Was the Lucic - Neal trade actually a win for the Flames?
- Thread starter Kamiccolo
- Start date
Anglesmith
Setting up the play?
Because there is effectively zero chance Seattle would take him? He would be waiving to ensure that his team suffers less in the expansion process.
Anglesmith
Setting up the play?
This whole post relies on the narrative that Neal was a victim of usage last year and not of his own inability to play. He was the worst player on the ice in all situations and on all lines. He wouldn't have succeeded here because we don't have players capable of carrying him.
ElysiumAB
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- Sep 12, 2013
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"Other than being at Rogers Arena, no one will ever see me in downtown Vancouver ever again.”
~ Milan Lucic
Calgary fans can spin doctor this any way they like after a 2 game sample size for lucic where he wasn't putting up zeros.
That doesnt change that it's still the worst contract in the league and treliving got hosed.
That doesnt change that it's still the worst contract in the league and treliving got hosed.
Or your post is full of denial and you have your own narrative to maintain that when you bury a 20 goal scorer in the bottom 6 without anyone to dish to him it's obvious what kind of results you'll receive...
DearDiary
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Lucic is automatically protected in the expansion draft, meaning the Flames will lose a good player to Seattle because of him.
Roof Daddy
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- Apr 1, 2008
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I fear where this thread could end up 2 years from now. They’re both undesirable as is (without considering contracts). In a couple years it will be like comparing 2 porta-potties at a music festival. You don’t want anything to do with either.
With that said, I’ve caught a couple Flames games recently and Looch has actually looked decent. First step still looks like he’s walking in fresh cement, but his overall game has looked pretty good.
With that said, I’ve caught a couple Flames games recently and Looch has actually looked decent. First step still looks like he’s walking in fresh cement, but his overall game has looked pretty good.
Like I said when Lucic was an Oiler. Lucic is a team guy and, since it is Seattle, I believe he waives his NMC.
Anglesmith
Setting up the play?
We... didn't though. He got shifts with our top line pretty much every game down the stretch, and it took a long time from the start of the year until we finally took him off PP1 in favour of Tkachuk, which was when the PP started scoring.
There's really not a whole lot to deny.
You wouldn't have an issue protecting him? Lol you're crazy.
We can deny it because we can actually go see his TOI and when that TOI was happening and see that either you, or your memory, are exaggerating how long he kept that role.
But it doesn't really matter that much because we can all get behind the idea that Neal sucked last year. It just makes sense that a guy joining his third team in three years who is a binge scorer anyway, would suck after two short-as-can-be offseasons. Where as Lucic has sucked 5v5 for many years in a row now and his "binge periods" are like, a week tops (he scored most of his goals last year in January for the Oilers). Neal is probably going to outscore him by 10 goals even if he misses the last 30 games.
Although I think it would be mildly hilarious if Lucic managed to score 10 goals, Neal missed the rest of the year and Calgary didn't even get the conditional third.
TomasHertlsRooster
Don’t say eye test when you mean points
The Flames flat out won the trade. Lucic is literally ahead of Neal in 5-on-5 primary scoring in fewer minutes and he's a far better all-around player.
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Mc5RingsAndABeer
5-14-6-1
- May 25, 2011
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Please, show me the advanced stats that somehow turn Lucic's ONE even strength goal into more than Neal's 7.
He's probably been the Flames' 7th- or 8th-best forward this year so no?
Gaudreau
Monahan
Lindholm
Tkachuk
Dube
Mangiapane
Lucic
Ryan will be a UFA. However this is all a moot point because Lucic is almost assuredly waiving. If he does, swap Bennett in for him. Backlund will probably go unprotected, nobody will want that contract either.
Anglesmith
Setting up the play?
The miscalculation that the Flames made in signing Neal was thinking that because he was a 20-goal scorer, that he could add 20 goals to the team. What I think everyone finds out about Neal after having him for a few seasons is that Neal doesn't add goals to the lineup. Neal gets his 20 goals only when it is made a priority. The Flames had absolutely zero motivation to prevent Neal from scoring. They signed him specifically because they wanted him to add goals in the top six and help their top players make more of an offensive impact. The idea that the Flames were standing in Neal's way from scoring is ridiculous, because James Neal scoring was their goal from the start.
The Flames gave Neal the chance on the top line like they had imagined in the summer, and that line got killed. Can't score goals if you're never in the offensive zone. That line was godly with Lindholm. So obviously they stuck with Lindholm without letting the experiment go too long. They still gave Neal time on the top PP, despite no real success with it. They tried him on the second line, but that line got killed with him on it, so again, he wasn't scoring 20 goals there. On the third, he finally had a matchup where sometimes, he could be in the offensive zone and get some chances. What Neal and several fans and media members don't seem to understand is that the rate at which Neal got good scoring chances actually went up when he dropped to the bottom six. He still wasn't able to bury most of the time, but it was still in his best interest, and the team's. I do wonder if things would have been very different if Neal didn't have such unsustainably poor shooting ability all season long. 20 goals likely wasn't going to happen, but if he was able to have a hot streak where he consistently buried his chances (similar to early this season) at any point last season, maybe he wouldn't have spiraled into bitterness and lack of accountability.
I'm not saying he's been awful just not a good situation if you have to protect him.
The draft protection is for protecting your assets and future assets, you don't want to have to protect a Lucic/Neal type player who's best days are long behind.
TomasHertlsRooster
Don’t say eye test when you mean points
Look at him next to James Neal, squint, and you might mistake him for Mark Stone.
There's nothing about James Neal that's especially egregious. He doesn't turn over the puck a lot, he doesn't give up on the play - he's just not very good at it.
More important, there's absolutely nothing about Milan Lucic that is especially quality defensively. Lucic physically can't backcheck a lot of guys and he doesn't PK. The best thing you can say about him at 5v5 is he doesn't give up a lot, but his linemates tend to not do ANYTHING. They all go into the tank with him. He did it to friggin' McDavid.
One of these teams can reasonably buy out their 20 goal scorer. The other is gonna pay for 4 years for a guy who is now, and will only ever be, a 13 minute a game third line player. If he's even that.
mcdraividmoto
Registered User
- Sep 28, 2017
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That was an all-around give-away by your buddy on the Kings 4th goal tonight.
Which only confirms the point I'm making.
As I'm sure you are aware, a lot of players can't just randomly get thrown to a line every once in a blue moon and perform.
Most need chemistry which is built from consistent line mates that have talent or at least abilities that enhance said players.
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