Ongoing thread for Neal/Lucic discussion

[getbak]

Ryan Leslie is the only one I could find who mentioned Lucic speaking to Gaudreau. So, it's easy to have missed it.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1152371125663358977


It is always nice to hear that guys like Cammalleri and Versteeg, who have played in many different markets, are saying good things about the team and city.

[Patek23]

Originally Posted by btimbit

That's what leads me to believe there's something major going on behind the scenes. What else would cause Treliving to give up on Neal for what I'm assuming was the only offer on the table

Yeah from everything we heard during the season Neal was well liked by the team I don’t think he was a cancer by any means. He probably had a spat with management after being healthy scratched in the Playoffs and that’s what ended his stay here.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Two years ago Lucic played about 42 percent of his ice time with Eberle, split between Nuge and McJesus, had 23 G and 50 points , played over 17 minutes a game. Not stellar but 80 percent of his career best, and in Edmonton
Last year his top linemates were Kassian and Brodziak at 17.5%, and he got around 13 min/game

Surely Calgary can offer him better linemates than Brodziak and Kassian

[Redrum]

I'll just leave this here...

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Two years ago Lucic played about 42 percent of his ice time with Eberle, split between Nuge and McJesus, had 23 G and 50 points , played over 17 minutes a game. Not stellar but 80 percent of his career best, and in Edmonton
Last year his top linemates were Kassian and Brodziak at 17.5%, and he got around 13 min/game

Surely Calgary can offer him better linemates than Brodziak and Kassian

What's funny is Bennett would be an improvement for Lucic, and Lucic would be the best linemate Bennett has had consistently since Backlund/Frolik in his rookie season. I still wish that Kadri deal had gone through. Lucic - Kadri - Bennett would be a line I'd be excited to see come over the boards every time.

As is, we still need to improve that 3rd line Centre position.

[Ped]

Maybe I missed it, ,but was it confirmed that the calls convinced him to waive the NTC, or had he already made up his mind about that part, and they were just calling to let him know it was a good move?

[Yoho]

Originally Posted by Dajazz

My main gripe is that Lucic has “proven” himself as potentially the worst contract in the NHL cap era. He has had several years to establish himself as the most overpaid player in the league.

Neal has one #### season and BT trades him for what every pundit, fan and writer calls an “untradeable” contract.

He’s betting on that Neal, in one single summer, after consecutive SC finals forgot to play hockey to a level that makes him as untradeable as Lucic.

12 months ago he ####ing signed the guy for a five year contract. Really? Where is the due diligence if he actually forgot to play hockey, or damaged himself beyond repair?

This is what pisses me off. I think he completely ducked up on the value side of the deal. Sure, last year both Neal and Lucic sucked, but that Lucic contract has been laughed at from day one. The Neal deal was actually praised league wide. One year later, BT trades Neal for the worst contract in the league. Ok Brad.

Do you really think Tre gave up on him easily and that he didn’t know the fallout this would cause? Do you not think it’s more to do with Neal’s mind numbing, pride swallowing siege, both on and off the ice that finally forced Tre hand.

If you want to be upset, be upset at James and his over confident swagger on this team last year that reeked of troy tulowitzki “do you know who I am?”.

His body language had, “what are you going to do get rid of me?” written all over it,

YES, Yes we are Real Deal.

[stang]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Two years ago Lucic played about 42 percent of his ice time with Eberle, split between Nuge and McJesus, had 23 G and 50 points , played over 17 minutes a game. Not stellar but 80 percent of his career best, and in Edmonton
Last year his top linemates were Kassian and Brodziak at 17.5%, and he got around 13 min/game

Surely Calgary can offer him better linemates than Brodziak and Kassian

3 years ago....

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by stang

Just testing my new profile pic. Hmm didnt work


Edit: Got it.

How excited is sweatpants nation to get the Real Deal? Are they predicting a 30-goal bounce back yet?

[CanadaMatt]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

How excited is sweatpants nation to get the Real Deal? Are they predicting a 30-goal bounce back yet?

I’m waiting for the Around the Leagues summary...

[stang]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

How excited is sweatpants nation to get the Real Deal? Are they predicting a 30-goal bounce back yet?

I thought he’d bounce back next year on the Flames. Assumed double cup final hangover really hurt him.

No 30 goals but talks of 20 hopefully. Might be a fit with RNH

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Ped

Maybe I missed it, ,but was it confirmed that the calls convinced him to waive the NTC, or had he already made up his mind about that part, and they were just calling to let him know it was a good move?

"Initially, I thought no way - but no way - am I going to the other side of the Battle of Alberta," he concedes. "But after talking to Brad (Treliving), talking to Bill (Peters), talking to Geoff Ward who I spent seven years with in Boston, and some guys who'd played in Calgary, it seemed to sound like a place I wanted to go; where the fit was right."

https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/play...al/c-308305740

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Ped

Maybe I missed it, ,but was it confirmed that the calls convinced him to waive the NTC, or had he already made up his mind about that part, and they were just calling to let him know it was a good move?

It sounds like it was more the former Flames who helped him make up his mind than the current guys...

"Initially, I thought no way - but no way - am I going to the other side of the Battle of Alberta," he concedes. "But after talking to Brad (Treliving), talking to Bill (Peters), talking to Geoff Ward who I spent seven years with in Boston, and some guys who'd played in Calgary, it seemed to sound like a place I wanted to go; where the fit was right.

