James Neal will score 50+ goals this year

[North Cole]

And I think it's dumb when people bring it up with the Hall-Larsson trade too. Hall for Larsson was bad because it was a bad trade right when it happened, it wasn't bad because of what Hall did in the future.

No, but what he did in the future made it worse. It's a classic example of why you don't sell low. I'm not saying that you have to hold on to a guy forever because of FOMO on the best value, but there has to be some middle ground (like Sakic and Duchene). It's not like he dumped a one hit wonder player and I get the idea that Neal wasn't a fit due to the line structure in CGY; however, you can't convince me that Lucic was the best value. GM's don't trade with division rivals on a whim or to dump a piece. Both Holland and Tre believed that the guy they were picking up would benefit their team and the guy they were giving away was dead weight to their rival. One of these GMs looks a lot more correct than the other at this time. There's a 0% chance that CGY does this trade if they assume Neal is going to score 30 goals playing for the Oilers, unless they have an unhealthy need for toughness. I don't think toughness is what sank them last year.

Lucic-Neal trade was bad from the start, because of a misguided idea that toughness builds team character and contributes to wins. What Neal is putting together is potentially making it more lopsided. The toughness schtick is the same idea Chiarelli had when he started trading for slower, bigger guys. NHL is a skill game now, I'm not saying Neal is a hugely skilled player, but he does a lot of little things better than Lucic and thinks the game better.

There's literally no other reason for Chiarelli to bring in guys like Petrovic, Manning, etc. other than an obsession with size/grit. In my opinion, it doesn't win games. We don't need Semenko types in the current NHL.

 

[authentic]

My dad thinks James Neal will score 50+ goals this season, but he also for some reason thinks James Neal is a hall of famer and that Draisaitl will never score as many points in his career as Neal. I think he has a solid chance at 30+, anything beyond that would be a surprise even with his hot start.

 

[McFlash97]

Does Neal finish the season with more points than Lucic has shots on goal?

I'll up the anti....

More goals then Lucic has shots.

 

[Jumptheshark]

as an oiler fan I say maybe 25

 

[Aceboogie]

I'll up the anti....

More goals then Lucic has shots.

How about Neals 8 goals are more than the total goals Lucic will score the rest of his career from here on out

 

[Captain Controversy]

Neal will score 27 to 35 goals.
End of the year, Calgary will call for their gm to be fired into the sun.

 

[SUX2BU]

 

[GOilers88]

Neal having an incredible season for Edmonton doesn't make the deal worse for Calgary, because Neal was terrible in Calgary. The deal is turning out to be amazing for Edmonton, but it's not worse for Calgary because of his success in Edmonton.

The only way that trade would be bad for Calgary is if Lucic is worse in a bottom-6 role than Neal or having Lucic hurts them in some way that having Neal wouldn't have hurt them.

I love the insinuation that James Neal was never going to help the flames over the course of his 5 year deal. Had Calgary attempted in the least to honor the contract they gave him and actually gave him a chance after an offseason with some rest and recuperation, I think he would have been fine.

But all I hear is flames fans saying he never would have worked. It's such a crock of shit. So it is worse for Calgary the better he does, because if they had shown any patience at all he would have found his game. Instead they swapped him for a guy who can't find water while falling out of a boat, can't be bought out unlike Neal, and who needs protection for the expansion draft.

Thats honestly the kind of knee-jerk move you see people around here talking about. No wonder it's blowing up in their face.

 

[Sempiternal]

He obviously couldn't wait to play for better fans.

 

[blankall]

I love the insinuation that James Neal was never going to help the flames over the course of his 5 year deal. Had Calgary attempted in the least to honor the contract they gave him and actually gave him a chance after an offseason with some rest and recuperation, I think he would have been fine.

But all I hear is flames fans saying he never would have worked. It's such a crock of ****. So it is worse for Calgary the better he does, because if they had shown any patience at all he would have found his game. Instead they swapped him for a guy who can't find water while falling out of a boat, can't be bought out unlike Neal, and who needs protection for the expansion draft.

Thats honestly the kind of knee-jerk move you see people around here talking about. No wonder it's blowing up in their face.

The word on the street is that he said some things that permanently soured his relationship with the team, and there was no going back.

And no, I don't think he would have ever worked with the Flames. Even now, Neal is the trigger man, and that's all he's ever been. He was never going to out compete Monahan for that role on the first line. Gaudreau is the Flames only true playmaker. Neal may have been doomed in Calgary, the day Lindholm took a massive step forward (which happened in the first week of the season).

