Luongo will Waive NTC If Asked To

[Lancer]

The situation is to the point now that anything put in the public sphere about Luongo/Schneider has to automatically be assumed dubious. It looks to me that the more the GM's try to douse the flames, the more it's a sign they are involved. The media just eat it up and bloggers speculate/masturbate while who knows what's being really discussed.

Gillis won't trade Luongo to TO over HNIC potential? Gimme a break. Gillis is too much of a pragmatist. He barely batted an eyelash when StL made Bernier a contract offer.

I'm ready to be knocked over no matter what transpires.

[Potatoe1]

Gardiner is an NHL player. Not sure I would term him as an impact player but he may get there one day. Acquiring him would likely seal the deal for Schultz as well.

I wish people would stop saying this.

Shultz is not going to sign with a team just because a friend plays there. That may be a small factor but unless you are a complete idiot you look for the situation that is most conducive to your own life and career path.

[dbr]

It still makes more sense than saying he's going to consider signing in Toronto because Brian Burke drafted him once upon a time.

If drafting Schultz was the key to that kind of loyalty, you'd think he'd have signed with the Ducks by now.

[Hockey Widow]

No teams are off limits for Luongo unless Luongo says no. He has a top 6 list, so I hear, but I don't hear what teams are his top six. He also has about 10 other teams he will CONSIDER. Credit to Luongo, he will not make it Heatley hard to move him and he is willing to look at opportunities in other markets. It just may mean a trade happens after the FA frenzy of the first week in July. If one of the teams in his lower 10 or so makes appropriate moves to strengthen their team and can trade for him without depleting the team he will consider a move. All his top six means is that those six teams he would waive to go to right now but if MG can't get a deal he likes Luongo will expand the list depending....

Of course no GM is going to come out and say they want Luongo and be accused of tampering or give their hand away too soon. But I wouldn't worry because the teams that are interested have already had discussions I am sure so MG knows where the interest lies. I have in fact heard that Toronto is the front runner today based upon offers but no offer is enough for MG to pull the trigger right now. That all may change draft day, who knows. MG will deal with Toronto if it is the best move for the team. All these writers are just looking for a story and mystery and intrigue. I dare one of them to ask MG personally if he is worried that his star goalie will be on HNIC every Saturday and does that bother him?

[Jovocop]

Is Tampa Bay official out of the Luongo sweepstakes?

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/n ... 55623284/1

[dbr]

It'd be hard to imagine them acquiring Lindback only to acquire a top tier starter he'll never supplant.

All I can say other than that is, Stevie's got a lot of work to do on that blueline if Lindback is going to fare much better than his predecessors.

[clem]

MG will deal with Toronto if it is the best move for the team. All these writers are just looking for a story and mystery and intrigue. I dare one of them to ask MG personally if he is worried that his star goalie will be on HNIC every Saturday and does that bother him?

The way some Toronto based media panders to the “centre of the universe” mentality is amusing. I hope it doesn’t define their customers.

[Lancer]

Is Tampa Bay official out of the Luongo sweepstakes?

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/n ... 55623284/1

Lindback would be a sizeable gamble despite his numbers and dbr has a point in that the blueline will have to improve for him to fair any better. I wouldn't say TB's out of the Luongo market - Lindback could be a bargaining chip - but I would see the chances as slim.

The more I think about it, the more I think it will either be TO or some club out of nowhere that's been staying mum all this time.

[nuckster]

No teams are off limits for Luongo unless Luongo says no. He has a top 6 list, so I hear, but I don't hear what teams are his top six. He also has about 10 other teams he will CONSIDER. Credit to Luongo, he will not make it Heatley hard to move him and he is willing to look at opportunities in other markets. It just may mean a trade happens after the FA frenzy of the first week in July. If one of the teams in his lower 10 or so makes appropriate moves to strengthen their team and can trade for him without depleting the team he will consider a move. All his top six means is that those six teams he would waive to go to right now but if MG can't get a deal he likes Luongo will expand the list depending....

Of course no GM is going to come out and say they want Luongo and be accused of tampering or give their hand away too soon. But I wouldn't worry because the teams that are interested have already had discussions I am sure so MG knows where the interest lies. I have in fact heard that Toronto is the front runner today based upon offers but no offer is enough for MG to pull the trigger right now. That all may change draft day, who knows. MG will deal with Toronto if it is the best move for the team. All these writers are just looking for a story and mystery and intrigue. I dare one of them to ask MG personally if he is worried that his star goalie will be on HNIC every Saturday and does that bother him?

Always enjoy seeing what you have to say. It certainly seems logical that TO would be keen on acquiring Luongo, not just because of their obvious shortcomings in net, but also because of the fact that it it was Nonis who had acquired him for the canucks in the first place. That was an amazing acquisition. Shortly there-after, Luongo basically took us past Dallas by himself in the playoffs; this will not be lost on Nonis. As others have said on here already, Lou's presence in TO's net should be enough to get them into the playoffs. Iwonder though when it comes to resources for making the trade, because of Burke already tying up first round draft picks for Kessel, the TO hockey world will NOT look too favourably on him if he attempts to throw in draft picks as part of the package... so it may put ole Burkie in a disadvantaged position? By the way, isn't a GM supposed to rebuild by starting with the goalie and defense first?

