[News] Ken Holland is the new GM and POHO of the Edmonton Oilers

[Dion]

David Staples must be drinking the water

Why would another team want Lucic? He is, after all, still Milan Lucic, one of the most feared players in the NHL. And some team will still maybe hope that Lucic can turn it around somewhat as a player. And, most importantly, some team will be tired of seeing its young star players hammered hard and will believe that Lucic can help rectify that situation.

A lot of fans don’t believe a player like Lucic provides a deterrent, but it doesn’t matter how many fans think this, or even if they are right. What matters is a percentage of NHL GMs still believe in having the biggest, baddest guy on the block as a deterrent.

https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/h...or-poison-pill

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Dion

David Staples must be drinking the water



https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/h...or-poison-pill

He isn’t wrong. I don’t believe there is a single contract out there scarier than Lucic’s.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by Dion

David Staples must be drinking the water



https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/h...or-poison-pill

"Scary guys" (read goons) are cheap. NHL General Mangers know this.

[TheScorpion]

Rome may have fallen in a day, but Milan fell with seven years.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Dion

David Staples must be drinking the water



https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/h...or-poison-pill

Not exactly sure why he's trying so hard to sell readers that Lucic is a tradeable asset. The only opinions that matter are that of NHL GM's and all he's doing here is setting up Oilers fans for disappointment.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Not exactly sure why he's trying so hard to sell readers that Lucic is a tradeable asset. The only opinions that matter are that of NHL GM's and all he's doing here is setting up Oilers fans for disappointment.

It’s usually pretty easy to determine Staples motive behind his various articles. This one is a little harder to figure out.

Maybe trying to cheerlead to help sell seasons tickets? I imagine there was a monetary kickback from the Club for writing that piece on Looch.

[Erick Estrada]

I think a lot about the Holland hiring was to stop the bleeding in regards to season ticket renewals. Get a recognizable big name that had success in the past (it’s always about the past of course when it comes to the Oilers). They are trying really hard to sell the fans that next year will be different.

[JackIsBack]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Not exactly sure why he's trying so hard to sell readers that Lucic is a tradeable asset. The only opinions that matter are that of NHL GM's and all he's doing here is setting up Oilers fans for disappointment.

Lucic is worth something... he has value and therefore he is tradeable... his value is just not 6 million (per year) and that's something both parties in a trade can discuss and negotiate. The Oilers are going to have to retain salary, or add some incentives in, or both, before another GM takes on that contract.



In fact... Lucic only gets 4.75 per year going forward for the next four... and that is significant - because while his cap hit is 6 million.... he's only getting 4.75 per and that may be attractive to a rebuilding team with lots of ELC that's struggling to keep just above the cap floor. So for example... if Edmonton retains 2 million.... a team only has to pay 2.75 million but gets 4 million towards their cap space for the years before they hopefully need to pay their current ELC more money.


And Lucic also got paid closer to Leon's salary over his three years in Edmonton so far - he got 7.67 million per - so it's even worse then the 6 million cap hit lead us to believe and significantly higher then RNH's 6 million.

[Hey Connor, It's Mess]

The only guys afraid of Lucic at this point are the ones who have to play on his line.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

"Scary guys" (read goons) are cheap. NHL General Mangers know this.

True, McGrattan's contract was never more than $750K, and there was no scarier guy in the league. Reaves makes more now, but only a third of LUcic for the same type of production (and more effective play).

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by JackIsBack

Lucic is worth something... he has value and therefore he is tradeable... his value is just not 6 million (per year) and that's something both parties in a trade can discuss and negotiate. The Oilers are going to have to retain salary, or add some incentives in, or both, before another GM takes on that contract.



In fact... Lucic only gets 4.75 per year going forward for the next four... and that is significant - because while his cap hit is 6 million.... he's only getting 4.75 per and that may be attractive to a rebuilding team with lots of ELC that's struggling to keep just above the cap floor. So for example... if Edmonton retains 2 million.... a team only has to pay 2.75 million but gets 4 million towards their cap space for the years before they hopefully need to pay their current ELC more money.


And Lucic also got paid closer to Leon's salary over his three years in Edmonton so far - he got 7.67 million per - so it's even worse then the 6 million cap hit lead us to believe and significantly higher then RNH's 6 million.

This is all well and good if Lucic was on a shorter contract, but I believe he still has four years left and that's not attractive. He looked horrible this year and its going to get worse not better as the miles on his tires continue to add up.


On top of that, a GM might look at a strictly grabbing a player to reach the cap floor. But its likely that they're still going to want a player that's useful in this day and age. They're not going to spend 4 million bucks on a guy that can't keep up, has hands of stones that's a supposed intimidator that doesn't intimidate because teams can ignore that.

