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

[SeanCharles]

Originally Posted by Vox

No. No we can’t.

Just wait for next years compliance buyout announcement, then we can say for sure either way.

[Bingo]

A compliance buy out would be interesting because it would provide a look inside the Flame ownership group.

There were hints that buying him out wasn't an option, and I'd assume that was from a money out the door standpoint. If that's the case then a compliance buy out wouldn't be taken up anyway. If it is ... then it wasn't about money out the door and it was about the size of the obstacle (and duration) against the cap.

The ultimate fall ...

1. Edmonton swept by Chicago
2. Calgary advances a few rounds
3. Edmonton does not win the lottery
4. Both players bought out.
5. Calgary gets a third round pick from Edmonton
6. Lucic signs a one year deal in Calgary for $1.25M

[SeanCharles]

Originally Posted by Bingo

A compliance buy out would be interesting because it would provide a look inside the Flame ownership group.

There were hints that buying him out wasn't an option, and I'd assume that was from a money out the door standpoint. If that's the case then a compliance buy out wouldn't be taken up anyway. If it is ... then it wasn't about money out the door and it was about the size of the obstacle (and duration) against the cap.

The ultimate fall ...

1. Edmonton swept by Chicago
2. Calgary advances a few rounds
3. Edmonton does not win the lottery
4. Both players bought out.
5. Calgary gets a third round pick from Edmonton
6. Lucic signs a one year deal in Calgary for $1.25M

Only problem with that is #6.

I would love it but as per the rules any player bought out using a compliance buyout cannot play for that team for 1 yr.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Bingo

A compliance buy out would be interesting because it would provide a look inside the Flame ownership group.

There were hints that buying him out wasn't an option, and I'd assume that was from a money out the door standpoint. If that's the case then a compliance buy out wouldn't be taken up anyway. If it is ... then it wasn't about money out the door and it was about the size of the obstacle (and duration) against the cap.

The ultimate fall ...

Well James Neal was owed $23 million last off-season, as opposed to the 12.5 million (after including $750k/year retained by Edmonton). Although maybe the team who buys the player out has to pay the whole thing? In which case it's 15 million. The Last compliance buyout stated that teams only had to pay 2/3 of salary for any player over 25. So 8.3 million or 10 million.

You'd hope that the Flames owners can see that this group desperately needs the space to acquire a new offensive weapon and will spend that 10 million.

[FireGilbert]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

Only problem with that is #6.

I would love it but as per the rules any player bought out using a compliance buyout cannot play for that team for 1 yr.

Weren’t compliance buyouts just a one off thing allowing teams to become complaint after a new CBA and reduced cap? If they were allowed again the NHL could change the rules to allow teams to keep bought out players.

The 1 year rule was bought in to ensure teams only used a compliance buy out if they had to, not so big market teams could reduce their cap hit. In an extreme pandemic ensued cap reduction though maybe this isn’t practical and there will be a different rule.

[Iggy Snipe]

Both Players are past their primes by far.

Lucic brings more value to the Flames than Neil did.

Lucic does not have an ego, and is really good with the young players. He is tough and knows his role. He brings an element to the team that Calgary didn't have before. Neil wasn't a fit in the top 6 in CGY. Lucic slots in well in the bottom 6.

Neil is an egotistic a$$hole, and thought he was better than he was. He doesn't want to work hard, and he certainly is not a leader or good with the younger players, because all he cares about is himself. Neil is most likely the WORST 5 vs 5 player in the entire NHL, and i wouldn't say thats an overstatement. Look at his stats, they speak for them self. The only reason Neil had any goals is because he was tapping pucks in from Mcdavid on the PP.

Both players over paid, both players are easily replaceable if injured. Edmonton actually had better success once Neil was injured...

The trade is a wash if you ask me, because both players are better fits with their current clubs. CGY might have the better end of it as EDM is paying partially for Lucic's contract.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

That was never going to happen as the owners were never going to eat four years of that contract. Best thing would have been to give Neal a 2nd year as they did with Brouwer and then every season after evaluate buying him out. That was probably not going to happen either as the GM's hand picked coach didn't like the player the GM liked enough to sign for 5 seasons so the GM doubled down on his coach. The coach he had to fire two months into the next season. This entire Neal, Peters, Lucic thing has been a disaster for the organization. Treliving better not screw up the next coach hire because the mistakes are piling up at an alarming rate.

