Ongoing thread for Neal/Lucic discussion

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by transplant99

No one should even hint that this is anything but a goddamn fiasco of a deal for the Flames.

Stunned is one word.

Slobberknockered is another.

BT is done.

Lol oh the drama

I dunno, I'm just spitballing here, but maybe....just MAYBE, the 2nd best team in the NHL last season will be OK despite trading away their worst forward from last season.

[Phaneuf_Phan]

I absolutely love this deal for the Flames! We need grit desperately for the playoffs. Johnny will have his best season ever because we now have a nuclear deterent. Neal was giving us zero value no matter how you slice it.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

I'd argue they lacked confidence, composure, and experience. The Flames are a fast team.

I can see that to an extent, however Colorado isnt far removed from having a season so bad it gave Edmonton a draft lottery chub. They arent an overly experienced playoff team.

We also won the first game, which you could assume would lead to a certain level of confidence .

[Firebot]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

It makes sense that Lucic fills a physical need the flames lack in, but they also lacked speed against Colorado.

This trade is disappointing because the best we could get for Neal is an insignificant cap savings and outside chance at an insignificant pick. This is all while taking back a terribly structured contract no one will touch.

I'm really hoping we get compliance buyouts next lockout.

Neal was healthy scratched in the most important game of the Flames season.

He has negative value. His negative value was less negative than Lucic for the time being, but that could change very soon if he has a similar year next year.

Neal had 19 points last year...and 46 hits. Lucic had 20 points and 259 hits. I will take that. Lucic had better Corsi than Neal while Neal was on the 2nd best team in the regular season.

Neal was worst than atrocious, and didn't provide speed...or hits...or anything of value. Lucic was horrible for the Oilers, but Neal was somehow worse.

[trublmaker]

I just cant believe that the player and contract we have mocked for years is now our problem !!! mind bottling

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

We also won the first game, which you could assume would lead to a certain level of confidence .

True, but that was also a herculean effort requiring every single ounce of jam the team could possibly muster. Then Colorado made adjustments and Calgary had no answer. Once the team realized their absolute best wasn't going to get it done on its own (and Peter's inability to make the correct adjustments) they went off the rails really fast.

[Phaneuf_Phan]

Originally Posted by trublmaker

I just cant believe that the player and contract we have mocked for years is now our problem !!! mind bottling

Pass the bottle if you don't mind.

[PepsiFree]

This is a damn disaster for Calgary. Total disaster. We’re going from 1st to worst, DEAD SERIOUS.

Neal gave us 19 points. NINETEEN POINTS! Worth every damn penny, especially with his play away from the puck. Just SO much value we’re missing out on. This is a FIASCO.

I for one fear seeing Neal set up in the zone, receiving a crisp pass from McDavid, and turning it into an absolute muffin right into the chest of the opposing goaltender. He is going to LIGHT UP the shot counter, maybe?

And when he’s not popping sweet floaters in the general direction of the net, you know what he’s going to do? SKATE HARD to catch up to the rest of the team, and the SKATE HARD the other way as the play passes him by.

It’s just... wow... how did give that up. What fools we were. Fire all the Flames!

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by Love

might be done following the team in any capacity. this franchise will never win in our lifetimes, hockey is a dying boomer sport and i didn't even care enough to tune in for any of the playoff games and that was probably the best the team will perform for the next 25 years because we know how it goes on around here.

godspeed guys. hope the lottery gods do you right next season.

You’re a loser

[Vinny01]

This is a steep price to pay for a fourth line winger but at least he is one of the toughest guys in the league. I was a huge Lucic fan when he was in Boston. Ultimately I don’t have hopes he will be a 20 goal 40pt player again.

I just have a feeling that Neal could bounce back and make the trade look so much worse for the Flames. If both players bust the Flames save $500k on the cap but have the buyout proof contract with the NMC.

The only positive I see here is Lucic can at least play a role in the bottom 6. Neal wasn’t going to work with the Flames top 6 so moving on from him made sense. Taking on arguably the worst contract in the league wasn’t what I was hoping for.

I really wish the Reeves signing last summer didn’t fall through or none of this would have ever happened.

[Winsor_Pilates]

I wonder if they talked to Talbot to get his thoughts on Lucic

[gvitaly]

I think the Flames are the definite losers of the trade. It’s not because they get the worse player for the upcoming season but because of the risk associated with the contract.

