New King Lucic already envisioning a Vancouver future?
Milan Lucic has yet to step foot on the ice as a member of the Los Angeles Kings, but he might already be imagining his future in a different city.
Lucic was acquired by the Kings on June 26 in exchange for the 13th overall pick in the 2015 draft, goaltender Martin Jones and prospect Colin Miller. But in an interview with TSN 1410 on Monday, Lucic participated in some speculation as to where he might sign if he becomes a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the 2015-16 season.
"It's obviously something that's been a dream of mine since I've been a kid, is to play in your hometown and play for the Canucks," Lucic said after some coaxing from the TSN radio hosts. "But right now the main focus is going down to L.A. and trying to make the most of that."
Lucic has already won something of value on the Vancouver ice; the forward was a member of Boston's 2011 Stanley Cup championship team which won the clinching game of the Cup Finals in Vancouver.
The power forward is expected to play a top-6 role, but his point totals during the 2014-15 season were just below the level of an elite NHL forward, as Lucic totaled 44 points on 18 goals and 26 assists in 81 games. The drop was way below his average pace of 60 points per year over his last three non-lockout seasons.
Still, Lucic is a valued commodity who can help a team win, and for that reason, Vancouver Province reporter Steve Ewen said it is unlikely that Lucic would end up in Vancouver.
So is all the hype produced by Lucic's throwaway quote on TSN radio much ado about nothing? It could be, but then again, hockey is a game full of surprises. Who knows what the coming year will bring.
(h/t NHL, The Province)
That said, using Lucic history as your guide can make you think that he’ll focus on getting a deal done with the Kings first off. Lucic is a fan of a game. Andrew Ference tried to tag him as “Bob McKenzie,” after the TSN insider, when both he and Lucic were with the Bruins.
He understands having a legacy. He wants to win even more than most, and the Kings have a core group capable of contending for some time. Drew Doughty is 25 years old, Dustin Brown and Jeff Carter are both 30, Jonathan Quick is 29. The Canucks simply aren’t in that spot in their cycle.
