[Article] Dregers reports on Luongo

[canuckbeliever]

Great article by the guys at Pass It To Bulis on the situation

The real story of the trade deadline was the trades that weren’t made, particularly when it came to two big-name goaltenders in the Northwest Division. Both Miikka Kiprusoff and Roberto Luongo were rumoured to be heading to the Toronto Maple Leafs at various points throughout the day. Neither did.

The attitudes of the two goaltenders as rumours swirled couldn’t have been more different. Kiprusoff simply didn’t want to be traded. He might even retire in the off-season. Luongo clearly wanted nothing more than to be traded so that he could start playing hockey again, leading to one of the most honest and blunt press conferences in recent memory.

So why, exactly, didn’t Luongo get traded? Luongo himself seemed to think that it was because of his contract, while Mike Gillis said it wasn’t a stumbling block and that discussions have centred around picks and players. Exactly what picks and players is unclear, though one particular rumour quickly spread after the trade deadline had passed. Darren Dreger initially reported that the Canucks were looking to acquire Ben Scrivens and two second round draft picks in return for Roberto Luongo, a report that was echoed by Pierre LeBrun, Jason Botchford, and Kevin McGran, among others.

Dreger appeared on TSN 1050 on Monday, however, and threw a big ol’ wrench into the works, apparently revealing what the Canucks were originally seeking in a trade with the Leafs and throwing his original report into doubt in the process.

From our perspective, the original report was strange. If all the Canucks were going to get in a Luongo trade was draft picks and a backup goaltender to fill Luongo’s spot on the bench, then it didn’t make any sense to make the trade at the deadline. The Canucks could instead keep Luongo for the remainder of the year, a far better insurance policy than Ben Scrivens if Cory Schneider gets injured, and look to make a trade in the off-season at the draft when teams like the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, and Florida Panthers might be more open to wheeling and dealing.

It simply doesn’t make sense for a contending team to make a deal at the trade deadline that doesn’t, at least theoretically, improve the team for the current season. Even the Cody Hodgson trade, which was derided as sacrificing the present for the future, made some sort of sense in the short term in light of the Samuel Pahlsson trade, even if it ended up not working out at all in the playoffs. It may have been a misguided move, but you could see some sort of logic there. Trading Luongo for draft picks at the trade deadline just didn’t add up.

Is it possible that the Canucks asked for Scrivens and two second round picks? Sure. It’s entirely possible that Gillis just wanted to get a deal done, regardless of whether it helped the team this season or not. Brian Burke once waived Ilya Bryzgalov in order to keep a promise to move him. But it didn’t jibe with what Gillis has maintained all along this season: that the Canucks are in no rush to make a deal.

Monday afternoon on TSN Drive, Dreger discussed the topic of Vancouver’s asking price once again:

At one point in that 45 minute discussion, I was told that Vancouver wanted Tyler Biggs and was told, ‘No, not available.’ Okay, then Joe Colborne. ‘All right, what else?’ Clarke MacArthur, Ben Scrivens, and a second round draft pick. And Toronto said, ‘No, we’re not doing that, we’re not giving you a roster player or prospects, we’ve got to come up with something that is less specific.’ Then they got down to Scrivens and the two seconds, or whatever it ended up being and Toronto asked for money to be retained: a million dollars per year.

Aiming for a prospect like Colborne (or Biggs) and a useful roster player like MacArthur to go with a replacement goaltender and a draft pick is the kind of deal that makes sense for both the present and the future, giving the Canucks a winger that can play on the second or third line right now, a big centre that could be NHL-ready next season, and the potential of a second round draft pick. MacArthur is also a pending UFA, so it makes sense to request him back in a trade. From the Canucks’ perspective, this would be a fairly decent return for Luongo.

That makes it even more doubtful in my mind that the Canucks ended up coming down to Scrivens and two second round picks. Essentially, the Canucks would have moved from MacArthur and Colborne down to a second round pick. Again, it’s possible, but it doesn’t make sense to make that trade at the deadline, particularly when they were apparently aiming for a roster player that could help them right away.

It’s important to take what Dreger has to say about the Leafs with a grain or two of salt, since he is Dave Nonis’s cousin, but it’s not like he’s an unreliable source, and he certainly has legitimate sources within the organization. The question isn’t whether Dreger’s sources are reliable, however, but whether Dreger’s sources have an agenda.

