Ongoing thread for Neal/Lucic discussion

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Muta

I'm happy for Neal, I hope he does well. In the same vein, I hope Lucic has a great year too. I don't get the notion that you have to wish ill will on someone just because they're no longer on your team.

I get the notion when a player signs a huge money deal with your team and by all accounts come into camp out of shape and pouted all year that he was not gifted minutes with our top line when there was clearly a better option for that spot.

When he gets traded to our arch rival for their whipping boy you better believe I hope he sucks in Edmonton.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

Regularly I'd agree, but it's different territory when this player plays for the Oilers.

And when he completley mailed it in playing for the team I cheer for

[TheScorpion]

Neal is really turning into Thomas Vanek...

- Four teams in four years
- 74% offensive zone-starts rate in Edmonton
- 43% Corsi-for rate in Edmonton

That's some heavy sheltering and the results he's generating aren't great.

When both a player's shooting percentage and CF% are 43%, I think I know which one is sustainable.

[Dion]

I remember back in the 80's where Glen Sather once said a fire hydrant could score on a line with Gretzky. He'd probably say the same thing about Neal playing with McDavid.

[schteve_d]

My Oiler fan buddies are blowing up my phone and my facebook. I can't even say it's not getting to me a little! I hope it blows up in their faces, and sooner rather than later. This is irritating!

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by schteve_d

My Oiler fan buddies are blowing up my phone and my facebook. I can't even say it's not getting to me a little! I hope it blows up in their faces, and sooner rather than later. This is irritating!

Choose friends better.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by schteve_d

My Oiler fan buddies are blowing up my phone and my facebook. I can't even say it's not getting to me a little! I hope it blows up in their faces, and sooner rather than later. This is irritating!

Send them this and see if they can figure it out.

73GP 22G 16A 38PTS

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Send them this and see if they can figure it out.

73GP 22G 16A 38PTS

Oh! Oh! Oh!

I know!


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[BACKCHECK!!!]

Originally Posted by Muta

I'm happy for Neal, I hope he does well. In the same vein, I hope Lucic has a great year too. I don't get the notion that you have to wish ill will on someone just because they're no longer on your team.

I dont wish him ill because he's no longer on the Flames.

I wish him ill because he's an Oiler.

Totally different things.

[N-E-B]

I think a big part of this trade that’s being overlooked is the fact that the money we saved allowed us to sign Tkachuk without having to move out Brodie or Frolik. We were able to maintain solid depth in the NHL.

[My2Cents]

Just give it time. The more early season success he has the more enjoyable the collapse will be. Oilers fans were getting so down that the inevitable failure wouldn't have been enjoyable at all. This changes everything!

[Itse]

Originally Posted by schteve_d

My Oiler fan buddies are blowing up my phone and my facebook. I can't even say it's not getting to me a little! I hope it blows up in their faces, and sooner rather than later. This is irritating!

Take plenty of screencaps. You'll savour them later

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

I think a big part of this trade that’s being overlooked is the fact that the money we saved allowed us to sign Tkachuk without having to move out Brodie or Frolik. We were able to maintain solid depth in the NHL.

I don't think that's being overlooked at all. It is essentially the reason the Flames made the trade.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

I don't think that's being overlooked at all. It is essentially the reason the Flames made the trade.

lol, no it isn't.

We saved $500,000 in cap hit. That's it. Money is not why the trade was made, and freeing up money for Tkachuck is especially not why it was made. Though Treliving did need to ensure he didn't make his cap situation worse, which is one of the only good things he achieved with this trade.

The reason this deal was made was twofold.

First, the fact that Neal had no place with this team, as he clearly wasn't going to be top-6 for us and he clearly wasn't willing to put much effort into a bottom-6 role.

Second, and I frankly consider this a bit of a panic move, getting stomped by Colorado in the playoffs convinced Treliving that he needed to channel his inner Burke and acquire some truculence. Even if that truculence skates slower than I do.

[Brewmaster]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Neal is really turning into Thomas Vanek...

- Four teams in four years
- 74% offensive zone-starts rate in Edmonton
- 43% Corsi-for rate in Edmonton

That's some heavy sheltering and the results he's generating aren't great.

When both a player's shooting percentage and CF% are 43%, I think I know which one is sustainable.

So Neal has 6 goals in 3 games and we're pointing to advanced stats to show that the results aren't great? I don't think the Oilers or anyone else are under the impression that Neal is going to drive possession or be an outstanding two-way player. He's there to score goals. That's what he's doing and the team is 3 - 0 to start the season.

The Oilers have been on the other side of these more than any other team in the last decade (Hall, Eberle, Schultz, Petry, Pronger, etc.) and we've had lots of laughs at their expense. I think it's better just to wear this one and laugh a little at our own expense. It's not like the Flames are any worse without him.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Brewmaster

So Neal has 6 goals in 3 games and we're pointing to advanced stats to show that the results aren't great? I don't think the Oilers or anyone else are under the impression that Neal is going to drive possession or be an outstanding two-way player. He's there to score goals. That's what he's doing and the team is 3 - 0 to start the season...

I think the point of the advanced stats are to show that Neal has not been scoring because of a dramatic improvement in his own game, and as a predictor of future success. It does not seem likely that he is going to maintain a +40 shooting percentage, especially not with -45% splits in possession and shot-generation.


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[TheScorpion]

Exactly. It's hard to score goals when you don't have the puck, and Neal is currently getting absurdly lucky with scoring on the rare occasions when he gets it. Maybe he's found the fountain of youth and has become the most opportunistic player in hockey but I highly doubt it.

[Resolute 14]

He was also absurdly unlucky at scoring with us. So that goes both ways.

Honestly, three quarters of the posts in this thread and the E=NG thread over the past couple days would be soundly mocked by Oilers fans in their own C=NG threads. And rightfully so.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

lol, no it isn't.

We saved $500,000 in cap hit. That's it. Money is not why the trade was made, and freeing up money for Tkachuck is especially not why it was made. Though Treliving did need to ensure he didn't make his cap situation worse, which is one of the only good things he achieved with this trade.

The reason this deal was made was twofold.

First, the fact that Neal had no place with this team, as he clearly wasn't going to be top-6 for us and he clearly wasn't willing to put much effort into a bottom-6 role.

Second, and I frankly consider this a bit of a panic move, getting stomped by Colorado in the playoffs convinced Treliving that he needed to channel his inner Burke and acquire some truculence. Even if that truculence skates slower than I do.

I wasn't talking about he cap hit specifically.

The Flames saved many millions of actual dollars in this deal. It likely allowed them to buy out Stone.

[Itse]

I can honestly say I really don't give a s*** how many goals Neal scores for the Flames. Let him score 50 for all I care. They're still not making the playoffs, and he was useless here.

All I'm interested in is seeing how the Flames do, and I'm perfectly fine with having Lucic on our team.