Ongoing thread for Neal/Lucic discussion

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

Kadri spurning the Flames.

Ferland signing with the Canucks.

ZERO improvements made to the roster that got dummied in the first round.

And to top it all off, handing the Oilers a player who easily slots into their top 6 in return for a $5.4 million goon who may or may not require protection in the expansion draft.

Yeah, this summer can **** right off any time now.

The same James Neal who was supposed to easily slot into our top 6? Because we all know how that turned out...

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by devo22

Lucic is 31 years old. Who cares what he did 3 years ago? Lucic went from 23+27 to 10+24 to 6+14 ... not exactly a good trend.

and look at what the team around him did, and who he played with while he was there.

I get the natural assumption that all Oilers are no good, but Lucic is a Flame now and hell - James Neal was always an Oiler.

James Neal? 0 Stanley cups, will be 32 in September.

Milan Lucic? 1 Stanley Cup, just turned 31.

We lacked toughness, Lucic brings that in spades.

Despite who Lucic played with last year, he was still better than a much better situated James Neal.

Yeah, Neal will score more goals this coming season than he did last season thanks to being gifted prime icetime with McDavid/Nuge - but Lucic will actually contribute to our team in a way Neal failed to. Neal was the worst forward on our team last season, and it wasn’t even close.

The Flames got better today.

[FanIn80]

Sometimes I like trades like this, just for the entertainment factor of watching a bunch people see something they don’t like and follow each other straight off a cliff trying to rectify the situation.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Yeah, and just because a plug of a player like Neal slots easily into Edmonton's top six doesn't mean much. Any actual NHL player, and most AHL players, would easily slot into Edmonton's top six. That's more of a condemnation of the Oilers than anything to do with Neal.

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by devo22

Lucic is 31 years old. Who cares what he did 3 years ago? Lucic went from 23+27 to 10+24 to 6+14 ... not exactly a good trend. There's a chance Neal can ride shotgun in Edmonton, personally I think he's smart enough to do that. Lucic has already shown that he can't do that anymore.

Did you even read my post or what I quoted? Or have any idea what I was referring to?

I only said that if Lucic is done.. then so is Eriksson and backed it up with stats comparing the two.

[neo45]

Should have just bought out Neal and signed Ferland with the cap space created

Same cap hit the next 4 seasons essentially

Treliving really dropped the ball here by missing out on Ferland. Lucic was better than Neal last year but ideally neither is in your lineup.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Let Neal play on the top line with McDavid, score 20-20-40, look alright. Even let the Oiler fans laugh at us because Lucic is being outproduced. Then come trade deadline and the Oilers are well out of the playoffs, no one will take on Neal because his contract is still bad and has too much term.

Better than slotting in any random-AHL player, (see: Chiasson, Alex) letting him score 20-20-40 with McDavid, and then potentially trade him for some future assets.

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

The same James Neal who was supposed to easily slot into our top 6? Because we all know how that turned out...

He didn't fit with Gaudreau and Monahan, but he could click with McDavid. Who knows. What we do know is that Lucic sure as hell isn't playing with Gaudreau either and we bailed them out of a ****ty boat anchor for no reason.

[Flamescuprun2018]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

The longer this goes, the more hope I'm having Treliving is pulling off some wizardry flipping Lucic.

That's what I am thinking. We have way too many LWers. Have lots of faith in the Wizard.

Trying to figure out how the 600K salary Edm retains works with his annual salary.

The retained salary does stay with player for a second trade.

[schteve_d]

After all the crap that I talked about Lucic to my Oiler fan buddies I don't even know how I can look them in the eye. There is no way I can defend this to them! My boss is the biggest Oiler fan I've ever known and I have bugged him incessantly about Lucic....Good Lord.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I get the natural assumption that all Oilers are no good

in all honesty, that's not even a big factor to me. I'd happily take a flyer on someone like Puljujarvi because I still see some upside there. But Lucic, there's been a clear trend. He's always been a physical player, so naturally there's some breakdown in his 30s ... and he can't skate at all. I see no upside here. People will say "truculence" and stuff like that, but #### truculence. If you can't skate in this league, you can be physical all you want.

I'd love to eat crow here. I hope Lucic is a success, I just don't see it. I admire all Flames fans who manage to sugarcoat this one, but personally this is one of the worst Flames deals I can think of. We've traded a big problem for an even bigger one, I fail to see why I should be happy about this.

Originally Posted by keenan87

Did you even read my post or what I quoted? Or have any idea what I was referring to?

yes, I did. But I still don't get why anyone would pull up stats from 3 years ago to prove a point, sorry.

[iloveicedhockey]

Just put us out of our misery already.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by schteve_d

After all the crap that I talked about Lucic to my Oiler fan buddies I don't even know how I can look them in the eye. There is no way I can defend this to them! My boss is the biggest Oiler fan I've ever known and I have bugged him incessantly about Lucic....Good Lord.

How did they feel about Neal?

[stang]

Originally Posted by Diemenz

Just wait.

I can’t wait. Loved Lucic when he was on Boston. Not even close to he same player.

Originally Posted by Gaudreau is a Ninja

Can’t wait to see Lucic as a Flame!

Me either!!

[Igottago]

I don't see how Lucic improves our bottom 6 over Hathaway, who was playing very well there last season. That's a downgrade. Don't care how big and tough Lucic is.
Maybe its positive we get rid of Neal, but we pretty much almost keep his salary, and eliminate the chance that he might have a bounce back season. The chances of Lucic having any kind of bounce back is pretty much zero. I see this trade as a net negative for the Flames. Don't see how it helps.

[PugnaciousIntern]

Expansion draft is the biggest issue for me.

If this trade doesn’t have something else to it, it could very well turn into Neal + ?Janko for Lucic

[schteve_d]

Originally Posted by dino7c

How did they feel about Neal?

I don't recall taking much ribbin' about him. I've expressed disappointment in his play since he came to Calgary and mostly they've just said that they were surprised he sucked that much too.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by devo22

in all honesty, that's not even a big factor to me. I'd happily take a flyer on someone like Puljujarvi because I still see some upside there. But Lucic, there's been a clear trend. He's always been a physical player, so naturally there's some breakdown in his 30s ... and he can't skate at all. I see no upside here. People will say "truculence" and stuff like that, but #### truculence. If you can't skate in this league, you can be physical all you want.

I'd love to eat crow here. I hope Lucic is a success, I just don't see it. I admire all Flames fans who manage to sugarcoat this one, but personally this is one of the worst Flames deals I can think of. We've traded a big problem for an even bigger one, I fail to see why I should be happy about this.


yes, I did. But I still don't get why anyone would pull up stats from 3 years ago to prove a point, sorry.

Lucic isn't a bigger problem than Neal. Did you watch Neal last year? Definition of a unskilled slug who literally does nothing. Lucic will at least fight and hit. They are both equally ineffective hockey players but at least lucic adds some sandpaper to the lineup.

[TheScorpion]

The salary is fine, whatever. They weren't getting out from underneath Neal completely.

I'm just going to have a really hard time cheering for friggin' Lucic.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by neo45

Should have just bought out Neal and signed Ferland with the cap space created

Same cap hit the next 4 seasons essentially

Treliving really dropped the ball here by missing out on Ferland. Lucic was better than Neal last year but ideally neither is in your lineup.

You are assuming that the Flames ownership group was willing to write that cheque, and it’s likely they weren’t.

How can you blame Treliving for not pursuing a course of action likely not available to him?


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