Sorry but I don't buy it. Much of this is predicated on "toughness", but in today's NHL "toughness" has been re-defined. I would argue a guy like Garnet Hathaway is just as "tough" as Lucic. He can hit, fight, and actually contributes. Lucic meanwhile, at 31 years old, has regressed hard and can't contribute anymore. And who is he going to fight?
The Flames should have just bought Neal out and kept Hathaway (He signed @ 1.5M AAV). That way they actually save cap space and are equally as "tough". Let alone the expansion draft...
How many fights did Lucic have last season? TWO (2)! The same number as Hathaway. Lucic is an anchor that cannot keep up in today's NHL and doesn't even have anyone left to fight. (And for the record last season he fought peluso and gabriel, neither of which are likely in the league next season...)
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