One year later: how do you feel about the Lucic/Neal swap?

[TheScorpion]

It's been a year since Brad Treliving pulled off a deal that everyone seemed to hate for Calgary, from Flames fans to Oilers fans to neutral fans to the media. Ken Campbell called Lucic a "vigilante" and a "menace at the best of times" who, "along with anyone who has two eyes, [has] likely come to the realization that the game has passed him by at breakneck speed and his contributions beyond anything physical are minimal."

The deal was as follows:

To Calgary:

Milan Lucic
conditional 3rd

To Edmonton:

James Neal
$750k of dead salary

I hated this deal when it was made. I think most people did. But one year later, what do you think of it? Is it a huge upgrade? Meh? Or a huge downgrade?

[Coach]

Meh.

The money's a wash and Lucic seems to mesh better with the team so I'd call that a plus.

The real minus was signing Neal in the 1st place, although it didn't look terrible at the time.

[Vinny01]

Garbage for garbage just like it was the day it was made. The start Neal had made me hate it that much more. Lucic did get better as the season wore on and I do take him on my team every day before Neal.

Lucic was bad for the first couple months and Neal was white hot. From December on Lucic was clearly the better player as Neal cooled off and was injured.

The big thing for me is if the Flames will be forced to protect Lucic or not in expansion. If they do it will be a disaster

[Toonage]

Stunk then, stinks now.

Rinaldo gives the team the same intangibles without leaning so hard on the cap.

Every time someone lists why they think Lucic is a good fit on the team it almost always describes what we have had or can have for a fraction of the cost.

I get that Treliving tried to make the best of a bad situation, but sometime you just have to cut bait. Should have done that with Neal first. Actually if Neal had stayed on, and Peters had left, he may have been a happier player and better teammate. Thats probably another discussion.

[TheScorpion]

For me the whole expansion thing will work like this:

Either Lucic waives and won't get selected (and I'm sure he doesn't want to leave), or he refuses to waive, gets bought out, loses his cushy job with a guaranteed salary and he might not get another.

[Eric Vail]

Lucic failed to make his presence felt against the Oilers - the Flames biggest rival. Until he does that, he is an epic fail.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Neal did nothing and was proving to be a distraction. People forget that he argued with Peters in front of the team on the ice during practice in the playoffs for additional ice-time, and he followed that up with even more lazy play - especially on defence - resulting in that goal against. He was a healthy scratch the next - and final - playoff game. The one and only saving grace was an easier contract to buy-out.



Lucic is proving to not be a distraction, and has shown emotion and hard work. Plus he is faster. Sticks up for his teammates. Plays pretty decent defensively. Plus, Lucic may just outright retire if his play deteriorates further, though his contract is horrendous in terms of a buyout.


As I see it: Flames got tougher (was definitely a need), they got faster (Lucic is WAY faster than Neal), they got the better teammate, they shed some cap for the duration of the deal, and they MAY be getting a pick. Unless Calgary could somehow trade for McDavid who can score goals off Neal's ass, this year's Neal would have been the exact same as last year's Neal, perhaps worse since his attitude would have been worse.



I do that trade all day long.

[SeanCharles]

I think compliance buyouts due to the pandemic and ensuing flat cap will make the whole thing disappear.

The sad thing is I don’t mind Lucic on the team, but not at his current cap hit.

I didn’t mind the trade and I hated the Neal signing at the time.

Why sign a slow, 30yo left shot winger to 5 years at nearly $6mill who is a career 2nd liner?

Just asking for trouble.

Brouwer taught Tre nothing..

[slcrocket]

Garbage for garbage...BUT, from a chemistry perspective it's hard to argue that it wasn't a net gain. The guys seem to like him, though I of course have nothing to back that up. Maybe they just really hated Neal.

[calgaryred]

It's a wash for me both are over paid and bring little to the table. I prefer Rinaldo over Lucic

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[EVERLAST]

I hate that Lucic was playing well and now with hockey starting up again soon he'll have zero impact on the ice.

It took fooooorrrrreeeevvvvver for him to really make an impact . So unless he really really fit i hope he sits and we play someone else in his place like Rinaldo or Quine .

A year later we shouldn't have signed either and as already stated Bradley learned nothing from Brouwer.

Just glad Lucic is not a cancer in the room and that's about the only bonus.

[djsFlames]

Hard to be anything more than luke warm with what the player contributes for that cap hit but that said I think Neal is a way bigger liability and having the sense to be in the right spot to tap in a puck now and then doesn't make up for how he kills you at the other end.

