On Aug. 19, the St. Louis Blues brought forward Milan Lucic in on a professional tryout (PTO). At 37, Lucic is trying to make his NHL comeback. He last played for the Boston Bruins during the 2023-24 season, when he suffered an ankle injury that kept him on injured reserve. Shortly after, he joined the NHL Players’ Assistance Program after an alleged domestic violence incident in November 2023; however, the charges were later dropped.
Lucic is now cleared to play, and the Blues confirm he has completed the program and will be ready to compete at training camp. The Blues must keep a close eye on him, especially if they plan to offer him a contract.
Blues Are Slowly Cleaning Out the Old Cap
The Blues have been slowly freeing some cap space over the last few seasons to build the team they have now. First, they put forward Jakub Vrana on waivers in December 2023. In November 2024, they put forward Kasperi Kapanen on waivers (the Edmonton Oilers claimed him). Just a few months later, forward Brandon Saad was placed on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract. This July, management placed defenseman Nick Leddy on waivers, clearing out $4 million in average annual value (AAV).
Related: Blues Prospects Who Could Make a Great Impression at Training Camp
After all the time and patience it took to clear out these contracts, the Blues shouldn’t jump at signing Lucic, especially given his age and history.
However, in his last two seasons, Lucic had a combined 14 points in 81 games, so if the Blues are looking for him to be an offensive veteran presence, he’s probably not the right player. Still, he can help guide the young Blues, like Jimmy Snuggerud and Dalibor Dvorsky.
Lucic May Be an Injury Risk
Looking back at Lucic’s current age and his last injury to his ankle when he was with the Bruins in 2023-24, at one point, they had him listed out indefinitely, but he was later placed on injured reserve. He could’ve most likely been out half a season.
Last season, Blues defenseman Torey Krug was placed on the long-term injured reserve after undergoing surgery on his left ankle, which was diagnosed with pre-arthritic changes. Krug is still out, and it is uncertain if he can play again. The Blues shouldn’t risk this with Lucic, as joint-related injuries like ankle injuries become harder to overcome past the age of 35.
Lucic is known for his physicality, with 3,275 hits in his career, ranked sixth in NHL history. While it’s good to have players like him who can be aggressive and use their bodies to win possession, it will also always pose a risk for injury, and given his injury history, the risk is higher.
Final Pros and Cons of Signing Lucic
To summarize, this move has pros and cons. The pros are that the Blues added a Stanley Cup-winning veteran, a top-six forward who can guide the Blues’ younger players, and a great physical asset to the offense. The cons are that he will be another 30-plus-year-old veteran on the cap, while the Blues are trying to get rid of those players, and they are also risking Lucic suffering an injury that could set him back a while.
A tryout will at least help evaluate Lucic’s form and health before offering him a contract. With September approaching, the Blues have time to consider whether they want to take the risk to help move forward with their rebuilding plans or hold off on signing Lucic to save whatever cap space they have left.
