Can Lucic bounce back?

[s7ark]

Jordan Eberle: "Reading news reports about how much you suck really messes with your confidence."
Edmonton Media: "Lol you're mentally weak, suck it up."

Milan Lucic: "It's cold and dark in the winter here."
Edmonton Media: "Oh my poor dear boy, have some Aveeno."

Most hockey media will always give bigger skilled player more breaks than smaller skilled players. Is what it is.

It does suck that it tends to chase good players from Edmonton. I've stopped following most Edmonton sports media tbh. I just want to let the players live their lives.

On topic, I think Lucic will bounce back. it's rare for a player to drop off like a stone after many successful seasons. Not impossible, but it is rare.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Jordan Eberle: "Reading news reports about how much you suck really messes with your confidence."
Edmonton Media: "Lol you're mentally weak, suck it up."

Milan Lucic: "It's cold and dark in the winter here."
Edmonton Media: "Oh my poor dear boy, have some Aveeno."

and fans, as per usual:
https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/eberle-must-go.2150003/

 

[harpoon]

and fans, as per usual:
https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/eberle-must-go.2150003/

Whole lotta stupid in that thread. Special kudos to the guy calling Eberle and RNH shit while pumping up Curtis Lazar and Griffin Reinhart. Now that's a big hockey brain folks.

On topic, I think Lucic will bounce back. it's rare for a player to drop off like a stone after many successful seasons. Not impossible, but it is rare.

I agree with this. I'd be shocked if Lucic doesn't perform better next season. And it won't have anything to do with the list of specious excuses Kurt Leavins came up with.

 

[Throttlehead]

Whole lotta stupid in that thread. Special kudos to the guy calling Eberle and RNH **** while pumping up Curtis Lazar and Griffin Reinhart. Now that's a big hockey brain folks.
I agree with this. I'd be shocked if Lucic doesn't perform better next season. And it won't have anything to do with the list of specious excuses Kurt Leavins came up with.

If his shooting % alone comes back to normal, he should be ok. Oddly enough the same thing happened to Eberle for one season under McLellan.

 

[AM]

Im sure game 1 cant come soon enough for him.

 

[guymez]

I guess you didn't read the post you quoted here huh?

Again, I think we can expect some level of rebound from Lucic next year

I inadvertently placed the word 'dont' after the 2nd word in the above sentence. Caught my mistake after a 2nd read.

I certainly dont want to misrepresent your position

Glad to see that you are at least open to the possibility that Lucic can rebound and possibly be an effective player.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Shorter answer. So Lucic is a Canadian player that hates winter?

Dude grew up in Vancouver which is presumably much more humid and warmer overall than the prairies. For me visiting Alberta what bothered me the most is the dryness because I am from a humid environment. I would never use chap stick so my lips would crack and bleed (and I honestly didn't care) and my nose would get a lot of dried blood in it which was kind of annoying. That said I enjoyed visiting and wasn't paid to do so. If someone makes the kind of $ that he does it's best to just keep your mouth shut because Joe Blow that kills himself working for far less won't have any sympathy for Mr. $6 million. At the end of the day he decided to sign in Edmonton so I don't want to hear anything negative about the city especially when he has yet to live up to his end of the bargain.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Dude grew up in Vancouver which is presumably much more humid and warmer overall than the prairies. For me visiting Alberta what bothered me the most is the dryness because I am from a humid environment. I would never use chap stick so my lips would crack and bleed (and I honestly didn't care) and my nose would get a lot of dried blood in it which was kind of annoying. That said I enjoyed visiting and wasn't paid to do so. If someone makes the kind of $ that he does it's best to just keep your mouth shut because Joe Blow that kills himself working for far less won't have any sympathy for Mr. $6 million. At the end of the day he decided to sign in Edmonton so I don't want to hear anything negative about the city especially when he has yet to live up to his end of the bargain.

Solid post. What was unsettling to me was how much he went off on DeRozan, with some really unpleasant comments and basically of the suck it baby variety. So that detected, apparently zero irony in his comments about the weather getting dry skin, less sunshine etc.

btw even in Junior hockey he would have some travel to regions that have winter. Boston has Winter even, Some days even with worse weather depending on what one likes dislikes.

If he's telling a basketball star to STFU because nobody cares than he should speak consistent to that.

The real trouble is it seems we just got another Boston Strong guy that is all about Boston and came here basically on retirement contract. So that Lucic sure isn't playing for any other contract. He's all good pay wise.. I still dislike Ference..

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Solid post. What was unsettling to me was how much he went off on DeRozan, with some really unpleasant comments and basically of the suck it baby variety. So that detected, apparently zero irony in his comments about the weather getting dry skin, less sunshine etc.

btw even in Junior hockey he would have some travel to regions that have winter. Boston has Winter even, Some days even with worse weather depending on what one likes dislikes.

If he's telling a basketball star to **** because nobody cares than he should speak consistent to that.

The real trouble is it seems we just got another Boston Strong guy that is all about Boston and came here basically on retirement contract. So that Lucic sure isn't playing for any other contract. He's all good pay wise.. I still dislike Ference..

To be fair I believe it was a Boston radio show so of course it was centered around Boston. That said when Whitney made that snarky noise when he asked Looch about Edmonton that was by far worse than anything that Looch said. Whitney is the real ***** here

 

[McDNicks17]

Had to nuke the political stuff.

Back on topic, please.

 

[Soundwave]

Most hockey media will always give bigger skilled player more breaks than smaller skilled players. Is what it is.

It does suck that it tends to chase good players from Edmonton. I've stopped following most Edmonton sports media tbh. I just want to let the players live their lives.

On topic, I think Lucic will bounce back. it's rare for a player to drop off like a stone after many successful seasons. Not impossible, but it is rare.