I think overall the team is more responsible with Neal swapped for Lucic. Contract is slightly less expensive too.

If we get the third that will make a lot of people feel pretty good about it.

[Erick Estrada]

Hated it then and hate it now. To me it's on the list of all-time worst trades in the history of the franchise. Lucic wasn't as terrible as I feared he may be on the ice but I also don't believe his presence tips the scales in any meaningful direction. The one time he could have proved his value he failed miserably. Neal was proving to be one of the franchises worst free agent signings but his contract would have been easier to get out of and at the end of the day when discussing two different pieces of junk the most important differentiation is ease of disposal. Not even getting a draft pick in return for helping the Oilers is a sin worthy of dismissal IMO.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

For me the whole expansion thing will work like this:

Either Lucic waives and won't get selected (and I'm sure he doesn't want to leave), or he refuses to waive, gets bought out, loses his cushy job with a guaranteed salary and he might not get another.

So it is really terrible if that happens. Flames have a dead cap of 3.6M in 21/22 and 4.9M in 22/23 before having a $500k dead cap hit for 2 years. I get that you are saying you are sure he will waive but if they have to go the buyout route that stings. He may have no issue going to Seattle due to proximity to his hometown

Assuming he waives the trade works out for both teams.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Hated it then and hate it now. To me it's on the list of all-time worst trades in the history of the franchise. Lucic wasn't as terrible as I feared he may be on the ice but I also don't believe his presence tips the scales in any meaningful direction. The one time he could have proved his value he failed miserably. Neal was proving to be one of the franchises worst free agent signings but his contract would have been easier to get out of and at the end of the day when discussing two different pieces of junk the most important differentiation is ease of disposal.

If they are both junk then why is it one of the all time worst trades? Wouldn't giving up assets for junk be worse? (Which we have done)

I think what you really mean is that the Neal signing is one of the all time worst UFA contracts we've dealt out, and was easily the bigger no-no than the trade.

[scobel]

I don’t mind the trade and Lucic was looking better the Neal in the new year. The thing that bugs me is the no movement clause. But I also do think Lucic will not be afraid to leave money on the table and retire as per him thinking about folding it up in the fall.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by scobel

I don’t mind the trade and Lucic was looking better the Neal in the new year. The thing that bugs me is the no movement clause. But I also do think Lucic will not be afraid to leave money on the table and retire as per him thinking about folding it up in the fall.

I think Lucic is going to do the team a solid before the contract is up,. If he was thinking if hanging them up a early as last fall then it's doubtful that as he continues to slow down that his hunger to play will remain above the physical demands it takes to stay in the game.

Seems like a guy with a boat load of money already and a big family that would be happy giving more time to the family.

What changed his mind was Dube and the younger linemates that came into the fold and brought more energy and fun into playing (reading between the lines seems like he also really was not a fan of playing under Peters). Don't sound like reasons that will hold for him long term though.

[CaptainCrunch]

I was glad to see Neal shoved out the door, if we could have made a trade that allowed us to fire him into the sun I would have been all for it.


I think Lucic was starting to find his confidence and was contributing more then Neal was to the Oilers towards the end of the season.


Yeah I hate both contracts, but after watching Neal in his playoff appearance last year, and the distraction he caused, I would have been fine with trading Neal for a 5 million dollar bag of potatoes.


F that guy, really.

[TheScorpion]

I will say this about Lucic. He's the first guy in the last few years (since Versteeg, I'd say) to lock down a role on the Flames' third line. The last couple years, it's sort of existed in flux with guys like Bennett and Jankowski occupying spots there without really establishing themselves as a unit.

Lucic helped make that line a reliable unit. He, Ryan, and Dube were an effective third option that brought a different dynamic to the ice whenever they had a shift. I really enjoyed watching them.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I was glad to see Neal shoved out the door, if we could have made a trade that allowed us to fire him into the sun I would have been all for it.


I think Lucic was starting to find his confidence and was contributing more then Neal was to the Oilers towards the end of the season.


Yeah I hate both contracts, but after watching Neal in his playoff appearance last year, and the distraction he caused, I would have been fine with trading Neal for a 5 million dollar bag of potatoes.


F that guy, really.

We did the only thing more brutal than firing him into the sun, we fired him into Edmonton.

Best part is he makes them worse every minute he's on the ice. He's inadvertently become a double agent in a way.