Can Lucic bounce back?

[GameChanger]

I'm not excited about what the team gets for Lucic's salary, but today he'll score at 31:22. If (and when) that happens I'll make a trip to Edmonton and you guys will treat me like a king, right?

E: Sorry for a stupid post like this, I actually never ever do these, but there's got to be the one exception

 

[russ99]

Really would love to see Zykov instead of Kassian at RW on the Identity line, he’d likely score on some of those golden chances, and Lucic’s performance seems directly tied to confidence.

 

[Smartguy]

Really would love to see Zykov instead of Kassian at RW on the Identity line, he’d likely score on some of those golden chances, and Lucic’s performance seems directly tied to confidence.

Agreed, he’s had some good looks, ones almost would bury. Like he said in his interview a few weeks back, 2018 hit and nothing he can do will make a puck go in, so hopefully that flips in 2019

 

[oobga]

Just heard Gregor finally call Lucic out for his stupid response to Gregor's question last year about getting a skills coach.

Gregor asked him about it last year, and Lucic basically said it would be too many voices and he doesn't need to practice toe drags. Completely sticking his nose up at the idea of improving stick skills. Gregor just now made fun of Lucic, saying it's not toe drags, it's how to use your stick for board battles, shooting, defending stick checks, etc...

Lucic is such a turd.

Maybe this summer he finally clues in? Last year finally realizes doing max bench presses and targetting 0% body fat isn't what makes a good player in todays game. This summer, maybe discovers stick skills are important in a league where everyone is becoming an expert at stick skills. One year at a time he can learn something everyone else figured out 5 or so years ago. He progresses at the same pace our management group does relative to the rest of the league.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Just heard Gregor finally call Lucic out for his stupid response to Gregor's question last year about getting a skills coach.

Gregor asked him about it last year, and Lucic basically said it would be too many voices and he doesn't need to practice toe drags. Completely sticking his nose up at the idea of improving stick skills. Gregor just now made fun of Lucic, saying it's not toe drags, it's how to use your stick for board battles, shooting, defending stick checks, etc...

Lucic is such a turd.

Maybe this summer he finally clues in? Last year finally realizes doing max bench presses and targetting 0% body fat isn't what makes a good player in todays game. This summer, maybe discovers stick skills are important in a league where everyone is becoming an expert at stick skills. One year at a time he can learn something everyone else figured out 5 or so years ago. He progresses at the same pace our management group does relative to the rest of the league.

If Lucic has as poor of a year as he was after Christmas then he had better stop with the BS that "everything is fine and I'm just snake bitten". Clearly everything is not ****ing fine.

 

[sxvnert]

Trade him to Vancouver for Loui Ericksson. Same contract (minus a year). Win win for both teams just to get the embarrassments out of peoples minds.

 

[GameChanger]

Just heard Gregor finally call Lucic out for his stupid response to Gregor's question last year about getting a skills coach.

Gregor asked him about it last year, and Lucic basically said it would be too many voices and he doesn't need to practice toe drags. Completely sticking his nose up at the idea of improving stick skills. Gregor just now made fun of Lucic, saying it's not toe drags, it's how to use your stick for board battles, shooting, defending stick checks, etc...

Lucic is such a turd.

Maybe this summer he finally clues in? Last year finally realizes doing max bench presses and targetting 0% body fat isn't what makes a good player in todays game. This summer, maybe discovers stick skills are important in a league where everyone is becoming an expert at stick skills. One year at a time he can learn something everyone else figured out 5 or so years ago. He progresses at the same pace our management group does relative to the rest of the league.

If Lucic could get his skills up just a little bit it could help him more than that by hopefully getting his confidence up. The guy would really need that, but even though I made a (stupid and unlikely) guess about him scoring tonight I don't see a big confidence boost coming easily especially with Hitch's playing style where the team doesn't score too much. I hope I'm wrong with that, sometimes mystical things happen in hockey.

 

[Aerchon]

The skills thing is interesting because he desperately needs to improve his basic skills a ton. Passing, receiving, shooting, and stick handling in general.

I hope Lucic can bounce back but I no longer believe. He is just so Vader out there. It really is embarrassing. Even the most die hard Lucic fans agree he looks like trash.

 

[oobga]

The skills thing is interesting because he desperately needs to improve his basic skills a ton. Passing, receiving, shooting, and stick handling in general.

I hope Lucic can bounce back but I no longer believe. He is just so Vader out there. It really is embarrassing. Even the most die hard Lucic fans agree he looks like trash.

Unfortunately, it appears there are only 2 levels of stick skills in the NHL according to Lucic.

There's Lucic level

And there's toe drag all day long level

 

[A91]

Crazy to believe this is the same guy who at one point in the season was at an 82 goal per game pace. Now he is at a 3 goal per game pace. 82 goals to 3 just like that *snap*

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Still a nope.

His line treads water but for the money he makes that simply isn't good enough.

 

[stratedge]

What Lucic needs is to spend an hour a day stick handling through pylons and putting a crate of pucks past a shooter tutor until he gets his hands back. It seems like he and no one around him have identified that it's his hands that are killing him. So put in the work. I get this feeling from him, in his last 2 years worth of interviews, like he shows up to practice and does the team drills and then that's it, he's not putting in any extra work because he's "made it". I guess he'll need to feel even more heat before he's motivated to put in the extra practice he needs (over and above his teammates), that it'll take to get him back into scoring form.

