Oilers sign Milan Lucic to seven-year, $42 million deal

The Edmonton Oilers have signed rough and tumble left wingerMilan Lucic.

The 28-year-old left winger signed a seven-year deal worth a reported$42 million US.The recently traded Taylor Hall was being paid $6 million peryear over a seven-year contract.

The Vancouver, B.C. born player held talks with many other organizations, including the MontrealCanadiens, but toldSportscentrethat his signing with the Oilers came down to `theMcDavidfactor," referring toOiler star centre Connor McDavid

It is being speculated that Lucic will take Hall's spot in the lineup.

Ryan Batty, the managing editor of Copper and Blue, saidwhile Lucic is a great player the length of the contract is a bitdisconcerting especially with Lucic's gritty style of play.

"It's not a bad deal for years one, two and three. Years four and five, he's probably going to slide a bit, but he may surprise you. It's years six and seven where the concerns come in, that he won't be worth the money being paid."

'The power forward everyone wants'

Batty described Lucic as having a "really exciting style of play" and is"the power forward everyone wants."

"Luciccan play on your top line andhe's physical," said Batty. "He is an effective hockey player, he's not a third-line guy that's a grinder. He has legitimate skills, he's a smart hockey player.

"Lucicis a little bit of everything. He'smaybe not fantastic at any individual aspect of the game but he does everything well."

Lucic is known around the league as a winger who plays with, shall we say, a little bit of roughness.

He's a tough hard-nosed power forward who,while he doesn't fight regularly,won't hesitate to drop the gloves as Darnell Nurse learned oh so well last season.

'McDavid'sSemenko'

Some people online have already taken to callingLucic"McDavid'sSemenko." DaveSemenko was essentially Gretzky's on-ice bodyguardbut Batty thinks this may be a unfaircomparison.

"There is always a desire in Edmonton to connect things back to the1980s," saidBatty."I don't think it's a great comparison because I don't think the style of play is similar and I don't think the game is similar.

"You don't want the guy you pay $6 millionto go out there and punch people and potentially breaking his hand. That's crazy to me."

Lucic was just one of many much sought after free agents whowereexpected to be scooped up on Friday.

• NHL free agency and trade tracker

The player won the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011. Hehas 397 points in 647 games, butalso has 851 penaltyminutes.

The power forward scored 20 goals and 35 assists in 81 games last season for the Los Angeles Kings.