FRANCHISE MODE GAME PLAY IS RUINED

To each their own.

I personally put in 200 games between 2 franchises so far and been having a great time with it. 

The gameplay for my games are close to even and real stats, scores are not crazy unbalanced. I find that hitting is harder overall but makes it more worthwhile, along with more risky if you pinch at the wrong time. The 1 tee green goals have lessened but I still get them in (this is due to the nerfs they made due to over usage in Online play).

Winning the puck in the corner, its hit or miss for me. I tend to try and force the player to dump it along the boards in hopes one of my players get it. If I can get a player to come down and help it tends to not always work and leaves a opposing player open to get the puck and make a pass out. 

Goalies overall, from my personal game experience ( my team GAPG is a 1.89, both goalies with a .904 or higher and sub 2.00 GAA), thus removes the whole 25-8 shot games where you lose 3-2 (which was an issue for so long). You have to work for goals in this game, as you said, the ice isn't open for you to take shot after shot. I rarely hit my player unless I'm shooting into a lot of traffic (then its a toss up).

Hitting I find is a lot more risk or reward, where you can make a good hit but then if its a unwanted pinch can leave you susceptible to an odd man rush. Stamina is more important in this game (where you need to actually utilize it to help gain more scoring chances), which I have started to play a true experience with dumping to make a change or a dump and chase.

I have learned that if you play along with the AI, then there are far less instances where the players are out of place which has allowed me to be within the top 3 in both seasons of my franchise in team defense (this is a huge update over last year when I would have no idea what it was doing 70% of the time).

Plus, the slower speed of the game, puts in on par to what the speed would be in the NHL (which is a huge change from the arcade style it has been for years).

I have heard there is issues with line adjustments if you change coaches but I have not experienced it myself, also some of the contracts, morale is still not working (but hasn't ever really worked - which is why I play with it off). 

So what is going fine? 

I have Tom Wilson in my team and he got 97 in hit but when i hit anybody they slide away or bounch back….. but like i said small player can bodyslam him to the ground or puch him from behind so he (and everybody else) have to try not to fall in 15 min.

70% of your one timer hit a stick or you own player.

even when you clear the zoon with a slapshot you gonna hit your own player or the other them just take in down with their hand HELLO!!!!!! 

And you tell me how to win the puck in the corner? i have 3 players on one and he comes out with the puck every time or he kick out the puck to the most perfekt breakeawy pass 

naaa franchise game play is crap

I use to play 3 games a season just to win in all years but now i can’t win?!?! … and now you will say i got no skills so explain this: i play a game and lose it cuz i can’t score even if i have 43-16 in shot and AI score crap goal on me….. so i restart the game and play again cuz i wanna win and now i can score easy and i win the game like nothing?????

if you skate with the puck and have an AI behind you and want to try to trick him away, the moment you move the joystick the AI ​​follow you his reaction is milliseconds

You can’t switch players like before, and once you do switch, it’s too late. My center was after AI on a breakeawy and he started skate backwards 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

The menus are full of syrup, slow and laggy

But penalties are not a problem for me... maybe the only thing I think works well

I am 60 games or so into my 2nd season of my franchise (playing every game). I have found that its been a fun experience. The game scores, stats, shots and GAA are actually all even for mine at least (a few catered sliders). Penalties are still something I have to figure out. The updates to Franchise can be broken at times but overall can be fun to use and make negations a lot more enjoyable. Once you learn how the AI works its actually better then last game and you can actually set up for powerplays now as long as you are good with the passing. This is the most I have played NHL since 22, for being an offline only player that is huge. 

Be a Pro is a dead mode sadly, no real updates or patches since its inception, has caused that mode to have a low population, which means EA won't put much to any time is it. EA created this issue: No updates or changes = low player base - so they won't work on something before and won't now cause no one plays it.  

I can't speak for online at all cause I gave up on that mode back in NHL 22 due to poor matchmaking and I have heard that it is worse this year with what they changed. 

My franchise mode is going fine except for I'm 45 games in and the computer hasn't taken one penalty yet That's the only thing that's stupid in mine other than that stats of realistic gameplay is good can't complain but the penalty thing is really dumb especially since I get penalties and they're realistic the amount of them I don't even mind it but I should have had one power play by now lol