Milan Lucic 'couldn't be happier' for fresh start with Kings

LOS ANGELES -- Stepping in front of the Los Angeles media for the first time since being traded by the Boston Bruins in June, left winger Milan Lucic appeared at ease.

Flanked by Kings executives and holding up his new black and silver No. 17 jersey at the team's practice facility Saturday, Lucic's smile was broad. After a disappointing 2014-15 campaign with the Bruins, the Vancouver native sounded ready to leave the past behind and begin anew.

"Honestly after (last) season ended I didn't know what to expect, with the change in the (Bruins) GM and not making the playoffs," said Lucic, who had 18 goals and 26 assists in 81 games last season. "We were talking about a transition of things going forward. You hear the rumors, especially now with social media, it's kind of hard to get away from it. I expected anything; I expected the unexpected. (But) I didn't expect to get traded to a team like LA. I couldn't be happier to end up in a spot like this with a team like this. It's a great organization and the success they've had over the last couple years, I'm hoping I can come here and help out the best I can."

Still, leaving Boston was tough on Lucic emotionally. He started his career with the Bruins in 2007, a young kid out of the Western Hockey League known for his physical style of play. He hoisted a Stanley Cup there in 2011, and experienced the agony of losing in a Cup Final in 2013. So the day before arriving in LA, Lucic took out a full page ad in the Boston Globe, thanking fans for their support.

"(Being in Boston) was a big part of my life," Lucic said. "I went there at 19 years old, a single kid, living the dream of getting the opportunity to play in the NHL. It was a huge eight years of my life. I got to be in a city where they really embrace the team and embrace the athletes and they really embraced me. I got to win a Stanley Cup there with an original six franchise. That was a really special time for (me) and I kind of just wanted to close the chapter of my life there with something like (the ad). But I'm looking forward to starting a new chapter of my life here in LA. I couldn't be happier with the opportunity."

It's true that the chance to play for a team with stars such as Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik and two Stanley Cups in the last four seasons wasn't something he saw coming. But Lucic understands why the Kings viewed him as a good fit. They parted ways with backup goaltender Martin Jones, defenseman Colin Miller and a first-round pick in the 2015 draft to bring him into the fold.

Lucic sees the reasoning as the same one that got him entrenched in the league in the first place.

"You look at (the Kings) on paper and the players I have the opportunity to play with now is something I'm really excited about," he said. "Looking at the salary cap and all the great players here...I'm not a cheap cap hit ($6 million) so that's why I didn't really expect (to come here).

"I think the last couple of years (the Kings) have been that big, heavy rough-and-tough kind of team and my style of play, I think it fits in perfectly with the kind of team they already are. It's not like I'm coming in here trying to change the culture. I think that's what made this move perfect in a lot of people's eyes. I think that's how I was able to get to that next level, by having that mean streak and playing a physical game and getting myself involved in those tough areas some guys aren't willing to go to."

This is a contract year for Lucic, adding another layer of intrigue to the Kings' decision to trade for him, something they presumably wouldn't have done if they didn't see the potential (and have the ability) to lock him down long term.

While Lucic says that so far there hasn't been talk of a contract extension, he's not letting numbers distract him from the leading task at hand.

"Last year was tough, (but by the end) I was able to get my confidence back and that's what I'm building off this summer, physically and mentally," he said. "I just want to get myself back to the player I know I can be. I'm still a young guy, I'm only 27 years old so I feel like I'm just getting into my prime years here. Talking to (Kings) management, they have full confidence in me and in the player I can be. I don't want to stand here and give any guarantees about how many goals I'm going to score, but you want to set new goals and higher goals as far as standards go."

But as every athlete knows, talk is cheap. Lucic will have a lot to prove when he hits the ice with the Kings this fall. He's out to show his 30-goal season in 2010-11 can be repeated. That he's still an intimidating force in this league. That he still has what it takes to help bring home a Cup.

The Kings missed the playoffs last season, never managing to find a groove after their surprising championship run the year before. Lucic, though, sees LA as one of the top five teams in the league. And while he hasn't yet met with any of his new teammates, he sees the chance to play with them as a rare and golden opportunity.

"Obviously you want to have a good season (for contract reasons), but at the end of the day, you want to have a good season because you're looking at the team and the opportunity you have as a player," Lucic said. "You look at (this) lineup and as you get older you don't have the opportunity to play on great teams like this.

"I would love to stay here, that's for sure. All that (contract) stuff usually takes care of itself if you're focusing on the right things."

PHOTOS: NHL players on new teams in 2015-16