That just speaks to poor ownership chasing sunk costs. If you are a cap team where the dollars are spent doesn’t really matter.

The only question is were is the cap money being extend into the future worse than larger cap hits today and would Neals cap hit + x$ player be better than Lucic.

I do not believe that flames ownership would be against buyouts because they understand you make the best circumstances based on today’s conditions and not based on regret.

So I believe the GM decided that Lucic was a better option than a buyout..

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Even if ownership was okay with a Neal buyout, BT probably wasn't. That would be 8 years of dead cap at almost $2m after Brouwer's 4 years @ 1.5m. Can't have even 2-4m tied up for 4-8 years. I read BT has bought out the most players over the last few years. Can't just keep doing that as a solution. At least Lucic is gone in at most 3 years but will probably actually be a compliance buyout before that. BT did the best he could and I don't care for BT.

[ComixZone]

Here's a fun breakdown of the deal in the Edmonton Journal.

The picture may change in future years, but at this point one season after the big trade, my painful conclusion is “advantage Calgary”. Sigh.

[SportsJunky]

Dave Staples is spinning like a top after reading this.

[btimbit]

For me it was always Lucic. At his worst, he wasn't any crappier than Neal was when he was here, and at less of a cap hit. But in the last few weeks he's proven his true worth

[Dajazz]

Neither to be honest. Signing Neal looked like the right thing to do. He was done though and Lucic is a more useful hockey player.

I’d rather have neither though and have that cap to spend elsewhere, ie Brodie in the off season or another top 9 player.

At the end of the day Flames won the trade big time which is great however.

[Geeoff]

If only we could have someone in their prime that plays like Lucic.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Dajazz

Neither to be honest. Signing Neal looked like the right thing to do. He was done though and Lucic is a more useful hockey player.

I’d rather have neither though and have that cap to spend elsewhere, ie Brodie in the off season or another top 9 player.

At the end of the day Flames won the trade big time which is great however.

Well yeah, but once Neal was signed, that option was no longer available.

The issue at hand is Neal or Lucic? And it's no contest IMO. I like what Lucic brings in the playoffs and as a leader, vs the cancer that is Neal. Add in $750k in cap savings, $9M in the owners' pockets which might pay dividends in other ways, and a 3rd round pick?

Great trade.

Also, the author's salt at the ruling was beautiful. 'They didn't pro-rate team numbers, wah'. No but they DID pro-rate individual numbers, and is there anyone more 'individual' than Neal?

[oldschoolcalgary]

SIAP

but Calgary did also get a 3rd round pick out of this too...so adding that to the evaluation ought to make it a landslide for the trade...

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

...Also, the author's salt at the ruling was beautiful. 'They didn't pro-rate team numbers, wah'. No but they DID pro-rate individual numbers, and is there anyone more 'individual' than Neal?

I don't get this, because they DID in fact pro-rate team numbers by following a simple equation of winning percentage.

It is still such delicious sour grapes, though. The frickin' Oilers could not even get to Game #5 against the #12-ranked Blackhawks, and their fans somehow STILL feel they were entitled to a Round-Robyn bye in the 2020 playoffs.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Oilers buy out Neal within the next 365 days.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

Oilers buy out Neal within the next 365 days.

probably, and then pay in 2M cap for the next six years

[Jiri Hrdina]

The article doesn't even account for the fact that Neal seems like a real dick, who is now complaining about the youngin's playing their video games, while Lucic seems like a great personality and seems to have found some chemistry as a mentor to a couple young players.

[Erick Estrada]

I feel a bit better about it today as Lucic was at least a contributor against the Jets and Neal is really on the steep decline. Still not happy with the overall situation as that cap space would be really handy this summer with a bunch of defensemen hitting UFA and some retooling in the forward group required.