There's an easy solution to all of that though. Play better. No one is asking Lucic or was asking Eberle to carry the franchise, they're being asked to be 2nd line support players.

If reading the newspaper upsets one so much, put down the damn newspaper.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Had to nuke the political stuff.

Back on topic, please.

Did you say Nuke?

 

[joestevens29]

There's an easy solution to all of that though. Play better. No one is asking Lucic or was asking Eberle to carry the franchise, they're being asked to be 2nd line support players.

If reading the newspaper upsets one so much, put down the damn newspaper.

Who even reads a newspaper anyway? Don't listen to 1260 or 630ched and if you want news, watch the local news as they barely ever talk sports.

Not like Lucic or Eberle were social media junkies either.

 

[bombers15]

I'm glad some of you are optimistic. But...

Big, slow players on the wrong side of 30 usually don't upend the obvious decline in their game. He's certainly not scoring 20. Can McDavid shoot a few off his groin and in on the PP? Maybe. That's all I can really hope for.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

I'm glad some of you are optimistic. But...

Big, slow players on the wrong side of 30 usually don't upend the obvious decline in their game. He's certainly not scoring 20. Can McDavid shoot a few off his groin and in on the PP? Maybe. That's all I can really hope for.

he turned 30 two months ago

 

[bombers15]

he turned 30 two months ago

Yes, but point being - most players don't get better in their 30s.

 

[joestevens29]

Yes, but point being - most players don't get better in their 30s.

Well Rick Nash scored 42 when he turned 30.

Although my point was going to be, players don't get better usually as a whole. But it's not unheard of to see guys go up and down. I doubt anyone is thinking Lucic is going to have career years, but it shouldn't be rare to see him have a couple more 20 goal seasons in his career.

 

[GOilers88]

I'm glad some of you are optimistic. But...

Big, slow players on the wrong side of 30 usually don't upend the obvious decline in their game. He's certainly not scoring 20. Can McDavid shoot a few off his groin and in on the PP? Maybe. That's all I can really hope for.

Since you have the crystal ball, can you tell us how many goals and points he's going to score then? I'm sure there's lots of people who would like to know.

 

[GOilers88]

Yes, but point being - most players don't get better in their 30s.

Also it's not about him getting "better". It's about a return to his career norm, which has been extremely consistent over what, 9 years? The amount of people here who think that because a player has one bad season it means they've forgotten "how to hockey" or that they are on a total decline for the rest of their careers is astounding.

There's literally no logic or critical thought put into it. Just random, stupid thoughts.

 

[bombers15]

Since you have the crystal ball, can you tell us how many goals and points he's going to score then? I'm sure there's lots of people who would like to know.

I know it was weird of me to offer an opinion on a summer message board thread asking for opinions on Milan Lucic's upcoming season. But what can I say, I'm a maverick.

 

[GOilers88]

I know it was weird of me to offer an opinion on a summer message board thread asking for opinions on Milan Lucic's upcoming season. But what can I say, I'm a maverick.

Apologies if I seemed snappy. I'm a stickler for English. When I see "Lucic certainly won't score 20", as opposed to " I don't think he can score 20", I think someone is predicting the future as opposed to posing an opinion. We're both Mavericks.

 

[bombers15]

Apologies if I seemed snappy. I'm a stickler for English. When I see "Lucic certainly won't score 20", as opposed to " I don't think he can score 20", I think someone is predicting the future as opposed to posing an opinion. We're both Mavericks.

Yeah, I see.

The other parts of my post was softer language, but that statement wasn't.

The guy played 82 games and scored 10 last year, so if I had to bet I reeeeally don't envision 20. I don't know obviously, but that's how I see it for players like him. Hope I'm wrong, but I don't see a lot of reason for some of the optimistic predictions.

 

[GOilers88]

Yeah, I see.

The other parts of my post was softer language, but that statement wasn't.

The guy played 82 games and scored 10 last year, so if I had to bet I reeeeally don't envision 20. I don't know obviously, but that's how I see it for players like him. Hope I'm wrong, but I don't see a lot of reason for some of the optimistic predictions.

While I feel like he can bounce back somewhat, I do generally agree with you.he'll never be worth his contract. But as a long time Oilers fan, if I don't fabricate optimism out of thin air, what the hell do I cling to at this point?

 

[Drivesaitl]

Since you have the crystal ball, can you tell us how many goals and points he's going to score then? I'm sure there's lots of people who would like to know.

The crystal ball comment is so 1989. I think people stopped saying that phrase before the internet was invented..

My suggestion is cling hard to a life raft or buoy.

Also it's not about him getting "better". It's about a return to his career norm, which has been extremely consistent over what, 9 years? The amount of people here who think that because a player has one bad season it means they've forgotten "how to hockey" or that they are on a total decline for the rest of their careers is astounding.

There's literally no logic or critical thought put into it. Just random, stupid thoughts.

Again welcome to the internet or the western world for that matter if we're going to get deep on it.

Wait internet, the comments should be better here...or not...

 

[s7ark]

There's an easy solution to all of that though. Play better. No one is asking Lucic or was asking Eberle to carry the franchise, they're being asked to be 2nd line support players.

If reading the newspaper upsets one so much, put down the damn newspaper.

These guys have microphones stuck in their face every day for 10 months of the year. Hard to escape that without that escape becoming the story.

Players have bad seasons, or at least ones where they underperform. It happens to literally all of them. Even Crosby. The difference is that when a player does it in a Canadian market, it makes for a really uncomfortable year for them. They are constantly hearing stuff at work and when they go about their daily lives. And if they have a really bad season, wow does it suck for them. Often their family starts hearing about it from the public.

I completely understand why no Canadian team has won the cup in 25 years