Ongoing thread for Neal/Lucic discussion

[Nufy]

Now Lucic and Kassian can have grunting contests instead of the B-O-A...

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

I can’t pretend to know who will do better in their surroundings.

But the physical attrition the flames have suffered in the last few years is something treliving had to address. If putting lucic on the ice for 10-14 minutes a game helps prevent 1-2 slashes per game on Johnny and Monahan, then it’s worth the risk

I’m on record that this is a strategy teams used against the flames and tre needed to try and do something about it.

[Gaudreau is a Ninja]

Man I wish the fan960 had its regulars

[Duffalufagus]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

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.

This is what I don't get. This trade doesn't make us any better at all. And we need to get better. Speed killed us in the playoffs last year and we go and get....Lucic? The most laughable contract in the league?

I just don't get it. Where is the upside here? All things being equal, this guy couldn't make our team.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by Gaudreau is a Ninja

Man I wish the fan960 had its regulars

I know, it's brutal!

[keenan87]

Okay, thought about it a bit more.

1. With a 600k retention, the Oilers are effectively paying Neal 6.35 mil a year. Let that sink in for a little bit.

2. If Lucic completely waives his NMC, then the Flames don't have to protect him in the expansion draft.

3. Neal didn't fit in at all with this team. On or off the ice. On the ice, he was slow and could not keep up with the puck. Off the ice he seemed to have a unpleasant attitude right from the start about the China trip. That always bugged me because a new player should have been ready to bond with new teammates.

4. Yes, Neal can score 20 goals next season with McDavid. However, does anyone actually think Peters was going to give him much of a chance next season to play with Gaudreau on the top line? Let's be realistic, if Neal scores 20 goals with McDavid.. its not the case he was going to do that here. McDavid makes plugs score 20 goals all the time..Neal needs to score 40 goals for me to think he would have gotten 20 in Calgary.

5. There are reports apparently that Lucic has really been focused on working out and training this off-season to get better. I am not a huge fan of his but I think he will come in extremely motivated and I look forward to him protecting the Flames players...something no other player could do last season. Lucic will also be a good fit on the third line and won't have the same expectations as he did in Edmonton.

I may be wrong but I am ready to give Lucic a chance and hope he turns into a beast again given the new opportunity. Yes, the contract sucks but so did Neal's contract

Not my ideal.. but I am happier going in with Talbot and Lucic instead of Neal and Smith... both guys who shat the bed for the majority of last season are gone.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I get why the Oilers would do this, but for the life of me I don't understand why the Flames would. What's the possible upside here?

Edmonton paid out Lucic's bonus so I believe this saves the Flames 10 million in cold hard cash.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

Really? Because I stop caring about a sports team suddenly my life is a wreck? Jesus what an insane post. My marriage is great and so are my kids, FYI. Actually I've put some of the time and energy I used to spend following hockey into my family, and it feels great

I wasn't accusing you of such, I said that if you treated your whole life like you do your fandom, it would very likely not be going so well.

If you were putting time and energy into being a fan over being a family man I think you were doing it wrong.

You are well entitled to your opinion on the team, but saying that you won't be interested in them until they've danced with lord stanley is like saying you won't love your wife until she makes over 100k or you won't love your kids until they get straight As. It's dumb.

[camm13]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

hahahaha thanks for this, made me LOL

[sureLoss]

McKenzie says no conditional pick

Bobby Margarita @TSNBobMcKenzie
I do feel obliged to say this: the Lucic-Neal CGY-EDM trade is one for one. ��

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Duffalufagus

This is what I don't get. This trade doesn't make us any better at all. And we need to get better. Speed killed us in the playoffs last year and we go and get....Lucic? The most laughable contract in the league?

I just don't get it. Where is the upside here? All things being equal, this guy couldn't make our team.

I think lack of toughness killed us more than speed.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

McKenzie says no conditional pick

Bobby Margarita @TSNBobMcKenzie
I do feel obliged to say this: the Lucic-Neal CGY-EDM trade is one for one. ��

Trade is awful

[Duffalufagus]

Originally Posted by Flames Fan, Ph.D.

I can’t pretend to know who will do better in their surroundings.

But the physical attrition the flames have suffered in the last few years is something treliving had to address. If putting lucic on the ice for 10-14 minutes a game helps prevent 1-2 slashes per game on Johnny and Monahan, then it’s worth the risk

I’m on record that this is a strategy teams used against the flames and tre needed to try and do something about it.

McDavid got abused last year. The idea that Lucic will somehow protect Johnny and Mony is a fallacy.

[Reign of Fire]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

McKenzie says no conditional pick

Bobby Margarita @TSNBobMcKenzie
I do feel obliged to say this: the Lucic-Neal CGY-EDM trade is one for one. ��

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

McKenzie says no conditional pick

Bobby Margarita @TSNBobMcKenzie
I do feel obliged to say this: the Lucic-Neal CGY-EDM trade is one for one. ��

Boom! Happy weekend everyone!

[getbak]

Originally Posted by GGG

This seems to be hung up in paperwork. I wonder if the permanent waiver of his no move clause is the hold up.

It's probably just a matter of getting in writing whatever they've agreed to verbally and then getting both sides to sign it.

It could also just be a matter of Lucic actually getting the paperwork to sign and send back. I've heard stories of players spending their summers in remote locations where they don't have a printer, so they need to go into the nearest town to find somewhere to print off the documents and fax them back to their agent.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

McKenzie says no conditional pick

Bobby Margarita @TSNBobMcKenzie
I do feel obliged to say this: the Lucic-Neal CGY-EDM trade is one for one. ��

Gave up the pick in return for more retention maybe?

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

McKenzie says no conditional pick

Bobby Margarita @TSNBobMcKenzie
I do feel obliged to say this: the Lucic-Neal CGY-EDM trade is one for one. ��

wow. So we basically just take in a player that can't be bought out, and takes up a protection spot in the expansion draft, for hopefully winning a fight or 2 next season.

Man, from getting tougher and having more skill in the potential kadri trade that fell flat, this is an absolute horse S*** plan B.

[Duffalufagus]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

I think lack of toughness killed us more than speed.

We lost the Colorado series because we got beat to every puck and they skated circles around us all over the ice. But for Smith that series would have been an absolute massacre.

All the toughness in the world wouldn't have helped us win that series. And neither would have Milan f'n Lucic. Good lord I hate this trade.

[Dan403]

Originally Posted by Gaudreau is a Ninja

Man I wish the fan960 had its regulars

Jim Rome seems to be a regular there...