MILAN LUCIC - Left Winger - 31 - $6.00MM Cap Hit - UFA in 2023-2024
LAST UPDATED 8/3/19
While Milan Lucic will always be a legend in Boston thanks to his efforts in bringing the Bruins their first Stanley Cup since the days of Bobby Orr, his actual on-ice value has deteriorated so much that he has little, if any place in an NHL lineup. Milan Lucic has always been a physical player. Whereas his physical abilities used to mesh with his above-average shot to make him a legitimate 60 point top-6 power forward, players who play his style of game over the course of a long career typically don't age well. That was the case for Lucic. Lucic has seen his foot speed evaporate, his hands turn to relative stone, and his overall ability to process the NHL game at a high level regress heavily. As a result, Lucic is an offensive liability anywhere other than in front of the net and along the boards, and defensively Lucic simply is not fast enough on his skates or in his head to read and react to plays formulating in his own end of the ice and shut them down. He'll always have value as an intimidating physical force, and is a great fit on a fourth line, but given his insane contract status he's very much a negative value asset when he's not producing. Calgary hopes he can bring much needed punch to their bottom-6, but exchanging him for someone with legitimate goals-scoring upside and a less lengthy track record of regression seems like bad asset management, even if Neal simply wasn't a fit on the team anymore. I can't say I'm rooting for Lucic given the disregard he's shown for sportsmanship in the past, and I think that his rapid decline in quality of play and overall reputation is deserved given the blatant disregard he's shown for player safety in the past, but Lucic is still on a $6MM AAV contract so I doubt he cares very much about what one internet scout believes. I just think I can say confidently that most non-Bruins fans aren't exactly sad about Lucic's struggles.
While Milan Lucic will always be a legend in Boston thanks to his efforts in bringing the Bruins their first Stanley Cup since the days of Bobby Orr, his actual on-ice value has deteriorated so much that he has little, if any place in an NHL lineup. Milan Lucic has always been a physical player. Whereas his physical abilities used to mesh with his above-average shot to make him a legitimate 60 point top-6 power forward, players who play his style of game over the course of a long career typically don't age well. That was the case for Lucic. Lucic has seen his foot speed evaporate, his hands turn to relative stone, and his overall ability to process the NHL game at a high level regress heavily. As a result, Lucic is an offensive liability anywhere other than in front of the net and along the boards, and defensively Lucic simply is not fast enough on his skates or in his head to read and react to plays formulating in his own end of the ice and shut them down. He'll always have value as an intimidating physical force, and is a great fit on a fourth line, but given his insane contract status he's very much a negative value asset when he's not producing. Calgary hopes he can bring much needed punch to their bottom-6, but exchanging him for someone with legitimate goals-scoring upside and a less lengthy track record of regression seems like bad asset management, even if Neal simply wasn't a fit on the team anymore. I can't say I'm rooting for Lucic given the disregard he's shown for sportsmanship in the past, and I think that his rapid decline in quality of play and overall reputation is deserved given the blatant disregard he's shown for player safety in the past, but Lucic is still on a $6MM AAV contract so I doubt he cares very much about what one internet scout believes. I just think I can say confidently that most non-Bruins fans aren't exactly sad about Lucic's struggles.
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