Edmonton Oilers: Signing Milan Lucic Has Pros and Cons
It’s been widely rumoured for quite some time now that Milan Lucic could very well be available for the taking come July 1. Now, the man himself has openly said he’s considering the Edmonton Oilers as a destination for himself to play. Seeing The ferocious former Boston Bruin in an Oiler jersey is definitely a realistic possibility at this point. Such words are music to my ears.
Like me, Lucic is of Croatian descent, so that’s a pretty cool thing to like about him right off the hop in my defence. Everyone knows that he is a monster. Lucic is a big bodied, powerful winger that can physically and mentally dominate a game. Mind games, agitating and intimidation tactics are his well-known trademarks. The guy can flat out play.
He’s terrific at both ends of the ice from offensive production to defensive zone starts. I like how adds a physical element to top scoring lines and a sense of protection to the big time scorers he plays with. The 6-foot-4, 233 pound winger can skate quite well and he flourishes with offensive minded players on his line. He provides the crash, bang and power. Size, skill and toughness make Lucic one of the premier power forwards in the game today.
Ironically, the Edmonton Oilers held the 50th selection in the 2006 NHL draft. However they traded it to Boston, which resulted in the Bruins selecting Milan Lucic at that position. Talk about a missed opportunity worth making up for now.
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The fact that Milan Lucic is a left winger puts his need in Edmonton in question among fans. Benoit Pouliot, Patrick Maroon and Taylor Hall already occupy key spots on the left side so there is a lot of crowdedness.
Where does Lucic fit? The only plausible scenerio is to either trade somebody in the Oilers top 9 forward group or convert a lefty to the right wing position. It will require some work and astute maneuvering of the lineup to fit the big man in, but it can be done.
Also, Lucic will be one of the most sought after free agents on the market so he will not come cheap. He will be looking for a long term deal north of at least 6 million per season. With Peter Chiarelli having to eventually deal with the massive paydays of Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and potentially Darnell Nurse in the near future, he will have to be cautious with how much he offers Lucic. If he can maybe get him down to 5 million per season, then financially it could work out. But someone else is going to have to go.
Personally, I think the Oilers need to sign Lucic. He won a Stanley Cup back in 2011 and knows what it takes to win. He plays nasty and is a seasoned veteran of 647 NHL games. That level of experience in addition to 101 playoff games played provides the Oilers with tremendous value moving forward towards being a playoff contender this season.
Lucic will be a leader on a youthful team that can help skyrocket his performance to an even higher level of offensive production. The idea of Lucic and McDavid on a line together is quite intriguing if you ask me. Let’s put it this way, I would never worry about McDavid getting knocked around on the ice again, if Lucic was policing him. Imagine the confidence it would give both players by feeding off each others success. It’s a win-win.
For the last decade, Edmonton is known among many NHL teams as a place to get a quick and easy two points. Lucic will make life a living hell for his opponents. In return, the Oilers will instantly become harder to play against with his presence in the lineup.
Lucic can take the Oilers to a new level. He’s the type of player you win championships with. Chiarelli’s history with Lucic in Boston makes the chances of landing him very realistic and plausible. The price has to be right though. An overpayment could hurt the Oilers in the long run financially, so Chiarelli must land the right term along with the right dollar. The big man is worth every penny as he is still in the midst of his prime at age 28.
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I am thinking a deal somewhere along the lines of $5 million per season for 5 years would be a starting point in the conversation. Let’s see what happens.