Bruins
“Clearly it’s a particular place for me and it’ll all the time be a particular place for me.”
David Krejci’s return to the Bruins after a one-year stint in his native Czechia yielded spectacular returns for Boston throughout the 2022-23 season.
Might considered one of Krejci’s longtime linemates comply with an identical script in 2023-24 after near a decade away from the Bruins?
Milan Lucic is about to hit free company for the primary time in seven years, with the 35-year-old energy ahead seeking to land with one other contending group at this stage of his profession.
The 2011 Stanley Cup champion and fan favourite amongst Bruins followers spoke to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun final week about his priorities earlier than free company formally commences on Saturday, July 1.
LeBrun famous {that a} reunion with Boston may make for an intriguing storyline, given each his ties to the world and the Bruins’ want so as to add expertise on reasonably priced, short-term contracts throughout this cap-crunched summer time.
“Clearly it’s a particular place for me and it’ll all the time be a particular place for me,” Lucic stated. “However we’ve obtained, what, 11 days to see what occurs (earlier than July 1)? We’ll see what occurs after which go from there.”
Lucic nonetheless stays near lots of his former teammates, although he final donned a black-and-gold sweater throughout the 2014-15 season.
At his age, Lucic is not a possible 30-goal scorer and top-six stalwart. However on the proper value, he may very well be coveted by groups trying so as to add a bit extra heft into their bottom-six grouping.
“Large, heavy, veteran winger who ought to are available on a one-year, low-money deal,” one nameless NHL group government instructed LeBrun about Lucic’s worth. “Any group that wishes measurement and a concern aspect will have a look at him.”
Lucic hasn’t topped the 20-goal threshold for the reason that 2016-17 season, however he instructed LeBrun that he nonetheless extra left within the tank — particularly after serving to Canada take residence a gold medal on the 2023 IIHF World Championships (4 factors in 10 video games) in Might.
Lucic doled out 168 hits final season for the Flames whereas scoring seven objectives and posted 19 factors over 77 video games. He’s nonetheless one of many extra feared scrappers within the NHL, although his function has shifted into extra of a bruising fourth liner.
If Lucic was keen to return on an inexpensive, one-year deal, Boston possible could be intrigued.
However provided that velocity on the ahead place has been an indicator of many Cup-winning rosters over the previous few seasons, one has to surprise if Lucic has the wheels to make an affect throughout the frantic play discovered throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
If Boston is searching for a lane to include speedy, younger skaters like Jakub Lauko or Johnny Beecher, the fourth line is a superb place to begin.
Boston may choose to retrofit Lucic into extra of a thirteenth ahead able to being referred to as on when a extra bodily tone must be set. But it surely stays to seen if Lucic settles for a lowered function, particularly given he ought to have extra interesting affords on the open market.
“The primary factor is match,” Lucic instructed LeBrun. “What’s my function going to be on a group? How will the coach use me? Who will I play with? All that sort of stuff. If all that works out very well, then you definitely’re blissful going to the rink, and if you happen to’re blissful going to the rink, you’re taking part in higher and also you’re taking part in on the high of your sport.”
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