So ... Milan Lucic. What do we expect from him next year?
He finished last season with one goal in his final 58 games after a really hot start. But he also dealt with a sprained shoulder and we've seen him rebound before. I thought he played his worst hockey as a Flame down the stretch last year, but he's shown he can be a capable third-liner over long periods of time since being acquired.
I shared some of my own musings on Lucic in a column at FlamesNation today:
https://flamesnation.ca/2022/09/10/m...-nhl-question/
I think Lucic could be the difference between the Flames' fourth line being solid or lacking next season. But he needs to be a whole lot better than he was in the last half of 2021–22 ... or else I think he could end up in the press box. Sutter heavily reduced his ice time over the final few months of last season.
What do we all think?