Rumor: Lucic wants to stay an Oiler

[96]

I just pulled up his stats. He has 1 goal in 31 games. To end last season didn’t he have like 3 or 4 in the last 40+..? So Milan Lucic has scored 3-5 goals in his last 70+ games... making 6M for 4(?) more years.... my god.

 

[thadd]

For some reason this season I'm not hating Lucic as much as I should be

Same here.
He's not putting up as many points as we'd hoped a few years ago, but then again who is putting up a bunch of points?
He's consistently giving a good effort, catching guys with open ice hits, not taking stupid penalties and while he hasn't been putting up a bunch of points his line has looked quite productive.

Am I happy paying him what he's making? No, of course not. But at the start of the year I thought he was worth 2-3M like half of what he makes at the most, while now I feel like he's worth a lot more to us.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Oilers need a guy like Lucic to keep Giordano/Neal/Tkachuk away from targetting McDavid.
Which ever Pacific team gets Hughes (LA, Vancouver or Arizona) will need someone like Lucic as well to protect Hughes from Giordano & Neal.

 

[The List Of Jericho]

From Friedman's column

Not like teams were beating down the door for a guy on that contract who’s pretty much a third liner at best these days

 

[Jumptheshark]

while everyone harps on the pts factor

Both Lucic and Kassian have rebranded themselves as solid 3rd liners during this current streak under Hitchcock. No idea how long the oilers can keep it up--but it is interesting to see Lucic and Kassian embrace this style under Hitch--it is almost like--do not worry about getting pts--play a tough D against the players on the ice. They are collectively hitting an checking and it has been fun watching them play

Sometimes it is not just about getting goals and assists

 

[supsens]

while everyone harps on the pts factor

Both Lucic and Kassian have rebranded themselves as solid 3rd liners during this current streak under Hitchcock. No idea how long the oilers can keep it up--but it is interesting to see Lucic and Kassian embrace this style under Hitch--it is almost like--do not worry about getting pts--play a tough D against the players on the ice. They are collectively hitting an checking and it has been fun watching them play

Sometimes it is not just about getting goals and assists

Loooch, in all seriousness is 100% made for Hichcock style third liner. Safe play, chip it in the right direction and punish people.

 

[Pointteen]

while everyone harps on the pts factor

Both Lucic and Kassian have rebranded themselves as solid 3rd liners during this current streak under Hitchcock. No idea how long the oilers can keep it up--but it is interesting to see Lucic and Kassian embrace this style under Hitch--it is almost like--do not worry about getting pts--play a tough D against the players on the ice. They are collectively hitting an checking and it has been fun watching them play

Sometimes it is not just about getting goals and assists

While I agree, a third liner should be able to generate 30ish points over a year. Including goals. In case Lucic forgot, goals is the plural of goal.
And using 6 million with a cap structure is very painful for so few points

 

[smitty10]

while everyone harps on the pts factor

Both Lucic and Kassian have rebranded themselves as solid 3rd liners during this current streak under Hitchcock. No idea how long the oilers can keep it up--but it is interesting to see Lucic and Kassian embrace this style under Hitch--it is almost like--do not worry about getting pts--play a tough D against the players on the ice. They are collectively hitting an checking and it has been fun watching them play

Sometimes it is not just about getting goals and assists

I've watched a ton of Oilers games this year and I agree both look better recently. With that being said, I believe on a team with proper depth they'd be solid 4th liners. Their production is nowhere near that of a 3rd line player.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Sometimes it is not just about getting goals and assists

The problem is that good teams actually have bottom-6s that can produce. Mediocre teams have bottom-6 groups that play to draws and bad teams have bottom-6 groups that lose matchups. The Oilers have enough talent in their top-6 (i.e. McDavid) that they just need a bottom-6 group that draws even, but that probably won't give you good results in the playoffs.

Lucic is being paid $6 million to basically just not lose his matchups with other 3rd lines, that's not exactly a glowing endorsement for him.

 

[Fourier]

You have to separate the player from the contract. The current version of Lucic (at last over the last 10 games) is quite useful. The problem is that the Oilers really need to find cap space so having $6M invested in a guy whose contributions merit $2M is hard to swallow. But until a solution to this presents itself it is better to have him doing what he is doing now than what we saw for the last half of 2017-2018.

 

[Clayonator]

Oilers need a guy like Lucic to keep Giordano/Neal/Tkachuk away from targetting McDavid.
Which ever Pacific team gets Hughes (LA, Vancouver or Arizona) will need someone like Lucic as well to protect Hughes from Giordano & Neal.

Chicago isn’t in the pacific though.

 

[ManofSteel55]

For some reason this season I'm not hating Lucic as much as I should be

He isn't putting up points, but he also isn't a complete and total liability out there like he was last year. One of the most underperforming players in the league when you look at his salary, but last year he hurt the team much more than he is this year. That's about the best you can say though, "he's not as awful as last year" isn't really a positive.

 

[smitty10]

Oilers need a guy like Lucic to keep Giordano/Neal/Tkachuk away from targetting McDavid.
Which ever Pacific team gets Hughes (LA, Vancouver or Arizona) will need someone like Lucic as well to protect Hughes from Giordano & Neal.

They don't though. Toronto, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, etc. don't have enforcers to protect their stars and nobody targets them. Lucic is a decent 4th liner that gives a team no production.

