James Neal will score 50+ goals this year

[Saltcreek]

This post is actually pretty accurate.

Hes replacing Chiasson. Chiasson rode a lucky shooting % to a fair amount of goals, and Neal is doing the same. Neal in the top 6 is an issue if you want your team to be a contender, but he can hang in the top 6 (by the eye) and not a total disaster. The issue with Lucic was that he was an unmitigated disaster in the top 6. He had no hands or skill and the puck dying on his stick each time had visible negative impacts on McDavid/LD. The two just looked way worse with Lucic. Neal atleast has the hands/skill to keep the play alive somewhat

But a good description of Neal is a 5.5 mil Chiasson. And a guy who likely will be a 10-15 goal scorer the rest of his contract, and someone who will be buried in the depth chart and become irrelevant (like Chiasson is) within the next 60 games

However, with all that being said, even when Neal cools off and the love fest for him subsides, hes STILL a better option than Lucic. Lucic right now is on a decline and right now is at most an average 4th liner, whos probably playing at his highest motivation. There is only down to go for Lucic, which is extremely scary. So that is why the contracts are the determining factor. Lucics contract has a NMC and harder to buy out. The only survival from Lucic is retirement, or hopefully, against all odds, he waives his NMC for the draft and doesnt cost Calgary a great young player

Neal on the other hand, he can become irrelevant, Oiler fans can get mad at him for not producing. Hell be overpaid but can be bought out, and he also isnt a concern in the expansion draft

What a load of nonsense. Neal is replacing Lucic and that is that. You can try and spin it another way but you just look like a fool. Lucic was supposed to he a top 6 forward but for whatever reason he is not anymore.

Flames got fleeced and that is not going to change.

 

[Dueling Banjos]

What in the world is going on in here?

Albert Einstein. Calgary Alberta.

Connections.

 

[yada]

I <3 where this thread has turned

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Albert Einstein's childhood nickname was 'the dopey one'

many misconceptions by those who want to think everything is obvious... when we dont understand genius it appears to be insane to our uneducated eyes

napoleon was rated last in his military class

michael Jordan couldnt make his high school basketball team

so many comediens spent their childhoods in detention and being treated for depression

genius isnt appreciated by the common riffraff

I hope you’re not suggesting that you’re a genius with them when you can’t spell hierarchy correctly.

Your take is very, very bad.

How does one win a hockey game? By scoring the most goals. You’re telling me with a straight face that having James Neals goal production isn’t as valued as Lucic bringing the hitz and intangibles?

No, you’re right. Geniuses are often misunderstood. However, this take is not one.

 

[ElysiumAB]

fighting is hard... will you find more than 5-6 young bucks who have fought more? I didnt look, but id be surprised

luckily for lucic he has a reputation... no one wants to fight him. and when he does fight he hurts people

I think lucic through well over 200 hits last year? im not going to look it up... but seems I remember. when you hit another human at high hockey speed you get bruised up. thats simply the way it works. bruises heal easier for young peak condition atheletes. the old guys say they need hours in the training room with ice packs as their age increases

you dont see a lot of power forwards continuing to play a super aggressive style as they age. unfortunately for lucic, he isnt much of a player if hes not super aggressive

last year his pride helped him make the effort
this year being on a new team might help him make the effort

I question how much longer he will feel its worth the pain to make the effort

we are seeing a guy like byfulgin debating if its worth his effort

weve seen a few football players say they dont want injuries... they are walking away from huge money

even a non physical player like paul kariya walked away due to concussion worries. its not something everyone does but not everyone completely turns to crap like lucic has

at this point if he stopped being physical he would be demoted to the minors. the only thing keeping him in the nhl right now is his scary rep for fighting. the first second he loses that rep he will be gone.

does he want to continue to do this job as his age grows older?

I think there was some strategic planning on the part of Calgary. give him a legit chance to become a good player again... if he cant turn it around, then give him a graceful opportunity to retire.

he will be off the books

james neal has never had the pride lucic has. neal has been known as a coaster his entire career. I admit he has some pp chemistry with McDavid and drasdaitl… its good that he does because he kind of sucks 5-on-5

today this trade looks one sided... but people that see the bigger picture can easily forsee this trade will be judged different as early as this time next year. enjoy it for now oiler fans.

My point was you said Lucic fights for a living. He has two fighting majors this year, and two last year - I don't consider that "fighting for a living." Or, if he was hired to fight, it appears he should be doing more of it.

He had a lot of hits last year because his team couldn't keep possession of the puck when he was on the ice not because he's some vicious forechecker.

