[News Roundup] Lucic Trade

[FanIn80]

Travis Hamonic

"I've played against Looch for many, many years, when he was in Boston and then in Edmonton, and he is a force," said the Flames' rock-solid rearguard.

"A big guy that moves really well. Quicker than you might think. He's a guy you don't need to be told is on the ice. A guy who gets in on the forecheck and makes a point of finishing his checks.

"And when he does, it hurts.

"Believe me.

"I've been on the end of a couple."

The acquisition of Milan Lucic on Thursday has been met with enthusiasm by onetime foes/new teammates.

"This is someone to count on, 100%," assures Hamonic. "Someone we're thrilled to have. He'll be a presence on the ice but also in our locker-room and in the community.

"It speaks volumes that he wants to come. That's super-important. He wants to be here and we want him here. Knocks off both boxes, for sure."

Brian McGrattan

"We're really close," says Flames' fan-favourite Brian McGrattan, part of the organization's player development umbrella. "I consider him one of my great friends.

"Our families are close. Our kids are kind of in the same age group. This will be a great, fresh start for him. I think he'll have a major impact on a really good team.

"We talk every day. Those talks the last couple of days have been a little different than the last three years.

"This will be great for the city. He's a larger-than-life personality. He's going to be a tremendous fit in the dressing room. He's a big teddy-bear. The guys are going to absolutely love him.

"He's going to be able to just slide in and be Milan Lucic. We have an all-world leader in Gio. You've got Mikael Backlund, Travis Hamonic, older guys who've been around awhile so he doesn't feel he has to step in and be the entire culture.

"But he will be a big help to our leadership group."

https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/bria...me/c-308307908


Jarome Iginla

"I was a player who liked the physical side of things, too," the Flames' legend is saying from home base in Boston, reacting to his old team's acquisition of the bruising Stanley Cup-winning left-winger. "I know - everyone does - that he's one of the more intimidating guys in the game.

"Today, there's less of them, the tough guys, which makes him even more intimidating.

"I'm excited, as a Calgary Flames fan and as a friend of his. I had the chance to play with him, we were linemates and we've kept in touch.

"For whatever reasons, it didn't work out in Edmonton. I don't know why. But as a fit in Calgary? A great guy. Good teammate. And they don't have a player like him.

"The Flames are a skilled, fast team and they've got some some gritty guys, too. Is there a more competitive D-man than Gio? You've got Tkachuk. Sam Bennett, who plays hard. Hamonic. Gritty players, but skilled.

"Then you add Looch? That's a big man coming at you. It helps everybody, being able to play their game, to feel comfortable, and not have to worry about certain guys.

"There's still an element of that in the game."

https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/jaro...es/c-308307658

[FanIn80]

Edmonton Journal

James Neal signed as a free agent with Calgary in 2018 shortly after the thrilling Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup run. Due to how late into the Spring the club played, Neal had a much shorter summer in which to train. When he showed up in Calgary in September he was behind. And according to those close to the club Neal never physically caught up. He struggled. When the patience of his head coach began to wear thin Neal’s ice-time was cut and his TOI with impact offensive players fell off. Sometime after the Flames exited from the playoffs, it was made clear that if possible…Neal and his contract would move on.

Despite his rocky stay in Edmonton, Milan Lucic never specifically requested a trade. He was always prepared to live up to his contract. But I’m told that he did communicate that if the right situation arose he would not stand in the way. The Canucks inquired about the availability of Lucic in advance of the NHL’s 2019 Free Agency day. But Vancouver insisted that Loui Eriksson and his own problematic contract be a part of any transaction involving Lucic. A club source confirms to me that the Oilers never had any deep interest in Eriksson. Talks led nowhere.

It was at that juncture, however, that I am led to believe that James Neal expressed a specific interest in going to Edmonton. I’m not positive to whom he or his camp did this. But things changed…

The bonus in question was paid on July 17th.

Less than 48 hours later, the Lucic-Neal trade was consummated.

Meanwhile, as all the above was transpiring, James Neal has been working out all off-season with conditioning guru Gary Roberts…Neal bound and determined that there will not be a repeat of his shortened Summer of 2018.

Alongside Neal for much of that time at same Roberts’ camp? Connor McDavid.

https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/h...lly-came-about

[CMPunk]

Reading stuff like this from the players makes me fine with this trade. There's more to some of these trades then just dollars and corsi numbers.

[FanIn80]

Milan Lucic

“I just think a fresh start is exactly what I needed,” Lucic said. “I think going to a team that was first in the West last year helps, too, because I know going into the season that we’ll be playing some meaningful games throughout the whole year.

“This is a team that’s looking to make that next step. This is a team that is trying to win the Stanley Cup, and that is something that I’ve been trying to re-achieve since I won it in 2011 (in Boston). That’s what makes me most excited about this move.

“I’m trying to do everything I can to get myself back to the type of player that I know I can be. I mean, I’m not going to sit here and make any promises, but I can promise you that my effort will be there and my physicality will be there. And when those two things are going, everything else follows. It’s about getting my confidence back. It’s about feeling good about myself again. I know these things will happen in Calgary with this move.”

https://nationalpost.com/sports/hock...6-064822f1a393

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Edmonton Journal




https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/h...lly-came-about

Yup, they're gonna try Neal with McDavid. Because if he couldn't make it work with Gaudreau and Monahan, surely McSavior will bring his career back from the dead.

