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
The deal is 1 for 1, finally feels good to say that
Oilers keep getting faster. I’m in shock we were able to pull this off. Keep the moves coming. Next up is JP.
Opening Day Roster:
Lineup
Draisaitl – McDavid – Kassian
Neal – Nuge – Chiasson
Granlund – Haas – Nygard
Gagner – Khaira – Archibald
Jurco
Klefbom – Larsson
Nurse – Russell
Jones – Benning
Persson
I wouldn’t mind adding Brassard with the remaining space.
Our 3C is the most glaring roster hole and we have just over 4 mil in cap space left (once we send Brodziak and Manning down). I am liking the speed on the bottom 6.
Did you watch both Calgary and Edmonton last season? Lucic is faster than Neal. But, Lucic handles the puck like a hand grenade. So, skill wise it’s a trade-off (you can make arguments both ways).
I don’t like either player/contract, but Oilers won this trade. Neal has only has 1 bad season. Lucic has had 2.5 bad seasons. And the Oilers can at least buy out Neal.
Yes!
Me likey.
NO. WAY.
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
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.
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.
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
Finally we win a trade in a big way. Neal can potentially bounce back, Looch is the player he is now. Neal’s contract can be dealt with via buyout as well. Incredible
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
Calgary has to beef up to protect Tkachuk.
Yes. YES.
The end of an Oilers Era! All the best Looch, you’ll always be my boy.
This is best news i have heared in a long time
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.
I’ll miss Looch. Will hate to watch him in lames jersey..
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.
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.
You’re a clown. That isn’t even possible
Ok, sorry for just posting what was on the SNet Twitter.
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.
There are all sorts of ifs and buts associated with this deal. I don’t like that fact that Lucic’s intimidating presence will be gone from the lineup and I like the fact that he’ll be intimidating other teams with the Phlegms, but the Oilers do have another couple of guys who can step in, including Kassian, especially if he is one of McDavid’s wingmen next season.
If Neal can come close to replicating his scoring seasons of years gone by, we’ll all be toasting this trade in a year. Toward the end his production will likely drop off, but by then the poison pill to buy him out will be much less. If Neal doesn’t score… Oh the horror!
If Neal doesn’t score… Oh the horror!
If Lucic starts to score… HORRORx2
There are all sorts of ifs and buts associated with this deal. I don’t like that fact that Lucic’s intimidating presence will be gone from the lineup and I like the fact that he’ll be intimidating other teams with the Phlegms, but the Oilers do have another couple of guys who can step in, including Kassian, especially if he is one of McDavid’s wingmen next season.
If Neal can come close to replicating his scoring seasons of years gone by, we’ll all be toasting this trade in a year. Toward the end his production will likely drop off, but by then the poison pill to buy him out will be much less. If Neal doesn’t score… Oh the horror!
Sorry about the second comment. Internet is slow and I seem to have gotten a bit of an itchy finger. Also wanted to add, the fact that Lucic only has $16 million left to pay him, I think it’s ridiculous to retain salary. The draft pick is pretty inconsequential, if it’s a late round pick.
Really, a win-win for both teams.
Except that it isn’t!! You guys can trade Neal after this, we can’t trade looch!!!
I think Tre found Neal was pretty much untradeable. Says a lot that the only deal that Tre could figure out was for Lucic, the most undtradeable player in the league. Noone wants either player or either deal.
Calgary needed someone who hits like a truck. Since Ferland left & they don’t have Hathaway any more, they wanted someone who could maybe take them past a post season first round.
That depends how the deal between Edmonton/Calgary was structured. Lucic may have had to waive the right to preserve his NMC/NTC. In effect making him easily tradable…
Is this true?
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.
YES!Can’t believe this is happening.I don’t how we managed to do it,but somehow Holland got rid of Lucic.Even though it is a bummer to trade him to a provincial rival but still,it is much more easier to bury the Neal contract rather than Lucic’s and the oilers don’t have to protect him in the expansion draft.Plus Neal is far and away the better player and have a better chance of bouncing back than Lucic.Oh well,best of luck to Lucic in calgary but oh man does this day feel good.In Holland We Trust.
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.
I personally think Neal has a real possibility of putting up 20 goals and 35-40 points he had a down year and was buried down the line up with the flames, id pencil him in next to Hopkins and might get a shot with McDavid, he has the skill and then hockey sense to still play with good players
Holland is s God.
Better than Eriksson I guess
Bennet coming for pool party, just reported by Spector. Details to come
They are having an absolute fit over at Flames Nation right now, based on their reaction we may have just won a trade. 1-30 over the last five years ain’t so bad!
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.
A pick and retained salary of ? Sorry but I hate this deal.
What is Calgary thinking??
Report on Calgary radio has the flames flipping Lucic to a third team. Flames retain $750,000 in salary and get a pick and prospect back.
Holland one for one , great trade, now Neil can be left open on expansion draft and Calgary will have to protect Lucic , that is funny.Holland won’t be giving out NTC to people signing , I have faith he can make changes now I feel needed .Good job!