Report: A Bruins reunion with Milan Lucic ‘will happen’ this offseason
Last season, the 35-year-old Lucic doled out 168 hits over 77 games with the Flames.
A Bruins fan favorite might be making his way back to Causeway Street this summer.
According to NHL insider Chris Johnston, a reunion between the Bruins and pending free agent Milan Lucic is a “strong possibility.” Vancouver reporter Rick Dhaliwal first reported rumblings of a Lucic reunion with Boston, before later tweeting that “Lucic to the Bruins will happen.”
Even though Lucic cannot sign with a new team until July 1, Johnston noted that the 35-year-old winger can already begin discussions with interested teams.
Clearly, there is intrigue on Boston’s side, especially if the veteran is interested in signing an affordable deal.
Lucic last played in Boston during the 2014-15 season. Drafted by the Bruins in the second round of the 2006 NHL Draft, Lucic quickly became a fan favorite in Boston thanks to his mix of size, snarl and netfront scoring.
He played in 566 games with Boston, scoring 139 goals, 342 points and racking up 772 penalty minutes. Lucic led Boston in goals (30) and was tied for the team lead in points (62) during the Bruins’ Cup-winning 2010-11 campaign.
Last week, Lucic spoke to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun about the possibility of rejoining the Bruins after eight years away from the Original Six organization.
“Obviously it’s a special place for me and it will always be a special place for me,” Lucic said of Boston. “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 remains close with many of his former teammates in Boston, so it’d come as no surprise that the power forward might take a page out of David Krejci’s book and opt to return to the Bruins on a low-cost, short-term deal.
Of course, Lucic is no longer the top-six stalwart he once was during his prime years with the Bruins.
Lucic doled out 168 hits last season for the Flames while scoring seven goals and posting 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.
“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.”
If cash-strapped Boston is looking for a replacement for Nick Foligno on its fourth line, Lucic can inject more heft and pushback at a cheaper value.
His underlying metrics were far from stellar on a lackluster Flames team in 2022-23, especially on the defensive side of things.
But if Boston is looking for a veteran who toughen up their lineup and serve as a mentor to an expected influx of younger players in their bottom-six unit, Lucic is a solid option (at least at the proper price).
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