I did a quick google for opinions, because I had some time on my hands. Here's a few of them, with a couple of quickly picked quotes. I did not include ones that made comments based on the cap situation without knowing the Oilers retained some salary. I also specifically didn't want opinions from Calgary or Edmonton
The comforting part about reading all these opinions was, there was a strong correlation between not knowing Oilers had retained some salary (ie. being an obviously uniformed commentator and a bad writer), and really hating the deal for Calgary. In general the more level-headed opinions tend to sway Edmontons way slightly, but in general they don't hate the deal for either side.
The Hockey News podcast:
Quote:
quotes:
"Who got the better player, that's who won the trade"
"Edmonton Oilers got the better player"
"Calgary is already very good, and they were very good even with bad James Neal, so even though James Neal is the better player right now, Calgary is thinking 'we got pushed around in the playoffs, we don't want that to happen again'"
(counterpoint) "(Lucic) is not going to be on the very much in the playoffs"
"In dollars it's a big steal for Calgary"
"I could see a win for both teams"
"This is a trade that both teams had to make"
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Sportsnet
Quote:
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"You have to believe that James Neal has the better chance of finding it"
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The Hockey Writers / Stefan Wright:
"
Neal Swapped for Lucic in Bizarre Alberta Trade"
Quote:
- The Flames depth sets up a good situation for Lucic in Calgary... A 30 to 40-point season would be a successful season and not entirely unattainable. (bold statement bolded because it deserves it)
- Oilers fans claim trade victory because of unrealistic expectations.
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Yahoo sports / Ryan Lambert:
"
Flames’ trade for Milan Lucic is inexplicable"
Quote:
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Even with the acknowledgement that the James Neal situation had become untenable in Calgary, the decision to trade him for Milan Lucic of all the people in the league should be considered a fireable offense.
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Sporting News / Sammi Silber:
"
NHL trade grades: Oilers come out on top in Milan Lucic-James Neal trade"
Quote:
- While both 31-year-old forwards had down years, each failing to exceed 20 points with their respective clubs, they are both much-needed assets and should be able to benefit both teams
- This deal can actually be considered a big win for the Oilers.
- The trade from the Flames side isn't the worst... they didn't lose a key offensive piece in Neal, and they won't be getting one in Lucic - not only that, they don't really need it with their current depth. So what does Calgary get with this deal? Mainly a strong off-ice presence, something that the Flames need more than anything given their youth
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