Luongo will Waive NTC If Asked To

[Potatoe1]

GILLIS NEEDS TO GET A STAR POTENTIAL PLAYER IN RETURN FOR LUONGO. Kadri, Bozak, Colbourne are not those players people.

a few posts back you said the following

This is probably the most realistic return for what the Canucks could get from Florida, one that I would be happy with. Petrovic definitely fills a need on this team, not to mention he is a right sided, right shot defenseman and big and tough as nails and decent skill set.

I like Petrovic, but he is not a "star potential player", more of a physical second pairing type.

[Aaronp18]

No way does Burke get lynched for giving up either Gardiner or Reilly for Luongo. He should be doing whatever it takes to get a tender of Luongo's calibre, the main reason the missed the playoffs last year was because of their goaltending.

The simple reason is Luongo will get the Leafs into the playoffs. Which is part of the reason I don't want him going there, the Leafs eternal suffering is like a Canadian pastime.

The Leafs GAA last year was 3.16, Luongo in his sleep will knock that down at least a half goal per game. That's 40+ less goals against per year, and would give the Leafs a positive goal differential. No team in the League with a positive goal differential missed the playoffs last year.

Burke should be looking at picking up assets that Gillis would like in return for Luongo.

But he's going to play this like the CBA negotiations and hold out as long as possible because he feels eventually Gillis will want to move Luo for less. Dangerous game for a man in Burkes position with the Leafs lack of success under his tenure.

Though I'd be more than happy for this poker game to bite Burke in the ass and have him say, "I don't know what Gillis was thinking, we feel we gave him a much better offer than Florida's!"

[RoyalDude]

I like Petrovic, but he is not a "star potential player", more of a physical second pairing type.

Fuck, I'd take Petrovic over Kadri or Colbourne any day of the week. Petrovic is exactly what this team needs on D. The kid can play, hit, fight, shoot, move the puck. He will be a good defenseman, not a superstar but a good D-man one day. I guarantee you Potluck, Kadri will have about as a successful career as your boy Jeff Tambellini did. I know you like these smallish, AHL superstars Pot but your boy Kadri's game will not translate to the NHL level, he is missing those other tangibles, the tangibles that the likes of Petrovic have, to help him succeed in the mens league. I'm surprised you get taken in by AHL stats, this coming from a veteren hockey fan such as yourself.

[Potatoe1]

I like Petrovic, but he is not a "star potential player", more of a physical second pairing type.

Fuck, I'd take Petrovic over Kadri or Colbourne any day of the week. Petrovic is exactly what this team needs on D. The kid can play, hit, fight, shoot, move the puck. He will be a good defenseman, not a superstar but a good D-man one day. I guarantee you Potluck, Kadri will have about as a successful career as your boy Jeff Tambellini did. I know you like these smallish, AHL superstars Pot but your boy Kadri's game will not translate to the NHL level, he is missing those other tangibles, the tangibles that the likes of Petrovic have, to help him succeed in the mens league. I'm surprised you get taken in by AHL stats, this coming from a veteren hockey fan such as yourself.

LOL, I "like" Jeff, because I know him personally. It was never about him being a particularly great prospect it was about me cheering for a guy that I know. For the record I was happy when we took Kesler over him. I'm pretty sure I remember you crying like a baby when we took Kesler.

As for Pertovic, it isn't about him being an NHL player or not. You said clearly that we needed a potential star prospect for Luongo. You can hype Petrovic as much as you like but NO ONE thinks he is a potential star.

Most, if not everyone, has his pegged as a physical stay at home type.

BTW have you even seen Petrovic play live?

[Meds]

So.....

GILLIS NEEDS TO GET A STAR POTENTIAL PLAYER IN RETURN FOR LUONGO. Kadri, Bozak, Colbourne are not those players people.

Then.....

Petrovic is exactly what this team needs on D. The kid can play, hit, fight, shoot, move the puck. He will be a good defenseman, not a superstar but a good D-man one day.

[FAN]

No way does Burke get lynched for giving up either Gardiner or Reilly for Luongo. He should be doing whatever it takes to get a tender of Luongo's calibre, the main reason the missed the playoffs last year was because of their goaltending.

Yep. Burke is beyond the point of worrying about being lynched at this point. Unless Burke has a long-term extension locked up, Burke should consider producing some results and saving his job. Besides, Burke can pin it on Nonis, "Nonis knows him real well and believes..."

