from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,

The day Milan Lucic arrived in Edmonton, as a free agent on July 1, 2016, he stood under a gleaming sun atop a parking garage across from Rogers Place and beamed, "The McDavid factor changes it all. That’s why I chose to come here."

He had come to Northern Alberta to ride shotgun for the game’s new rising star, with a fat, new seven-year, US$42-million deal in tow.

Fast forward to Sunday night, where Lucic was one of the most impactful players on the ice in a 1-0 win over the Calgary Flames — playing on a line with Kyle Brodziak and Zack Kassian. He’s a hard-working checker now, working two lines and a powerplay unit below McDavid these days, simply trying to help settle a flagging franchise into a style that can bring home some wins.

"I’m just embracing the role, having fun playing a certain way with Brods and Kass. We know what’s expected of us, and (head coach Ken Hitchcock) counts on us to play the right way and do the right things," said Lucic.

It’s not easy to be that guy who makes $6 million on the third line; that guy who now has two goals in his last 76 NHL games. It’s hard on the pride — it has to be for a proud man like Lucic.

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