Quote:
Originally Posted by Corral
Hard to see any positives on this deal for the Flames. Head scratcher. If you want to just get rid of James Neal, than do it and bring in some young brute to patrol the wings on a minimum salary. I don't buy the argument that there wasn't a deal out there for Neal whereby the Flames pretty much just give away a perennial 20 goal scorer for a pick or two.
Concerning that his worst NHL year was here. Its easy to blame it all on him, but that is unlikely to be the whole story.
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Did you watch him play? I find it amazing that he ever scored 20 goals. If Oilers fans think Lucic was, wait till they get a load of James Neal, he made Lucic look like Mike Gartner out there. The training excuse is lame, especially when you factor in that he has been training with Roberts since he was 15. The whole he needs to play with skilled players to score goals, well yeah him 99% of the players in the league. Even when he is playing in top 6 he puts up 20 goals and 40 points, that's not special, Hathway put up 11 goals playing on the 4th line with 4th line players, he could put up James Neal numbers playing the top 6.
Sorry for the rant and it wasn't 100% directed at one person just tired of every body worrying that James Neal is going to be this star player playing in Edmonton when he has been trending in the wrong direction for a long time.
The guy lives off the reputation of being an elite goal scorer when he hasn't been that for a quite some time now.
I am thrilled that Neal is gone, is Lucic the ideal replacement? No, but he is better than Neal.