The bitterness I have from this trade stems from the fact that it seemed to have helped Edmonton more than it benefitted Calgary.
Even if Lucic proves to be a solid fit in the bottom six, the cost was handing over a guy who can play in the top six on the #1 rival all while acquiring a similarly albatross of a contract, albeit $500k cheaper.
That all being said, I look forward to Lucic taking that chip off his shoulder the way he knows best, and proves to be a better Flame than he was an Oiler. Conditional 3rd be damned.
I don't know what it's going to take for me to like this deal. At the moment, I can't wrap my head around it. They must have really wanted James Neal off the club. I do smile a little imagining Lucic face-washing Nurse or Kassian in front of a flustered Mike Smith. All the while asking the Oilers, "What are you going to do about it?" IMO, Calgary needs more snarl and Lucic definitely brings that.
For the most part, the fanbase gave him a tonne of leeway with the assumption he'd finally show up in the playoffs and was arguably worse somehow. Including sitting in the do-or-die elimination game.
Good riddance.
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Does anyone know when Treliving might be interviewed on the fan?
I can’t seem to wrap my head around this one and I’d be very interested to hear his reasoning live.
As much as I don't like the trade, I think about last year game 4 OT with Neal gliding slowly back into the defensive zone, not picking up an open man just before Rantanen blew one past Smith to end it.
Fitting that this was the last time he was on the ice as a Flame. Good riddance!
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Does anyone know when Treliving might be interviewed on the fan?
I can’t seem to wrap my head around this one and I’d be very interested to hear his reasoning live.
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There’s a short interview on sports net with him
I don’t know you’re going to get much more out of him
Lots of talk about adding some deifferent elements to the team
Does anyone know when Treliving might be interviewed on the fan?
I can’t seem to wrap my head around this one and I’d be very interested to hear his reasoning live.
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Did a hit with Jermain Franklin on TSN. Didn’t give up too much as usual.
Lucic is actually better than Neal skating wise. He is about on par with Tkachuk speed wise. Neal is more on pace with a tortoise on skates
Jesus Christ....
Lucic is no where near Tkachuk's skating. I get you guys need to justify this, but this is silly. Even when Lucic could go he was one of the slowest players in the league. That he has gotten even slower doesn't change because he put on a flaming c. He's not an Ork, despite appearance to the contrary. Red does not make him go faster.
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You do realize Lucic waiver his NMC to get traded here. Why wouldn’t he waive it to potentially go to Seattle?
If you want to run around in a manic hysteria for something two years away that will undoubtedly be a non-factor...have at it.
Ya. Manic hysteria. He “waiver” his NMC once. Yep. Thanks for pointing out the obvious. He could waive it again. He might not. We might have to buy him out. We might cross that bridge when we come to it. But to draw a picture in large colored crayons for you....is the net benefit of adding Lucic over Neal including the salary difference and the 3rd worth now having to deal with the NMC? I don’t think so. Unless they have a verbal in place. BTW...he has young kids that will be two years older by the time this is dealt with. Seattle isn’t Vancouver. So why would he waive?
The bitterness I have from this trade stems from the fact that it seemed to have helped Edmonton more than it benefitted Calgary.
Even if Lucic proves to be a solid fit in the bottom six, the cost was handing over a guy who can play in the top six on the #1 rival all while acquiring a similarly albatross of a contract, albeit $500k cheaper.
That all being said, I look forward to Lucic taking that chip off his shoulder the way he knows best, and proves to be a better Flame than he was an Oiler. Conditional 3rd be damned.
What makes you think James Neal can still play a top-6 role?
If Lucic can come in and be a 15-15 guy while being his physical self, while it's an overpay, it's not a completely useless body.
Which is what James Neal was.
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I know Peters is better at coaching than me, but why on God’s earth did it take until the last game of the season to scratch Neal? If it actually does motivate him, now it ends up being for someone else.
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Slower than Spooner, Rattie and Reider. One who just signed in Switzerland, and two who are without a contract.
Be honest though, his first 5 strides are pretty quick for what we are relying on him to bring. He’s 230 lbs so there’s no debating he can’t corner well.
Maybe Lucic's super PWF powers lied in his jersey number. He's got his #17 back form his alpha male Bruins days. Who was our last #17? Was it Bouma? I think there was someone after that too.
He’s gonna channel his inner Chris Simon circa 2003-04
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Here's what it's going to take for me to like this deal.
Lucic does anything at all positive, and isn't taking 2 stupid penalties a game.
That's all it takes folks.
Cuz Neal did nothing.
Nothing.
Didn't score, didn't defend, didn't cover, didn't control space or time. He skated in circles, disengaged from play, and waited, then complained about his usage.
So glad to see both him and Smitty gone, honestly, and as others have pointed out, this version of Neal is a born Oiler.
At least Lucic cares.
So I'm good. It's a your-junk-for-our-disaster trade, and while none of us should be joyful at the addition of Lucic (cuz it's not like adding a Lindholm) we can't be worried about Neal wowing anyone in Edmonton, cuz it won't matter if he scores 100, they'll still miss the playoffs cuz they don't have a defense (or a goalie really).
Neal really must have rubbed people wrong - none of us could image the Lucic contract being traded. And yet here we are. "Desperation" has been used, but I think the word might be "exasperation".
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