If Neal's found chemistry with McDavid, good for him. Having chemistry with the best player in the league is going to boost your numbers. There's no doubt about that. However, concluding that he would have eventually found a similar role in Calgary isn't supported by anything.

 

[GOilers88]

The word on the street is that he said some things that permanently soured his relationship with the team, and there was no going back.

And no, I don't think he would have ever worked with the Flames. Even now, Neal is the trigger man, and that's all he's ever been. He was never going to out compete Monahan for that role on the first line. Gaudreau is the Flames only true playmaker. Neal may have been doomed in Calgary, the day Lindholm took a massive step forward (which happened in the first week of the season).

If Neal's found chemistry with McDavid, good for him. Having chemistry with the best player in the league is going to boost your numbers. There's no doubt about that. However, concluding that he would have eventually found a similar role in Calgary isn't supported by anything.

People will chalk it up to "playing with McDavid", but he's just a good hockey player. His entire career shows that.

 

[SC2GM]

If McDavid could make Maroon score 27 goals, Neal can score 80.

 

[Coffey]

McDavid and Neal aren't even on the same 5v5 line.

But they are on the same PP line.. Which explains our 45% PP lol

 

[blankall]

People will chalk it up to "playing with McDavid", but he's just a good hockey player. His entire career shows that.

He's a good player....but only in specific roles. He wasn't going to get that top line trigger man role in Calgary.

 

[Aerchon]

100% it does.

Flames fans claimed Neal was done, that he can't skate, that he can't shoot, that he is a defensive liability, and basically that he is useless out there and not the player he once was.

Oiler fans claimed this wasn't the case, and that he will bounce back in Edmonton after literally only 1 down year where he had a number of things not go his way.

Which side looks right as of now?

Lucic was a bum in Edmonton, and now he's a bum in Calgary.

Actually it did make it worse. If Hall was that 60 point player he was in his final two seasons in Edmonton, the trade wouldn't have been nearly as frowned upon.
Hell, some were even calling it a win win when Hall had a mediocre first season in New Jersey and Larsson a good one in Edmonton. Perception always changes with trades after the fact. Hell, look at the Marino trade with your team as a much lesser example.

The fact is that Neal has been a good top 6 forward every year except for last season. Last season was an outlier. Some thought it was because he's past his prime but it's obvious based on this early stage that he still has juice left in the tank and that last season was an aberration.

If they had traded him out of conference, it would be less of a loss but to gift a top 6 forward to your rival and take on their albatross contract in the process is a big screw up. If Lucic starts producing something, anything, then maybe they can save some face but he's provided nothing so far. We'll see how it plays out. Still very early to make final judgments but I don't see Lucic turning back the clock anytime soon.

As an Oilers fan that watched a good amount of Neal prior to Calgary. A lot when he played for Calgary and now a lot on the Oilers...

I don't recognize the player Neal is right now. He is playing with more fire in his belly than when he got exposed to Vegas.

We Oilers fans will enjoy the reinvigorated Neal whole heartedly. Obviously set up to easily get 30 goals and is helping the team win.

But. Neal is a "power" forward on the wrong side of 30. He will burn out and be less effective at some point in his 4 year, now 6.5 million per year contract. I was not the least surprised he failed in Calgary. Im more surprised how good he is currently playing. In the new nhl Neal is typically not worth 5 million let alone 6.5 and should not have had that long a contract. Terrible signing by Calgary.

On the plus for Calgary People forget how long the contract is, that the Oilers took salary back, and are giving up a third round pick in what is labeled a good draft.

As for Lucic I was a big fan. Honestly don't know what is wrong with him. He can't even win board battles anymore. He can barely receive or pass the puck at the nhl level. He has been like that for 120+ nhl games. He had been the Oilers 13th best forward for awhile.

In light of Neals return to glory it absolutely looks like Neal was railroaded by Calgary and they did not do due diligence on Lucic. It was extremely unlikely they would be getting anything more than a 13th forward.

In short, while i understand why Calgary did the trade, they really messed up. They should have seen that Neal would be able to bounce back and that Lucic was most likely not.

Neal doing this well for a divisional rival is absolutely making Calgary look stupid.

 

[Sempiternal]

Ken Holland is your daddy, it was a Steal to get the Real Deal and McDraisaitl will dominate you for many more years to come.

