Calgary Flames

When Edmonton “Won” the Lucic–Neal Deal… Until It Didn’t

A quick look back at the Neal–Lucic trade and why the early win for Edmonton turned into a much messier long-term picture.

by
Old Prof
May 1, 2026

On July 19, 2019, the Oilers traded Milan Lucic plus a conditional 2020 third-round pick to the Flames for James Neal. Let’s take a step back and casually revisit that deal — did the Oilers win it?

The Trade Looked Good for the Oilers Early On

In the short term, the trade looked like a win for the Oilers. Neal came in and immediately caught fire. He put up a four-goal game, then six goals in three nights. For a stretch, it felt like Edmonton had pulled off something pretty slick. Playing alongside Connor McDavid, he looked like a perfect fit, and the narrative basically wrote itself. Neal was back, and the Oilers had the scoring winger they thought they were getting.

Meanwhile, Lucic went to Calgary and settled into a very different role. He racked up lots of hits, lots of fights, and lots of heavy shifts along the boards. The physical stuff was still there, but the offence people expected just never really showed up in the same way.

Milan Lucic, here with the Boston Bruins.

But It Didn’t Take Long Before the Story Changed

But, as with some trades, the story changed once the dust settled. What really shifted things was fit. Neal’s game is about shooting and timing, and when you put him next to elite playmakers — especially McDavid — you’re going to get spikes in production. That’s just how it works.

Calgary, on the other hand, brought in Lucic for a very specific identity role. They wanted his toughness, grit, and a bit of edge. The problem is that those things don’t always show up cleanly in points.

Then there’s the timing piece. Neal had that bounce-back year right away, which made the trade look like a steal in real time. Lucic was never really in a position to “win” it on boxscore stats alone. His value was always more about presence than production.

Over the longer run, things level out. Neal turned into more of a streaky scorer. Eventually, the journeyman winger dropped down the lineup, and his scoring dropped with his status. Lucic aged into a depth role player whose impact became more situational — still physical, still heavy, but not a major offensive driver.

So Who Won the Trade?

So where does that leave the verdict? Well, it depends on how you look at it. If you’re judging by pure short-term scoring burst and excitement, Edmonton absolutely “won” the moment. Neal delivered exactly what you hope for when you bring in a finisher and drop him next to elite talent.

But if you zoom out, it gets a little messier. Both teams got parts of what they wanted, just in different ways. Edmonton got a spark. Calgary got a body and an identity player.

And in the end, that’s usually how these things go. Call the trade even. It wasn’t a robbery either way, and it wasn’t a disaster. It was just two teams trying to solve different problems at the same time.