The New York Rangers came to terms with their prized trade acquisition this off season this week when they inked Jacob Trouba to a seven-year deal for a reported $56 million and an annual cap hit of $8 million.
That leaves a few bucks lying around for the raft full of restricted free agents who have 
toiled in the Rangers’ roster to get them to the competitive level to attract the stars like Trouba and Artemi Panarin.
But, the Rangers now have a more formidable lineup with these two in the fold.
“This is something that I wanted for a long time, to sign a long-term deal, and to have it be with New York,” Trouba said. “When everything works out for lifie and family and the future, it’s the best situation possible.”
Having that kind of cash and deal certainly carries its own level of burden and Trouba acknowledged as much.
“There’s a new challenge ahead of me now, something new to prove,” he said. “I don’t feel at all like I made it, or it’s over, or whatever people feel when they sign a long-term deal. I still have something to prove, and I want to prove it. I want to be the best player I can be, and what I know I can be.”
In an odd trade on Friday, the Edmonton Oilers jettisoned their onerous contract with Milan Lucic when they sent him to the Calgary Flames.
In return, the Oilers picked up James Neal from the Flames.
Both players are 31-years of age and each has four years left on contracts.
Lucic will need to find new life in Calgary because in Edmonton he was invisible.
“In order for me to move on from Edmonton it was important to go to a contending team, a team that was playing meaningful hockey on a night-to-night basis,” Lucic was quoted saying on the Flames’ website. “Throughout my career that’s brought out the best in me and in my game. … Missing the [Stanley Cup Playoffs] three of the last four years … I don’t want to do that anymore. As I said, I want to be playing meaningful hockey on a night-to-night basis, and with the excitement and energy I can bring, I think this will revitalize me and help this team take the next step.”
He six goals and 20 points on the season and w2as not much of a protector for the Oilers’ stars.
“(Calgary general manager) Brad Treliving and I talked about this leading into the [2019 NHL Draft], in June sometime,” Edmonton general manager Ken Holland said. “All trades are difficult. Some trades, you talk and talk and talk and ultimately you get to a point where you find a solution. Certainly the reason these guys got these contracts is that they’ve been really good players, and they’ve got to these teams and then they haven’t performed at the level they did prior to that.”
The Flames seem to think they can reclaim the Lucic of old, but they may just have an ol guy with former talents.
“It made sense for us because I think we’ve added a different type of player to our mix,” Treliving said. “At the end of the day, you hope it works out for everybody. I think both guys were probably in a situation where they could benefit from a change in scenery. In Milan’s case, it probably hasn’t gone perfect for him for the last couple years. In having the chance to talk to him over the last 24 hours, 48 hours, what I take out of it is a motivated guy. We’re thinking a change of scenery, a new energy, a new surrounding is going to light that fire with him.”
Lucic seemingly admitted as much in his comments Friday and perhaps he can have a different outcome in Calgary.
“When I arrived in Edmonton three years ago I was really excited, believe me,” Lucic said. “I wanted it to work, so badly, but, in retrospect, maybe I put too much on my plate. Looking back now, I think I put too much pressure on myself, trying to be this … guy, this leader, this player, this power forward, this big presence off the ice. All this type of stuff.
“I didn’t feel like myself at all. … I’m not blaming anyone there for that, whatsoever. I just bit off more than I could chew. And I think in this situation I can just be myself. Just go about my business, play my game, play hard, be physical, be a good teammate. That was definitely one of the things really appealing for me.”
Neal had seven goals and 19 points on the season so the trade is close to even up.
“Both players have had really good careers, and James Neal obviously had a tough year last year in Calgary and Milan’s probably had a tough couple of years in Edmonton,” Holland said. “So I think they both made somewhat similar cap numbers, and certainly contract structure was a factor in us trying to find a solution.”
To even up the financial side, the Oilers are retaining 12.5 percent of Lucic’s $6 million annual salary cap hit, valued at $750,000.
Neal’s contract has an average annual value of $5.75 million.
“James Neal’s a guy who scored 20-plus goals a year for 10 years and had a tough year,” Holland said. “So we’re hoping with our center-ice men and more ice time that he can bounce back.”
Everyone had a tough year in 2018-19. Now everyone needs to have a return to average. That means 20 goals at a minimum.
Let’s see how that works out.
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