(Vancouver Sun Article) Vigneault ‘Didn't Mean What He Said’ On Luongo Trade Request

[Bodee]

Part of the problem as I see it ...........from Europe ............is that MG does all the wheeling and dealing, that's his job and therefore AV, or any other coach in his position, would be advised to bat questions on players being happy or unhappy or going or staying etc to the GM.

There are obviously nuances to do with how deals are primed and prepared which a coach would not be party to. I feel that whether AV said what was reported or not MG has made it clear to him to avoid being drawn into anything that might affect these delicate matters.

The media are devious and probably realised that AV is an easier touch on these matters than Gillis himself would be.

[KING ALBERTS]

i loathe long off-seasons

[DIBdaQUIB]

Part of the problem as I see it ...........from Europe ............is that MG does all the wheeling and dealing, that's his job and therefore AV, or any other coach in his position, would be advised to bat questions on players being happy or unhappy or going or staying etc to the GM.

There are obviously nuances to do with how deals are primed and prepared which a coach would not be party to. I feel that whether AV said what was reported or not MG has made it clear to him to avoid being drawn into anything that might affect these delicate matters.

The media are devious and probably realised that AV is an easier touch on these matters than Gillis himself would be.

[King_Canuckian]

Gillis is running damage control. This is the coach that so many of you were (and still are) defending. One day into his extended contract, he pisses off our most versatile forward and our franchise goalie. Even if he had misspoken, the damage is done. But honestly, I feel that AV was telling the truth, and has limited Gillis' options. Luongo is saying what he needs to say to make his stock that much better (professionalism/team player), and not burn his bridges if Gillis can't find a suitable deal. AV is just blowing it for us.

[Tm085]

I'm starting to understand why so many people who used to watch the Canucks hate them and don't watch them anymore now..lol. This is becoming painful

[Canuck Surfer]

I have been an ardent supporter of AV. But boy he gave MG & the team a couple of bombs running his mouth this week. They would have come off better had they not come the day he signed a new contract. It was like gloating, or using politics to show he was back in power.

I had been more critical of MG.Check that, critical this year but happy overall. I hated him not doing a presser when he traded Hodgson. I hated worse that he justified the trade based on needing a guy like Kassian for the play off's in March, then threw CoHo under the bus to cover his tail when Kassian proved not ready yet. Accountability should stop at MG, it sends a bad message.

I believe a lot of the politics about the place stem from less overall confidence. Questionable moves and less accountability, the mice start running around.

But here MG stood up regarding AV's dumb comments. He's not condoned, nor was impressed and clearly he addressed it. He also did not throw AV under the bus, and tried to put the correct context back into all. In the end, AV, Kesler & Lou all have contracts to live up to and their own pride is at stake if they don't start performing better. MG clearly stated he is also taking back both accountability & control.

For MG, this was the right thing here.

Now having deflected things the real effort is making the right moves again. The politics tend to disappear when all feel the pieces are in place to win the cup.

This off season is more important than any since MG took over!

Gillis also talks about Vigneault's comments on Kesler's season and Daniels injury

http://www.vancouver...0236/story.html

VANCOUVER — Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Friday that head coach Alain Vigneault “misspoke” when he told a French-language TV show that goalie Roberto Luongo wanted a trade out of Vancouver.

Appearing on the club's flagship radio station Team 1040, Gillis said that he and Vigneault talked Thursday night and the coach explained that he “didn't mean what he said” about Luongo.

In the original interview Wednesday night, Vigneault was asked if he agreed that Luongo needed a fresh start after being supplanted as the Canucks' No. 1 goalie by Cory Schneider during the playoffs. Vigneault replied (translated): “That's what he wants right now.”

According to Gillis, Vigneault later corrected that statement with his interviewers.

“[That] is my understanding,” Gillis said. “I haven't heard the interview but he went and told whoever was conducting it that he had misspoke immediately after it happened and I think he did. Like I said, I haven't heard the interview but that's what Alain told me last night and that he clarified it in his mind ... you know, [he] didn't mean what he said.”

Gillis reiterated Luongo has maintained the same stance — he would accept a trade if it best suited the team — that he declared to reporters in his April 24 exit interviews.

“No, it's not full-on that we're trying to find him a new home,” Gillis said. “What he indicated was that if we felt a change was necessary, he would do whatever was best for the team once we made that decision. And that's all he said.

“We haven't come to the conclusion yet what's in the best interests of the team and Roberto is going to be part of the process. I talked to him again last week to see how he was feeling and we're going to start moving ahead now that we've cleared up some other issues. We'll start looking at where we want to go with this situation and others.”

Gillis further added that if both Luongo and Schneider were back, they would compete for the No. 1 job. (On his conference call Wednesday, Vigneault had strongly hinted Schneider would start next season as the No. 1. “What happened in the playoffs would be an indication of what might happen moving forward,” said the coach.)