[Split98]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Not exactly sure why he's trying so hard to sell readers that Lucic is a tradeable asset. The only opinions that matter are that of NHL GM's and all he's doing here is setting up Oilers fans for disappointment.

As I asked him...

How does he still have a job?

It's obviously not reporting, as anyone who pays attention would know where Lucic and his contract stands in the NHL... but it's also pretty terrible PR. If Holland does pull something off that doesn't hurt the Oilers significantly elsewhere it would be a huge accomplishment and reason for optimism. However, no one will view Lucic as he hopes - and Staples' fan-fiction is about as big as Holland is going to have to sell this to make something happen.

Hopefully Ken can catch someone with their sweatpants on...

[Harry Lime]

Hmmmm....

Milan Lucic (3M retained) and second round pick for Brent Seabrook might work. They both have NMC and Seabrook is for 5 years at 6.875M.

That would eat up the entirety of available cap space for Edmonton.

[Split98]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

Hmmmm....

Milan Lucic (3M retained) and second round pick for Brent Seabrook might work. They both have NMC and Seabrook is for 5 years at 6.875M.

That would eat up the entirety of available cap space for Edmonton.

Yes, please!


So that would leave Edmonton paying $3M to Lucic for 4(?) more years, AND Seabrook for 5 years at 6.875M? That would be the Holland move the skeptics are expecting.

And if you think Seabrook is on the decline now... imagine what a move from Chicago to Edmonton will do for his mindset

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by MRCboicgy

Was just about to post: let's drop/edit the comments about his looks in hindsight. (Had it been the LA lifestyle, then fair game)

Check out what Souray typed in that Shannon tweet. Katz thought he was milking his injury.

This is awful. I can relate....Here’s a little story for you: After I broke my hand in a fight with Iggy in 2010 and needed pins put in to set the fracture, the Oilers insisted I get the surgery done in Edmonton. After some discussion, I agreed.

Sometime during the Olympic Break, my hand became infected and I got very sick. I flew back to EDM from LA and went to the hospital that night. I had a bad blood and bone infection (MRSA). After spending a few days in ICU and a couple more surgeries later.

I was close to having my hand amputated. I spent about 12 weeks on the IV bag with a PIC line on my heart to keep the infection from killing me. During the 10 days in the hospital, I was told that Oilers management(Katz,Kevin, Tambellini) thought I was “milking” the injury

When I spoke to the press in April 2010, I still hadn’t talked to management. I wasn’t mad they “didn’t check on me”. I was floored they thought I was using this injury not to play again that season. Obviously the rest is history. These infections are real and serious.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Hey Connor, It's Mess

The only guys afraid of Lucic at this point are the ones who have to play on his line.

I would love to see Lucic challenge someone to a fight and then watch them skate away and be unable to catch them.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Honestly, I think Lucic can probably be rehabilitated into a decent 20G 20A player for most of the remainder of his contract.

Hes lost a little bit of footspeed (because he's huge and over the hill), and mentally completely clocked out (because he's on his retirement contract and playing in Edmonton). But if he lost a little bit of weight, moved out of Edmonton, and had something to play for, I think he could rebound nicely.

I wouldn't bet $24 million in cumulative cap hit on it though.

[jayswin]

I think you guys that think Lucic can be anything are nuts. He's the definition of 30+ players that lose enough speed to become completely replacement level or worse at the NHL level in the blink of an eye.

We've seen it over and over with young players getting faster and smarter every year. Lucic is done. He'll get a little slower each year and he's too slow to contribute now.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by jayswin

I think you guys that think Lucic can be anything are nuts. He's the definition of 30+ players that lose enough speed to become completely replacement level or worse at the NHL level in the blink of an eye.

We've seen it over and over with young players getting faster and smarter every year. Lucic is done. He'll get a little slower each year and he's too slow to contribute now.

Yup. The guy isnt even an NHLer anymore.

I love that he structured that contract in such a way that the Edmonton Oilers are going to have to eat every single cent of it.

Spoiler!

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Originally Posted by jayswin

I think you guys that think Lucic can be anything are nuts. He's the definition of 30+ players that lose enough speed to become completely replacement level or worse at the NHL level in the blink of an eye.

We've seen it over and over with young players getting faster and smarter every year. Lucic is done. He'll get a little slower each year and he's too slow to contribute now.

In emergency medicine, there's a saying "Nobody is dead until they're warm and dead."

This is because hypothermia can slow someones vital signs to the point where they are undetectable. So anybody found "down" and pulseless outside is usually warmed up to body temperature before we declare them dead.

If you replace "hypothermia" with "playing for the Edmonton Oilers", the rule still holds.

I won't declare someone "finished", until they're off the Oilers and finished.