Edmonton Oilers winger Milan Lucic was signed to a long-term, multi-million dollar deal following the Taylor Hall trade.
Lucic was primarily expected to fill that top-six void on the left wing, while also adding physicality, toughness and positivity. The 6-foot-3, 233-pound winger has averaged at least 40 points his last three seasons and is a proven scoring threat. He can use his size to deflect pucks and act as a screen, and he also has a decent shot.
Edmonton Oilers
However, when it comes to offence we haven’t seen much from the 28-year-old winger this season. He has just 11 goals and 30 points through 56 games, and of late, he seems to be struggling to find the net.
Not to mention, he is riding a four-game point drought and has just three points in his last 10 games. Now that the team is in dire need of scoring, can Lucic awaken the beast in Edmonton’s time of need?
Getting Back on Track
Lucic isn’t focusing too much on driving to the net and has problems leading the charge offensively. He also turns over the puck and had four giveaways in the Oilers’ 5-1 loss against Chicago.
Additionally, Lucic isn’t shooting the puck as much, and when he does, many of his chances are missed or blocked. He also struggles with timing, as well as gaining speed as the team rushes into the zone. This makes things harder for Lucic, which results in little success.
The way for him to get back on track and bust out of his funk is to do what he did against Nashville: make big, strong plays and assert your confidence.
Using Physicality
Lucic makes plenty of hits. He has 138 to his name this season and is known for being one of the roughest players in the league. That being said, Lucic can make the most of his physicality and start delivering bigger, harder checks at every chance he gets. He needs to step up and make himself bigger, and do things that change the attitude of the game.
If he does this, he will give his team a boost, and he will also gain confidence. But he needs to do everything in his power to make the most of his ability.