“I know you guys want to read into every possible meaning that you can,” Gillis continued, “but the reality is that if both are back, they'll be competing for the No. 1 job and whoever wins it will win it.”

Luongo's agent, Gilles Lupien, did not reply to an interview request Friday.

On another matter, Gillis said he felt there would be no divide between Vigneault and centre Ryan Kesler after comments by the coach on the player's performance didn't sit well with the latter, or his agent.

“No, not at all,” responded Gillis. “Coaches are paid to make hard decisions and to get the most out of people. We're at a point in time in the evolution of our organization where excuses aren't accepted and, if you're cleared to play, you play. We'll take into account everything that goes into it but I'm not worried about any divide.”

Kesler injured his left shoulder Feb. 9, didn't miss a game but then required major surgery on May 8. He finished the season on a 17-game goal-less streak.

“Ryan was cleared for play and he wanted to play but clearly he wasn't as effective as he was the year before,” Gillis said. “There are probably a lot of reasons that went into that. Injuries are part of it but, if you're cleared to play, you're cleared to play. There are no excuses. You have to perform and this year, among others, he didn't perform at the level that he expected or we expected.”

Gillis also explained the Daniel Sedin concussion situation and how Vigneault was caught off guard when Daniel wasn't ready to start the playoffs. Sedin was hurt March 21 when elbowed in the head by Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Duncan Keith.

“Daniel was trending in the right direction,” said the GM. “Everything was going extremely well. He felt well and then, for whatever reason with these types of injuries, he didn't feel he was 100 per cent for a couple of days. That's when we understood his progression wasn't going as well as we perhaps thought.

“Sometimes with these injuries, the players themselves are so desperate to get back they want to believe that they're healing and they want to believe the next day is going to be better than the previous one,” Gillis added. “Sometimes that just doesn't happen. I think Daniel was really hungry to get back in the lineup. He knew the importance of what was coming and felt like he was feeling okay. Then he wasn't feeling okay

Thoughts?

[Neversummer]

Now the MG long term deal with Lui is exposed for what it really is ... an anchor. It's hard to throw that overboard.

[Canuck Surfer]

Human logic suggests AV was telling the truth. No source required.

Managing a business suggests MG told him he was idiot for doing so.

Source?

Otherwise you're just spewing fictitious crap........

[Tortorella's Rant]

Seems like he's saying stupid things lately. First it was Kesler who simply sucked which had nothing to do because of his damaged shoulder and now the Luongo comments.

[Tearloch7]

Source?

Otherwise you're just spewing fictitious crap........

[BedBeats™2.0]

why are people such idiots? Think for a second why Gillis is denying what AV said.

Gillis has to find a fair and reasonable offer that is beneficial for the team. What AV did is lessened the leaverage Gillis has when negotiating with other teams. Once the media world knows that a player has asked for a trade, all the poker chips fall down.

AV screwed the team. And most AV nut huggers are too dumb to understand. That's the sad part.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Meanwhile, the situation itself remains EXACTLY THE SAME.

TOML

[Bertuzzi Babe]

Human logic suggests AV was telling the truth. No source required.

Managing a business suggests MG told him he was idiot for doing so.

[Baggins]

why are people such idiots? Think for a second why Gillis is denying what AV said.

Gillis has to find a fair and reasonable offer that is beneficial for the team. What AV did is lessened the leaverage Gillis has when negotiating with other teams. Once the media world knows that a player has asked for a trade, all the poker chips fall down.

AV screwed the team. And most AV nut huggers are too dumb to understand. That's the sad part.

[BoKnows53]

AV should put on a pair of stunna glasses and a leather jacket, just go boss on the media.

[Bodee]

You're being very generous to AV. He has been the coach here for 6 years and worked with MG the entire time. If he hasn't figured out by now how to deal with these questions or what MG's strategies and guidelines are, there is no hope for him.

To me, he sounded almost drunk - either with booze or relief over getting re-hired - and was careless in his responses.

[DIBdaQUIB]

You could be right. One thing's for sure, I doubt if he will be as careless (if he was) the next time.

[samurai]

It's just off season talk nothing more nothing less. It's tough in a hockey mad market to say anything without people jumping all over it.

Relax and enjoy the summer people.

[Banned01]

Why were people such idiots for actually believing a 3rd hand source in French that was taken out of context?!

Honestly...just make a thread to be locked called i hate AV for many unsubstantiated reasons.

You would be a great addition to the Province writers covering the team.

[newgm]

Let's hope so though...This is a coach who also threw MG and the medical staff under the bus in saying Daniel's not being ready came as a complete surprise to him based on the presser MG held before the playoffs and the apparent diagnosis of the team's doctors.

Quite the week for old AV...basically crapped on everyone for the team's problems in exonerating himself.