The Thread Where We've All Got Playoff Beards

[Toe]

Asking price for Lou seems astronomical. If I were Burke, I'd be content to run Reimer and Scrivens and hope one can be decent all season long, or move on to other teams. Giving up Jake Gardiner plus a roster player plus a 1st rounder is too much for a 33 year old with a 10 year contract.

[Ruki]

Asking price for Lou seems astronomical. If I were Burke, I'd be content to run Reimer and Scrivens and hope one can be decent all season long, or move on to other teams. Giving up Jake Gardiner plus a roster player plus a 1st rounder is too much for a 33 year old with a 10 year contract.

Honestly? I'd be happy to run Reimer/Scrivens. Reimer was pretty good until the headshot, and the summer off to rest should be good. And with the playoffs that Scrivens had? He deserves a chance.

If Luongo is going to cost Gardiner plus anything other than every cap dump (Komi, Armstrong, etc...) I say no.

Already lost one defender I loved this week, don't want to lose another

[Ruki]

Sundin in the hockey hall of fame! :D :D

And some other scrubs, I suppose.

[Pizza]

I assume trading away Schenn means we're not going to trade away Gardiner. Luongo's contract is a disaster, nobody wants it, wait Vancouver out.

[Guest mr. potato head]

SAKIC IN! Favourite player as a kid!

SUNDIN IN! Liked player and wholly deserving for having to put up with Leaf fans!

BURE IN! Incredibly explosive, fast, efficient goalscorer! Lots of fun!

OATES IN! Was once on the back of a Kraft Dinner box!

[Ruki]

I assume trading away Schenn means we're not going to trade away Gardiner. Luongo's contract is a disaster, nobody wants it, wait Vancouver out.

That's what I'm thinking. If Vancouver wants to go into next season with 10 mill for goalies (I assume Schneider signs for 5 )

[Toe]

I assume trading away Schenn means we're not going to trade away Gardiner. Luongo's contract is a disaster, nobody wants it, wait Vancouver out.

It's not a good contract, but the one thing that saves it is that since Luongo signed it before 35, the contract disappears when Lou retires. So, if he is effect for 3 more years, turns to shit then retires, at least the contract comes off the cap.

Still, not that awesome.

[caucasianheat]

I thought it was at least strongly implied that Luongo shut down trades to Chicago and Toronto over the weekend and that he's trying to steer towards a deal with Florida.

In any case, a team that isn't competing shouldn't significantly mortgage their future for 3 years of maybe good goaltending. Stay the course, find another option.

[Toe]

I thought it was at least strongly implied that Luongo shut down trades to Chicago and Toronto over the weekend and that he's trying to steer towards a deal with Florida.

In any case, a team that isn't competing shouldn't significantly mortgage their future for 3 years of maybe good goaltending. Stay the course, find another option.

If the rumours are true, what Gillis wants from Florida is insane. Considering age and contract, the price for Lou shouldnt be astronomical.

[caucasianheat]

Gillis hasn't got any real leverage, Luongo decides where he and his whopper contract goes and obviously the relationship between player and team is probably quite frayed, so I'd say it's unlikely he'll be back. Gillis is in a position where he has to trade the player and get the best return, but teams are just going to starve him out.

Should have mentioned that I'm delighted with all the Hall of Fame selections, it's a great class.

[SeanDMan]

I'm a bit closer to the situation than most of you guys, so here is what I know. Gillis has said that there are deals but none of them work for him. He's said that if he doesn't get a deal, he'll keep both goalies. Schneider said he'd love to play another year with Luongo around, as he's a great teammate, very supportive, and he keeps things loose on the road. the only guy who isn't talking is Luongo, but his opinion doesn'l matter. He's under contract, so he has to remain within those terms.

[SeanDMan]

The Canucks will start the season with Ryan Kesler on LTIR, meaning they'll have roughly seventeen million in cap space. Even matching a five point five million dollar offer sheet for Cory leaves them with some spending money, although it limits them to replacing players at the back of their lineup rather than up top. I don't think that's worries them, though... they still play in what has somehow become the weakest division in hockey, and should still take that division title with current...

[SeanDMan]

...team. The questions about the team are whether they can make a deep run into the playoffs. That's why a Luongo trade can be much more valuable at the All Star Game or even at the deadline. At that point, you probably have injured or underperforming goaltenders on teams that have a shot at the playoffs who would want to play ball. Who knows, maybe Philadelphia will be in the market by then. Either way, if Gillis doesn't get a good deal, I don't expect one soon.

[SeanDMan]

This post is a giant asterix to say that I hated the move he made with Buffalo at the trade deadline, so his definition of good and mine likely vary.

[Guest mr. potato head]

This post is a giant asterix to say that I hated the move he made with Buffalo at the trade deadline, so his definition of good and mine likely vary.

Though if you put stock in the claims that Hodgson wanted out, it could have been the best he could get.

I do like your way of thinking that it makes more sense to trade Luongo later in the year when it's more obvious what the Canucks need for a deep run and who's injured and needs replacing.

[SeanDMan]

This post is a giant asterix to say that I hated the move he made with Buffalo at the trade deadline, so his definition of good and mine likely vary.

Though if you put stock in the claims that Hodgson wanted out, it could have been the best he could get.

Right, but if you put stock in the claims that Luongo wants out, it seems to suggest a similarly bad trade may be due. Rumors at the time were that Gillis left value on the table in order to take Kassian, who he covets. Gragnani is now gone so if Kassian busts this trade becomes absolutely awful and one sided when Hodgson develops. It lost Gillis a bit of luster in my eyes.

