Quote:
Originally Posted by bubbsy
I don't think the flames need him to be a "reclamation project" in that they need him to go back to being a 50-60 point player.
They need him to be involved, win battles, be nasty, get into all the scrums and help build another layer of a "tough to play against" identity to the team. That's the target, at least for me. We don't need a point producing Lucic, and the flames aren't going to be putting him in high offensive situations (top 6, pp time).
If he can do that, he's far better than anything we ever got from James Neal, and is actually more of what this team needs to grow to the next level, more so than a 20 goal scorer (in my opinion).
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This. So much. In the 2000’s 319 goals is the most goals scored in a season (last year by Tampa). We scored 289 the same year. Both of these teams were bounced in the first round with ONE combined win between them.
We were not one 20 or 30 goal scorer away from any kind of Playoff success. We have a solid top 6 who are going to produce most of your offence. There is limited minutes on the ice and limited shots to be taken. Our offence was not our issue. The problem was we had next to no push back when a bigger badder team came calling. 6’1 190 lb Bennett was our guy to answer the call all season and I loved that he was willing to step up to that but we needed more fire power in that department. Of that I have no doubt.
Now I obviously would of rather had a cheaper option but Neal was dead weight and in a anchor for anchor trade at least what we got back was in an area of need rather then a guy who needs to be gifted minutes to get you any results which he couldn’t even do that last year.