Edmonton Oilers Sign Milan Lucic
Michael Clifford
2016-07-01
Fantasy Impact: The Edmonton Oilers have signed big winger Milan Lucic to a seven-year deal worth $42 million.
The Oilers get: one of the best big wingers with skill in the entire league. Edmonton has been criticized for being too heavy with skilled, 'nice' forwards. They fixed that in a big way.
7 years 42m. Lucic to @EdmontonOilers
— Nick Kypreos (@RealKyper) July 1, 2016
Fantasy Players Impacted: Rather than go on at length about how this helps Lucic, I will point you again to this morning’s Ramblings, and how playing with Connor McDavid might end up with a career year for Lucic.
Who does this affect negatively: Patrick Maroon, Benoit Pouliot, Zack Kassian. I will wait until we see what the lines are, but assuming Maroon lines up as a left winger next year, it appears he will do so behind Milan Lucic and Benoit Pouliot. That will cut into his ice time significantly, and not playing with McDavid will obviously lead to a decline in the rate of points he scored when he was traded to the Oilers last year.
Benoit Pouliot did very well playing alongside McDavid last year, which is kind of to be expected. If Lucic does end up slotting alongside McDavid, it seems Pouliot will be pushed to the second line, be it with Leon Draisaitl or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Now, in most cases, that wouldn’t be a death-knell fantasy-wise, but going from McDavid to almost any other centre in the NHL is a big downgrade. Remember: even playing significant minutes alongside McDavid last year only got Pouliot to 36 points, and he doesn’t stuff other roto categories. His fantasy relevance take a hit.
Let's take a stab at the line combos:
Lucic – McDavid – Puljujarvi
Pouliot– Draisaitl – Eberle
Kassian – Nugent-Hopkins – Yakupov
Maroon – Lander – Letestu
Fantasy Players this helps, in order:
1. Lucic (last year's stats and game logs here)
– big gap –
2. McDavid (last year's stats and game logs here)
3. Nugent-Hopkins (last year's stats and game logs here)
Fantasy Players this hurts, in order:
1. Pouliot (last year's stats and game logs here)
2. Maroon (last year's stats and game logs here)
3. Kassian (last year's stats and game logs here)
With further notes from Dobber
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That’s the best forward corps Edmonton has had in decades! Lots of talent and a tough player for each line to give the scorers some space and protection (put Maroon on the 2nd line instead of Pouliot). Please don’t let me down again!
I give it 4 years tops before the Oilers regret this deal. Far too long for an average skater.
All six year deals are regretted after four years. That’s just the NHL, not the Oilers ;)
Crosby/Malkin types are the exception to the above rule…
nice paper lineup, let’s hope no one gets injured so that can’t be used as the usual excuse when they come up short….goaltending, goaltending….
Cam Talbot, from December 14th onward:
43 GP 18-19-4, 2.37 GAA, 0.924 SV%
Goaltending looks fine to me, that’s among the best in the league. But thanks for coming out…coming out…