First off, I know HLM27 is still new and there will probably be plenty of updates down the road. I’ve been enjoying the game, but after simming all the way to 2040 in my latest save, I’ve noticed a few things that could really improve the experience for those of us who enjoy managing teams outside the NHL.
The biggest issue is that European leagues like the SHL, NL, Liiga and DEL feel way too similar to the NHL. We have salary caps, trades, drafts and other mechanics that either don’t exist or work completely differently in European hockey.
I know some of these things can already be changed in the settings, but it’s a bit frustrating when switching between NHL and European teams. Some settings also can’t be changed once you’ve started a save.
Here are a few things I’d love to see improved:
1. Budgets instead of salary caps
European leagues generally don’t use the NHL-style salary cap system. Teams operate with different financial resources, and a smaller SHL club obviously shouldn’t have the same spending power as one of the richest teams in Switzerland.
I understand that removing the salary cap entirely could create problems with the AI. We don’t exactly want Connor McDavid randomly signing with a bottom-table SHL team just because they have unlimited cap space.
Maybe a club budget system could work instead? Teams would have different budgets depending on their league, finances and reputation. This could also make managing smaller clubs more interesting.
2. Better youth development and local scouting
This is probably one of the biggest things missing from European leagues right now.
In my experience, once you get several years into a save, free agency becomes full of older players. When managing a European team, it often feels like the only affordable options are players in their mid-30s.
In real life, European clubs rely heavily on their own youth systems and developing local talent. Not every promising 18-year-old immediately moves to North America.
I’d love to see some kind of youth academy or development system where you can scout and develop young players from your own country, eventually bringing them into your senior team.
Imagine managing Luleå in the SHL and developing a talented 16-year-old Swedish prospect who eventually becomes one of your best players. That would make long-term European saves so much more rewarding.
3. Remove or heavily restrict trading
Trading is another thing that feels very out of place in European leagues.
Unlike the NHL, European clubs generally don’t trade players for other players or draft picks. Players usually move through transfers, contract signings or loans instead.
It would be great to have a simple option to disable trading for specific leagues without affecting the NHL.
Ideally, European teams would focus on signing free agents, developing prospects and negotiating transfers rather than constantly swapping players.
4. League-specific rules and settings
Instead of having basically the same management systems across every league, it would be nice if each league followed its own rules by default.
For example:
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NHL: Salary cap, drafts, trades and the usual NHL systems.
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SHL/Liiga/DEL/NL: Club budgets, youth development, transfers and no traditional NHL-style drafts.
Of course, keeping everything customizable would be ideal. Some players enjoy unrealistic saves, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Final thoughts
I’m not expecting HLM27 to become a full European hockey management simulator overnight. I understand that some of these features would require quite a bit of work.
But I think making European leagues feel different from the NHL would add a lot of depth and replayability to the game.
Right now, managing a team in Sweden or Switzerland sometimes feels like managing an NHL team with a different logo.
I’d love to hear what other people think, especially those who regularly play European leagues. What other features would make them more realistic?