This isn’t at all unique to Toronto and Dave Nonis — NHL general managers fight their battles through the media all the time — though Dreger being related to Nonis makes their situation unique. It’s certainly a tactic that Gillis has used in the past.

What I find fascinating about Dreger’s quote from TSN Drive, is that even he seems to question whether the Canucks requested Scrivens and picks, saying, “Then they got down to Scrivens and the two seconds, or whatever it ended up being.”

Whatever it ended up being? Dreger is the one who reported it in the first place, initially on Twitter and then in more detail on TSN.

It’s hard, at this point, to know what to believe. There has been very little noise made out of the Canucks’ camp since the post-deadline press conference. Frankly, that makes sense from the Canucks’ perspective: with the trade deadline over, there’s very little to be gained by extending the conversation about Luongo, and the team would certainly prefer that the conversation heading into the playoffs is, you know, playoff-related.

But when the playoffs are over, we can expect this drama and its multifarious conflicting reports to boil right back up again.

http://vansunsportsblogs.com/2013/04/09/on-darren-dreger-and-the-real-the-canucks-trade-deadline-asking-price-for-roberto-luongo/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

[MoneypuckOverlord]

Dave Nonis negotiating in bad faith. frack you Nonis. Wether its true or not, your not suppose to disclose what was mentioned, especially to someone like Dregger.

Karma will hit Dave Nonis.

Derren Dregger now changing the story around from saying MIke Gillis would have never asked for 2 draft picks and Scrivens for Luongo. What a Clown. This came 5 days after 1040 reported the opposite happening. People are starting to believe that MIke Gillis will never give up Luongo for 2 2nds and one unproven goalie. Making Dreggers story look as stupid as he looks.

Also if it was true, oh gosh, Dave Nonis you deserve to be canned. Luongo was almost his for a pretty low price. Tyler Biggs will be nothing but a 4th line player, the same with Colburne too.

I will love to see Mike Gillis trade him during the summer. I hope its to their division, so he (Luongo) can haunt the Leafs.

[mpt]

I've been saying that all along, MG wouldn't trade Luongo this season if it didn't make us better, if all he's getting are draft picks and non roster players he's better to wait for the draft.

Luongo's contract is easily moveable he just won't land a guy like Taylor Hall.

[wizeman]

I have to agree. Even casual hockey fans like us know Dreger is Nonis' cousin. If he is ratting out Nonis' negotiations with other GMs, it will get Nonis blackballed very quickly with the other 29 GMs

This will back-fire big time.

[Jai604]

Nonis is a douche for pulling this dick move. You can be sure the other GMs have taken notice of his bull as well. It's a small community, the 30 GMs of the league, and everything you do gets noticed by everyone else.

I did not and do not believe for a second that Scrivens and 2 second-round picks was what Gillis asked for from Toronto. As noted in the article, it just doesn't add up. It makes absolutely no logical sense for a contending team to make that move, and considering the moves Gillis has made in the past, I doubt the truth of what Dreger said even more.

Dreger is usually a very reliable source, but in this case he was probably misinformed by that troll Dave Nonis.

[MoneypuckOverlord]

Just like how Brian Burke continuesly trolled Vancouver , Karma got to him, he now has no job.

Karma will get DAve Nonis too. Not now, but in the future. He's negotiating in bad faith. I rather Mike Gillis deal with a cap problem then trade him to Toronto now.

[Fantomex]

Makes me wonder if Darren isn't on the TOML payroll...

[Noheart]

I don't care anymore.

I am so sick of This saga

[MoneypuckOverlord]

Nonis is a douche for pulling this dick move. You can be sure the other GMs have taken notice of his bull as well. It's a small community, the 30 GMs of the league, and everything you do gets noticed by everyone else.

I did not and do not believe for a second that Scrivens and 2 second-round picks was what Gillis asked for from Toronto. As noted in the article, it just doesn't add up. It makes absolutely no logical sense for a contending team to make that move, and considering the moves Gillis has made in the past, I doubt the truth of what Dreger said even more.

Dreger is usually a very reliable source, but in this case he was probably misinformed by that troll Dave Nonis.

