Quote:
Originally Posted by edslunch
I think the point was that he ended up with bad line mates because he wasn't good enough when he played with the good ones. No doubt the Flames' bottom six is superior to the Oilers' so he may get better results, but the notion that he was dragged down by his linemates is a weak one. He earned those linemates.
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Even with "bad" linemates, Lucic still managed to finish 6th among Oiler forwards in scoring which really speaks to their lack of depth more so than anything else. But with 3rd/4th line minutes, I think Lucic managed to muster up a respectable position in the Oilers line up.
I'm probably in the minority here, but I think Lucic will do great this coming season. He's the type of player who can't necessarily drive play himself, but with the 2nd highest scoring team in the league, I could see his production improving. I've watched a few Oiler games this summer, specifically just for Lucic's shifts and I have to say, he is not a bad player. Definitely overpaid, but still very effective. When I did the same for James Neal, I saw an overpaid and ineffective player.
The trade should ultimately benefit both teams I think.