This Report Will Excite Bruins Fans Who Want Milan Lucic Back In Boston

The Bruins recently lost some veteran leadership and toughness when they traded Nick Foligno (and Taylor Hall) to the Chicago Blackhawks.

However, it sure sounds like Boston will end up plugging those holes with an old friend.

A report Wednesday claimed there's a "strong possibility" the Bruins will reunite with Milan Lucic, who can officially sign with a new team any time after July 1. In a column published later on in the day, Sportsnet's trusted NHL insider Elliotte Friedman corroborated the report and even took it a step further, claiming a Lucic return to Boston is "all but imminent."

Lucic, drafted by the Bruins in the second round of the 2006 NHL Draft, recently hinted at interest in returning to his old stomping grounds. The veteran wing explained how Boston is a "special place," one where he played the first eight seasons of his NHL career and won a Stanley Cup in 2011.

Now 35 years old and entering his 17th season in the league, Lucic no longer is the power-playing first-liner who excelled in Boston for almost a decade. But he's still a reliable force with something left in the tank, and his strong suits at this stage in his career definitely could be of use to the Black and Gold.