Milan Lucic reportedly set to sign PTO with a new team but there's one problem

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Axel Williams
September 4, 2024 (8:15 PM)

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UPDATE: Rick Dhaliwal has since cleared the air saying this will not happen. He used the same reasoning as Hockey Unplugged, noting that Lucic has not been cleared to play.

Milan Lucic is a player who has gone through some legal troubles as of late, particularly in relation to an alleged domestic abuse with his now ex-wife.

Following this legal issue, Lucic entered the NHL Players Assistance Program. It remains to be seen whether or not he will be cleared from the program. At the end of the day, it will be up to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. However, there is now a report circulating that Lucic is set to sign a PTO with the New Jersey Devils.

This news comes from NHL reporter Bob Stauffer. Having said that, there is one major problem with this report. Lucic is still not eligible to play and there is no telling how that is going to shake out right now. Consequently, it should be noted that this report is not confirmed. It is still in its early stages, and details will soon follow.

If Lucic is cleared to play, then it will be interesting to see if the Devils do, in fact, put pen to paper. A PTO is very low risk and if Lucic is no good in training camp, then they can get rid of him no questions asked. At his age, he has diminished quite a bit and won't be able to produce at the same clip he did back in the day. Furthermore, his physicality has also been greatly reduced. No matter how you swing it, Lucic's days in the league are numbered, regardless of whether or not this news is true.

Do you believe this would be a good move for the New Jersey Devils? Let us know in the poll down below and stay tuned to Hockey Unplugged for the latest news and updates from around the hockey world.