"I had a great conversation with Mike Cammalleri and then one with Kris Versteeg. One of my best friends is Brian McGrattan.

"Then, of course, I had a really good talk with Jarome (Iginla). He told me what a great hockey town Calgary is, how much the people are behind the Flames. It's a fan base that loves seeing effort. They obviously want to win but regardless they love the heart-and-soul guys, the guys who give their all, who don't compromise, which I like to think speaks to the way I play.

"Jarome and I got to know each other really well the year we played together in Boston. We were linemates, we shared a lot of stories, went out to dinner together a lot.

"I like to think he knows me pretty well and that's why he took time out of his day to give me a call and help me with my decision. And he did help me make up my mind.

"I'm just grateful that I'm friends with one of the guys who I idolize most and that now I get to play for the team that he was most famous playing for."

https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/play...al/c-308305740

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by stang

I thought he’d bounce back next year on the Flames. Assumed double cup final hangover really hurt him.

No 30 goals but talks of 20 hopefully. Might be a fit with RNH

That cup hangover thing is a lame excuse

His ass should have been in shape by the time he had proven himself so useless to be healthy scratched in the playoffs

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by getbak

It sounds like it was more the former Flames who helped him make up his mind than the current guys...



https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/play...al/c-308305740

Funny that Lucic talked to Cammalleri. Found out first hand that Calgary is better

“Learn from my mistake”

[getbak]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Funny that Lucic talked to Cammalleri. Found out first hand that Calgary is better

“Learn from my mistake”

Versteeg too, although, he was only with the Oilers for a couple of weeks during training camp.

I was kind of surprised that Ference wasn't one of the guys he talked to since he spent a good amount of time with both the Flames and Oilers as well as being a teammate of Lucic's in Boston for many years.

[stang]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

That cup hangover thing is a lame excuse

His ass should have been in shape by the time he had proven himself so useless to be healthy scratched in the playoffs

Yup might be, guess we’ll see.

[djsFlames]

Did a drive by, 4 posts in I see "27 goal season"

and Holland is a Saviour in the title.

Cool. Still as delusional and overdramatic as ever, I see.

Neal was the most useless player we've picked up in a long time. Brouwer had his odd game even. Neal had no games. Maybe the San Jose game that clinched conference when he flattened a couple guys..and that's it. I think Lucic had more presence in the Edmonton-Calgary series alone than Neal showed in his entire season. He was a black hole of a roster spot.

How that slow moving saskquatch on skates with that muffin of a shot is going to net 27 goals is beyond me. But I just watched him for a season and a round (by the end of which he was displaced), what do I know.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by stang

Yup might be, guess we’ll see.

We already saw that he was no better in game 86 than game 1.

What date is this?

[Brad Marsh]

One of the more interesting threads in a long time. I finally got caught up on reading all of the comments - lots to think about on both sides of this one.

First of all I agree with those who think it's a relatively minor trade. Two aging vets both struggling to find and fill meaningful roles on their teams. The trade is unlikely to move the needle much for either team.

Having said that, even if it moves the needle incrementally in the right direction, then it will have a positive impact on team success, and I believe this trade does that.

Trading Neal strikes me as the very definition of addition by subtraction. He was terrible last season. Many of us kept hoping all year that he would eventually get going, but it never happened. "Just needs time with a new coach and system" "Just needs more.time with a new team and new linemates" "Just not getting the puck luck but that will even out over the season" "Just wait for the playoffs and the re-set" etc, etc, etc. Instead, a full season and playoff run of uninspired play that ultimately did more harm to the team than good. Fortunately the rest of the team was good enough to compensate for the black hole that was James Neal. When he was finally scratched in game 5 of the playoffs you had to know that he was done as a Flame.

But he had no trade value at that point. Not at that salary level and term. And you certainly don't want to give up more assets in a cap dump. So Treliving had to find a swap like this one: problem for problem.

With the Oilers retaining salary on Lucic, the Flames come out well on this from a contract and cap perspective. The less than optimal Lucic contract is somewhat irrelevant because the less than optimal Neal contract was a sunk cost anyway. With the Flames actually gaining cap space, and losing probably their worst skater from last season, if Lucic brings anything positive at all, and he is likely to do that, then this is a win for the Flames, regardless of what Neal does in Edmonton. The Flames are likely to be better off as a result of this trade.

Bingo and others have referenced Lucic's advanced stats. They are solid. His hitting statistics are great. He brings alot of what this team has been missing the most, so I think the potential for him to add value to.the team is very high. Add to that his excitement to be a Flame, and the obvious motivation he brings with something still to prove, I think he will quickly become a fan favorite. As Troutman noted earlier in this thread, with Lucic coming to a better team, with better coaching, and better linemates, it is not out of the realm of.possibility at all that we see a mild resurgence from Lucic. I completely agree with that.

Lucic has always been an honest player with respect to effort and compete level. He will fit in well. I saw the Oilers live a few times last year and I can.assure you that other teams pay close attention to when he's on the ice. That intimidation factor is a real thing.

Now, when you factor all of that in with the $7M in actual savings over the life of these contracts for the ownership group, this trade is an absolute no-brainer.

Welcome to Calgary Milan Lucic!