Confirmed Trade: [CGY/EDM] James Neal for Milan Lucic

[DFF]

One year removed from an All-Star season is definitely reason to believe he can do better.

Maybe not but to act like it's an impossibility is silly. Dude has played with guys like Malkin before, he'll be able to read off McDavid and get plenty of oppurtunities plus first unit PP time.

There's no one on the Oilers PP that shoots the damn puck, lol, it's McDavid and Draisaitl passing back and forth to each other for like 30 seconds at a time.

Shoot first player has a better chance of doing well given the Oilers make up (3 pass first centers).

Some players just don't fit on certain teams.

Huh Neal was an all-star?

 

[McFlyingV]

Neals puck handling is not better than Lucic's at this point though.

Getting rid of Lucic's contract is a BIG win for the Oilers but effectively paying Neal 6.35m for the exact same on ice impact isn't something to be proud of either

Having watched both teams a lot last season I disagree. Lucic literally loses 80% of the pucks he touches. His puck handling is horrifically bad. I'm not proud of paying Neal that, but I'd rather pay him that than pay Lucic to watch every single play die on his stick.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Your going to get the same production but have a mean SOB on the ice for when the other teams try to get payback after Tkuchuk run amok. Its far from a dark day

Lucic? He wont protect Tkachuk.

He'll go find the smallest guy on the ice.

 

[Soundwave]

Huh Neal was an all-star?

The season before this last one, yes. In fact he played on a line with McDavid at the the all-star game and they looked great together.

 

[Snakepit]

Yeah but Neal was doing well a year ago without Malkin and making the All-Star team still. There's a big difference in playing style here, Lucic's just didn't work with any of the Oilers, you can't play with McDavid or Draisaitl or RNH if you can't shoot the puck.

He's never really had a great shot. Chiarelli was an idiot for signing that deal in the first place, he's not the type of player that would play well with McDavid and he promptly got outplayed by Patrick Maroon in that role.

I get your line of thinking but my money is Neal getting beat out by Chaisson for that spot just like Maroon beat Lucic

 

[WeWentBlues]

So weird that NHL.com, TSN and others are reporting this trade but no details are available.

There is no way this can be a 1-for-1, right?

 

[Mickey Marner]

Straight up 1 for 1?

Flames get hosed.

 

[Cloned]

You're still going to see those exact same things sadly

You are going to be in for a shock when you realize that even though Neal was the worst player on your team, Lucic is THAT much worse.

 

[Snakepit]

Having watched both teams a lot last season I disagree. Lucic literally loses 80% of the pucks he touches. His puck handling is horrifically bad. I'm not proud of paying Neal that, but I'd rather pay him that than pay Lucic to watch every single play die on his stick.

Neal was literally the exact same thing though. Can't receive a pass, can't get a shot off

 

[Soundwave]

I get your line of thinking but my money is Neal getting beat out by Chaisson for that spot just like Maroon beat Lucic

Maybe but Chiasson really dropped off in the 2nd half of last year, only 6 goals. I think Neal is the better player.

 

[Snakepit]

So weird that NHL.com, TSN and others are reporting this trade but no details are available.

There is no way this can be a 1-for-1, right?

Bit of salary retention and a draft pick was the rumour, deal likely won't be official until tomorrow

 

[McFlyingV]

Neal was literally the exact same thing though. Can't receive a pass, can't get a shot off

Im not disagreeing that Neal was bad in that regard, I'm disagreeing that any player in the NHL handles the puck worse than Lucic has over the past two seasons.

 

[Gurglesons]

Got to think this deal is way better for the Oilers by the simple fact Neal’s skill set as an NHLer isn’t a depreciating assets like Lucic. Neal still has his shot and knowing Peters as a coach (horrendous) his deployment was likely part of the issue.

 

[DFF]

The season before this last one, yes. In fact he played on a line with McDavid at the the all-star game and they looked great together.

Ok good luck ...God helps the oilers if they think they are getting an all-star

 

[Snakepit]

Maybe but Chiasson really dropped off in the 2nd half of last year, only 6 goals. I think Neal is the better player.

Just going to have to agree to disagree I suppose.

Like I said, getting out of Lucic's contract is still a big win for Edmonton here, I'm not knocking the deal for the Oilers one bit. Just saying Neal is no upgrade as far as on ice performance goes

 

[ZJuice]

Neal is handsomer and also has a nice smile

 

[McFlyingV]

I get your line of thinking but my money is Neal getting beat out by Chaisson for that spot just like Maroon beat Lucic

Chiasson didn't have the McDavid line spot in the 2nd half of the season, Kassian did. Chiasson was largely playing with RNH or on the 3rd line.

 

[supsens]

Well the "hits" he throws are nothing because of how terrible slow they are so they have zero impact and he rarely has fights that aren't him throwing cheap shots at smaller guys.

He is a ***** that thinks if he acts like a goof people will be scared of him when they just laugh at what a joke he is.

Ya most humans that have looch grabbing them to punch them out will not be laughing.

 

[Snakepit]

Chiasson didn't have the McDavid line spot in the 2nd half of the season, Kassian did. Chiasson was largely playing with RNH or on the 3rd line.

That's' even worse then. Chiasson is a better player than Neal at this point

 

[Soundwave]

Just going to have to agree to disagree I suppose.

Like I said, getting out of Lucic's contract is still a big win for Edmonton here, I'm not knocking the deal for the Oilers one bit. Just saying Neal is no upgrade as far as on ice performance goes

If he clicks with McDavid that's just plainly false though. Lucic couldn't buy a goal with any one of McDavid or Draisaitl or Nugent Hopkins, they tried everything for almost two years. I think there's at least a 50-50 shot Neal can.

 

[SML2]

The structure of Lucic contract is complicated. His Salary not including signing bonus goes from 3m, to 1m, to 2.5m, to 1m. So how does this work if you wanted to retain 50%? Half of 3m is 1.5m, which is more than the entire base in years 2 and 4. Can it fluctuate as the base salary does, meaning they retain 1.5, then .5, then .750, then .5?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

 

[Snakepit]

If he clicks with McDavid that's just plainly false though. Lucic couldn't buy a goal with any one of McDavid or Draisaitl or Nugent Hopkins, I think there's at least a 50-50 shot Neal can.

Not so sure about that. If Neal couldn't even keep up with Tkachuks playmaking no way in hell he can do it with McDavid. Hell, even Bennett was too skilled for Neal to play with

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Ya most humans that have looch grabbing them to punch them out will not be laughing.

It's 2019, he cant just walk up and assault people.

Theres a reason no one really fights Lucic.

They would rather he be on the ice cause it benefits the other team.

 

[lightstorm]

Would have preferred Neal & Janko for Lucic and Pulju. Oh well.

I dont know what, if anything, Milan Lucic brings to the Flames, but I do know that watching James Neal "play" was painful.

Good riddance, that guy is a joke and a disgrace.