The Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks are looking to make a free-agent splash with one of the top power forwards in the NHL.
Both clubs appear very much interested in unrestricted free-agent forward Milan Lucic, according to reports. Lucic reportedly already met with the Canucks and is set to meet with the Oilers on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun.
Of course, Lucic figures to be one of the summer’s most sought-after free agents and likely will have plenty of suitors. In fact, a return to the Boston Bruins isn’t completely out of the question.
The Oilers and Canucks both make sense for the 28-year-old, and he has obvious connections to both clubs. Lucic is a Vancouver native, and there’s always been an assumption he would at least be somewhat interested in one day returning home. As for the Oilers, they’re a relatively upstart team with a good young core who could use some toughness and veteran leadership. Lucic is also familiar with the Oilers’ management group: Edmonton general manager Peter Chiarelli held the same role for much of the power forward’s time in Boston.
The Bruins traded Lucic to the Los Angeles Kings last summer, ending his eight-year run with the club that drafted him in the second round of the 2006 NHL Draft. In 81 games with the Kings, Lucic scored 20 goals and added 35 assists to go along with 79 penalty minutes. He averaged 17:14 of ice time per game, the second-highest mark of his career.
Thumbnail photo via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images