• Criteria - winner
• Better player last season - Flames
• Easier to buy out - Oilers
• More likely to rebound - Oilers
• Lower cap hit - Flames
• Lower player salary remaining - Flames
• Extension draft implications - Oilers

Strictly based on the players the Flames get a better fit, and a better player. Based on results from last season though both teams get bad players, which are prime candidates for a buyout. If both players simply play at the same level next season the Oilers win this trade once they buy-out Neal. The only thing that would even out the scales is if a potential compliance buyout is introduced before the Seattle expansion draft. Which I find unlikely.

[Barca]

Originally Posted by trublmaker

I just cant believe that the player and contract we have mocked for years is now our problem !!! mind bottling

the irony is both fan bases mocked these players are now gonna have to defend the player lol.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

True, but that was also a herculean effort requiring every single ounce of jam the team could possibly muster. Then Colorado made adjustments and Calgary had no answer. Once the team realized their absolute best wasn't going to get it done on its own (and Peter's inability to make the correct adjustments) they went off the rails really fast.

That's totally true, but I still have a hard time seeing the flames as fast. I guess it comes down to your definition of "fast".

I see them as quick puck movers and a strong transitional team. However there is only 1 player I would call fast and that was Czarnik. I'm also basing this off nothing more than my eye test so statistics be damned.

[klikitiklik]

So who will be our new GM when this goes south three months into the season?

FA signings are just not our GM's forte. So many unsuccessful signings, and tough pills to swallow as a result ie trade for Lucic. Also why so many trades falling through?

My first reaction to this was WTF? After sitting on it since the trade broke my reaction is still WTF?

All my coiler friends have been texting me laughing and thanking us for taking on the worst contract in the league. Everyone in the hockey world is laughing at us.

After reading all 61 pages of comments, I still don't understand why. Neal has to have been a major cancer in order for Tree to do this. The money saved is minimal. In his interview he doesn't even seem convinced he did the right thing. THIS will make or break our GM.

I hope he comes out of this as an absolute genius. Only time will tell.

[SportsJunky]

From Eric Duhatschek

Neal will, almost certainly, rebound from a 19 points-in-63 games season because he will get a chance to play a top-six role on an Oilers’ team in need of quality wingers. I’m told Neal is spending the summer, not just working out with Gary Roberts, but living at his place for a time, in order to ensure that he doesn’t duplicate the worst year of his professional career.

[Phaneuf_Phan]

The bonus component of this trade is Tre sending a message that lazy players will be shipped out but not just to anywhere - shipped to Edmonton!

[sa226]

I look forward to some insight from a true Insider, because Im still wondering why this trade happened.

I just don't get it. I need more info.

I actually trust Treliving, If he makes a move like this, there must be a good reason for it.

But man oh man, I need to know why.

[Ashes]

I didn't like the deal at all this afternoon, but after some time I'm beginning to get on board with it. I was expecting a lot more from Neal when we got him last summer just like the rest of us, but the guys production fell off a cliff and he mostly looked disinterested on the physical side of the game. We finished the season 2nd in the league and that wasn't because of Neal, at all.

Would of liked to get more in the deal but it's been a weird summer in the market, almost makes sense at this point. I'm deciding to get on board though and say it might be more fun to cheer for a guy like Lucic who can at least go out there and stir #### up when we need a pushback. Plus (and maybe this is too optimistic for most right now) could he possibly be used as a screen on PP2? Guy's shaped like a fridge and tough to move

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

This is a steep price to pay for a fourth line winger but at least he is one of the toughest guys in the league. I was a huge Lucic fan when he was in Boston. Ultimately I don’t have hopes he will be a 20 goal 40pt player again.

I just have a feeling that Neal could bounce back and make the trade look so much worse for the Flames. If both players bust the Flames save $500k on the cap but have the buyout proof contract with the NMC.

The only positive I see here is Lucic can at least play a role in the bottom 6. Neal wasn’t going to work with the Flames top 6 so moving on from him made sense. Taking on arguably the worst contract in the league wasn’t what I was hoping for.

I really wish the Reeves signing last summer didn’t fall through or none of this would have ever happened.

Even if he does bounce back there may have been other mitigating factors that caused him to be traded. If true, I am glad he has moved on from the Flames.