Quote:
Originally Posted by Strange Brew
I'm probably in the minority here as I was a big Lucic fan when he was with the Bruins. It doesn't seem he was as bad as some people say last year, he did score 23 goals. But his playoff production was underwhelming. He obviously has a high risk contract that almost assuredly will bite the Oilers. But it was a case of them clearly believing they needed exactly that type of player.
Is it a known fact there were no real competitors for his services or did Oilers have to outbid people to get the guy they coveted?
|
I don't think the oilers really expected to make the playoffs last year.
I look at the lucic contract like the wideman contract (but worse). When Calgary signed him and he was terrible, it didn't really matter too much because hey, what else are the flames going to spend money on.
In the final 2 years of his contract though he was an absolute anchor; a significant obstacle towards fielding a better roster. The worst part was there was absolutely nothing the Flames could do about it. A buyout would've been too costly and trading him wasn't an option because of his rock bottom low value and his NMC.
The
entire organization was in a holding pattern for 700+ days, during some of their emerging players most productive years.
This is what is staring the Oilers in the face with Lucic, a guy who last year I thought clearly looked as though he had lost a step, and who in the playoffs looked like his physicality was marginalized because of that lack of footspeed. Can't hit what you can't catch.
You look at a team like Vancouver with Eriksson, another bad contract. However, it's an example similar to the wideman deal. That team is so bad it doesn't matter.
THe oilers basically shot themselves in the foot immediately after acquiring a franchise or generational player.
The only way out of that deal will be by packaging significant assets with it, or buy lucking into a compliance buyout.
Lucic may not be awful but he's going to be an anchor on that team for years barring a miracle.