Milan Lucic is on his way back to Boston.
The Bruins agreed to a deal with the 2011 Stanely Cup champion Saturday, according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun and the Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno. It is a one-year, $1 million deal that includes performance bonuses, according to LeBrun. Boston appeared to confirm the deal when it tweeted out a Lucic GIF.
The deal comes after the Black and Gold reportedly agreed to contracts with James van Riemsdyk and Morgan Geekie.
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Lucic last played for the Bruins in the 2014-15 season and was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 2015. The 35-year-old played for the Calgary Flames the four seasons. Last season, he scored 19 points in 77 games.
Multiple reports linked Lucic to Boston, and he left the door open to a return after the Calgary Flames gave him permission to seek out a deal heading into Saturday’s NHL free agency.
The 16-year veteran still shares a connection to Boston, having played the first eight seasons of his career in the city. And he still has ties to the Bruins organization, both in the locker room and in the front office. He likely will slot in on the fourth line and will provide added leadership to a young roster, especially for A.J. Greer, who has modeled his game after Lucic.
Boston issued nine qualifying offers Friday and placed defenseman Mike Reilly on waivers with the plan to buy out his contract, which will open up cap space this season. The Bruins have multiple decisions to make with the start of NHL free agency Saturday.
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Featured image via Sergei Belski/USA TODAY Sports Images
