Life hasn’t been easy for Milan Lucic since signing a seven-year, $42 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers during the 2016 offseason. Saying that for someone bringing in $6 million per year may seem ironic, but being paid the big bucks in sports comes with plenty of pressure, and the 35-year-old struggled to live up to his end of the deal.
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After three seasons in Edmonton, Oilers management decided they had seen enough and traded Lucic to the Calgary Flames. They also agreed to retain some of his salary, which put the Flames on the hook for $5.25 million toward the hulking winger for the next four seasons.
Unfortunately, the change in scenery didn’t help Lucic rediscover his goal-scoring and physically imposing style that he put on display for so many years with the Boston Bruins. While Flames fans generally embraced him, they grew frustrated with how much room he was taking up from a cap perspective, and couldn’t wait until his deal was up. Now that the contract has expired and he has moved on, Flames fans may come to realize he was a very important member of this team, even if his offensive numbers don’t back that up.
Lucic Led By Example
Despite no longer being the player he was in the past, Lucic continued to give it his all every time he hit the ice. While his offensive game fell off, he still dropped the gloves when necessary and was always capable of crushing an opponent into the boards. He also didn’t mind playing in a bottom-six role, which for some players like him who were once top tier may have been a tough pill to swallow.
Lucic never once complained about his role to the media, including this past season where he spent some games in the press box as a healthy scratch. Instead, he waited for another opportunity and continued to give it his all each shift. While the results were lacking, his work ethic and positive attitude served as great teaching points to some of the Flames’ younger players and will be missed moving forward.
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Another way he served as a great mentor to younger players was the fact that he brought an old-school approach to the lineup. This past season, when many on the Flames grew frustrated with Darryl Sutter, Lucic seemingly never did. In fact, he has been very complimentary of Sutter on a number of occasions when talking about him since his firing. Seeing how he respected his former coach is also a good example for younger players, as too many nowadays seem to complain rather than listen and get better.
Lucic Headed Back to Where He Belongs
Despite reportedly receiving offers from several teams in free agency, Lucic’s decision to go back to Boston seemed to be an easy one. While the core of the team is much different now given that Patrice Bergeron has retired and David Krejci appears to be close to doing the same, Lucic is still joining a very talented team that should have little difficulty getting into the playoffs this season. Perhaps going back to his old roots will even help him rediscover some of the scoring touch he had during his prime.
Regardless of how Lucic performs this upcoming season, he will be missed more than Flames fans realize. This isn’t to say that they didn’t make the right decision in moving on, because it was becoming clear that the game had become too quick for him. Still, they will certainly miss having him in ways that may not be as noticeable, mainly due to his leadership, but also his ability to bring a dressing room together thanks to his exuberant personality.