NHL 23 Franchise Mode is bringing some new features including the arrival of Custom Leagues with up to 48 different teams.
With so many factors to consider, our NHL 23 Franchise Mode Beginner's Guide is here to help you make the right decisions going in and start your dynasty today.
NHL 23 Franchise Mode Beginner's Guide
After last year's addition of Roster Sharing, things have stepped up significantly in NHL 23 Franchise Mode with the addition of Custom Leagues.
The level of detail added with these customization features opens new opportunities for players, but it can also be intimidating to approach.
PRE ORDER NOW: Secure your copy of NHL 23 before it arrives
Franchise Mode will do its best to guide you in NHL 23, and much of the mode can be automated at any time, but knowing what to expect can make a big difference.
In our NHL 23 Franchise Mode Beginner's Guide, we'll break down some of the key decisions and features that will influence the creation of your dynasty.
Authentic or Custom League or Expansion Draft
The first question you'll be faced with when creating a new save is whether to go with the Authentic NHL league experience or something a bit different.
If you want something particularly close to the modern NHL, the 33 Team Expansion Draft option will let you use a custom roster and insert one additional team into the existing league.
Finally, creating a Custom League lets you create one with as few as 6 teams or as many as 48 teams with up to 2 conferences and 8 divisions.
This year's new Custom Leagues feature lets you alter the NHL Schedule, Standings Format, Playoffs Qualification Type, Playoffs Format, and all those same things for the AHL as well.
Unfamiliar players may want to keep most of this at default levels until you're used to the Franchise Mode experience, or simulate a save with custom settings to test things out.
Relocation vs Custom Teams at Creation
If you want to use a custom team in NHL 23 Franchise Mode, there are two paths which each offer their own challenges.
Creating a custom team to start things from scratch in the 33 Team Expansion Draft or a Custom League allows you to start fresh in any location you desire with a clean slate.
However, some players may want to ensure they've got the roster from a given team and hope to bring that team's history along with them.
If you want to ensure Relocation is an option make sure to set Accept Relocation to On in the Career tab when creating a new Franchise Mode save.
Relocation challenges you to negotiate with a new city before moving, and you can then customize every detail of your team except for the city name.
Scouting, Free Agency, and Fog of War
While some games keep scouting focused on potential draft prospects, NHL 23 Franchise Mode adds an extra layer to things with Fog of War.
Like any real league, it takes resources to keep an eye on other teams for potential trade prospects or players who might hit Free Agency down the line.
While you'll be assigning some scouts to different locations to look for potential draft picks, NHL Pro scouts will instead keep an eye on existing players around the league for you.
If Scouting feels like too much, don't be afraid to let the AI take the reigns and simulate that aspect, but mastering Scouting can lead to acquiring some truly special talents.
Owner Goals and Budget Management
One of the biggest challenges in NHL 23 Franchise Mode can be keeping the budget on track without stretching your roster too thin.
As enticing as it can be to simply sign whoever you want and never let a player go, those are decisions you'll often have to make based on money.
However, one way to give yourself a little extra financial breathing room is by keeping an eye on Owner Goals and meeting them whenever possible.
Each season you'll get a series of Owner Goals with a financial boost rewarded if you complete them.
Owner Goals vary based on the State of the Team, with buying teams seeing success getting the most challenging goals and struggling franchises given more approachable tasks.
If you're looking to find a different challenge in NHL 23, check out our Be A Pro Beginner's Guide before jumping into career mode.