I understand fans not wanting Lucic, he is a polarizing player. Certainly wouldn't want him at 8M, the contract would need to make sense.
When Brad Richards is one of the toughest guys on the team it is something that needs addressed.
Firstly Brad Richards is not one of the toughest guys on this team but that's not a big deal. Your point stands that this current iteration of the wings is soft. But honestly this doesn't need addressing especially with a long-term contract unless you're absurdly short-sighted.
Firstly we have Abdelkader whose a straight goon. He wasn't quite so bad under Babcock who I think tried to rein him in for penalty purposes but I think he's showing his true colors against Tampa. He's essentially a smaller and less dirty Lucic.
But more importantly look at the prospects we've been drafting. Svech does not get walked on by anybody ( he makes many the bone- crunching hit...some of them questionable) and Lil' Bert lives up to big Bert's legacy (a little dirtier but less strong so it evens out). Then we've got AA and Mantha both of whom are big and strong if not particularly physical. Still it's going too be tough for other teams to run them. Larkin will be able to hold his own too once he fills out a bit. He's still a kid.
Those are our future core pieces on offense. Will we still have some sweet hearts like Nyquist? Yeah. But this team's top six is going to be big, and some of them mean. If we pick up another couple of big guys in free agency for the fourth line to play with Glendening (think Brandon Prust or Brian Boyle) as well as keep Jurco and Sheahan around this team is going to be intimidating.
We don't need scum of the Earth filth like Lucic that makes you ashamed to be a hockey fan let alone a human because having a single shared quality with him is one quality too many.