Milan Lucic was all smiles during the press conference in downtown Edmonton yesterday after signing a seven-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers worth $42 million.
Lucic was presented with his No. 27 Oilers jersey by GM Peter Chiarelli before taking questions from the Edmonton media. One of the toughest players in the NHL today, Lucic will follow in the footsteps of two other bruising forwards who also wore No. 27 for the Oilers in Dave Semenko and Georges Laraque.
The 6-foot-3, 233 pound power forward has played nine NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins (2007-2015) and the Los Angeles Kings (2015-16), tallying 159 goals, 397 points, 851 penalty minutes and 58 fights in 647 career NHL games.
Lucic did not mince words when asked why he chose to sign with the Oilers.
“Connor McDavid,” Lucic said in a press conference Friday. “And my loyalty to Peter. Obviously I’ve been with him for eight years in Boston and saw what he was able to do there with the team that we had and turned us into champions.
Though he’s only played 45 games in the NHL, McDavid has already established himself as one of the most dangerous skaters in the league. Lucic played against McDavid three times last season as a member of the Kings and was extremely impressed with the 19-year-old phenom’s abilities.
“I know (McDavid) missed a good chunk of the season last year with an injury, but from what I saw he’s definitely up there with the Sidney Crosbys of the world in his ability,” Lucic said. “I chose Edmonton because of the fans and the history and just to be able to play with one of the best players of a generation.
“To get to wear a jersey that some of the best players of all time have worn, I hope I get to do the same thing that they did and raise the Stanley Cup here in Edmonton.”
Lucic possesses outstanding size and strength and can be a nasty, intimidating presence along the boards. It’s been a long time since the Oilers had a top line forward with those assets; perhaps not since Mark Messier.
The Oilers have been searching for a player of Lucic’s ilk for years. The 28-year-old Vancouver, British Columbia native is one of only five NHL players that have registered at least 100 goals and 500 penalty minutes since the start of the 2010-11 season. And while some experts caution that his age and robust style of play could lead to his body breaking down before his contract expires in 2022-23, Lucic doesn’t see it being an issue.
“A lot of people forget I just turned 28 this month. I’m still young as far as hockey age goes. Just because I played nine years doesn’t mean I don’t have a lot left,” Lucic said. “You look at the last six seasons. I’ve only missed 10 games. And only four of those have been because of injury. I’ve been able to hold up, especially playing the way I do.”
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Chiarelli wasted no time in inking the biggest name on the free-agent market to a long-term deal yesterday, which took away some of the sting of trading Taylor Hall. Having watched him play in Boston for the better part of a decade, Chiarelli knows exactly what the Oilers are getting in Lucic.
“Milan wants to win,” Chiarelli said. “And that’s the biggest thing. I’ve seen him in winning situations and he’s what we need.
“He’s a terrific impactful player. He’s going to change a lot of things here just by the way he plays and the way he leads. It’s a great day for us and I’m happy to have him on our team.”
For years, the Oilers have been considered a soft, undersized team that was easy to play against. Now with Patrick Maroon, Zack Kassian and Lucic each on a different line, the Oilers shouldn’t be getting pushed around any longer. Rather, they should be the ones doing the pushing.
“I can tell you from an opponent’s standpoint, you were never scared or intimidated heading into a game against the Oilers,” Lucic said. “That’s something we all have to change, as a group. That attitude, that swagger, you have to build it as a team.
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“You’ve got to have the right kind of cockiness, knowing you can win every game. You can’t be arrogant, but be a harder team to play against. Wave after wave, shift after shift. That’s how the process of being a harder team to play against starts.”