I am hoping he learned his lesson and will wait for the RIGHT deal.

I do like your way of thinking that it makes more sense to trade Luongo later in the year when it's more obvious what the Canucks need for a deep run and who's injured and needs replacing.

Canucks roster looks like so:

Sedin, Daniel »

Sedin, Henrik »

Kesler, Ryan »

Booth, David »

Malhotra, Manny »

Burrows, A. »

Higgins, Chris »

Hansen, Jannik »

Lapierre, Maxim »

Kassian, Zack »

Volpatti, Aaron »

Raymond, Mason » RFA/Unsigned

Bieksa, Kevin »

Hamhuis, Dan »

Ballard, Keith »

Edler, Alexander »

Alberts, Andrew »

Tanev, Chris »

Salo, Sami » UFA/Unsigned

Luongo, Roberto »

Schneider, Cory » RFA/Unsigned

Their current salary is $55,678,333, which gives them $14,621,667 in current cap space. As I said, with Kesler off the books it gives them an additional $5,000,000 in cap space, but assume they immediately turn and spend that on Schneider, leaving them basically in the exact same spot.

The Canucks have 6 defensemen under contract, and the ever present Sami Salo as an option for number 7. They would desperately love to upgrade Ballard or Alberts, but if they had to go with these six, they'd be okay.

That means they have around $12m to spend on forwards. They desperately need to upgrade Mayson Raymond as a second/third line scoring option. Assuming they keep the Sedins and Burrows together as their top line and a variation of the Amex line together, they then have Hansen, Lapierre, Kassian, Volpatti, Raymond, and Malhotra to form their bottom six. Hansen has shown good speed but none of those names really say "future 25 goal scorer" to me. However, with $12 million to play with...

Do you think Rick Nash would play on the third line?

[caucasianheat]

I'm coming from the angle that Luongo definitely wants out just on the grounds that to me "Yes, I would waive" basically means "I want to leave" in hockeyland. Even if this is a lot of smoke like Nash around the deadline, a situation where the player comes back to the roster after being dangled as bait for months isn't really a desirable scenario.

I think right now or soon is the best time to get max return, not midseason. What team in the playoff hunt is going to want to give away key assets at the deadline to a competitor? I genuinely think the return is better if they prey on a team in the bottom half without their goaltending in order that doesn't want to be picking through the bargain bin of UFA netminders in August.

Sean, does Schroeder make it out of camp with some holes in the bottom six for Vancouver?

EDIT: Flames trade for the rights to Dennis Wideman and lock him up for 5 years. Shane Doan is going to test free agency, which I didn't really see coming.

[Ruki]

Terrifying thought: Parise to the Penguins.

[Guest mr. potato head]

Do you think Rick Nash would play on the third line?

Bit of a digression here, but with that much talent and that much cap room, Vancouver could be the next coming of the 1980s Oilers — a dynasty not in the "always up there" sense of Detroit for the past 15 years, but of the "always winning" sense of Charlie Sheen.

But that got me thinking farther back. Look at the 1957-58 Habs. Dickie Moore, the Rocket, Henri Richard, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Beliveau, Provost, Phil Goyette, Bert Olmstead. Most of them franchise players by today's standards, all-first liners. Two of them were on the third line. The 1975-76 team was arguably even more stacked. I have to think there'd be players out there eager to take a reduced role in favour of winning year after year.

[SeanDMan]

I'm coming from the angle that Luongo definitely wants out just on the grounds that to me "Yes, I would waive" basically means "I want to leave" in hockeyland. Even if this is a lot of smoke like Nash around the deadline, a situation where the player comes back to the roster after being dangled as bait for months isn't really a desirable scenario.

What's the more desirable scenario?

Canucks trade Luongo for limited return, or Canucks hold onto Luongo waiting for teams to make better offers?

If the Canucks felt they desperately needed the cap space, then MAYBE they trade Luongo just to have him gone. The Canucks prime target right now appears to be Mr. Garrison, which probably takes four million. You then sign Schneider, that takes up, say, nine million. That gives them three million to plug into the backside.

The urgency isn't there. Unless they get a sniff of a Bobby Ryan or something silly at an affordable cost, there's no hurry to make a bad trade.

I think right now or soon is the best time to get max return, not midseason. What team in the playoff hunt is going to want to give away key assets at the deadline to a competitor? I genuinely think the return is better if they prey on a team in the bottom half without their goaltending in order that doesn't want to be picking through the bargain bin of UFA netminders in August.

See, I think the way the deadline tends to fall (Earlier in the year, so that many teams are still in contention) Luongo could be an attractive chip for five or six teams rather than right now, when few teams are in on the bidding. Teams are staying in the playoff hunt much longer these years, so I think waiting gives the Canucks more power, not less.

Sean, does Schroeder make it out of camp with some holes in the bottom six for Vancouver?

This is kind of the same question as "Does Hodgson make the Canucks?" Especially with Kesler on the shelf, there's room, but do you give him a shot to make the team, prove he can play, and then send him back to the farm because he's the only one who can clear waivers? It might be better to keep him with the Wolves for the year.

Terrifying thought: Parise to the Penguins.

It's popular rumor. Remember when teams were struggling to get to the $32m salary floor? Remember owners rejecting a $50m salary cap and locking the league out for a year? Remember teams being so desperate for financial relief they bought out players like Sheldon Souray and Chris Drury?

...okay maybe not so much that last one.