St. Louis Blues Evaluate Milan Lucic
The St. Louis Blues have wrapped up their evaluation of veteran forward Milan Lucic, announcing that they will not extend a contract to him following the conclusion of his professional tryout in the American Hockey League (AHL). Lucic, now 37 years old, signed a professional tryout agreement with the Blues prior to the preseason and competed in four exhibition matches, tallying one goal and one assist. However, a groin injury sidelined him for a significant time.
After being cleared to play, Lucic suited up for the Springfield Thunderbirds, where he added another assist across five games, although he struggled defensively, resulting in a minus-7 rating and managing just one shot on goal.
Lucic’s NHL Experience
Lucic, who stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 240 pounds, has a wealth of NHL experience, having played in 1,177 regular season games and racked up 586 points (comprised of 233 goals and 353 assists), along with 1,301 penalty minutes, playing for teams such as the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Los Angeles Kings. Despite previous speculation that Blues head coach Jim Montgomery, who oversaw Lucic’s last stint in the NHL with the Bruins, might sign the forward to a minimum contract once he was fully fit, the organization has ultimately decided against this.
Future Opportunities for Lucic
While the likelihood of Lucic signing with another NHL team seems slim at this stage of his career, the possibility remains that he could find opportunities elsewhere, whether in the AHL or another league.
Blues’ Recent Performance
In other Blues-related news, the team suffered a 3-2 loss against the New York Rangers, marking their eighth defeat this season when scoring first. A critical period in the game was the first ten minutes of the third period, where the team failed to capitalize on a four-minute power play and could not create adequate scoring chances. This disappointing performance follows the Blues’ ongoing struggle to find their offensive rhythm, even with solid goaltending.
Additionally, the St. Louis Blues’ Weekly Prospect Report revealed some notable developments, such as a rising player in the KHL and continued success for the team’s prospects in the QMJHL and other leagues.
