Leafs and Hawks show interest in Milan Lucic

It’s no secret now that the CH and Milan Lucic almost hit it off a few years ago. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the marriage between the two camps didn’t work out.

Speaking on the Spittin’ Chichlets podcast, Lucic said that Montreal isn’t the only rival to the Bruins, his first love in the NHL, to have shown interest in him.

More recently, the Maple Leafs showed interest in the number 17, who eventually returned to Boston for one season.

The forward also claimed that the Blackhawks showed interest.

The fact that both teams were interested in the big forward doesn’t surprise me. Why? Because the Leafs want to bulk up for the playoffs, and they want to add some playoff experience to a group that, while very talented, doesn’t inspire confidence in the spring tournament.

Toronto acquired Ryan Reaves when the free-agent market opened. Was Reaves plan B and Lucic plan A? Maybe it was. One thing’s for sure, the 35-year-old Canadien didn’t like the idea of going to Toronto, since it’s a direct rival of the Bruins, his first team in the Bettman circuit.

So why would going to Montreal have been right?

What’s more, Leafs GM Brad Treliving was the one who picked up the player in Calgary in a deal involving James Neal. Presumably, Treliving likes Lucic a lot if he wanted to acquire him again, for another club.

As for Chicago, the team doesn’t want to win right away, but it does want to surround its young stars, like Connor Bedard. The Hawks have good veterans at the end of their careers, like Corey Perry, for example, and their experience will certainly help the youngsters.

Like the Ducks, who have added Alex Killorn and Radko Gudas, among others, we sense that Chicago wants to bulk up and be a physical team. The latest Stanley Cup winners have shown that a heavy, strong, physical team is a winning recipe.

Even at 35 and on a downward slope in terms of personal statistics, Lucic continues to attract the interest of many clubs across the NHL. You can hate the guy, but you’ve got to admit he does his job very well… At least, other teams like what he does.

Highlights

– Signature in Edmonton.

☁️ CLOUDER CONDITIONS ☁️

The #Oilers have signed forward Ryan McLeod to a two-year contract extension with an AAV of $2.1 million. #LetsGoOilers

– Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) August 2, 2023

– Nice interview.

🏒 After 46 years as an announcer, there’s a lot of stories to tell!

Listen to the full interview with @_kevdup ▶️ https://t.co/4xvjKIcsBs pic .twitter.com/Yr5bbyXTWN

– 98,5 Sports (@985Sports) August 2, 2023

– To listen to.

🏒 Interview with Anthony Richard, who signed with the @CanadiensMTL‘s nemesis, the @NHLBruins.

Listen to his interview here with @_kevdup ▶️ https://t.co/7VeJL0Mzhg pic.twitter.com/afJNx5DNEv

– 98,5 Sports (@985Sports) August 2, 2023

– On this day of the MLB trade deadline, Marc Griffin analyzes it all.