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What Milan Lucic said about a potential return to Bruins in 2023
"Obviously it’s a special place for me and it will always be a special place for me."
David Krejci’s return to the Bruins after a one-year stint in his native Czechia yielded impressive returns for Boston during the 2022-23 season.
Could one of Krejci’s longtime linemates follow a similar script in 2023-24 after close to a decade away from the Bruins?
Milan Lucic is set to hit free agency for the first time in seven years, with the 35-year-old power forward looking to land with another contending team at this stage of his career.
The 2011 Stanley Cup champion and fan favorite among Bruins fans spoke to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun last week about his priorities before free agency officially commences on Saturday, July 1.
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LeBrun noted that a reunion with Boston could make for an intriguing storyline, given both his ties to the area and the Bruins’ need to add talent on affordable, short-term contracts during this cap-crunched summer.
“Obviously it’s a special place for me and it will always be a special place for me,” Lucic said. “But we’ve got, what, 11 days to see what happens (before July 1)? We’ll see what happens and then go from there.”
Lucic still remains close to many of his former teammates, even though he last donned a black-and-gold sweater during the 2014-15 season.
At his age, Lucic is no longer a likely 30-goal scorer and top-six stalwart. But at the right price, he could be coveted by teams looking to add a bit more heft into their bottom-six grouping.
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“Big, heavy, veteran winger who should come in on a one-year, low-money deal,” one anonymous NHL team executive told LeBrun about Lucic’s value. “Any team that wants size and a fear element will look at him.”
Lucic hasn’t topped the 20-goal threshold since the 2016-17 season, but he told LeBrun that he still more left in the tank — especially after helping Canada take home a gold medal at the 2023 IIHF World Championships (4 points in 10 games) in May.
Lucic doled out 168 hits last season for the Flames while scoring seven goals and posted 19 points over 77 games. He is still one of the more feared scrappers in the NHL, even though his role has shifted into more of a bruising fourth liner.
If Lucic was willing to return on a cheap, one-year deal, Boston likely would be intrigued.
But given that speed at the forward position has been a hallmark of many Cup-winning rosters over the last few seasons, one has to wonder if Lucic has the wheels to make an impact during the frantic play found during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
If Boston is looking for a lane to incorporate speedy, young skaters like Jakub Lauko or Johnny Beecher, the fourth line is a great place to start.
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Boston could opt to retrofit Lucic into more of a 13th forward capable of being called on when a more physical tone needs to be set. But it remains to seen if Lucic settles for a reduced role, especially given he should have more appealing offers on the open market.
“The main thing is fit,” Lucic told LeBrun. “What’s my role going to be on a team? How will the coach use me? Who will I play with? All that type of stuff. If all that works out really well, then you’re happy going to the rink, and if you’re happy going to the rink, you’re playing better and you’re playing at the top of your game.”
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