 

[GOilers88]

I think he's just accepted his place because it was obvious nobody else would even consider taking on his deal. Even at 50% it's an awful contract. I'm sure the Oilers shopped him and told him nobody would even listen if he was involved.

Yeah that isnt true. Half the league would take Looch at 3 million. I get he's not scoring goals, but he's making plays, setting up teammates, and making it hard for the opposition to do much when his line is on the ice. He's been a complete positive for the Oilers since Hitch took over.

He could score 20 goals this year and people would still say he's the worst player with the worst contract in the league.

 

[Menzinger]

Yeah that isnt true. Half the league would take Looch at 3 million. I get he's not scoring goals, but he's making plays, setting up teammates, and making it hard for the opposition to do much when his line is on the ice. He's been a complete positive for the Oilers since Hitch took over.

He could score 20 goals this year and people would still say he's the worst player with the worst contract in the league.

He was making plays as much as you suggest his points would reflect that....

 

[GOilers88]

If he was at $1m then he could be a good piece. He's a terrible hockey player now. Nobody fights him and he can't keep up with the play already. Imagine how bad he'll be in the next couple years! No team can pay $3m for 1 goal and 6 assists through 31 games. To make it worse, the Oilers are paying him $6m....

You sound like someone who hasn't watched him at all this year. He is far from a terrible hockey player. Can't buy a goal, but hes setting them up for teammates and playing a great role on the third line. Watch some games before you pop off.

 

[smitty10]

Yeah that isnt true. Half the league would take Looch at 3 million. I get he's not scoring goals, but he's making plays, setting up teammates, and making it hard for the opposition to do much when his line is on the ice. He's been a complete positive for the Oilers since Hitch took over.

He could score 20 goals this year and people would still say he's the worst player with the worst contract in the league.

He has absolutely nothing to show for it though. Freddy Gauthier is a big body that makes some solid plays to his teammates, but has about the same point totals as Kassian and Lucic. They're all 4th liners.

A competitive team can't afford to pay a 4th liner $3m/year, let alone $6m.

 

[GOilers88]

They don't though. Toronto, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, etc. don't have enforcers to protect their stars and nobody targets them. Lucic is a decent 4th liner that gives a team no production.

Yeah. Kronwall didnt smash the ever loving shit out of Mathews the other night. Over a 7 game series with a heavy hitting team, Toronto is going to get abused.

 

[GOilers88]

He has absolutely nothing to show for it though. Freddy Gauthier is a big body that makes some solid plays to his teammates, but has about the same point totals as Kassian and Lucic. They're all 4th liners.

A competitive team can't afford to pay a 4th liner $3m/year, let alone $6m.

Everyone is well aware what his contract is. It's been beaten to death. It won't change. He's playing meaningful, positive hockey for his team right now and is helping them win.

I'd be shocked if anyone could come up with a logical reason for the massive amount of hate he takes without bringing up his contract. Everything he has done this year, especially since Hitch took over, has helped his team in a good way. he's overpaid. We f***ing get it. He clearly still has his uses, and on a smaller contract would be picked up by every team in the league. Everyone saying he can't play hockey and wouldn't be hired by any other team in the league is intentionally being stupid or simply hasn't watched any games this year.

 

[keslerburrows]

No he doesn't haha.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

re: OP ... works for me

 

[Leafs87]

All those punches to the head have really left him with like 4 brain cells

For anyone that doesn’t know the OP and his comments are regarding his father commiting suicide. That’s why he needed a fresh start somewhere new not because of the typical tough guy depression NHLers are getting nowadays

 

[smitty10]

Everyone is well aware what his contract is. It's been beaten to death. It won't change. He's playing meaningful, positive hockey for his team right now and is helping them win.

I'd be shocked if anyone could come up with a logical reason for the massive amount of hate he takes without bringing up his contract. Everything he has done this year, especially since Hitch took over, has helped his team in a good way. he's overpaid. We ****ing get it. He clearly still has his uses, and on a smaller contract would be picked up by every team in the league. Everyone saying he can't play hockey and wouldn't be hired by any other team in the league is intentionally being stupid or simply hasn't watched any games this year.

His contract is what holds him back from ever being traded though because no team can afford to take his deal on. We live in a salary cap world, unfortunately. Deals like his can handcuff a team badly if he doesn't produce. Nobody is hating on him. He is what he is at this point. He's a 4th liner that brings a physical element to his game. If he was a $1-2m player there would certainly be a market for him.

 

[smitty10]

Yeah. Kronwall didnt smash the ever loving **** out of Mathews the other night. Over a 7 game series with a heavy hitting team, Toronto is going to get abused.

It was one hit. That's literally the only big hit anyone has delivered on Leafs player this year. Most of that element is gone from the game now. Guys who hit won't be deterred by a big body on the other team. We had Martin on the team the last few years and guys still get hit from time-to-time. It's not a big deal.

 

[BB88]

while everyone harps on the pts factor

Both Lucic and Kassian have rebranded themselves as solid 3rd liners during this current streak under Hitchcock. No idea how long the oilers can keep it up--but it is interesting to see Lucic and Kassian embrace this style under Hitch--it is almost like--do not worry about getting pts--play a tough D against the players on the ice. They are collectively hitting an checking and it has been fun watching them play

Sometimes it is not just about getting goals and assists

No it isn't, but even 3rd liners need to bring you points, and he isn't doing that.

If your bottom6 isn't scoring you're not a good team.