If you're going to type that much and expect anyone to read it I'd recommend punctuating.

 

[East Coast Icestyle]

After a hot start, Neal has just 5 goals, 2 assists, and is -13 in his last 18 games

Yeah, he might be better than lucic and had a much much better start, but people trying to act like having neal would save the flames right now compared to lucid...

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Yeah, he might be better than lucic and had a much much better start, but people trying to act like having neal would save the flames right now compared to lucid...

Considering his production, even after the hot start, I think it would be foolish to say that having those additional goals would be much more useful than someone who provides nearly f*** all.

 

[oil4life97]

Yeah, he might be better than lucic and had a much much better start, but people trying to act like having neal would save the flames right now compared to lucid...

Neal is doing exactly what Lucic was brought in for with the oil. Calgary is pacing for like 100 fewer goals for right now. Bringing in Lucic and Rieder hasn’t helped their cause. The trade has been a Trojan Horse for Holland. Where would the oil be without Neal right now? If the oil finish in the playoffs and Flames barely miss, the trade is gonna look even worse. Let’s see how it all plays out.

 

[Neutrinos]

It's funny how people are trying to make Neal look bad with the 5 goals in 18 games stuff. That's still a 20+ goal pace haha.

As for the minuses, he's been on the ice for 4 empty netters and 3 shorthanded goals during that span.

Being scored on while killing a penalty doesn't impact your +/-

I would assume it's the same when the goalie is pulled, but I'm not entirely sure

 

[Oil Dood]

Being scored on while killing a penalty doesn't impact your +/-

I would assume it's the same when the goalie is pulled, but I'm not entirely sure

When the goalie is pulled it still counts against you, because there is the same amount of players on the ice(6).

 

[ohheyhemsky]

Being scored on while killing a penalty doesn't impact your +/-

I would assume it's the same when the goalie is pulled, but I'm not entirely sure

But short handed goals do go against your +/-, I'm fairly certain, which is what the person you quoted was saying as well. I would think empty netters would count as well.

 

[Morbo]

After a hot start, Neal has just 5 goals, 2 assists, and is -13 in his last 18 games

shocking!

 

[Darkwinter]

Face it flames fans . Your team got took to the woodshed by the oilers and spin it any way you want the reality is loch sucks and that is clear to anyone in the NHL expect the flame announcers but they are almost as bad as Bostons announcers

 

[Snowpants]

shocking!

loke I said before now do Lucic

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

At least Lucic hit the back of the net last night.

 

[McDNicks17]

Being scored on while killing a penalty doesn't impact your +/-

I would assume it's the same when the goalie is pulled, but I'm not entirely sure

Shorthanded goals(as in goals against when you're on the powerplay) and empty net goals against both count against +/-.

 

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

But short handed goals do go against your +/-, I'm fairly certain, which is what the person you quoted was saying as well. I would think empty netters would count as well.

If you are on a pp you dont get a plus but you might get a minus

If you are on a pk you never get a minus but you could get a plus

 

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

My point was you said Lucic fights for a living. He has two fighting majors this year, and two last year - I don't consider that "fighting for a living." Or, if he was hired to fight, it appears he should be doing more of it.

He had a lot of hits last year because his team couldn't keep possession of the puck when he was on the ice not because he's some vicious forechecker.

If you're going to type that much and expect anyone to read it I'd recommend punctuating.

Lucic scares people... its the only reason hes still in the nhl because every other part of his game has regressed below nhl standards

Not sure why this is a difficult concept to grasp

When guys play physical it hurts. Hurts heal slower as we get older

Many vets retire because they dont want to deal with all the pain anymore

There arent alot of examples in nhl of guys walking away from contracts... but most are related to mental illness

Lucic has been very candid how sad hes been for a few years

Combind his struggles, his sadness, his pain, the liklihood he will soon be demoted out of nhl... and a retirement is very likely

Neal will be on the oil cap forever
Lucic will be gone. My prediction after this year

I daresay its an easy prediction and one calgary considered when making the trade

 

[Schred]

Neal is doing exactly what Lucic was brought in for with the oil. Calgary is pacing for like 100 fewer goals for right now. Bringing in Lucic and Rieder hasn’t helped their cause. The trade has been a Trojan Horse for Holland. Where would the oil be without Neal right now? If the oil finish in the playoffs and Flames barely miss, the trade is gonna look even worse. Let’s see how it all plays out.

I think McDavid and Drai playing lights out are more a factor then Neal banging some goals in, no?

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Time to shut 'er down.