The St Louis Blues are taking a chance on a veteran forward. News emerged on Tuesday morning that Milan Lucic signed a professional tryout or PTO agreement with the Blues. This news was announced by Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong earlier this morning. Lucic now has a chance to make the roster after taking time away from the game.
The Blues are bringing Milan Lucic to training camp on a professional tryout agreement (PTO), the club confirmed.Lucic has not played since entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in Nov. 2023 after being charged with assault and battery stemming from an alleged domestic dispute.
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Milan Lucic Signs PTO with St Louis Blues
Lucic has spent most of his career with the Boston Bruins, where he last played in the 2023-24 campaign. The Vancouver native registered two assists in four games that season. He then took an indefinite leave of absence from the team and later entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The announcement from the Blues said that he finished the program and has been reinstated by the NHL.
Lucic is a veteran of 17 seasons in the league with stints on the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings to go with his nine seasons in Boston. He has 233 goals and 353 assists for 586 points in 1,177 career games. The 37-year-old has also accumulated 1,301 penalty minutes across his career.
He was also part of the 2011 Stanley Cup winning squad for the Boston Bruins. Lucic has also represented his native Canada on the international stage and won the gold medal with his home country at the 2023 IIHF World Championships.
What It Means
The veteran forward is hoping that make a return to the NHL stage. He won’t be able to put up the amount of goals like he did in his heyday. However, he could be a good depth addition for a Blues team seeking to build off their return to the post-season.
Lucic could provide some muscle to the bottom-half of their lineup. He’s willing to throw his body around and not afraid to mix it up if he has to. This could be a sneaky-good pickup for St Louis.
Main photo by: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
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