Another thing i wonder about Burke, is how he tends to have blind spots. Consider the days of the WCE and all we were really lacking was a quality goal tender, and old Burke refused to budge while maintaining that Cloutier was the real 'McKoy' and clearly he wasn't. I only mention this since he was noted for saying down the tail stretch of last season that his rookie goaltenders were their future (i think he said that....am i mistaken?) Truth be told, I kind of believe that Burke will lose his job this coming year if he doesn't get the Leafs into the playoffs so he would be an absolute fool if he doesn't acquire Luongo. But does he really have the resources to trade Vancouver? (i know that there are pages and pages on this earlier in this thread).

One more point: Given the above, it's really quite amusing how the eastern media paints the Luongo situation They tend to devalue him on account of his contract, but the truth be known, that's a ridiculous view point since when Lou gets past his Oct rust, he's going to basically guarantee steady productionand his contract is actually at a par with premier goaltenders. Just saying.... Any thoughts fellow nuckheads?

[tantalum]

Gardiner is an NHL player. Not sure I would term him as an impact player but he may get there one day. Acquiring him would likely seal the deal for Schultz as well.

I wish people would stop saying this.

Shultz is not going to sign with a team just because a friend plays there. That may be a small factor but unless you are a complete idiot you look for the situation that is most conducive to your own life and career path.

You misunderstand my meaning. I strongly believe that Vancouver will be his #1 choice on July 1. No real evidence for that but just that it makes sense to me that it should be his #1 choice. The team needs a puck moving PP D-man and if he is fine defensively he'll get a lot of icetime. Unlike others I believe AV doesn't really give two shits about how old a player is...he just wants them to be able to play the defensive side of the puck.

So what I'm getting at is that Gardiner would be the icing on the cake for him to make that decision. Nothing more than that.

[RoyalDude]

I wish people would stop saying this.

Shultz is not going to sign with a team just because a friend plays there. That may be a small factor but unless you are a complete idiot you look for the situation that is most conducive to your own life and career path.

Gotta agree with Pot here, the whole buddy, buddy system has never existed in the NHL. It's about Money, the opportunity for quality ice time, the outlook of the team, environment, the organization, management, the coach etc. The whole 'buddy plays there' thing is completely overrated.

My prediction is that Schultz signs with the Oilers, it's a better situation for him there. He is pretty much guaranteed quality ice time in the top 4 and PP time, which word on the street is saying that top 4 pairing ice time is his no. 1 concern and first unit PP. A lot of young up and coming stars in his age bracket to grow with in Edmonton. In Vancouver he's got to get through Hamhius, Eldler, Bieksa and Tanev for top 4 pairing. Plus, Edmonton is really not that far from his hometown either.

I predict we sign Garrison and the Oilers sign Schultz and we trade Ballard to the Islanders for whatever.

[tantalum]

I don't think the Oilers are the best situation for him. Why?

Well I think that any team that has interest in signing him is going to need to convince him that he will play and won't be in the press box or on the farm minus the obvious caveat (he simply isn't even remotely ready to play in the NHL which doesn't seem likely). So while the Oilers may be able to give the kid 23 minutes a game it's going to be 23 basically unsheltered minutes with ,at this time, no goaltending. He's runs the risk of being completely thrown to the wolves which may not help his development. I'm also not convinced that is the sort of environment you want to go into as a rookie.

A team like the canucks (or similar) still have a spot open on the blueline and he'll still get good time. Not 23 minutes a night but a regular 5-on-5 shift with PP time. If he shows the ability to handle more minutes he'll get those minutes. He gets to play on a team expected to win the division and go a couple rounds in the playoffs while soaking in what all those current all-star veteran players do to keep on top of their game. It's a better development environment IMO. (and not just the canucks of course but similar teams).

But if all he is interested in is icetime icetime icetime there is a good chance he's playing on a bottom feeder team for a few years. Somehow while I believe he may think icetime is the key, his circle of people ought to be telling him development development development is the key and right now the Oilers don't even have a coach so who's doing the developing?

[Diehard1]

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to go to the Oilers if I'm in his situation - sure they have some young talent, what team drafting 1st overall 3 straight times doesn't? They've also been so non-competitive in the past 5 years or so, and just a gong show of a franchise, that it would take a lot for me to go there.

Add in the fact it's Edmonton - I'm not one to bash other Canadian cities but Edmonton isn't exactly my favourite place in the world. Schultz is from Kelowna which is much more geared towards Vancouver than Alberta, so that should be a bonus.

If Gillis wants Schultz, and there's no reason he wouldn't, I think it's his game to lose. Guess we'll see in the next few days.

[ESQ]

[
Gotta agree with Pot here, the whole buddy, buddy system has never existed in the NHL. It's about Money, the opportunity for quality ice time, the outlook of the team, environment, the organization, management, the coach etc. The whole 'buddy plays there' thing is completely overrated.

The "buddy-teammate" thing has played a major role a few times though. Kariya-Selanne in Colorado is the most obvious, and the closest the NHL ever came to a Miami Heat-like situation. The Rob-Scott Niedermayer is another example that obviously worked out very well.
I do agree its nowhere near as a big a deal as we like to make it to be (Demitra-Gaborik anyone?), but there are some players who care a lot about playing with a buddy.

[dbr]

Obviously I'm not in Schultz's shoes but if I were getting ready to sign my rights for the next half decade or so away to a team I'd have to depend on for lineup decisions, playing time, contract renegotiations, etc - I would want to sign with an organization with the best combination of opportunity and track record of awarding players on merit, negotiating fair contracts, treating players under contract well and actually translating all of that to success on the ice.

I don't think the Oilers look very good through that lens, personally.