Top contender drawn into fallout from Milan Lucic’s release!

Milan Lucic’s recent stint with the Springfield Thunderbirds, the AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, has sparked chatter online and somehow the Vegas Golden Knights are being dragged into the story.

The veteran forward was on a professional tryout (PTO) with Springfield and recorded one assist and four penalty minutes in five games. He had previously joined the Blues on a PTO in the fall but was released due to a lower-body injury. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong had indicated at the time that the team hoped to bring him back midseason once he recovered. Lucic returned to Springfield on Nov. 5 for another AHL PTO.

Lucic hasn’t played in the NHL since a brief four-game stint with the Boston Bruins in 2023, after taking a leave of absence and entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Lucic addressed his arrest that season following a physical altercation with his wife Brittany, took responsibility, and is now nearly two years sober with a rehabilitated marriage.

Despite Lucic’s personal progress, social media users have connected the dots to Vegas, joking that the Golden Knights have a reputation for signing players with off-ice struggles, similar to their recent signing of goalie Carter Hart. I guess it was kinda of expected, but fans are ruthless.

These comments, while prominent online, are purely speculative, but already taking over.

As of now, there is no official link between Lucic and the Golden Knights, and the PTO remains with the Springfield Thunderbirds. Fans’ jokes aside, any discussion of Lucic joining Vegas is hypothetical, highlighting how quickly social media narratives can drag a team into an unrelated story.