Name: Milan Lucic
Position: Left wing
Age: 21
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 220
Shoots: Left
Status: $850,000 cap-hit — re-signed to a  three-year extension at $12.25M through the 2012-13 NHL season

Line combinations/linemates:

Regular season, EV: 12.48% w/Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi
Regular season, EV: 12.13% w/Vladimir Sobotka and Miroslav Satan
Playoffs, EV: 25.19% w/Bergeron and Recchi
Playoffs, EV: 22.81% w/Marc Savard and Satan
Playoffs, EV: 20.22% w/David Krecji and Satan

The Good: Lucic once again stepped-up his game when it mattered the most: in the playoffs. Lucic completed the playoffs with 4-5-9 scoring totals in all 13 games played, and 4-1-5 in his final five contests against the Flyers. The 21-year-old’s four post season goals — with half coming on the power play — was second-best on the club, lead the team with 42 hits, and now has upped his career post season totals to 10-10-20 in 30 contests.

During the regular season, Looch registered a third-best 151 hits (despite missing 22 games) and was finally used as a big net-front presence on the power play.

The Bad: Throughout the regular season, Looch was limited to just 50 games after getting hit with two separate injuries. Injury 1: Just six games into the regular season, the Vancouver, BC, Canada native hit the IR and missed the next 14 games after sustaining a broken finger.

Injury 2: A mere five games after returning from the IR, No. 17 was sidelined once again — this time with a high-ankle sprain that Lucic never really fully recovered from. Failure to get into a real rhythm, chemistry, with his teammates, and a season-long lingering ankle sprain, the power forward underachieved with due diligence.

Final Grade:

The “injury excuse” has hovered around the Bruins’ heads all season long, and Lucic’s case is the quintessential argument. The broken digit hindered Lucic and his willingness to drop the gloves for nearly three months, and a high-ankle sprain that would slow down virtually any professional athlete.

With the perseverance to play through injury and pain, and kick-it-up throughout the post season, No. 17 get a “solid B” from me. And with next year beginning his new lucrative contract, I’d expect the power forward to bring his “A” game in a couple of months come training camp.

Next report card: No. 20 Daniel Paille

Check out my other report cards right here.