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          Cross Checks Blog

          Milan Lucic has narrowed list of suitors to two

          Milan Lucic is one of the most coveted free agents expected to hit the market Friday now that Steven Stamkos has re-signed with the Lightning. Juan Ocampo/NHLI/Getty Images
          • Pierre LeBrun, ESPN Senior WriterJun 30, 2016, 10:31 PM ET
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            • Covers the NHL for ESPN.com and TSN in Canada
            • Six years on the "Hockey Night In Canada" Hotstove panel
            • 13 years at The Canadian Press national news agency
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          Milan Lucic has narrowed his list of teams to two, a source told ESPN.com on Thursday.

          He will make his final decision on Friday after the NHL free-agent market officially opens and the two teams in question deliver their contract offers.

          Lucic, 28, visited with the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks this week. The Oilers are considered one of the front-runners. The Montreal Canadiens and Dallas Stars also are among the teams that showed interest this week. One source described the Habs as very serious in their attempts to land the hulking winger.

          Can you imagine Lucic in a Canadiens uniform after all those rivalry games against Montreal while he was with the Boston Bruins? My goodness.

          Two things to consider are that Lucic works out with Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher during the summer in their native British Columbia and that Carey Price shares the same agent as Lucic.

          Still, lots of people around the hockey world believe the Oilers will make a contract offer that would be hard to turn down. And what’s not to like about the idea of playing left wing on Connor McDavid’s line?

          We’ll find out Friday what Lucic ultimately decides.