In an effort to rejoin the NHL before the next season, reports surfaced in mid-August stating that former Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic had signed with the New Jersey Devils. That information, however, might not be accurate because New Jersey Hockey Now reporter James Nichols, who contacted the Devils organization to verify the story’s accuracy, has rejected the aforementioned reports as untrue.
Nichols cited a Devils official as calling the statement “categorically untrue” on X on September 5. “The league is the source of his situation. We were unable to sign him to a PTO, so we didn’t. Later that day, Stauffer apparently made corrections to his hit.
” Nichols went above and beyond to disprove the first report, which was first relayed by Edmonton Oilers radio analyst Bob Stauffer. Before training camp, Stauffer was the first to speculate that Lucic was going to sign a professional tryout contract (PTO) with the Devils.
The Devils claim, through Nichols, that they have no such arrangement with Lucic and are not party to any negotiations involving the 36-year-old free agent.
Not long after Nichols published his post, Rick Dhaliwal, another insider, verified through Lucic’s representative, Gerry Johannson, that Lucic had not inked any contracts. Dhaliwal continued, saying that the NHL still needs to reinstate Lucic.
“Milan Lucic has not signed a PTO with the Devils according to his agent Gerry Johannson,” Dhaliwal posted on X. “He needs to be cleared by the NHL before he signs anything.”
After being arrested in Boston in 2023 and entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program due to legal troubles, Lucic’s future in the NHL is still uncertain. Despite the dismissal of the charges against him, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has not given him the go-ahead to return, and his situation in the league remains unclear. During the 2023–24 season, Lucic, a past Stanley Cup champion with Boston, made his final appearance with the Bruins. Before taking a leave of absence, he played in four games and scored two points.
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