Report: Flames and Oilers working on James Neal for Milan Lucic swap

Folks, do you like grit? According to reporting by Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos and Eric Francis, the Calgary Flames like grit enough that they’re willing to trade with the Edmonton Oilers. Reportedly, the Flames are in the midst of acquiring Milan Lucic in exchange for James Neal.

Reportedly, a conditional pick and salary retention are expected to be part of the deal when finalized:

Neal, 31, has four years remaining on a contract that pays him $5.75 million per season. He had a disappointing season in 2018-19 after being signed by the Flames as a free agent coming off two consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final. He has no clauses on his deal that prevent him from being moved.

Lucic, 31, has four years remaining on a contract that pays him $6 million per season. He’s had two disappointing seasons since being signed by the Oilers as a free agent – his first season saw him score 23 goals and be generally pretty good. He has a no-move clause on his deal, but reportedly has shown a willingness to waive for the right situation.

We’ll have more on this story as it develops. This would be just the third trade ever made between the Flames and Oilers.