TL;DR - Lucic needs to stickhandle and shoot pucks until he can't hold his stick anymore. Every day. It frustrates me he hasn't figured that out yet, or won't do it.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Lucic might seriously never score again. The Oilers absolutely need to get out from under this contract. The effort is there but that’s all there is.

 

[BlackDogg]

I now have money on them finding the treasure on Oak Island before Lucic scores his next goal.

 

[Throttlehead]

Lucic might seriously never score again. The Oilers absolutely need to get out from under this contract. The effort is there but that’s all there is.

Actually he is playing pretty good, and where he should be. The problem is he is a 2 mil player.
There is no way the Oilers get out from under that contract.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Actually he is playing pretty good, and where he should be. The problem is he is a 2 mil player.
There is no way the Oilers get out from under that contract.

I don't think he's even worth 2 million at this point. Again, the effort is there, but 1 goal is still 1 goal on the season.

 

[TB12]

I now have money on them finding the treasure on Oak Island before Lucic scores his next goal.

I finally broke free from Curse of Oak Island. I couldn’t handle it anymore. Basically 7 seasons of digging and NOTHING! I invested way too much time into it with no payoff haha

/tangent

 

[Shaquille Oatmeal]

I finally broke free from Curse of Oak Island. I couldn’t handle it anymore. Basically 7 seasons of digging and NOTHING! I invested way too much time into it with no payoff haha

/tangent

I now have money on them finding the treasure on Oak Island before Lucic scores his next goal.

Hahaha, the Oak Island reference is fitting:

Milan "The Money Pit" Lucic.

 

[redgrant]

I cant believe its been 30 games since this dummy scored. Khaira Brodziak and Kassian all have found the net more than him.

 

[Tyrolean]

Trade him for a equally bad contract or buy him out after this year. He's just stealing money from the team. Chia can go too.

 

[guymez]

Man...the vitriol around Lucic is something to behold.
Yes he is over paid by a lot...thats not going to change no matter how much people b!tch about it.

Could be much worse...look at Eberle for example....same AAV....not scoring....doesnt hit....doesnt cycle the puck particularly well....weak along the wall...is poor defensively.
So he brings absolutely nothing to the team when he isnt scoring.
He is a liability.

The only way to view Lucic right now is to overlook the salary and view him as a 3rd line player and highlight everything else he can do aside from scoring. Cycling the puck....hitting (he is the best on the team)...strong along the wall...being a strong defenisve player....and just busting his ass on every shift.
He is doing those things right now so at least he is contributing.

 

[Boom not bust]

Man...the vitriol around Lucic is something to behold.
Yes he is over paid by a lot...thats not going to change no matter how much people b!tch about it.

Could be much worse...look at Eberle for example....same AAV....not scoring....doesnt hit....doesnt cycle the puck particularly well....weak along the wall...is poor defensively.
So he brings absolutely nothing to the team when he isnt scoring.
He is a liability.

The only way to view Lucic right now is to overlook the salary and view him as a 3rd line player and highlight everything else he can do aside from scoring. Cycling the puck....hitting (he is the best on the team)...strong along the wall...being a strong defenisve player....and just busting his ass on every shift.
He is doing those things right now so at least he is contributing.

you need some production from even your 3rd line to, he is producing like a 14th forward, I'd take Eberle over him in an instant.

 

[guymez]

you need some production from even your 3rd line to, he is producing like a 14th forward, I'd take Eberle over him in an instant.

If Eberle could be turned into a useful player without the puck by Hitch then I would agree.

 

[Shaquille Oatmeal]

If Eberle could be turned into a useful player without the puck by Hitch then I would agree.

Yeah. Now that Lucic has been put in the proper role he has been doing much better. The effort is there for sure. We all know the contract sucks but I wouldn't trade him... at least not yet. He's contributing on a nightly basis. I wouldn't want to roll the dice on what we could get for a return on him. (Cough, cough.. Chia)

 

[Spawn]

Man...the vitriol around Lucic is something to behold.
Yes he is over paid by a lot...thats not going to change no matter how much people b!tch about it.

Could be much worse...look at Eberle for example....same AAV....not scoring....doesnt hit....doesnt cycle the puck particularly well....weak along the wall...is poor defensively.
So he brings absolutely nothing to the team when he isnt scoring.
He is a liability.

The only way to view Lucic right now is to overlook the salary and view him as a 3rd line player and highlight everything else he can do aside from scoring. Cycling the puck....hitting (he is the best on the team)...strong along the wall...being a strong defenisve player....and just busting his ass on every shift.
He is doing those things right now so at least he is contributing.

Lucic doesn't do any of the bold well. Most of it terribly.

He's the worst forward on the team defensively. He's terrible along the wall with the puck losing the majority of puck battles. His compete level is better under Hitch than it had been previously, but it's still nothing to write home about, he loves to skate around with one hand on his stick and waive it around aimlessly.

You're damn right there is vitriol for this player. He's contributing at the level of a Luke Gazdic type player. For a full time NHLer that is unacceptable regardless of the amount of money he's making.