What kind of question is that? It's a legitimate one. Luongo is hands down a top 3 goalie in the NHL right now. In a survey of NHL GM's the question was asked what player would you build your team around other than Sydney Crosby? The obvious and overwhelming answer: Roberto Luongo. He's fantastic. He keeps Vancouver in the games every night. He plays most of the games like Brodeur does.The reason for this question is how long before Roberto realizes he is in another dead end situation just like Florida. He worked his butt off for that franchise that went NO WHERE. What was there main problem? Lack of scoring (and bad defense). Hey that's exactly what Vancouver has. I give credit to Dave Nonis for pulling the trigger on the deal to get this great goalie but his signing of hopeful free agents makes me wonder. Why didn't he go get a scoring free agent? I know because he doesn't want to pay the ludicrous money the other teams are dishing out. I totally understand but he's got to do something a little better than he is. Our scouts have not done a good enough job to get scoring out of our system. Detroit on the other hand has terrible draft positions because they have made the playoffs for the last 16-19 yrs in a row and keep drafting guys like Lidstrom, Yzerman, Zetterburg and Datsyuk.
Don't get me wrong I think the Canucks will make the playoffs. That's not the question. We can beat enough teams to make it. The problem is what happens when we meet another great goalie and a team that can score in the playoffs? Early exit again. We have not won more than one playoff round in over a decade.Since the draft is over, what we need to make is a trade to get scoring but I wonder, “With who?” Be careful of the rumours that sit around for months. This thing will be done in a month or less start to finish. Last spring people started a rumour Elias for Ohlund if it was for real we would have done that. Now there are rumours surfacing about us moving goalie Cory Schneider and defenseman Luc Bourdon for either LA Kings forwards Mike Cammalleri or Alexander Frolov. I could only hope that would happen but why would Crawford and the Kings do that? I don't think anyone wants Cooke and we can't move Naslund with his massive salary. I just hope it's someone that can help us NOW not in 2 years because Roberto might be GONZO!
You might be thinking he will stay for the $. Yeah he is making $6 mil a season. Let me tell you there are MANY teams who would love to pay Luongo even more $ than he is making to bring them a top end goalie. Don't be surprised if Nonis has a meeting scheduled by Luongo and while sitting in his office he hears the horrible news, “I am done here…trade me or I will resign somewhere else. By the way send me to a team that has scoring or I will not waive my no trade clause and I will cause problems here.” Sounds unlike our favourite goalie right? This guy knows he’s good and makes NO bones about it. Hard not to when you’re the best goalie we have ever had and one of the top in the NHL according to everyone in the league.
Before one of you goes off and tells me I am not a true fan should be picking them to win the Cup…think this argument through. Take off the Canucks biased homer glasses and look at it objectively. I cheer for these guys and want them to win. But there is a reason why I love 2 teams because when Vancouver gets knocked out of the playoffs you need someone else to cheer for. By the way my Flyers made great moves in the off-season. Not only did they get Briere, Timonen, and Hartnell (T&H both OVER paid) they got the former Edmonton Oilers defenseman Jason Smith. It didn’t hurt to get Biron out of Buffalo either. And they have drafted well getting Carter and Richards. Last year they were dead last. After trading well, drafting well and signing key free agents they are going to make some noise in the playoffs. See Nonis that’s how you do it.
This comment is for free: I changed my mind I like the Canucks new uniforms. To me the white ones are the best of the bunch. It’s not perfect but it’s still nice and I would love to have one. I would even put Luongo on the back of it because I could be wrong……..but I highly doubt it.
What do you think?
