Confirmed Signing with Link: [EDM] Milan Lucic (7 years, $6.000M AAV)

[firstemperor]

Lucic at $6 million > Trochek at $5 million.

Trocheck plays a more premium position, is a lot younger and on the upswing and doesn't have huge red flags moving forward like Lucic (Can his skating keep up?) I think both were relatively good deals with all the context included.

 

[AM]

That's true if the team isn't going to reach the cap floor. But I don't think that's a problem for any current teams so that leaves LV. At most, it's a couple of teams and Lucic will probably have those teams on his no trade list (or not on his trade list if that's how the NTC is structured).

This might surprise you, but alot of owners like a lower payroll.

 

[CrypTic]

This might surprise you, but alot of owners like a lower payroll.

Never said or implied that they didn't. I said that there is no benefit to an owner/GM for the cap hit to be higher than the salary out unless they need to hit the cap floor. Once they reach the cap floor, a higher cap hit is a negative. This may surprise you but cap space is an asset that owners don't want to give up for nothing.

 

[Homesick]

16 games (at the end of the season with no implications) is way too small a sample size.

Yea, because the Wild, Predators, Blues, Sharks, Kings,Stars, and Ducks didn't have any implications One of the stupidest statements I see on here.
I'll agree that is a small sample size and I doubt any Oiler fan believes Maroon will repeat that production(since 90% of the projected line ups have him on the 3rd line) but we did see 45 games of McDavid either blow by everyone on the ice or slow it down enough for guys like Maroon to get in the play

 

[OutForMilk]

Trocheck plays a more premium position, is a lot younger and on the upswing and doesn't have huge red flags moving forward like Lucic (Can his skating keep up?) I think both were relatively good deals with all the context included.

Huh? What huge red flags? The imaginary ones, I guess.
And what's more risky? Signing an established player who's impact in the game is so high, they have basically become a "type" of their own(everyone seems to reference a Lucic "type"), or a small player with only one good season?
I think Trochek and Lucic will both cover the bet, but IMO the Lucic deal has far less risk.

 

[zar]

Those 16 games were also against some of the worst teams in the league. Flames, Canucks, CBJ, Coyotes, Jets.

Only 7 were against playoff teams.

Maybe I'm just nitpicking, but I don't find it that impressive.

Maroon
achieved 8/14 points against the playoff teams in 8 games. (PHI, SJS, MIN, NSH, STL, SJS, LAK, ANA)
achieved 6/14 points against the non-playoff teams in 8 games.

That's 50% of the games and 53% of the teams make the playoffs. Poor argument.

Anyways, I will agree with you... there is no way Maroon would score (14/16) at a .875 ppg pace for an entire season... 82 x .875 = 72 points for Maroon

But Lucic >> Maroon, and it is not unrealistic to say that IF Lucic plays with McDavid for an entire season that we could see him reach 60-65 points.

 

[NHLNUT04]

Oilers land top free agent Milan Lucic amid offseason changes

 

[Kranix]

How is Lucic going to keep up with Connor McDavid?

 

[Brewins]

How is Lucic going to keep up with Connor McDavid?

I know mcd is in a league of his own in skating speed, but Lucic had one of his best stretches in his last year with us being papa looch and playing with two fast players in pastrnak and Spooner. He can skate quick it just takes a little for him to get to speed. Shouldn't be an issue for the first few years of that contract.

 

[YourARumour]

How is Lucic going to keep up with Connor McDavid?

No one can keep up to McDavid ! All Lucic has to do is go to the front of the net, and occasionally punch people in the face

 

[McWeber]

How is Lucic going to keep up with Connor McDavid?

He just has to pass the puck up to him and get there in time for the celly/rebound.

 

[KidLine93]

Only thing lucic does is crash players into the boards. By the time he gets to the net play's going the other way

people said that about Maroon and McDavid had Maroon close to a point per game pace. not many goals are scored off the rush. Lucic will have plenty of time to win board battles and find a soft spot in the slot while McDavid is wheeling around the zone

 

[PWJunior]

people said that about Maroon and McDavid had Maroon close to a point per game pace. not many goals are scored off the rush. Lucic will have plenty of time to win board battles and find a soft spot in the slot while McDavid is wheeling around the zone

16 games, not a great sample and it's not like those games were pressure packed considering the Oilers were out of contention. Just saying.

