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

[SmoggyTwinkles]

So is it 1 for 1 or have further details emerged?

 

[qwerty]

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.

You are literally explaining James Neal as well. I’ve never seen a player who handled the puck like a grenade quite like Neal. The turnovers were maddening. Guy has absolutely no poise with the puck.

He also embarrassingly iced the puck 5 feet from the red line as if he forgot that the rule existed. That was the day I knew the Flames were screwed with this guy. A complete con artist of a player. I may hate Lucic’s contract, but Neal is an absolute embarrassment of a player. Total diva in the dressing room too.

Neal’s only hope is McDavid.

 

[Soundwave]

Tkachuk is a great playmaker, obviously not on McDavids level of course. But if Neal can't even keep up with that how's he supposed to do it with McDavid? Remember, Oilers try to capitalize on the rush and Neal is just as slow as Lucic

The speed wasn't the issue, it was finishing around the net, Lucic couldn't even scored on wide open nets.

Connor is fine playing with slower players I think actually he prefers it because his likes to catch the trailer or the late moving winger as the D collapses around him.

That's why Maroon did so well with McDavid even though he's a slow player.

McDavid and Hall together worked badly because they both wanted to carry the puck fast.

 

[Snakepit]

With the exception of Draisaitl, the whole Oilers team looks like OHL players compared to McDavid when he’s on the ice. Actually, this applies to the majority of the NHL...McDavid is legit.
Finding wingers to keep up to him is almost impossible, but you do what you can.
This trade, to me, is mostly addition by subtraction.
Edmonton is better without Lucic.

I 100% agree with that. Edmonton improves by losing Lucic, Calgary stays about the same.

I'm just trying to put down any expectations that this will change the on ice product for the Oilers

 

[MikeK]

The real winner here is EDM. I didn't think they could get rid of Lucic until after the expansion draft.

 

[General Disarray]

WHATTTTTTTT???????? WHY??????????????????

 

[BatVader]

I 100% agree with that. Edmonton improves by losing Lucic, Calgary stays about the same.

I'm just trying to put down any expectations that this will change the on ice product for the Oilers

Edmonton has a lot more issues than just Lucic.

 

[LTIR]

Does Neal pk?

 

[Cloned]

 

[Soundwave]

McDavid and Neal played together at an All Star Game.

And they looked really, really good together. Not the most meaningful metric I know, but I remember lots of Oilers fans saying "why can't we have a winger like that for McDavid! A shooter!", welp here we are about 12 months later and he's in with Lucic out.

 

[egelband]

Does this mean Lucic's No Movement clause is waived permanently? Or just for this one transaction?
Assuming the latter, has there been any word on him agreeing to waive for the expansion draft?

 

[Baxterman]

He might be, but he wasn't 2 seasons ago. We'll wait and see if last year was just Neal not clicking and having a bad year, or if this is his new norm (he was still better than Lucic last year).

Its hard to see it being him not clicking as he was given plenty of chances and it wasn't like it was bad luck he was constantly a step slow and could not get into scoring positions.

Maybe he just took the year off but he really looked like a guy that has lost a step and that has taken away the space he used to have to get his shot off.

He won't be as terrible as Lucic but I think some Oiler fans are getting their hopes up a little high with him. I think if he can get 15 goals next year that would a good result.

 

[Snakepit]

Edmonton has a lot more issues than just Lucic.

Oh Absolutely, just saying Neal solves none of them

 

[BatVader]

And a 3rd.
What’s the condition?

 

[Snakepit]

 

[GeeoffBrown]

Conditional 3rd is the best player in the deal

 

[MMC]

Now that it’s official, it seems like a good time to move onto Part 2.