Can Lucic bounce back?

[McShogun99]

There's only 2 spots on the team for Lucic IMO. The 3rd line or with Mcdavid but preferably the 3rd line. The only reason he'd be with Mcdavid is if you want to move RNH down with Draisaitl to help on the 2nd line.

 

[voxel]

Lucic has exceed my expectations this season but it doesn’t mean he’s been great. The lack of shots and scoring chances for is very disturbing.

Lucic-Strome makes me want to puke. Strome has even less offensive IQ than Nurse (sorry but skating through defenders and shooting is not offensive IQ). Strome can’t make a play to save his life. I’ve seen one good vision pass from him. Draisaitl has been crappy to start the season (first 2.5 games) and woke up a little playing with McJesus. Can’t saddle him with Lucic all season.

Lucic is a bad fit for this team. He needs fast crash and bang linemates who can cycle without him. I wish JP would improve his puck battle skills some more and we need a speedier center. Nuge might work.

 

[Little Fury]

There's only 2 spots on the team for Lucic IMO. The 3rd line or with Mcdavid but preferably the 3rd line. The only reason he'd be with Mcdavid is if you want to move RNH down with Draisaitl to help on the 2nd line.

He can't play with McDavid.

 

[CupofOil]

Shots and goals are fancy stats now? Incredible.

He has never been a big volume shooter and you used a stat which is entirely 6 man based like shots for and against to illustrate that he still sucks. That's a poor way to judge individual performance especially over a smallish 4 game sample size.

I know that your community dismisses the eye test completely but anybody who watches the games can see that he has been better this season.

Again, not saying that he's been great and he's always going to flub pucks and make a few poor reads during games but he's been much more engaged this season. His offensive numbers are going to look poor when the center isn't playing at the top of his game, he can't create offense on his own and because of the coaches' decision to put an overwhelmed Yamamoto on the right side, Lucic has been counted on to be the primary puck supporter on that line which isn't a role he's suited for on a 2nd line.

 

[McShogun99]

He can't play with McDavid.

It's not that he can/can't play with Mcdavid. It's that Mcdavid is good enough to carry 6 million of dead weight.

 

[gordonhught]

Best Lucic (while an Oiler) has played was last night on the third line. Perfect spot for him.

 

[Soundwave]

It's not that he can/can't play with Mcdavid. It's that Mcdavid is good enough to carry 6 million of dead weight.

Nah even with McDavid, Lucic ends up dragging McDavid's numbers down. They tried this multiple times and Todd always ends up having to break it up after the line hits a stretch where they don't score for 2-3 games. In the past it would be Maroon that would get put back on the line.

 

[PinSeeker]

Best Lucic (while an Oiler) has played was last night on the third line. Perfect spot for him.

Precisely, for better or worse we are stuck with him. I see him succeeding in this spot.

 

[sportsdynasty]

Lucic is a fourth liner who should be signed to a one year contract for $1M. Chia obviously doesn't understand hockey if he thinks you offer Lucic a seven year contract for $6M AAV with the hope that he magically turns into a first line player worth his contract. Playing Lucic in a top 6 role is a detriment to the team to save face for an idiotic signing.

 

[Soundwave]

Lucic is a fourth liner who should be signed to a one year contract for $1M. Chia obviously doesn't understand hockey if he thinks you offer Lucic a seven year contract for $6M AAV with the hope that he magically turns into a first line player worth his contract. Playing Lucic in a top 6 role is a detriment to the team to save face for an idiotic signing.

I mean I think he can be a decent 3rd liner that keeps other teams honest on most nights from trying anything stupid physically .... but yeah. It's fairly obvious he's getting played the primo positions he gets because the franchise is trying to save face.

He should not be playing with Draisaitl.

 

[Little Fury]

He has never been a big volume shooter and you used a stat which is entirely 6 man based like shots for and against to illustrate that he still sucks. That's a poor way to judge individual performance especially over a smallish 4 game sample size.

No I used shot stats to show his line is getting caved in. Then I pointed out how everyone he plays with does better away from him. Of course sample size is a factor, but the sample is all we have to go on right now. I suspect even if these trends continue over 20, 40, 82 games people will still defend him.

I know that your community dismisses the eye test completely but anybody who watches the games can see that he has been better this season.

Bo-ring.

As for the rest, sure he's better than the garbage player he was last season, which isn't the same thing as being good.

