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It was expected, and now it's official: Milan Lucic is a Boston Bruin once again.
The Bruins officially announced Lucic's return with a pair of tweets Saturday afternoon. While they did not immediately disclose the terms of the deals, multiple reports indicate it is a one-year deal worth $1 million plus bonuses.
Lucic, of course, spent the first eight years of his career in Boston from 2007-15, helping the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011 and becoming a fan favorite with his physical, power forward style of play.
He is 35 years old now and is certainly not the same player he was the last time he was a Bruin, eight years ago. He had seven goals and 19 points in 77 games for the Calgary Flames last season while averaging 11:18 time on ice – fourth-line minutes.
The last time Lucic scored more than 10 goals was 2016-17. The last time he had more than 25 points was 2017-18. His defensive metrics dropped off this past season as well.
However, Lucic can still make his presence felt physically, throwing 168 hits last season and dropping the gloves three times. The year before, he had 209 hits and seven fights. He remains one of the most feared fighters in the league.
Lucic also brings veteran leadership in the form of someone who understands what it means to be a Bruin. With the B’s trading Nick Foligno to Chicago and Patrice Bergeron and/or David Krejci possibly retiring, that will be welcomed as well.
Lucic joins James van Riemsdyk and Morgan Geekie as free-agent additions to Boston's forward group, bringing the team up to nine forwards signed to NHL contracts.
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