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Become a master of NHL 20 Franchise Mode with these top 10 tips

NHL 20 is back with more franchise mode improvements. If you want to conquer the press box and build a team that will take home the cup, look no further.

By Mitchell Newton

6 min readPublished on 09/14/2020 · 10:34 PM UTC

Tired of watching from the outside as you simulate through the playoffs waiting for June? Of being bogged down by poor contracts and free agent woes because you had no scouts in the area? Get your GM cell phones ready and your trade bait locked and loaded because with this guide, you'll be able to build a team that can take home Lord Stanley’s Cup. With new and improved scouting, coaching and player chemistry modifications, Franchise Mode is bursting with content and, while it might look tough trying to swindle a desperate gm for their draft picks, this guide is here to help.

1. Know what kind of team you want to build

Rebuilder, contender or champion. Each have a different strategy and goals to accomplish, and different options depending on how you play. Rebuilders offer you freedom to put your imprint on a roster and make draft day the most exciting day of your year. Contenders may have more fun on the ice, but the expectations are higher and the room for error is smaller. Over the first few seasons you could find your team go from rebuilder to contender and back again. No one can stay at the top forever.

2. Master scouting

Invest in scouts. Mostly amateur scouting, use them to scout the top ten and whoever is around your draft spots. Finding gems in the third and fourth rounds are key to developing a team and resources. Scouting is now also tied to trading, as you can scout the minor leagues and the four NHL divisions for players that suit your roster. You may prefer amateur scouting and drafting, but keeping a few scouts in the big league keeps you from making some bad trades.

3. Learn the coaching system

New to the series is the coaching system and all the headaches that come with finding the right bench boss for your team. Some coaches won't coach anything but contenders, while another might be willing to coach your rebuilder, but do a bad job helping your rookies develop. Using the interview system and finding the coach that fits your players can help you win more than a team full of 90s through your entire lineup.

4. Take advantage of other teams RFA's

One aspect of the game that you can really take advantage of is the RFA feature. Normally there is draft pick compensation if you try and offersheet an RFA. Sometimes, as small a price as a second or third round pick, sometimes four firsts if you have your eyes set on a big star. You never want to give up draft picks, especially that far in the future, which brings you to this option. When teams struggle to sign their RFA's they put them on the trade block. A high skill player will still demand a king's ransom, but because he's on the other team's block, you get stars for bargain bin value.

5. Build a team not an all-star team

As tempting as it is to build a roster of 90 overall players from the top to the bottom of your lineup, it may not have the desired effect. New to the game are line strategies and chemistry. Certain players are better suited for any of your four lines, usually your team's coach is looking for different play styles. If you stuff your team near to bursting with talent, you'll spend more time dealing with ice time complaints than the rest of your general manager duties... and that's before you have to resign them.

6. Take advantage of the trade deadline

By February, usually every team in the NHL will have a pretty good idea of who their team is. Whether a rebuilder or a contender, take advantage of the deadline and offload expiring contracts that you can't afford to resign in the off-season. Draft picks or new rookies to develop, always look to maximize your value.

7. Know when to move on

We all hate to see the big acquisition of ours get put on the third line and slowly decline from a nice 86 overall to a paltry 82. Sometimes a trade before they lose even more value is your best bet -- maybe they'll suit their new role better. Be careful when filling the bottom half of your roster up though, if you don't leave space for rookies to pry a spot away from a veteran, you'll find yourself wondering around December why your shiny new first overall pick is still in junior.

8. Sign and trade

Got your eyes on a number one defensemen? A silky smooth, goal-scoring winger, but you just don't have the trade capital to make a move? Just wait for July 1st! Fortunately, unlike the actual GM's out there, we don't have to worry about upsetting a player about a bad move (do be careful of chemistry though). If you have money to spare, then the sign and trade is the method for you. All it takes is overspending on a big money free agent and waiting for them to sign. Did they sign? Because if so, congratulations. You now have a big name player to trade for that defensemen you wanted. Better yet, as a rebuilder, spend on all the free agents and start hunting for other teams free agents.

9. Father time is undefeated

This is a little more luck based than the other strategies we've listed, but can take you from last place to first in one or two seasons. If you have been following all the above steps, then you should have a team full of valuable assets ready to bargain with. Every year new teams rise and fall but there is a trend to follow. Look for the older teams to target. Trade for next year's pick, or multiple picks down the road that tend to hold less value. Hopefuls and contenders are more willing to give up draft picks than rebuilding teams who know they will draft high. Be careful when trading for picks - try trading your players all within the same division so that every team gets better and the bottom feeders you've fleeced can't outgun the teams at the top.

10. Steal draft picks

There's nothing worse than trading away picks and players for what you hope will be a lottery pick, only to have that team make the playoffs off of the back of your former players. Look for teams that have been stockpiling other team's picks and see if you can take one or two of them away. Instead of making a team better in exchange for their draft selection, watch worry-free as the team you traded with climbs, while the poor team with no draft pick waits and watches as you get to use their lottery pick.