Player Discussion Can Lucic bounce back? Part II

[McBooya42]

Noticed at the skills he has such a young kid, not even one by the looks of it.

I really wonder if it was his family life being so unstable that caused him issues.

I'm pretty sure that's what did Talbot in last year.

 

[VainGretzky]

Happy for Lucic , hope he is back

 

[The Nuge]

2015 Lucic: 22 goals in 80 games
2016 Lucic: 19 goals in 81 games
2017 Lucic: 22 goals in 82 games
2018 Lucic: 2 goals in 81 games
2019 Lucic: 3 goals in 7 games

I guess it was just something about 2018

Thanks for running the numbers. Let’s hope he’s over it

I hate quoting myself but I remember him saying in a past interview that he couldn't wait for 2018 to be over. If he's superstitious and pins everything on 2018, maybe he has a bit of a resurgence in him?

It doesn’t even necessarily have to be superstition. I think mentally he’s just trying to give himself a reset. He was fine in 2017, so now that he’s through 2018, he can get back to his game.

If Lucic can now get back to 20-25 goals, and 45-55 points, it’s indescribably huge for this team. That means instead of having to use assets just to get rid of him, those assets can be used to bring in another top 6er. 2 top 6 wingers, or zero top 6 wingers... let’s hope the Looch we’re seeing right now sticks around

 

[McShogun99]

I wanted him to get that 3rd goal so bad. Rogers Place would have erupted.

 

[elmeroil]

The mind is so powerful and Lucic had written 2018 off as just a terrible year for him. As soon as 2019 hit, his mind probably told him ok things are back to normal so let's go! Here's hoping anyways.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

It doesn’t even necessarily have to be superstition. I think mentally he’s just trying to give himself a reset. He was fine in 2017, so now that he’s through 2018, he can get back to his game.

If Lucic can now get back to 20-25 goals, and 45-55 points, it’s indescribably huge for this team. That means instead of having to use assets just to get rid of him, those assets can be used to bring in another top 6er. 2 top 6 wingers, or zero top 6 wingers... let’s hope the Looch we’re seeing right now sticks around

Hell a 15 goal and 30 point pace would be considered great from me given where he was in 2018.

 

[Little Fury]

It doesn’t even necessarily have to be superstition. I think mentally he’s just trying to give himself a reset. He was fine in 2017, so now that he’s through 2018, he can get back to his game.

If Lucic can now get back to 20-25 goals, and 45-55 points, it’s indescribably huge for this team. That means instead of having to use assets just to get rid of him, those assets can be used to bring in another top 6er. 2 top 6 wingers, or zero top 6 wingers... let’s hope the Looch we’re seeing right now sticks around

If he goes on a tear down the stretch here, it would be a boon to trading him this summer which is an absolutely necessary move for this team to make.

 

[The Nuge]

Hell a 15 goal and 30 point pace would be considered great from me given where he was in 2018.

Oh absolutely. Especially because that would make him, at worst, our 5th best forward. And even a 15 goal, 30+ point Lucic is at least tradeable, without retention, to any budget team (given his salary is only 2/3 of his caphit). That at least gives us flexibility with the cap, without having to pay a big cost to ditch his contract if we need to.

If he goes on a tear down the stretch here, it would be a boon to trading him this summer which is an absolutely necessary move for this team to make.

It depends. If we think he can return to form, and stay there, it’s not the worst thing to keep him. He’s a nightmare for the opposition, and you need those guys come playoff time. Plus, it’s not like he’s on a Backes type contract where you’re expecting his body to break down. He’s healthy and only signed until 34. But I can definitely see the case for trading him while he’s tradable.

 

[Little Fury]

It depends. If we think he can return to form, and stay there, it’s not the worst thing to keep him. He’s a nightmare for the opposition, and you need those guys come playoff time. Plus, it’s not like he’s on a Backes type contract where you’re expecting his body to break down. He’s healthy and only signed until 34. But I can definitely see the case for trading him while he’s tradable.

A week ago he was a buyout candidate. I've zero confidence he can return to form and stay there. Let some other team take that bet.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

A week ago he was a buyout candidate. I've zero confidence he can return to form and stay there. Let some other team take that bet.

It's unlikely that he will, but hockey can be a strange game sometimes.

 

[Little Fury]

It's unlikely that he will, but hockey can be a strange game sometimes.

As I said, even if he does, it shouldn't be here.

 

[Magnum23]

I’ll be happy if he finishes season with more than 10 goals

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

A week ago he was a buyout candidate. I've zero confidence he can return to form and stay there. Let some other team take that bet.

No one is going to take that bet. All we can do is root for the guy because we are stuck with him.

 

[Little Fury]

No one is going to take that bet. All we can do is root for the guy because we are stuck with him.

I bet if he does on a bit of run here, some other dumb GM who loves grit and character (*cough*Dale Tallon*cough*) would bite.

 

[Raoul Duke]

I bet if he does on a bit of run here, some other dumb GM who loves grit and character (*cough*Dale Tallon*cough*) would bite.

The problem is our dumb GM who loves grit and character will never want to trade him.

 

[Little Fury]

The problem is our dumb GM who loves grit and character will never want to trade him.

Hopefully we have an new GM at that point.

 

[RattsSSV]

Made this last night, was inspired by his performance as of late.

Link for the kids: (suggest jumping to 1:29)

 

[McJadeddog]

Hell a 15 goal and 30 point pace would be considered great from me given where he was in 2018.

Exactly. At 15g/30p, he is contributing. Sure, he'd still be massively overpaid, but at least he would be around a "push" for impact on the roster, maybe even have a slight positive effect. I'd take 15g/30p all day everyday at this point.

 

[McJadeddog]

I’ll be happy if he finishes season with more than 10 goals

I was just talking with a guy at work about this. I seriously doubt he hits 10 goals this year, but anything above 10 would have to be considered a HUGE win. He has 4 goals through 47 games this year. He'd need 6 more in the remaining 35 games, for a goal every 6 games.

 

[bone]

I was just talking with a guy at work about this. I seriously doubt he hits 10 goals this year, but anything above 10 would have to be considered a HUGE win. He has 4 goals through 47 games this year. He'd need 6 more in the remaining 35 games, for a goal every 6 games.

If he truly returned to form though (i.e. approximately 20 per 80 games) its well within range.

His historical production even just looking at the couple calendar years before 2018 he'd be considered likely to put up about 8 goals over that stretch. Even if we take it back to January 1st, 9 goals over 43 games is actually below his usual pace over pretty much any such stretch of his career until 2018.

10 goals on the season is a reasonable projection if he truly playing to his potential. What remains to be seen is whether that is indeed the case.

 

[Magnum23]

I was just talking with a guy at work about this. I seriously doubt he hits 10 goals this year, but anything above 10 would have to be considered a HUGE win. He has 4 goals through 47 games this year. He'd need 6 more in the remaining 35 games, for a goal every 6 games.

Or he can pull another 2-goal game soon hahaha

 

[Stoneman89]

His recent success is primarily because of the way he is being used and coached. Hitch told him he can’t play with McDavid anymore and also told him to start scoring goals. Pure genius.

 

[McNuge]

God damn I hope he bounces back. He adds such an important element to this team when he is playing well. As long as he keeps skating and forechecking the way he has I think his points will come.

 

[McJadeddog]

Or he can pull another 2-goal game soon hahaha

Yeah, you never know. Weird things happen.

 

[joestevens29]

Yeah, you never know. Weird things happen.

I'd expect 3 next time he decides to score. Anything less and it's a failure