A Little Help

[Mike1294]

Gotta say I'm loving the game. It's been awhile since I've played FHM and was trying to get some advice. I'm currently playing as the Red Wings.

1. Is there really an advantage to assigning your scouts or do you guys just have the CPU do it?

2. I have a player in the juniors tearing it up. 53 points in 28 games. It says my scouts have him at 1.5/3.5 but the consensus has him at 2.0/4.5. I'm assuming because he's doing so good. Now does that mean it would be easier for me to trade him for a better player since other teams are overvaluing him?

3. Also when I send someone to the minor I know that the AHL is better then ECHL but if I my AHL team has too many players at a certain position is it better to send that extra guy to the ECHL to get some ice time or is it better to keep him at the AHL where he won't get much playing time?

4. Also when it comes to your coaches does it benefit to have more then the four coaches, OFF, DEF, Skill, and Goalie coaches or do I just need to get the best four coaches and leave it at that?

Sorry for all the questions but haven't played much FHM. Thanks in advance.

[KnightAttack]

1. It can be. If you're wanting to look at a specific region or a specific player, it's not a bad idea. Usually I do let my Scouts just do their work though.

2. It can be, but there is also the possibility of a Scouting error. A 3.5 does not mean he's going to be bad though, in fact he'd be really good, but maybe not a Super Star some may think. However players can exceed their ratings, so it's up to you.

3. Ice Time is always better I find. You'll also get a better idea of how a player is developing by the stats they are putting up. But it's good to watch them and consider promoting/demoting guys.

4. Ideally it's best to have a coach for each section, but it's okay if one overlaps. There's not a lot of point to having more than that though.

[Mike1294]

Thank you for taking the time to write me back. Two more questions though.

1. I have a restricted free agent who I made the qualifying offer to but it's almost preseason and no one has made an offer to him. Will he end up taking the qualifying offer before the season starts if no one makes an offer or will he sit the season out? I'm not to sure on how restricted free agents work.

2. Also have a guy in the juniors who I wanna offer a contract to so he can play this season with me. It says he has like 3 more years on his current contract with his junior team so I can't offer a contract to him. It says I can buy it out but when I try it says he has to clear waviers first. I'm pretty sure he won't clear so is my only option to wait until his current contract is up with his current junior team before he can come play with me?

[KnightAttack]

1. A Qualifying offer makes sure you retain his rights. If you didn't qualify him, he becomes an unrestricted Free Agent. A player won't necessarily sign that offer though.

2. What do you mean in Juniors? Are you referring to a CHL (WHL, OHL, QMJHL) player? If that's the case, you don't want to really do much with him. You can have him signed but it won't burn a year off his contract until he's with your club for NHL games. However anyone you have signed will appear at the start of the new calendar year (July 1st) back with the Big Club. So say you draft a guy, sign him, but decide to send him back down to the WHL - he stays there until the next year at which point you can decide to keep him up or send him back down again.

That's not usually an issue though. Issues do come up when you have a player whose playing in Europe and doesn't want to come over (which does happen - they can change their mind, but not necessarily during the same year), a player who is in College, or a player who is in Russia. Where the NHL and most Euro leagues have transfer agreements allowing a player to drop his European contract to come to the NHL, there is no agreement between the KHL and NHL, so if your player signs in the KHL, you won't be able to sign him until he's a free agent again.