 

[JT Kreider]

No one can keep up to McDavid ! All Lucic has to do is go to the front of the net, and occasionally punch people in the face

You could've just got John Scott for 5.99 million dollars less.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Eberle is pretty slow and kept up with McDavid just fine

 

[zar]

Problem, Connor "The Flash' McDavid too fast, Milan 'The Caveman' Lucic too slow.

Solution, The Flash will gain the zone, skate around the net twice. The Caveman will arrive Flash will pass, The Caveman will shoot and score. The Tankers will celebrate.

Gawd, everyone makes this sound like it's the first time a slower player has been paired with a very fast player. It called a layered attack. Do some of you understand that the minority of goals are scored off the initial attack... and the majority of those are scored by the guy carrying the puck into the zone with a good shot or on a rebound by 'the trailer' (aka Lucic, Eberle, Puljujarvi, Maroon... whomever!).

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

people said that about Maroon and McDavid had Maroon close to a point per game pace. not many goals are scored off the rush. Lucic will have plenty of time to win board battles and find a soft spot in the slot while McDavid is wheeling around the zone

Kings best line last season was Lucic with Carter and Toffoli. Carter is probably the fastest guy on the Kings and Toffoli is pretty quick/fast himself. Lucic is best playing North-South as opposed to an East-West game like Kopitar plays. He never really clicked with Kopitar.

 

[AlphaBravo]

How is Lucic going to keep up with Connor McDavid?

Even though Lucic is big, he is surprisingly fast. For example, on the Kings, Carter is considered one of the fastest skaters (not sure if he is up to McDavid's speed level though) and Lucic played great on his line.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

How is Lucic going to keep up with Connor McDavid?

Why does he have to? Not every player on a line has to be as fast as its best player.

Just to use my team as an example: HBK was one of the best lines for the last half of last year. Kessel and Hagelin are burners, but Bonino's a relative slug. That line worked because each player brought something unique and valuable - Bonino's x-factor was his cerebral playmaking.

Crosby and Hornqvist also work well together despite Sid being exceptionally fast and Horny being a mediocre skater, because Horny works the trenches like a champ and cleans up rebounds in front of the net. Lucic could play a similar role with McDavid, but with the added benefits of size and physical play.

As long as players have complementary skillsets and play a clearly defined role on their line, it can thrive.

 

[TheCLAM]

This is gonna be a terrible deal by the end of it.. I hope he gives you a couple good years.

History goes against powerforward's but I hope for the best.

 

[McFlyingV]

How is Lucic going to keep up with Connor McDavid?

Maroon did it just fine and he's not even half the skater Lucic is. Everyone ***** on Lucic's skating, but he's not even a bad straight line skater. He gets where he needs to go quite easily, even if he's not pretty doing it.

 

[nabob]

This is gonna be a terrible deal by the end of it.. I hope he gives you a couple good years.

History goes against powerforward's but I hope for the best.

^ this post has been made probably 1000 times since Lucic signed but there is no evidence to back it up at all. It just reeks of a poster looking for something negative to say, so they go with the most said thing.

 

[Limekiller]

^ this post has been made probably 1000 times since Lucic signed but there is no evidence to back it up at all. It just reeks of a poster looking for something negative to say, so they go with the most said thing.

Except that we had a case like that in very recent memory. Remember when Ryane Clowe was one of the best power forwards playing at that time? He fell off a cliff and went from really good to pretty ****ing bad in just a couple years. We saw it start here in San Jose better than anyone. And I doubt I am alone in thinking that Clowe and Lucic are fairly similar players, though obviously Lucic is better than Clowe was. Maybe it won't happen with Lucic, we can't know for sure. But after what I saw with Clowe here, the term on this deal strikes me as very very risky.

 

[1909]

How is Lucic going to keep up with Connor McDavid?

Connor is gonna slow down the play to help him.

 

[Dellstrom]

How is Lucic going to keep up with Connor McDavid?

Lucic isn't as slow as many think. When he's going full speed, if you step in front of him, you're probably going to die. He's certainly not fast, probably not above average either, but he's not slow. When Seguin was here he never had a problem keeping up with him, and when they were together they lit it up.

2 seasons ago he played the end of the season on a line with Spooner and Pastrnak, out two quickest forwards... He sucked the whole season but did really well with them. If anything, he benefits from speedy linemates.