Well, it looks like it’s finally happened. The long-awaited divorce between Milan Lucic and the Edmonton Oilers has been completed. The Oilers have reportedly linked up on a deal with their provincial rivals, the Calgary Flames, on a deal to swap Lucic for James Neal.
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
Lucic was signed by Peter Chiarelli back on July 1, 2016, to a seven-year deal worth $6 million annually. We all knew that Lucic’s deal would become problematic at some point during the seven years, but nobody expected him to fall off a cliff this quickly. Lucic had a strong 2016-17 season, helping the Oilers to the playoffs with a 23-goal season. In the following two seasons, though, Lucic scored just 16 goals.
Neal was signed by the Flames last July and lasted just one year in Calgary. In each of his 10 seasons in the NHL, Neal managed to hit the 20-goal plateau until 2018-19 in which he scored just seven goals in 63 games for the Flames. Like Lucic, Neal has four more years left on his contract, but he has a smaller cap hit of $5.75 million.
This deal is ultimately a swap of forwards with bad contracts in need of a change of scenery. Both Neal and Lucic are 31 years old, so it’s hard to say if either will ever become the player they used to be, but if I had to make a bet, I would suggest Neal becoming a 20-goal scorer is much, much more likely than Lucic becoming the feared force he was in Boston ever again.
Beyond the change of scenery thing, Neal’s contract would be much easier to buy out than Lucic’s buyout-proof deal. If the Oilers were to buy out Neal next June during the buy out window, he would come at a cap hit of $1,916,667 for the next six seasons.
More details are coming out about the deal. The Oilers will apparently be retaining $600k of Lucic’s salary, meaning they won’t really be getting that $250k savings in swapping Lucic’s $6 million cap hit for Neal’s $5.75 million cap hit. In sum, the Oilers will be taking on a $350k cap hit in this swap with the salary retention considered.
FWIW, on Oilers Now, Elliotte Friedman reportedly said Lucic salary retained was $600k. #Flames
— Ryan Pike (@RyanNPike) July 19, 2019
And so the deterrent for running Connor is gone. Now everybody’s gonna cheap shot McDavid with no retaliation. Congrats Holland
Also funny how WE have to give up something else, but Calgary does not. Because of course we do
Of course we do because they have nearly identical salaries, and while Neal’s best days are assuredly behind him and his contract is terrible, he is a far, far, far, far better hockey player than Lucic.
And as Todd the electron said, Khaira can handle the face punching duties just fine. He also comes with the added bonus of being able to play hockey at the NHL level, unlike Looch.
Maybe the biggest part of the NMC.. Oiler can bury Neal if he sucks…(only saves a little but still) Also the will not be required to protect him in the expansion so the conditional pick are retention are probably worth it
Also does not need protection for the expansion draft if it doesn’t work. Good management by Oilers GM, have not said that for a looong time.
Good point and with the easier buyout costs, I’m coming around. I’ve just never been a Neal fan.
No one has tangled with Nurse since he kicked Polak’s a*s. Lucy was not doing that anymore anyways. Khairia and Kassian are enough for the grit factor.
I am staring to genuinely feel sorry for you dude. I understand all to well the devastating affect of mental illness. I hope you find happiness one day. Maybe start by moving on from the Oilers.
JJ is still a nasty man.
It’s so obvious you are a Troll. It’s sad that you pretend to be an oilers fan to this extent. Lol I own my own company and I am willing to offer you a job just to help out with your life issues. I don’t feel sad for you like others are starting to. It’s to obvious you are a troll. Maybe you are that Damon mace oil spilly guy lmao
Zach Kassian and Darnell Nurse at your services young Connor. One has a screw loose and the other just liking getting nasty…I think we good on protectors for the savior.
Can I get a helllllll ya for Holland!! Deal is meh, but we don’t have to protect James Neal in the expansion draft!!
Kassian, Jujar, and Nurse are the deterents to running Connor. Id argue Nurse has been the more vicious of the bunch. Connor will be just fine
Oilers retain $3.25 Million per year over the remaining term of the deal. Draft pick is a 2nd round pick but upgrades to a 1st if Neal Scores 20+ goals or racks up 45+ points.
You’re a clown. That isn’t even possible
Ok, sorry for just posting what was on the SNet Twitter.
meh
Holland lost that trade if he’s retaining that much. That essentially makes Neil a 9 million dollar player and they gave up a draft pick. I guess the Lucic contract is much worse than I thought.
I’m just going to go ahead and call bs on this.
You are not allowed to retain more than 50% of a contract. Good try with your first attempt at trolling though.
Probably an Oilers executive, they really did not understand much.
No Edmonton will be beat 2 ways when they play Calgary. Nice.
I can see it now,… “Smith – stretch-pass……. Nugent-Hopkins, taps to Neal-…Nugent- Hopkin’scoooooorssz.
By January Oil fans will hate Neal as much as Lucic and all we’ll hear is trade speculations and buyout talk.
Cycle never ends in Edm. Thats why players hate it here eventually.
Lets do more buy-outs, Edm will have a salary cap $8mil less then everyone else due to dead money.
And people think they can win the cup with $8mil less then other teams.
I’m hearing the oilers are adding a conditional pick and retaining salary.
That would certainly make sense
Heard that also. If true, I don’t see that the Oilers gained much, if anything.
Yes, they are
The end of an Oilers Era! All the best Looch, you’ll always be my boy.
Welp…I’m gonna miss you Milan. I like you and I wish you the best in Calgary. As for Neal…welcome to Edmonton and you’re gonna light it up with Connor.
Neal has been working out with Connor all summer…
Knew about it since late June, was supposed to be some sort of 3 way deal with Eriksson, but Vancouver couldn’t come to terms…
The Oilers & Calgary just did it on their own. Calgary obviously needed to add size. Neals’ got a great shot, that was under utilized on the Flames.
Will slot in great with Nuge.
Neal has worked out with McDavid for at least the last 3 off seasons.
Two more reasons then that this is a good deal,… a “real deal”,… for Neal..
Thanks Clayton… They have become friends obviously & wanted to play together.