Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
It's a terrible trade because Neal actually did contribute for the Oilers this season and while the Lucic contract is buyout proof the Neal one is not. He was a difference maker for therm early in the season and wins in October/November count as much as they to in February/March. You will not find a single Oilers fan today that regrets the trade yet Flames fans are still divided. There's a reason for that. If you want an objective viewpoint just go outside Alberta and see what hockey media thought about the trade. They all think it was a major win for the Oilers.
Also the justification used by many here was that Neal and Peters didn't get along but low and behold we find out Lucic also didn't get along with Peters to the point he was thinking of packing his bags and going home (nothing says warrior like quitting when times get tough). It seems to me Neal took a lot of heat when Peters was likely the root of most problems with the team. At the end of the day what I have learned from this entire mess is that I no longer trust the judgement of this GM to hire a head coach or sign players in free agency as time and time again he's failed on both of these GM tasks.
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Neal's ability to contribute to the Oilers is pretty much zero right now. He only succeeded when given prime time with McDavid and Drasaitl. He's now been displaced in that role and does nothing. Sure many writers were saying that it was a major win, at the beginning of the season, as Neal had chemistry with McDavid and was lighting it up. After the first 20 games or so of the season, Lucic and Neal have very similar point totals. Lucic is leading the Flames in hits. Neal is leading the Oilers in sucking up valuable ice time.
As far as the buyout option, that's not free. I'd take Lucic and his contributions for 2.5 million easily. So factor in the Neal buyout costs, plus the replacement cost for Lucic, and it's a wash.
Plus factor in that Flames ownership wasn't allowing a Neal buyout. At least the Flames have a physical presence now.