Roberto Luongo Is a Player, Not the GM, Which Means That He Doesn’t Get Consulted on Moves
10 years ago
Image via wikimedia commons.
I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but the Vancouver Canucks sent waves through the National Hockey League and shocked many this afternoon after they flipped the script, and traded the other goaltender on their roster. I’m of course referring to Cory Schneider – you know, the guy that they seemed to be handing over the car keys to as the starter once they inked him to a 3-year, $12 million deal this past summer, promising him ~75% of the starts (according to agent Mike Liut).
I say that it was a shocking move because of how much time has been spent (mostly by Thomas Drance, with his Strombabble series) discussing potential Roberto Luongo trades over the past calendar year. From a strategic point of view, the move makes total sense. Based on his age and contract status, Schneider was viewed as a much more desirable asset around the league, which means that he would certainly net a much better return in a trade.
The exact return? The 9th overall pick (which was then used to select Bo Horvat), an apparent resolution to the "goaltending controversy" that the franchise had been mired in, and some much needed breathing room with the new salary cap.
However, as is often the case in the land of Canucks, there is still some controversy abound, as the soap opera continues.
Read on Past the Jump for More.
Following the trade, Darren Dreger appeared on TSN’s draft telecast and reported the following:
Mike Gillis has not yet spoken to Roberto Luongo. Some believe that Luongo is not going to be happy with this development; he was hoping to cut bait entirely, bring some brand new change with a new city and a new organization. Gillis told me a moment ago that he intends to reach out to Luongo a little bit later today. He said "I just need to let things settle down a bit" and it’s presumed that John Tortorella will speak with Roberto Luongo at some point today.
I found this interesting, but mostly because of what Jason Botchford, who knows a thing or two about the situation, has been tweeting some interesting things lately:
Do I think this is a big deal? No, not really. It’s a little concerning how little tact Mike Gillis has handled this entire situation with, there’s no denying that. But in the end, Roberto Luongo’s job is to stop pucks. He’s a goaltender, and not the General Manager or some sort of consultant. And after all, he has just over 40 million reasons to act happy, and do his job. Besides, if this entire saga has proven anything, it’s that Luongo is a consummate professional that understands the business side of things.
Update: James Duthie spoke to Roberto Luongo on the phone, and was able to share the following:
Luongo is frankly in shock. He loved his time in Vancouver, but for the last 14 months he thought it was going to end so the divorce was kind of made in his mind. So at this point, he doesn’t want to do any interviews; we asked him to come on with us, but he’s just going to talk to his agent and evaluate his choices.
Update on the Update:
Do you view this as a problem, or is it just another nonissue that is being overblown in the hockey fishbowl that is Vancouver? Either way, I’m sure this won’t be obnoxiously over-dissected at all. Nope.
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