EDMONTON, AB - In a bid to improve his outlook after last campaign concluded, Milan Lucic came into the 2018-19 NHL season more prepared than ever before.
The 30-year-old forward referenced in last season's exit interview the mental roadblock he hit in the second half of the season during a slump that included only one goal in 46 games. He put in the work this past off-season by bumping up his fitness levels and working with skill coaches to fine tune the end product.
Lucic scored in the opening game this season in Cologne against the New Jersey Devils as part of the NHL Global Series, but much of his previous frustrations lingered.
He followed up a disappointing 2018 calendar year with three goals in his first seven games in January, wrapping up the season on 20 points (6G, 14A) in 79 games played.
BLOG: Lucic working to restore the "self-belief" in his game
"I think I have to find that again, find the joy in that again, and I know physically I still have a lot to give," the Oilers forward said.
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