OIL IN ON LUCIC PLAY
Canucks may be left holding bag
To sum up, the Oilers, who are in desperate need of top-tier defencemen and have one of the best young left-wingers in hockey, are preparing a massive contract offer for Milan Lucic. Only in Edmonton. Just imagine the outrage locally if this was a Jim Benning joint.
If the Oilers end up signing Lucic — a few in Edmonton think it’s a virtual fait accompli — and it ends up a six-year commitment and squeezes out one of their good young forwards, Vancouver may feel just fine about being among the bridesmaids, yet again. The Canucks have earned a reputation for finishing second this decade. Remember them chasing Shane Doan, Justin Schultz, Drake Caggiula and the Stanley Cup?
Missing out on a 28-year-old, hard-playing power forward who is asking to be signed well into his 30s would not be the worst thing to happen to the Canucks this off-season. At least 10 clubs have already called to express interest in Lucic, who was in Edmonton Tuesday.
His camp is expecting a significant offer from one, or two, Eastern Conference teams, on Friday and, of course, one from Vancouver.
The asking price right now is reportedly six years at $36 million.
Some think the Canucks would be willing to top any offer.
Canucks management and ownership met with Lucic Mon- day in Vancouver. As the story goes, they had a chance encounter with Mayor Gregor Robertson, who just happened to be eating at the same restaurant as the Canucks and Lucic, the Blue Water Cafe.
If meeting the mayor, along with the big offer the Canucks are expected to table, aren’t enough to sway Lucic this week, among the most disappointed in the city will be in the Canucks’ front office.
Benning, the Canucks’ general manager, has been either chasing, or thinking about chasing, Lucic for a year.
The hope was Lucic would want to come home to play with the Sedin twins, and that line would carry the Canucks from third-last in the league to playoff contention.
When Benning was hired, he pitched a fairly quick turnaround for the Canucks and not a long rebuild.
The only way to get that done now is to bring in some impact free agents.
If not Lucic, the Canucks are expected to go hard after Loui Eriksson and work their way down the free agent tree from there.
If Lucic does spurn his hometown to sign with the Oilers, many believe it’s more about the team than the city.
Lucic has immersed himself in hockey over the years. He’s the kind of player who would know the Canucks’ top line in Utica last season and be aware of when Brock Boeser is most likely to arrive in the NHL.
He would be aware of the number of holes the Canucks still have in their lineup.
He would know that right-shot wingers have had the most success with the Sedins and he shoots left.
That’s not to say it couldn’t work with a lefty — hello, Alex Burrows — but Lucic would grasp the concept that it would be more challenging for him than a typical right winger. He’s also a player in tune with things like history and legacy. These things are important to him, and so is winning another Stanley Cup.
As of right now, the Canucks are as far away from that as any team in the league, another point Lucic would be aware of.
Now, Edmonton isn’t exactly a stone’s throw from the playoffs, let along winning a Cup.
That’s why some think a dark horse could still emerge to sign Lucic.
Could the Canucks still land Lucic, blowing him away with an offer he couldn’t refuse? It’s plausible. It may not be what’s best for the organization, but it is plausible.