Again, not saying that he's been great and he's always going to flub pucks and make a few poor reads during games but he's been much more engaged this season. His offensive numbers are going to look poor when the center isn't playing at the top of his game, he can't create offense on his own and because of the coaches' decision to put an overwhelmed Yamamoto on the right side, Lucic has been counted on to be the primary puck supporter on that line which isn't a role he's suited for on a 2nd line.

So if he can't create offence on his own and can't be counted on to be the main puck supporter, what exactly can he do to contribute to the team's success?

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I'm still not sold that his best spot isn't on the 2nd line and that the bigger problem on that line was Yamamoto due to his inexperience. That said he is playing much better than a 4th line plug worth $1 million and anyone that thinks otherwise needs to look at Reaves. He is overpaid but is still a useful player when playing like he is now.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

I'm happy with Lucic's play this season. It's reminiscent of his play in 2016.

Yes he's not worth his contract, nor is he a line driver. But last season he should have been press-boxed for large parts of the 2nd half.

This year he's been an adequate middle-6 option.

The strength of his game was always built on him going into dirty areas and fighting for space, mucking along boards & blue paint. This is how he terrorized the Oilers when he was on Boston and LA. We simply had no answer to him.

Last season he looked like he was required to skate the puck through the neutral zone. Maybe it was the other teams that forced us into that?

Maybe he's not generating tons of shots, but I feel like he's going back into those dirtier areas and creating space for his line. He's also not carrying it as much, and isn't putting himself in positions to bobble it up in the neutral zone as much.

 

[Del Preston]

iirc Lucic and Strome looked good together last season.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

I get the feeling Lucic and Strome are never going to skate it in.

Hoping They play ugly Crash and Bang hockey.

'Plug' hockey.


Would love to see 2016 Kassian on their line.

 

[Satire]

He's been playing a lot better and keeping up with the play a lot better. I don't think he'll ever be a 6 million dollar player but he often is the 2nd or 3rd best player on the team most nights so far this season. If he can keep that up for the season I will be content.

 

[Mr Positive]

Lucic has been a net positive so far, so I'm very happy with him. He seems to be in the right spot more often than not, and has more good possessions than bad.

So if he gets demoted to the third line I'm happy that it's not because we're trying to stick him somewhere he will do less damage to us. I get that perhaps him and McDavid don't mesh, and him and Draisaitl don't mesh. If he becomes a part of a very good 3rd line compared to playoff teams, then I don't even care if it is an overpaid line.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

No I used shot stats to show his line is getting caved in. Then I pointed out how everyone he plays with does better away from him. Of course sample size is a factor, but the sample is all we have to go on right now. I suspect even if these trends continue over 20, 40, 82 games people will still defend him.

if he's producing, no one will complain..
if he has a year like he did last year, then people won't defend him

it's pretty simple

 

[GOilers88]

Lol@Everyone who was saying he would never play good NHL hockey again cause of a 36 game stretch and a 29th birthday last year..

 

[shoop]

Best Lucic (while an Oiler) has played was last night on the third line. Perfect spot for him.

He's a solid third liner.

Just massively overpaid. But there is nothing to do about that. Thanks CBA!

 

[JariCurry]

He's a solid third liner.

Just massively overpaid. But there is nothing to do about that. Thanks CBA!

Would be awesome if he could accept that role and run with it. Salvage atleast a bit the value of his contract anyway.

 

[oil85]

Nah even with McDavid, Lucic ends up dragging McDavid's numbers down. They tried this multiple times and Todd always ends up having to break it up after the line hits a stretch where they don't score for 2-3 games. In the past it would be Maroon that would get put back on the line.

It's so bad that I remember McDavid would literally do laps dangling around the offensive zone perimeter waiting for Lucic to catch up from the neutral zone lol

 

[shoop]

Would be awesome if he could accept that role and run with it. Salvage atleast a bit the value of his contract anyway.

I don't know if I'd ever describe a third line LW making $6 million as awesome.

From the looks of things I suspect Lucic does accept it and is doing the best he can in the role.

 

[Little Fury]

if he's producing, no one will complain..
if he has a year like he did last year, then people won't defend him

it's pretty simple

Yeah, I know that's how dumb fans will look at it. The problem is, points are even worse at telling the whole story than teh advanced metriocs you deride.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Yeah, I know that's how dumb fans will look at it. The problem is, points are even worse at telling the whole story than teh advanced metriocs you deride.

lmao

classic "advanced stats guy" comment...you are "smarter" because chose to believe advance stats as fact instead of what they are....supportive numbers

tell me again how Cody Franson is an NHLer