The Band Is Getting Back Together! Milan Lucic Is Reportedly Coming Home To Boston
LOOOOOOOOOOOCH!!!!!! Sounds like old friend and 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Milan Lucic will be returning to the Boston Bruins. The Calgary Flames gave Lucic's camp permission to speak with teams ahead of free agency and it sure sounds like come July 1st, Milan Lucic will once again don the Spoked B 8 years after he left.
He still feels like he's got some gas in the tank (had 7G, 12A for 19 points + 168 hits in 77 GP last year) and if it's for league minimum I'm all for it for a 12th/13th forward veteran leadership role. Especially with Nick Foligno in Chicago (got a $4 million dollar bag). Once again, a reminder that the Bruins are in cap hell...
The Bruins front office are operating as if Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci are not returning (no official decisions have been made), but with 17 back in the fold maaaaybe they reconsider retirement and the band gets back together... In all seriousness, it should be an interesting few days with the draft and then free agency opening up. I'm still furious Don Sweeney hasn't re-signed Tyler Bertuzzi yet. I think a pure Hall to Chicago salary dump is beyond stupid without a Bertuzzi extension imminent because they should've stapled a contract (ala Mike Reilly) with it. But I'll reserve my judgement until Saturday. That 8th year I think will be a factor, because a ton of other teams will be vying for his services and can offer wayyy more. We'll see if he gets it done. It also sounds like they'd like to keep Garnet Hathaway, but maybe that gets too expensive and redundant with the Milan Lucic reunion. Dmitry Orlov will be moving on. I think Connor Clifton will get a bag elsewhere as well.
If Bergeron and Krejci do indeed retire, you're looking at Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle as your top two centers. Which would be less than ideal. What will become of the two RFA's in Trent Frederic and Jeremy Swayman? Who knows. Like I said, lots of balls in the air for the Bruins who don't pick until the 3rd round of the draft. Linus Ullmark's value will quite literally never be higher after winning the Vezina on Monday night, maybe that's a route Don goes to acquire a 1C. Who knows.
Right now I am operating on pure vibes after getting my heart ripped out in the postseason. Nothing else can hurt me! Let's get nuts! Bruins Centennial Season coming up, oh you wanted Bergeron and Krejci back? Best we could do is Milan Lucic. Fuck it, he's coming home!