Lucic: 'Hilarious' that conditions in Neal trade in limbo yet so close

Milan Lucic is amused by the fact that the hypothetical pick attached to his trade from the Edmonton Oilers to the Calgary Flames is currently up in the air.

The Oilers dealt the imposing forward and a conditional 2020 third-round selection to the Flames for winger James Neal last July. In order for the Flames to receive the pick, Neal has to score at least 21 goals in 2019-20, and Lucic needs to finish with at least 10 fewer markers than his counterpart.

Neal has 19 goals and Lucic has eight with the season paused.

"I think it's hilarious that that's what it's come down to right now," Lucic said Thursday on the "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast.

"If you ask me, I think the condition should stand," he added. "I just think it's funny that here we are with what should have been 12 games left and we're 11 goals apart.

"The shitty thing is, too, I had one (goal) and one (assist) in my last game, and I was starting to feel it again, and (Neal) just came off a pretty big injury ... I think I probably would have closed that gap from 11 goals. That's why I think it's funny that that's where that's sittin' at right now."

Neal potted all 19 of his tallies in his first 42 games with the Oilers, including a four-goal night in just his third contest with the club. Following an eight-game goalless skid, he suffered a foot injury in late January that forced him to miss the next month. Upon returning in March, he produced no markers and two assists in five contests.

Lucic collected four goals and nine points over his last 15 games, including two markers in his last four contests.

The fate of conditional picks included in trades remains uncertain with the NHL season on hold amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Edmonton played one more game than Calgary before the league postponed the campaign March 12.

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