Maple Leafs Fans Should Be Glad Lucic Didn’t Land in Toronto

In an article today in The Hockey News, David Alter reported Milan Lucic’s sharing that the Toronto Maple Leafs were interested in signing him during free agency. The 16-year NHL veteran revealed that the team’s general manager (GM) Brad Treliving spoke with him about potentially coming to the Blue & White.

Why was Lucic considered a potential candidate? There seem to be two reasons. First, there was Lucic’s connection with Treliving during his time with the Calgary Flames. Second, and also centering around Treliving’s desires for the team, Lucic is a physical and experienced forward. Treliving wanted to get some grit (snot he called it) into the lineup.

However, Lucic admitted that the conversation was short-lived because of his past connection with the Boston Bruins. He played for the Bruins when they went on to a Stanley Cup win; and, he recalls the teams’ fierce rivalry. That made signing with the Maple Leafs unpalatable, to say the least.

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Maple Leafs Fans Should Be Pleased Lucic Didn’t Come

Usually, I’m a wait-and-see kind of guy. GMs get paid money to build their teams, and I prefer to suspend judgment until I see if it works or not. I’m not inclined to critique an idea right from the get-go.

However, this time I’m pretty sure the decision not to sign Lucic was a good thing for the Maple Leafs.

The Good and the Bad About Signing Lucic

To give Lucic his justice, let’s say there are good and bad points about signing him. I’ll try to lay out both sides without bias.

Three Pros of Signing Milan Lucic

Reason One To Sign Lucic: Physical Presence and Deterrence

One of the key “skills” Lucic brings to any team is his physicality. He’s big and he’s tough. He’d make the opposition think twice before taking liberties with his teammates. Such a deterrent could provide a safer space for the Maple Leafs’ skilled players to roam the ice freely if Lucic would protect them from unnecessary hits.

Reason Two To Sign Lucic: Playoff Experience and Leadership

Lucic has a wealth of playoff experience. As noted earlier, he won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011. He might have been valuable for a team like the Maple Leafs that was seeking to go on a deep playoff run. His leadership qualities could have positively influenced the younger players and contributed to a winning culture within the team.

Reason Three To Sign Lucic: His Depth and Flexibility

Although suggesting that Lucic might give the team a measure of offensive production is a stretch, Lucic still offers depth to a team’s forward group. He can play a variety of different roles, from a bottom-six forward to providing a power-forward presence in front of the net with the man advantage when needed. Such flexibility would have given the coaching staff more options in managing the lineup.

Related: Where Are the Maple Leafs Now? What’s Left to Do?

Three Cons of Signing Milan Lucic

Reason One Not to Sign Lucic: Declining Production and Skill Set

Lucic’s offensive contributions have significantly waned over time. He was once a scoring threat; however, that time was long ago and much earlier in his career. Considering the Maple Leafs’ style of play and offensive system, signing him would not have brought enough value given his diminished offense. While never fast, he has slowed considerably.

Reason Two Not to Sign Lucic: Potential Cap Space Allocation

Signing Lucic would have required a low salary hit so that he would not have impacted the team’s financial flexibility. As it was, he signed for $1 million with the Bruins. That’s about $225,000 too much for the Maple Leafs. Allocating $1 to him in salary-cap space would be overspending for a player with declining production. His signing would have hindered the team’s ability to make other roster moves.

Reason Three Not to Sign Lucic: Playing Time and Lineup Impact

At 35 years old, Lucic’s role as a regular NHL player is no longer a guarantee. His limited playing time could have impacted the team’s ability to build in space for introducing its younger players into the lineup.

The Bottom Line

While Lucic would have added physicality and playoff experience to the roster, there were too many potential drawbacks that simply outweighed the benefits.

From my perspective, the Maple Leafs need to prioritize developing its younger prospects over the next several seasons. It is a way to build affordable team depth. These young talents would help the team maintain its roster flexibility. All that might have been compromised by signing Lucic.

Because the team passed on Lucic, it can now focus on building a more well-balanced roster. Specifically, it could create more chances for young players to have a chance to play. In short, fans should be pleased that Lucic will be in a Brown (Bruins) uniform and not a Blue & White one.

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