What to expect from Bruins after their free-agent moves
Milan Lucic was in Los Angeles this week and did not have any old Bruins gear with him. So, as he became increasingly certain that he would be signing with his old team when free agency opened on Saturday, he made sure to go out and buy some.
Right when free agency began at noon, Lucic texted Boston general manager Don Sweeney a photo of himself wearing a Bruins hat.
All that was left was working out the details of the contract, which the two sides did in short order: A one-year deal with a base salary and cap hit of $1 million, and an additional $500,000 that can be earned through performance bonuses.
Lucic was wearing that same hat when he met with the Boston media via Zoom Saturday afternoon, and he could hardly contain his excitement about returning to the city and team where he spent the first eight years of his career and won a Stanley Cup in 2011.
“Obviously it’s a place that’s close and dear to my heart,” Lucic said. “Having the opportunity to come back, you can see the smile on my face right now. It feels like I’m going home. I’ve always felt like I’ve always been a Bruin. I’m just so happy and thankful for the opportunity to be a Bruin again.”
Lucic said he has missed Boston and the Bruins ever since he left.
“I was born and raised in Vancouver, but I feel like I was really raised and became an adult in Boston, and really became a Bostonian,” he said. “…As time went on, I guess I missed being a Bruin more and more as years went on. It’s really funny, I always caught myself watching Bruins hockey games. I caught myself cheering for the Red Sox, cheering for the Celtics, cheering for the Patriots.”
He said he has dreamed about skating back onto the TD Garden ice with a Bruins sweater on for years. He is excited that his daughters will get to experience it with him this time. He had a two-year-old and a newborn when he got traded away to the Kings in 2015; now he has a 10-year-old, eight-year-old and five-year-old.
But make no mistake: This is not just a nostalgic farewell tour for Lucic. He wants to relive the winning, too, and is determined to help the Bruins any way he can.
“By no means is this a reunion just for a farewell tour,” Lucic said. “I’m coming back for the right reasons. I think I’m coming back to help this team continue to progress and chase a championship, and I’m really confident in my ability to help this team do that.”
On the ice, Lucic has essentially played fourth-line minutes the last several years. He is ready and willing to play whatever role Bruins coach Jim Montgomery has in mind for him. Off the ice, he believes he can be a veteran leader and help the Bruins through a transition period that could potentially include the retirements of both Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.
“I’m excited for whatever role [Montgomery] gives me. Off the ice, I think it’s more the leadership role,” Lucic said. “Obviously, you lose a lot with the guys that aren’t coming back. But like I said, I’ve been through a lot and I can help with a leadership role.
“I can help with the young guys, but also just bringing it every day, bringing it in practice, bringing it in games, all that type of stuff. That’s something that I haven’t lost. I still have that fire every day, that competitiveness, whether it’s practice or games.”
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