[onlybygrace]

Re: How's your franchise mode going? NHL 18

Well i caved and bought the game...im such a sucker. Lol

Im going to be doing a Blues chise after not playing with them last year after relocating Ottawa to Quebec and having a great time with NHL 17, losing to rival Montreal in the 2nd round.

Ill be posting my game highlight montages in here since the Hockey Dynasty forum is an absolute graveyard anymore. I hope yall enjoy and i look forward to following the other stories from the community!!!

[WeirdViper]

Re: How's your franchise mode going? NHL 18

Has anyone else noted that if you "overpay" a player the contract ends up resetting to 925K?

I was under the cap floor in an expansion franchise (Viva North Dakota Killer Hawks) and went to sign a player at 10m to get above the floor comfortably to do a couple roster call-ups and send downs. But when the player ended up on my team he was at less than a million.

if a player wants a 2 way deal that trick doesn't work, gotta offer it to someone that wants a 1 way