There are reports that the Edmonton Oilers have traded forward Milan Lucic to the Calgary Flames in exchange for forward James Neal. Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet is reporting it may be one for one.
Got a tip trying to 100% verify but I’m being told @NHLFlames have traded James Neal to @EdmontonOilers for @27MilanLucic. May be other players involved. If I’m wrong my apologies to Neal/Lucic and the teams..
— Gene Principe (@GenePrincipe) July 19, 2019
Milan Lucic days as a @EdmontonOilers are over. With Lucic waving his no move clause it opens up the trade to @NHLFlames. At this point sounding like a 1 for 1 trade for James Neal. @NHL
— Nick Kypreos (@RealKyper) July 19, 2019
Edmonton Oilers Trade Milan Lucic
Key Players
In Milan Lucic, the Flames acquire a big forward who has the potential to put up 15-20 goals a season. Last season, he scored 10 goals and 24 assists for 34 points in 82 games. He also added 80 minutes in penalties. His possession numbers were 51.6 percent Corsi-for with a relative Corsi of +1. These totals are worse than two years ago when he put up 23 goals and 27 goals for 50 points in 82 games.
Over his 11-year NHL career, Lucic has played for the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, and Edmonton Oilers. He has scored 192 goals and added 289 assists for 481 career points in 811 NHL games. Lucic has also added 28 goals and 42 assists for 70 points in 142 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. He was part of the Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup-winning team. Lucic was originally drafted in the second round, 50th overall in the 2006 NHL Draft by the Boston Bruins.
The Oilers get James Neal, a player who signed a big contract but struggled to produce this past year. He had just 7 goals and 12 assists in 63 games last season. His lowest point total ever in his 12-year career.
What This Means for the Future
Lucic still has four years left on his seven-year $42 million dollar contract so he will be with his new team for the next few years. Lucic has the ability to be a bottom-six winger for his new club. They add a winger who can bring physicality. Lucic led the Oilers last year in hits with 254 hits. It will be interesting to see how Lucic fits in with the Flames. As for Neal, he also has a long contract left and will look to revive his career in Edmonton.
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