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Shortly after the Milan Lucic-James Neal trade was made on Friday afternoon, Oilers color commentator and Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer Tweeted out this mercurial statement:

“Players are always the first to know”.

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His statement, Ironically or not, matches what I am led to believe is the rough script that led to this fascinating movie and just how it unfolded.

James Neal signed as a free agent with Calgary in 2018 shortly after the thrilling Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup run. Due to how late into the Spring the club played, Neal had a much shorter summer in which to train. When he showed up in Calgary in September he was behind. And according to those close to the club Neal never physically caught up. He struggled. When the patience of his head coach began to wear thin Neal’s ice-time was cut and his TOI with impact offensive players fell off. Sometime after the Flames exited from the playoffs, it was made clear that if possible…Neal and his contract would move on.