 

[Aerchon]

The word on the street is that he said some things that permanently soured his relationship with the team, and there was no going back.

And no, I don't think he would have ever worked with the Flames. Even now, Neal is the trigger man, and that's all he's ever been. He was never going to out compete Monahan for that role on the first line. Gaudreau is the Flames only true playmaker. Neal may have been doomed in Calgary, the day Lindholm took a massive step forward (which happened in the first week of the season).

If Neal's found chemistry with McDavid, good for him. Having chemistry with the best player in the league is going to boost your numbers. There's no doubt about that. However, concluding that he would have eventually found a similar role in Calgary isn't supported by anything.

He's a good player....but only in specific roles. He wasn't going to get that top line trigger man role in Calgary.

Word on the street?

No offense but this is the first I heard this. More like made up to soften public opinion.

The fall out was very obviously mutual. Neal was not put in a position to succeed and both parties were upset at his production. No reason to make stuff up.

Neal doesn't play on McDavid's line.

And saying Neal would never get a chance in a top 6 offensive role on Calgary is weird. Very weird.

 

[Aceboogie]

He obviously couldn't wait to play for better fans.

I think its demotivating when you know no matter how hard you work in the regular season, your going to get bounced early in round 1. In Edmonton hes probably way more motivated because he knows that making the playoffs is a tougher task, but if they do make the playoffs (and he helps them out), that they have a team built for a mini run as 2016 showed

Could have a major reason why hes so much more motivated and so much better on Edmonton

 

[La Bamba]

I'm just happy that the Oilers traded a 6M anchor to the FLAMES for a guy who is exactly what the Oilers needed and is actually worth his contract.

If Neal scores ~30 and the Oilers make the playoffs, Ken Holland literally saved the franchise in 1 trade

 

[Snowpants]

He's a good player....but only in specific roles. He wasn't going to get that top line trigger man role in Calgary.

He is not top line trigger man in Edmonton either?

 

[blankall]

Word on the street?

No offense but this is the first I heard this. More like made up to soften public opinion.

The fall out was very obviously mutual. Neal was not put in a position to succeed and both parties were upset at his production. No reason to make stuff up.

Neal doesn't play on McDavid's line.

And saying Neal would never get a chance in a top 6 offensive role on Calgary is weird. Very weird.

He is not top line trigger man in Edmonton either?

Both of Neal's goals in his first game were primary assisted by McDavid.
2 more goals were assisted by McDavid in his 4 goal game against the NYI. Another goal McDavid was on the ice for (goal #4).
His goal the next game against the Devils was assisted by McDavid.
His last goal against Chicago came on the PP. McDavid was on the ice, but it was assisted by Draisaitl.

He's had one goal when he wasn't playing with McDavid. I don't care how the Oilers actually shuffle their lines. McDavid is playing up to 26 minutes a night, so he's effectively playing on almost 2 lines. The point is that Neal's success is coming from chemistry with McDavid.

 

[Snowpants]

Both of Neal's goals in his first game were primary assisted by McDavid.
2 more goals were assisted by McDavid in his 4 goal game against the NYI. Another goal McDavid was on the ice for (goal #4).
His goal the next game against the Devils was assisted by McDavid.
His last goal against Chicago came on the PP. McDavid was on the ice, but it was assisted by Draisaitl.

He's had one goal when he wasn't playing with McDavid. I don't care how the Oilers actually shuffle their lines. McDavid is playing up to 26 minutes a night, so he's effectively playing on almost 2 lines. The point is that Neal's success is coming from chemistry with McDavid.

Exceot you are dead wrong that Neal is on the top line

Like there is no other way to say it

You clearly have not watched them play a second if you did you would know how wrong you are

 

[blankall]

Exceot you are dead wrong that Neal is on the top line

Like there is no other way to say it

You clearly have not watched them play a second if you did you would know how wrong you are

Neal is getting time with McDAvid...once again, I don't care how you qualify what your "top line" is, but McDavid is the top line in Edmonton, and that is the only time Neal is scoring goals.

 

[Snowpants]

Neal is getting time with McDAvid...once again, I don't care how you qualify what your "top line" is, but McDavid is the top line in Edmonton, and that is the only time Neal is scoring goals.

He is not on the top line though

You are wrong just admit it

 

[koyvoo]

Easily the worst trade league wide since Hall for Larsson.