Edmonton has found its new top-line left wing.
Just days after trading Taylor Hall to New Jersey in a blockbuster deal for Adam Larsson, the Oilers have inked one of the biggest prizes available in free agency -- former Bruins and Kings power forward Milan Lucic.
Per Sportsnet, it’s a seven-year deal worth $42 million. That’s good for a $6M average annual cap hit, which is the same money Lucic pulled down annually on his previous deal.
This contract reunites Lucic with his former GM in Boston, Peter Chiarelli, who has drastically made over the Edmonton roster this week. Lucic will give the Oilers even more “snarl” -- something the club had a decent amount of in the form of fellow big-bodied forwards Patrick Maroon and Zack Kassian.
Lucic, though, should play a far more prominent role than both.
It’s expected he could open as a top-line winger next to Connor McDavid, which could put Lucic back on track for 30 goals -- a mark he hasn’t hit since 2010-11. The 28-year-old would also (presumably) serve as an unofficial bodyguard for McDavid.