Carson Graham Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 http://www.faceoff.com/Schneider+Canucks+starter+making+Luongo+tradable/ LOS ANGELES — With everything at stake, the Vancouver Canucks chose Wednesday to play the goalie who had the best chance of saving their NHL season. Maybe you heard. It wasn’t the guy who has been the starter for six years, but the backup who should be the starter for the next six. Cory Schneider was not chosen to start only the Canucks’ elimination game against the Los Angeles Kings. He was chosen to start, period. The toothpaste doesn’t go back in the tube on this one. The Canucks will try to trade Luongo and his 12-year, $64-million US contract this summer. There is no other reasonable conclusion to draw from coach Alain Vigneault’s decision to go with his gut and leave Luongo on the bench against the Kings. It was Vigneault’s call, but the Canucks’ hockey operations department works by consensus and it seems everyone was in agreement to play Schneider. And since general manager Mike Gillis is no fool, the decision was made with full awareness of its implications and an acceptance of the ramifications. From a strategic, competitive standpoint, it really isn’t a tough call between Luongo and Schneider for next season and beyond. After matching Luongo’s performance numbers last season as a rookie, Schneider outplayed the starter this year. Schneider’s goals-against average of 1.96 was nearly a half-puck better than Luongo’s, and the tandem’s save percentages (.937 vs. .919) meant that for about every 50 shots, Schneider allowed one fewer goal. Schneider just turned 26 and can be expected to get better. Luongo just turned 33 and there is at least a chance that his slight decline this season is the first faint glimpse of the twilight of his career. So, remove emotions and Luongo’s huge contract from the equation, and it’s no wonder Schneider would be chosen if the Canucks could have only one of their goalies. And that’s the thing: they have to choose. Schneider is a restricted free agent this summer and ready to be a No. 1 goalkeeper. He was a first-round draft pick and has proved at every level that he is an elite player. He is already better, technically, than Luongo — wider in his butterfly and more upright when he moves laterally. If the Canucks don’t make Schneider their starter, someone else will. And another team could do it with a predatory free-agent offer. Gillis will try to re-sign Schneider before his contract expires on July 1. If he can’t, the Canucks almost certainly will arbitrate against Schneider — exercising the seldom-used contractual option that would remove the goalie from the free-agent market a few days after it opens. The Nashville Predators did it last season with Shea Weber, but handled it clumsily by lowballing their star defenceman after quashing his free-agency options. Having seen how badly that went, the Canucks would work with Schneider to establish a salary above what he ordinarily might expect based on his NHL experience so far. Of course, the risk is that Schneider, like innumerable goalies before him, fails to become a great starter immediately after being a great backup. And say what you want about Luongo’s playoff failings, he has been one of the best at his position for a decade, earning three Vezina Trophy nominations and averaging 37 wins a season for the Canucks. Despite arguments from Kirk McLean supporters, Luongo is the best goalie the franchise has had. But Schneider has the potential to be even better. Luongo’s resume, and a salary-cap hit of $5.33 million that is not an onerous as it seems, make him tradable despite having 10 years remaining on his deal. He is due $6.714 million each of the next six seasons before his salary plummets in anticipation of early retirement. The fine print in this is that Luongo has a no-trade clause. He could make things miserable for the Canucks if he flatly rejects the idea of a trade. But proud and driven to win, Luongo would be miserable, too, at even a 50/50 split of goaltending duties in Vancouver, let alone a full demotion to a backup role. Luongo can name his teams, and chances are the Canucks will find one of them with which to trade. Vancouver may get little in return. Simply clearing the crease for Schneider while off-loading Luongo’s contract might have to be the payoff for the Canucks. Gillis may even have to take on someone else’s bad contract in return. But a Luongo trade can happen and probably will. Far more time was spent on Wednesday’s goaltending decision than the two days between Games 3 and 4. A year ago, when Luongo disintegrated in Boston in the Stanley Cup final, the organization still felt an obligation to their starter. Vigneault said as much. Schneider should have started Game 4 in Boston but didn’t. He could have started Game 6 or even Game 7, but didn’t. Luongo was Vigneault’s guy. Not anymore. Excluding the season he tore his groin, Luongo’s 55 games this year were his fewest since his sophomore NHL season in 2000-01. In the last quarter of the regular season, Vigneault played Schneider as often as he did Luongo. Then he went to his backup in the third game of the playoffs, even though Luongo was solid the first two games and not responsible for the deficit to the Kings. The Canucks have been thinking ahead, working toward something. And now we know what. Vancouver Sun © Copyright © canada.com E-mail this Article Print this Article Share this Article Font: What Do You Think? Questions? - Visit our FAQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nino Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Only thing that I didn't agree with was the words Los Angeles at the start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tas Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 or maybe they're doing it so if they do get eliminated luongo can get a break instead of being blamed for every playoff elimination since he's been in