Treliving's Talk

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Would love to know the real story behind the Lucic trade. He’s likeable but terrible. The flames can’t possibly think he’s likely to be a useful player again, though I get why they’ll give it a shot now that they have him. And his contract is worse. How poisonous did Neal have to be for that to be a better option?

[Locke]

What was the 'its a process' count?

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by Locke

What was the 'its a process' count?

Not once, actually. I was shocked. Shocked.

[SeanCharles]

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

Would love to know the real story behind the Lucic trade. He’s likeable but terrible. The flames can’t possibly think he’s likely to be a useful player again, though I get why they’ll give it a shot now that they have him. And his contract is worse. How poisonous did Neal have to be for that to be a better option?

I'm not going to sit here and say Lucic is a great player but I dont think he is terrible.

He is definately worthy of top 12 spot IMO because if you forget about the salary you have a useful bottom six player that can play physical, hit, is a feared fighter, gives everyone confidence and doesn't have bad corsi metrics despite being slower.

We needed a player like him. Yes he should be significantly cheaper but that doesn't mean he isn't valuable to the hockey club in some ways.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

Would love to know the real story behind the Lucic trade. He’s likeable but terrible. The flames can’t possibly think he’s likely to be a useful player again, though I get why they’ll give it a shot now that they have him. And his contract is worse. How poisonous did Neal have to be for that to be a better option?

I believe it had to do more with wanting to jettison Neal than it was to pick up Lucic. I have a really bad feeling that Neal became a disruptive force in the dressing room and was not the team player the Flames wanted him to be. When a team deals a player after one year of a long term deal, and do so for very diminished returns, it screams character issues. Neal appears to a guy more focused on himself and his production than he does about team success. I think that is why they dealt him, and why they were willing to bring on board an expensive face puncher as the only return.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

Would love to know the real story behind the Lucic trade. He’s likeable but terrible. The flames can’t possibly think he’s likely to be a useful player again, though I get why they’ll give it a shot now that they have him. And his contract is worse. How poisonous did Neal have to be for that to be a better option?

Although it's only been two games Lucic looks like a fringe player that should be a pressbox regular inserted only in games against bigger teams that don't skate well. If they get 60 decent games out of his entire remaining contract I would be surprised.

[SmoggyFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Although it's only been two games Lucic looks like a fringe player that should be a pressbox regular inserted only in games against bigger teams that don't skate well. If they get 60 decent games out of his entire remaining contract I would be surprised.

It's not as though Lucic was brought in to replace Neal's offense or lackthereof. Even he scores the exact same amount as Neal did last yeat, the Flames are better with him in the lineup. Teams know they can't get away with goinh after our stars, and that is a huge win.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by SmoggyFlamesFan

It's not as though Lucic was brought in to replace Neal's offense or lackthereof. Even he scores the exact same amount as Neal did last yeat, the Flames are better with him in the lineup. Teams know they can't get away with goinh after our stars, and that is a huge win.

Well yeah but outside of being a thug he's generally terrible and he's got three years left on his deal after this one. With all the parity in today's NHL it's hard to ice a player that can't play.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Well yeah but outside of being a thug he's generally terrible and he's got three years left on his deal after this one. With all the parity in today's NHL it's hard to ice a player that can't play.

He can play. He’s been just fine in the two games so far, fitting right in with the general quality of our bottom six. He plays hard, keeps up with the pace, helps create chances.

I’m not sure what you’re looking for. He hasn’t looked much different than Bennett out there and people want him on the second line instead of Frolik.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Well yeah but outside of being a thug he's generally terrible and he's got three years left on his deal after this one. With all the parity in today's NHL it's hard to ice a player that can't play.

I don't see a lot of production coming, but that's over the top.

He's been great at getting in on the forecheck, laying the body and creating a cycle. I think there is value in that.

He isn't going back to 40 points for sure, but he adds an element.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I don't see a lot of production coming, but that's over the top.

He's been great at getting in on the forecheck, laying the body and creating a cycle. I think there is value in that.

He isn't going back to 40 points for sure, but he adds an element.

21 minutes worth of penalties in 2 games element.

[bubbsy]

Lucic will be fine, with tempered expectations. He will likely be pushed down to the 4th line TOI, but it's not like others have been better and pushed for his ice time at 5on5 or the pp.

Outside of the top line, i feel like all the forwards have been just garbage offensively in the 2 games played.

I am curious on how things play out, and how the team looks 20 games in.

[Flash Walken]

Right now Lucic is costing Bennett icetime and that doesn't sit well with me.

[heep223]

Whoa I didn’t think he was bad at all

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

21 minutes worth of penalties in 2 games element.

Hahaha! 5 penalties and 21 mins in two games. That's crazy!

[Toonage]

Lucic looked all of Lucic on the penalties he took Saturday.

Thats going to be tough to stomach routinely but here we are.

[Canada 02]

17 minutes vs Zadorov. Otherwise he has had two minors

[Robbob]

17 mins on that one play with Zaradov

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Well yeah but outside of being a thug he's generally terrible and he's got three years left on his deal after this one. With all the parity in today's NHL it's hard to ice a player that can't play.

That take is generally terrible.

Lucic is a slower powerforward. He’s good at puck protection, board play, net screening. He has more skill than you’re giving him credit for apparently. He’s far more than a thug or a facepuncher. His presence is something we’ve lacked since Engelland left and frankly Lucic is much scarier than Engelland. We badly needed another powerforward as well because our team contains a lot of smaller and softer forwards like Gaudreau and Czarnik. You need big strong powerforwards who can create space for our smaller forwards. Lucic joins Tkachuk in this role.

Great addition imo. He brings far, far more than Neal did.

[Itse]

Lucic has been among the least bad in our bottom 9 so far.

Sure that's a really low bar. But I don't see a reason to single out Lucic as useless or hopeless.