Power forward likely to hit the open market soon.

Despite stating that he would like to remain with the Los Angeles Kings, Milan Lucic may have no choice but to look for another team shortly.

The Kings' and the power forward began negotiating a new contract following the team's elimination from the playoffs, but a few weeks have passed and both sides do not appear close to getting  new deal done. This will likely mean the 27-year old will have to find another team willing to sign him.

According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Edmonton and Vancouver are two of the possible landing spots for Lucic if he makes it to July 1st without a new contract from the Kings.

“There was quite a push between both sides to get a deal done before the playoffs started. They got pretty deep, but they didn’t get a deal done,” said LeBrun on TSN’s Insider Trading segment.

“Since then, there hasn’t been that much. I still believe the LA Kings want to sign Milan Lucic and I think Milan Lucic wants to remain a King, but as we get closer to July 1st, Milan Lucic has grown open to the possibility of having to go to market. I think there’s a couple of teams we can count on to make an offer. His hometown Vancouver Canucks would make an offer and so will, I believe, the Edmonton Oilers.”

LeBrun mentions the fact that Lucic is from Vancouver, which could entice him to sign there. As for his connection to the Oilers, general manager Peter Chiarelli is the one who signed Lucic to his current contract when both were in the Bruins organization.

The fact that Anze Kopitar's $10 million dollar contract will kick in in 2016-17, there seems to be little room for Lucic. Lucic came with a $6 million dollar cap hit, but the Kings only had to pay 3.25 million of that, with Boston retaining the remainder. He will likely command a similar deal this summer, and the Kings probably can't afford to keep him.

He is coming off of a stellar campaign, recording 20 goals for the fourth time in his career. He had 20 goals and 55 points in 81 games during the 2015-16 season.

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Images Courtesy of Keystone Press