[FanIn80]

Top 10 reasons Calgary Flames fans can be happy with trade for Milan Lucic

1. Milan Lucic is one of the game’s most feared players.
2. Lucic is a monster possession player.
3. Lucic isn’t slowing down when it comes to board work.

7. Lucic is incredibly durable.
8. Lucic achieved his strong Corsi number despite the fact his defensive zone start percentage was 54.5 per cent.
9. In his career of 890 NHL games, Lucic has scored on 13.5 per cent of his shots. Last year, he scored on just 8.1 per cent...
10. You can get rid of your own bad contract in acquiring Lucic.

https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/h...or-milan-lucic

[neo45]

There’s only one reason to be excited about acquiring Lucic and that contract:

Neal is worse

[FanIn80]

I'm actually pumped. Neal had zero impact on any aspect of the game. Lucic has a physical impact just by being in the lineup, plus his cap hit is less than Neal's was and the contracts end at the same time.

[browna]

It was at that juncture, however, that I am led to believe that James Neal expressed a specific interest in going to Edmonton. I’m not positive to whom he or his camp did this. But things changed…

Neal came to the Flames in not so insignificant part because he is buddies with Smith. When Smith went there, he was open to going there if the Flames didn't want him.

Any Oilers media spin about him going (or asking to go) to Edmonton for any other reason (though a side benefit is playing with McDavid), is pure BS.

After seeing the numbers for the contract between the two, and the endorsements of Lucic, softened a bit on this. He is the exactly the type of player, on paper 2 to 4 years ago, thst the Flames need. Unlike Talbot who I think can bounce back after the drudgery of Edmonton, Lucic not so sure of being able to regain his form from a few years back. Talbot had crappy defense and saw a lot of rubber with no structure or support as his reason for decline. Lucic, while he does have less of a role and responsibilitiy to play here, not carry a bunch of young guys with a losing mentality, not sure thats what held him down skill wise and aggression wise in Edmonton.

But if he can be the mean sob thst can play a regular shift or 15 minutes a game, act as a deterrent, keep oppenets honest, and stir up some crap while.potting 15 goals, then it's good trade for the Flames.

I still think that the chance of Neal bouncing back from their recent troubles is better then Lucic's.

[FanIn80]

- Lucic's cap hit for the Flames is $500,000 less than Neal's was.
- The cap hit for the Oilers for Neal plus the retained portion of Lucic is $500,000 more than what Lucic's was.

Net result: The difference in cap hits between Calgary and Edmonton has just increased by $1,000,000 and all we did was swap Neal for Lucic.

[Locke]

James Neal was just looking to cap off his career where he wouldnt have to play all that well or all that long.

Missing the playoffs consistently is just something that Neal was looking for and there are few better teams to guarantee that than the Edmonton Oilers.

[AC]

I always find in these trades, the quotes about the incoming player can speak to how the team felt about the outgoing player.

If you subscribe to that:

Hamonic:

"This is someone to count on, 100%"

"Someone we're thrilled to have. He'll be a presence on the ice but also in our locker-room and in the community."

Giordano:

"He plays the game hard and he plays it the right way."

[ForeverFlameFan]

If our players are ecstatic to have Lucic on our team, then I am too. If he makes the team much better and much more difficult to play against, then let's see it. Looking forward to October. I want Lucic having all of us eating crow.

[SeanCharles]

I'm just glad Neal is gone.

Even if Edmonton gets a good season or 2 out of him I wont care. He was a terrible fit on our team and provides nothing when he isn't contributing offensively.

At least Lucic will add some intangibles and is fine playing in the bottom 6.

Now if we can only add a top 6 RHed forward in exchange for Brodie and offload Frolik and/or Stone's contracts we will be golden.

[JurassicTunga12]

Excited to see Lucic on our side and to watch him crush the opposition. I think a fresh start in Calgary, and knowing what his role is will do him well.

[Dube]

Originally Posted by AC

I always find in these trades, the quotes about the incoming player can speak to how the team felt about the outgoing player.

If you subscribe to that:

Hamonic:




Giordano:

Yup. Neal is a playboy. Bye bro

[TheOnlyBilko]

Originally Posted by neo45

There’s only one reason to be excited about acquiring Lucic and that contract:

Neal is worse

You will eat these words I promise, Lucic gonna make a big impact with the team, you will see, things are totally different in Calgary

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Dube

Yup. Neal is a playboy. Bye bro

I don't get it.

[TheOnlyBilko]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Yup, they're gonna try Neal with McDavid. Because if he couldn't make it work with Gaudreau and Monahan, surely McSavior will bring his career back from the dead.

Neal won't work with McDavid, Neal is way to slow to keep up. McDavid needs skilled speedster with him, not slow cherry pickers that don't back check

[TheOnlyBilko]

Originally Posted by zamler

I don't get it.

Sounds like he was in love with the Real Deal