The Boston Bruins announced the return of Milan Lucic on Saturday. A reunion between Boston and the 6’3 Winger has been a rumor for a long time. Lucic was a fan favorite in Boston for eight seasons, where he helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011. Lucic spent last season with the Calgary Flames, where he suited up for 77 games and had seven goals and twelve assists for nineteen points.
The game has changed, and Lucic’s days of being a twenty-plus goal scorer are far behind him, but Lucic was a big part of the Bruins’ identity for many years with his intensity and physicality on the ice, traits the team sure has lacked in recent years.
They had little to no answer for the physicality of the Panthers in their playoff series, and it cost them their season. Bringing in a player like Lucic, who was the driving force behind the modern version of the “Big Bad Bruins” and still can provide the team with a spark, is a smart move for one year with a cap hit of one million.
Milan Lucic will easily pick up where he left off with the Boston Bruins
At 35, Lucic can provide the Bruins with physicality on the fourth line and veteran leadership for young forwards who are expected to play a role this season, such as Jakub Lauko. It is difficult not to feel some excitement over this. Yes, the concerns about Lucic’s speed in today’s NHL are fair.
The current NHL’s emphasis on skill and speed does not fit well with Lucic’s style of play, but he still has a role to play in this league and is a good fit for the current Boston Bruins as he is still one of the NHL’s meanest and toughest players.
Again, he is not the player he once was, but the Bruins could desperately use some more fire and emotion after last season’s disappointing first-round exit, and we all know Lucic can provide that.
It is difficult not to feel some excitement over this. Yes, the concerns about Lucic’s speed in today’s NHL are fair, but he is still one of the toughest and meanest players in the league.
For Bruins fans, there is nothing but fond memories of Lucic’s time in Boston. He is the heart and soul of a Stanley Cup winner, and his style of play fits perfectly with this city as he is the modern-day Terry O’Reilly.
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When speaking to TSN following his return to the Bruins, Lucic said… “it just feels right.” The city of Boston feels the same way. A Bruins legend and all-time fan favorite has returned to Boston. Hopefully, he finishes his career with the team that drafted him and the city that will forever adore him.