Lucic Back To Bruins Trade Rumors Trending Again

Four days after Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, two key players from the 2011 Boston Bruins Stanley Cup team, signed one-year contracts this past Monday, the Milan Lucic back to the NHL trade rumors picked up steam again Friday night.

Rear Admiral of Barstool Sports dropped this cryptic tweet regarding the former Boston Bruins fan favorite and current Calgary Flames winger:

👀 pic.twitter.com/Y7scexyZ7x

— Rear Admiral (@RearAdBsBlog) August 12, 2022

This comes just two weeks after it was half-jokingly suggested by yours truly that if Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney was to finally bring back Krejci from a year spent playing in Czechia and sign Bergeron, then why not bring the band back together and acquire Milan Lucic on the NHL trade market. It’s no secret that Lucic and his $6 million salary cap hit have and continue to be available on the NHL trade market and after it was made clear at Tuukka Rask’s wedding two weeks ago, that Lucic, Bergeron, Krejci, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak still share a special bond, why not have that chemistry back on the ice?

Based on the photos/videos being posted from Tuukka Rask's wedding weekend, one has to imagine the grand time – and likely reminiscing – Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci are experiencing, made the desire to play together again even stronger. Don Sweeney may have to thank Tuukka! https://t.co/K6dvXARdRl

— MurphysLaw74 (@MurphysLaw74) July 31, 2022

Well, the obvious answer is of course that aforementioned $6 million cap hit and the Bruins also now being $2.2 million over the $82.5 million NHL salary cap. Also, Lucic isn’t exactly that rare power forward type anymore on the ice as his best days passed him by shortly after he signed his current seven-year, $42 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers back in 2016. Still though, what if the Flames were willing to eat a respectable portion of that $6 million cap hit in a trade with the Bruins?

According to one NHL source just under two weeks ago, Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving could be willing to eat some of that cap hit if the Bruins sweetened the deal and he didn’t get whacked on contracts for forward Andrew Mangiapane and defenseman Oliver Kylington, two RFA’s headed for arbitration. Since then, Mangiapane signed a three-year, $17.4 million contract ($5.8M AAV), and Kylington signed a two-year, $5 million contract ($2.5 AAV). The Flames are now $2.7 million below the salary cap.

Our man on the Flames beat for Calgary Hockey Now, Steve Macfarlane addressed the Lucic NHL trade rumors Friday night:

‘Lucic was a strong piece of the leadership core in Calgary last season. And while his salary-cap hit is a significant burden, it comes off the books next year and largely eats up the big Jonathan Huberdeau raise.

There’s no urgent need to move him.

Unless they’re looking to add another larger salary, of course.

We know the Calgary Flames are looking to compete for a Stanley Cup sooner and worry about the later … later.’

Based on that theory, it doesn’t sound like the NHL Betting Odds that the Bruins would be a fit in any Lucic trade given their salary cap woes are low, but stranger things have happened. For now Bruins fans who want Lucic back will have to just keep dreaming of 2011.