Ongoing thread for Neal/Lucic discussion

[Fighting Banana Slug]

This looks to be the worst BT deal ever. For all of the other missteps on trades (Bollig,Lazar) or UFA signings (Brouwer, Neal), at least there was some method to the madness. This is pure madness, unless there is more to the deal or another deal to follow. I just threw up a little in my mouth.

[SportsJunky]

Bennett and Lucic on the same line?

[Gaudreau is a Ninja]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Dean Molberg @960boomer
Treliving has been mulling over this deal for more than a week. Seeds of the deal were planted earlier this year. Oilers keep some money and Lucic likely plays with Ryan and Bennett on 3rd line (Bennett to RW).

How does The Oilers save money, let’s get the facts straight about the deal first

[bigrangy]

Lucic is better than Neal of last year, but Neal should be better than Neal of last year.

Hopefully the conditions and the retention are favorable but this probably won’t move the needle for the Flames.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Dean Molberg @960boomer
Treliving has been mulling over this deal for more than a week. Seeds of the deal were planted earlier this year. Oilers keep some money and Lucic likely plays with Ryan and Bennett on 3rd line (Bennett to RW).

That'll sure please the "Give Bennett better linemates" crowd

[Mass_nerder]

Originally Posted by Weitz

While totally possible, I actually wasn't as down on Neal as a lot people were. I though he would return to his average shooting % and score 15-20 goals next year.

I still think he could. He's too slow for McDavid I think, but I could see him doing alright with RNH.

[JurassicTunga12]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Dean Molberg @960boomer
Treliving has been mulling over this deal for more than a week. Seeds of the deal were planted earlier this year. Oilers keep some money and Lucic likely plays with Ryan and Bennett on 3rd line (Bennett to RW).

Johnny Gaudreau - Sean Monahan - Elias Lindholm
Matthew Tkachuk - Mikael Backlund - Michael Frolik
Milan Lucic - Derek Ryan - Sam Bennett
Andrew Mangiapane - Mark Jankowski - Dillon Dube

?

[Badgers Nose]

I predict that by the third week of the season he’ll be one of the fans favourite players. He has a lot to prove and if he can play his heavy game and bring that violence and truculence used to have so much of it will add something to this flames team that they simply did not have before.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Dean Molberg @960boomer
Treliving has been mulling over this deal for more than a week. Seeds of the deal were planted earlier this year. Oilers keep some money and Lucic likely plays with Ryan and Bennett on 3rd line (Bennett to RW).

hmm, I thought Ryan and mangiapane looked like a decent pairing on a line.

.. but ya, let's throw that chemistry out the window, and put a slow and struggling player on the line, and with a questionable player like Bennett on the line to boot. Seems genius.

Brouwer, Neal, Lucic just wow. If Lucic has to get protected come expansion draft time, I'm going to be fuming.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by JurassicTunga12

Johnny Gaudreau - Sean Monahan - Elias Lindholm
Matthew Tkachuk - Mikael Backlund - Michael Frolik
Milan Lucic - Derek Ryan - Sam Bennett
Andrew Mangiapane - Mark Jankowski - Dillon Dube

?

I'd still swap Jankowski and Ryan. No need to drag Ryan down by playing with those two, and would rather Dube get the better linemates

[taxbuster]

I'm going for a swim. It's a lot better at the lake than reading Flames news today.

Ick.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

The advanced and counting stats aren't actually that far apart for these two over the last two seasons.

If you look at the last two seasons at 5v5:

Counting Stats:

Neal:
GP: 134
G: 22
A: 20
P: 42
Shots: 264
Shooting Percentage: 8.33%
Hits: 88

Lucic:
GP: 161
G: 11
A: 28
P: 39
Shots: 185
Shooting Percentage: 5.95%
Hits: 492

That's actually way closer than I thought it would be. Neal the better goal scorer but not as good of a distributor, and doesn't play physical Anymore. Lucic's shot seems to have dissapeared but he can still hit.

Advanced Stats:

Neal:
CF%: 50.5%
CF%: -1.76%
HDCF%: 47.4%
GF%: 46.4%
xGF%: 48.1%
xGF% Rel: -4.69%
PDO: .992
Offensive Zone Start: 59.5%

Lucic
CF%: 50.9%
CF% Rel:2.09%
HDCF%: 50.8%
GF%: 47.1%
xGF%: 51.2%
XGF% Rel: 2.3%
PDO: .992
Offensive Zone Start: 49.8%

From an advanced stat perspective Lucic has actually been much better than Neal over the last two seasons. Better from a raw number perspective, better from a relative to teammates perspective, and did it with tougher zone starts.

Yep. Lucic > neal

[Atodaso]

Retaining half and offering a conditional 1st seems to be the common wish, which is unlikely.

I'm thinking $1-$1.5m retained with a conditional 2nd, but probably a 3rd.

[FlamesAreOne]

I get the initial freak out, but this is going to help a lot in terms of what goes on behind closed doors. I've spoken with a couple contacts and they couldn't be happier that Neal and Smith are in EDM and not our problem.

[Johnny Makarov]

and if Lucic doesn't work out, doesn't he have a long history of rashes and allergic reactions to equipment? Does that still work?

[Cheese]

#### this ####ing deal! I hate ####ing Lucic and his ####ing contract, but WORSE, why in the #### are we dealing with the Oylahz unless it is a clear and outstanding win. #### this ####ing deal!

[getoverit]

Lucic for Ferland now
Vancouver wants it, Lucic wants it

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by JurassicTunga12

Johnny Gaudreau - Sean Monahan - Elias Lindholm
Matthew Tkachuk - Mikael Backlund - Michael Frolik
Milan Lucic - Derek Ryan - Sam Bennett
Andrew Mangiapane - Mark Jankowski - Dillon Dube

?

Obvious need to upgrade 2nd line RW but maybe they are banking on a motivated contract year for Frolik back to playing consistently with the MMM line?? It will be interesting to see how the rest of the offseason plays out.

[Monahammer]

10% retention seems set in stone by now, anyone have a guess what the pick/conditions look like?

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Cheese

#### this ####ing deal! I hate ####ing Lucic and his ####ing contract, but WORSE, why in the #### are we dealing with the Oylahz unless it is a clear and outstanding win. #### this ####ing deal!

I think it's a win.