vancouver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DisplacedBCfan Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 or maybe they're doing it so if they do get eliminated luongo can get a break instead of being blamed for every playoff elimination since he's been in vancouver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nino Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 or maybe they're doing it so if they do get eliminated luongo can get a break instead of being blamed for every playoff elimination since he's been in vancouver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyzer Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 or maybe they're doing it so if they do get eliminated luongo can get a break instead of being blamed for every playoff elimination since he's been in vancouver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyzer Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Who's starting tonight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7thMan Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 I really wish we could stop talking about Luongo being traded. It can't do anything but harm to his confidence and it isn't happening. He was our best player in games 1 and 2 and we still want to trade him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnycanuck46 Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Only thing that I didn't agree with was the words Los Angeles at the start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carson Graham Posted April 19, 2012 Author Share Posted April 19, 2012 I really wish we could stop talking about Luongo being traded. It can't do anything but harm to his confidence and it isn't happening. He was our best player in games 1 and 2 and we still want to trade him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jester@wraiths.ca Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 My view is simple. Both goalies are pretty equal overall, but the difference is in how each goalie adapts to the market he's in. Emotional goalies have trouble in Vancouver. The fanbase here hurts them badly, and it hurts their play. Ice cold, totally calm goalies excel here, the last one was McLean, now Schneider is similar in his calmness. With the way things have gone, I do think Luongo could be feeling, the team is becoming Schneider's, not mine, and will say "here's a list of places I'd go, I'll accept a trade to one of them". I think if he does get moved, his numbers will bounce back up, he simply needs to be in a city where a he won't be scrutinized in the way we do here. Given similar skill in net between the two, Schneider is the one that has the right demeanor for a city that gives most goalies nightmares. I really like Luongo and would rather see him succeed in a city that fit him better, than have his career go downhill because he is too emotional for this town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nino Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Its a Vancouver Sun article...Its just because the Canucks are in LA right now. Go to the bottom of the article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny effin powers Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 i dont think they benched luongo so he wouldn't have his feelings hurt in case we lose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nino Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 My view is simple. Both goalies are pretty equal overall, but the difference is in how each goalie adapts to the market he's in. Emotional goalies have trouble in Vancouver. The fanbase here hurts them badly, and it hurts their play. Ice cold, totally calm goalies excel here, the last one was McLean, now Schneider is similar in his calmness. With the way things have gone, I do think Luongo could be feeling, the team is becoming Schneider's, not mine, and will say "here's a list of places I'd go, I'll accept a trade to one of them". I think if he does get moved, his numbers will bounce back up, he simply needs to be in a city where a he won't be scrutinized in the way we do here. Given similar skill in net between the two, Schneider is the one that has the right demeanor for a city that gives most goalies nightmares. I really like Luongo and would rather see him succeed in a city that fit him better, than have his career go downhill because he is too emotional for this town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zejono Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 well thank God. I am sick of luongo's fragile psyche . schneider looks like a pimp out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underachieving Hero of CDC Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Gillis absolutely will be looking for a way to unload Luongo this summer. The writing is already on the wall. The only question is whether he can move Luongo's contract or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7thMan Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 "We" have no control over Luongo or any other player. The article also has no impact on his trade or no trade. This article is interesting to me & well thought out. I didn't write it, doesn't mean I agree/disagree with it; thought it to be interesting enough to share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lui's Knob Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Opens up a ton of cap for Shea weber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithers joe Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 let's let mrs. aquilinni figure it out.....our team is in a dog fight for survival. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmylu1 Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 I really wish we could stop talking about Luongo being traded. It can't do anything but harm to his confidence and it isn't happening. He was our best player in games 1 and 2 and we still want to trade him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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