[Alex Burrows 14]

Good read. I would have been stoked if we got mcarthur, colborne, scrivens and a 2nd, i would have even taken out the 2nd.

[DIBdaQUIB]

Nonis is a douche for pulling this dick move. You can be sure the other GMs have taken notice of his bull as well. It's a small community, the 30 GMs of the league, and everything you do gets noticed by everyone else.

I did not and do not believe for a second that Scrivens and 2 second-round picks was what Gillis asked for from Toronto. As noted in the article, it just doesn't add up. It makes absolutely no logical sense for a contending team to make that move, and considering the moves Gillis has made in the past, I doubt the truth of what Dreger said even more.

Dreger is usually a very reliable source, but in this case he was probably misinformed by that troll Dave Nonis.

[73 Percent]

I don't care anymore.

I am so sick of This saga

[TOMapleLaughs]

Dreger is merely a Leafs shill.

I never bought that Luongo would waive to go to TO in the first place, nevermind us getting just two 2nds and a scrub goalie in return for him.

You cannot trust Tsn or Cbc in matters that relate to this team. But i don't have much trust in local media either. There aren't many legit stories going around, so a lot has to be made up. And that would include discussing additional fiction regarding a trade that never happened.

Bottom line is both cities have rabid fanbases that feed this media mess handily.

[theminister]

I never believed the report of two 2nds and Scrivens in the first place. It never made any sense.

The fact that Dreger implied the Canucks were wiling to do that trade with 15 minutes left until the deadline was suspicious at best. That would have meant that the Canucks were ready to make another deal to flip draft picks for someone else even at that late moment. Shenanigans.

I don't believe that MG was gambling he could get the paper work done for a Lou trade, including getting his signature to waive his NTC, and then be able to squeeze through another deal. I don't think the paperwork can be done that quickly.

The whole report by Dreger seemed clearly done to make the Canucks look weak and the Leafs look strong. I don't know what his motivations were exactly, though I'd be happy to speculate they were nefarious, but regardless it's the type of report that seems transparently made to placate Leafs fans and the Eastern media.

I mean, what better way to spin the fact that the Leafs only added O'Byrne than to make it seem like the Leafs were in charge of the whole process and dictating the trade deadline? Toronto fans need to feel their position was strong even if the facts don't indicate that. This is how the Toronto sports media works.

[Losing With Pride]

I'm sure Reimer and Scrivens will be amazing in the playoffs

[Jester13]

The last thing I would like to see, and the last thing that I expect to happen, is Lou ending up in Toronto. I doubt Gillis will continue talking with Nonis in the off season re: Lou. What a joke. I expect Lou goes to the Isles if Lou would waive to go there. Seems like the best fit and trading partner for us. Whatevs... playoffs are quickly approaching, no more of this Lou trade talk for this guy *points two thumbs at himself*

[Dogbyte]

If Dreger had any class or moral compass, he'd declare a conflict of interest in deals involving the Leafs. He looks like a fool considering his connections. If I'm Leaf's ownership, I'd be concerned about anything leaking to TSN through that relationship. It gives the franchise a big black eye.

[GB5]

Dreger lost all credibility on deadline day with his play by play like recap of the offers he reports Gillis was making to Nonis. Something like "at 2:00 Gillis called with an offer, Nonis turned hime down then Gillis called with another offer at 2:10 and again at 2:20......"

What a bunch of BS. Dreger trying to make Nonis look like a hero for not being able to make a trade. A trade is a negotiation so who turned who down? Gillis would have turned Nonis down as well if these discussions even occurred.

[Snake Doctor]

Yes, Nonis did negotiate in bad faith. It will all come out in the wash once the leafs either not make the playoffs or get knocked out in the first round. The Leafs need a goaltender. If they think they can slide by in the playoffs with Reimer, they are mistaken.

[Snake Doctor]

Dreger lost all credibility on deadline day with his play by play like recap of the offers he reports Gillis was making to Nonis. Something like "at 2:00 Gillis called with an offer, Nonis turned hime down then Gillis called with another offer at 2:10 and again at 2:20......"

What a bunch of BS. Dreger trying to make Nonis look like a hero for not being able to make a trade. A trade is a negotiation so who turned who down? Gillis would have turned Nonis down as well if these discussions even occurred.