Milan Lucic says he set the bar too high during his tenure with the Edmonton Oilers.

The veteran forward, who the Oilers traded - along with a conditional third-round pick - to the Calgary Flames for James Neal last month, explained that he has different expectations for himself joining his new club than he did when he signed with Edmonton in 2016.

"I think the main thing for me was just getting a fresh start," Lucic told Sportsnet 960 on Thursday. "Coming to a good team, a veteran team, a team that took a big step in the right direction last year ... for myself, it's just coming in and just helping. I'm not coming in looking to be some sort of savior or anything like that.

"I don't think it was like that going into Edmonton as well. But in Edmonton, I think I put a little bit too much pressure on myself to be this leader, power forward, goalscorer, all this type of stuff. I think I put too much on my plate, (it was) too much for me to handle.”

Lucic signed a seven-year, $42-million contract with the Oilers on July 1, 2016.

The 31-year-old played well in his first season with his old club. He notched 23 goals and 50 points while playing all 82 regular-season games, and then added six points in 13 playoff contests as the Oilers came within one win of the 2017 Western Conference Final.

However, his final two campaigns in Edmonton were far less memorable: He managed only 16 goals and 54 points across 161 combined regular-season games while the Oilers failed to reach the playoffs in both seasons.

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The Minnesota Wild aren't wasting any time trying to fill their now-vacant general manager position.

After the team fired Paul Fenton on Tuesday after only one season as GM, Wild owner Craig Leipold and team president Matt Majka have already interviewed Ron Hextall and Peter Chiarelli for the job, sources told The Athletic's Michael Russo.

The process is in its early stages and the interviews do not mean either candidate is a front-runner, the sources added.

Hextall served as GM of the Philadelphia Flyers from May 2014 until his firing in November 2018. Chiarelli spent nearly four years as general manager of the Edmonton Oilers before he was axed in January. He won the Stanley Cup in the same role with the Boston Bruins in 2011.

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The Arizona Coyotes' new owner made it clear Thursday he'll do his best to ensure the club doesn't relocate.

"I am committed to stay(ing) here," Alex Meruelo told reporters at his introductory press conference. "I will do everything I can in my heart, and in my hard work, to make sure that we can make it viable."

Meruelo, who assumed majority ownership of the team Monday, also expressed his desire to build a championship winner.

"I will not stop, I will not stop until we bring a Stanley Cup to the Valley," the billionaire businessman said.

As if that wasn't enough, Meruelo had an emphatic message for Coyotes fans.

"I believe that I have to earn their trust and loyalty. That's on me," he said, according to The Athletic's Craig Morgan. "If I do that I know they’ll respond by coming out and watching us and supporting us. At the end of the day, we're Coyote nation and we all want to win, and I sure as shit want to win."

Meruelo, who became the first Hispanic majority owner in the NHL with Monday's transaction, explained Thursday that it was a dream come true.

"It's been a dream of mine since I was six (or) eight years old," he said. "I'm just a Hispanic kid from Brooklyn, New York, so if I can do it, anybody can do it."

Meruelo reportedly bought a 95 percent stake in the club from the previous owner, Andrew Barroway, who retained the remaining five.

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The Calgary Flames have placed defenseman Michael Stone on waivers for the purpose of a buyout, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Stone signed a three-year, $10.5-million contract with the Flames in 2017. His buyout counts for $1.16 million against the salary cap for the next two seasons but saves Calgary $2.3 million for the 2019-20 campaign, according to Cap Friendly.

The 29-year-old was limited to only 14 games last season, during which he posted five assists.

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Matt Cullen retired from the NHL in July after 21 seasons, but he's decided to remain with the team for which he last played.

Cullen will join the Pittsburgh Penguins' hockey operations department in a player development role, general manager Jim Rutherford announced Thursday.

"Matt's knowledge of the game and understanding of our organization will make him a valuable asset moving forward," Rutherford said. "With over 20 years in the NHL and three Stanley Cups, we are certain he will continue to have a positive influence on our players."

Cullen played three seasons with the Penguins, winning championships in 2016 and 2017. He finished his career 19th all time with 1,516 games played, during which he registered 731 points.

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Matt Cullen retired from the NHL in July after 21 seasons, but he's decided to remain with the team for which he last played.

Cullen will join the Pittsburgh Penguins' hockey operations department in a player development role, general manager Jim Rutherford announced Thursday.

"Matt's knowledge of the game and understanding of our organization will make him a valuable asset moving forward," Rutherford said. "With over 20 years in the NHL and three Stanley Cups, we are certain he will continue to have a positive influence on our players."

Cullen played three seasons with the Penguins, winning championships in 2016 and 2017. He finished his career 19th all time with 1,516 games played, during which he registered 731 points.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.