Someone mentioned earlier that Burke isn't known for trading blue-chip prospects on defense. That's true, but Burke also believes in the benefits of playoff hockey to young players and the organization as a whole. If Burke feels he's a top 10 goaltender away from making the playoffs Burke is exactly the type of GM to make a bold move. I think Burke will trade Reilly before he trades Gardiner, unless Burke isn't all that high on Gardiner. If Burke is willing to part with Reilly, Burke can get away with acquiring Luongo without subtracting much from the roster, which is significant because the Leafs roster with Luongo should be a playoff team. I'm sure Burke doesn't want to give up Reilly, but the other choice is to give up at least a significant roster player, which all the rumor deals suggest that would be the case, and I'm not sure the Leafs are in a position to do that and still make the playoffs.

[Todd Bersnoozi]

That would be nice if we can afford it, but having a $6 mill backup for most of the season is just not feasible in today's salary cap NHL.

yeah well then we should keep him and have him as our back up until the trade deadline and see what he's worth then.

[the Dogsalmon]

Reilly is from Vancouver as well...

[Fred]

Reilly is from Vancouver as well...

Well not quite he's from Hollyburn Country Club

[dbr]

As for those defensive prospects...forget it. Brain Burke is not known for giving up big North American blue chip defensemen. Particularly for mentally fragile aging number one goalies.

He traded Bryan McCabe and he traded Adrian Aucoin for Dan Cloutier.

Aucoin wasn't a prospect. Nor was McCabe really, but as you know, McCabe was traded for a Sedin. And Cloutier was not yet known to be a mentally fragile goaltender. Nor was he aging when he was acquired.

Nitpick all you want but in McCabe he traded a 23 year old top four defenseman (and a future star player) and in Aucoin he traded a defenseman in his prime years.

Sure there may not be an example out there of Burke dealing a blue chip prospect at exactly the age range Reilly and Gardiner are in now but he hasn't exactly had many of them in his long career as an NHL GM.

Anyway Burke's situation with the Leafs is relatively unprecedented; he can't complain about budget like he could at all of his previous jobs and he has not been able to get his team to the playoffs yet. If he feels that pressure there's no reason to believe he'd pass up a chance to improve his team just because there's a chance that one day Gardiner or Reilly (or whoever) could be a better player than Luongo is now and will be for the next several seasons.

I'm not saying it's a guarantee that Burke deals one of those two defensemen for Luongo, just that he should be willing to consider it if he knows what's good for him and if Mike Gillis can ensure there is a market for Luongo.

[the Dogsalmon]

i have complete confidence in Brian Burke's abilities to fuck the Leafs up beyond the fucking mess he has already made...

[ukcanuck]

That would be nice if we can afford it, but having a $6 mill backup for most of the season is just not feasible in today's salary cap NHL.

yeah well then we should keep him and have him as our back up until the trade deadline and see what he's worth then.

Are you sure? I thought that Gillis has already laid that to rest, he has the cap room now and the CBA whatever it turns out to be will most likely have a method for teams to get under it. and if it doesnt, and he cant have Luongo on the roster he can park him in the minors till a trade is made.

Either way giving Luongo away for pocket change and prospects under pressure is bullshit. The guy is instant tonic for losing in the regular season.

[Zedlee]

[/quote]
Are you sure? I thought that Gillis has already laid that to rest, he has the cap room now and the CBA whatever it turns out to be will most likely have a method for teams to get under it. and if it doesnt, and he cant have Luongo on the roster he can park him in the minors till a trade is made.

[/quote]

Uh...doesn't Luongo have a "no movement" clause? No minors for him.

[donlever]

Moot point and NMC irrelevant.

Gillis wouldn't put Lu in Chicago...unless it was in a Black Hawk uniform.

[ukcanuck]

Are you sure? I thought that Gillis has already laid that to rest, he has the cap room now and the CBA whatever it turns out to be will most likely have a method for teams to get under it. and if it doesnt, and he cant have Luongo on the roster he can park him in the minors till a trade is made.

Uh...doesn't Luongo have a "no movement" clause? No minors for him.

Well in that case Chicago will be disappointed but it still doesnt change the fact that Gillis does not have to give Luongo away because of salary. however, if Luongo balks at a back up role, which I think he said he wasnt against showing up for camp before the lockout, then I think they can send him down or home either way...

The one thing I like about the way Gillis does business is he doesnt seem to rush or bow to pressure