nuck nit Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 July 31, 2013 | 9:37am ET Bieksa ready to roll with Luongo TheFourthPeriod.com The Vancouver Canucks have undergone a few major changes this summer, and while a new face will lead them behind the bench, a familiar one will lead them between the pipes. Bieksa was surprised to learn on June 30 that the Canucks traded young netminder Cory Schneider instead of veteran Roberto Luongo, after the team had feverishly tried to deal him. Everyone within the hockey community was surprised to hear of the news, including both Schneider and Luongo. "I'd probably be lying if I said I wasn't shocked. I think most people were," said Bieksa, before hitting the links at the 21st annual NHLPA Golf Classic in Oakville, Ontario, on Tuesday. "It was something that probably came out of the blue, and I don't think anyone had an idea. "With contracts and the salary cap today, things like that are going to happen. It's a business, and at the end of the day, you put your head down and go to work." Luongo wasn't informed of the Canucks' decision to keep him until after he heard the news of the Schneider trade on television, and he's yet to officially speak publicly since the deal. Canucks GM Mike Gillis and team owner Francesco Aquilini flew down to meet with Luongo on two separate occasions since the trade, and the team expects him to attend training camp in September. "I think he's doing okay," Bieksa said of Luongo. "Obviously, it's a pretty difficult situation. This has been going on for a year and a half now, he's had to have a thick skin through the whole process -- I think he's handled it extremely well and like a professional, but it is still tough. "I haven't spoken to him recently, we did exchange texts a little bit after Cory was traded, but I'm assuming I'll see him soon and everything will be nice and peachy." The move was equally difficult for Schneider, who was expected to take over at the Canucks' No. 1 goalie next season. Instead, he'll spend the 2013-14 campaign under Martin Brodeur, who is expected to be playing in his final NHL season. "It was a difficult thing for (Schneider), as well," Bieksa said. "I don't think he had a lot of heads up." Barring a dramatic change of events, Luongo will be the Canucks' starting goalie this coming season. Bieksa can't wait for the new season to get underway, and is interested to see how things will be under new head coach John Tortorella. "I'm looking forward to it," he said. "(Tortorella's) a proven winner; he's won a Stanley Cup before, he's very intense. I think he'll be good for our team and we're really excited to have a clean slate and to start the season." The Canucks haven't made many roster moves this off-season, which has led to many questions about the club's ability to go deep in the playoffs after a quick first-round exit in May. "We have high expectations for our group," Bieksa said. "We've had the same core guys there for a while, but that's the result of guys taking long-term deals at bargain rates because they want to be there. The guys that are there want to be there; they've left money on the table from other teams to stay. There is talk that we're getting older, but I think that we're as hungry as ever, though. We're kind of chomping at the bit to get going." TFP Editor-in-Chief David Pagnotta contributed to this report. http://www.thefourthperiod.com/news/van130731.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanucksFanMike Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 Atta boy juice.... I think he will thrive under torts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herberts Vasiljevs Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 "nice and peachy" - LOL, well said juice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJDDawg Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 ... "I think he's doing okay," Bieksa said of Luongo. ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 I saw that interview yesterday. Juice's facial expressions and tone didn't exactly scream "yeah, Lui's good everything will be fine". It sounded and felt more like he (Bieksa) was resigned to the fact that this soap opera was not going to end any time soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canucks#01fan Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 A lot of people were saying bieksa wont do good under torts but i think it's the opposite, he needs someone to push him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanuckClown Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 A lot of people were saying bieksa wont do good under torts but i think it's the opposite, he needs someone to push him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 The Sedins are actually the question mark. Esp. when they are UFA's next summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanuckClown Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 The Sedins are actually the question mark. Esp. when they are UFA's next summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanuckClown Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 The perception that the Sedins are getting older and slowing down ignores the reality that last year we had no secondary scoring, and our PP sucked. If one wishes to pin that all on the Sedins, then yes, I suppose they're on the decline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 The perception that the Sedins are getting older and slowing down ignores the reality that last year we had no secondary scoring, and our PP sucked. If one wishes to pin that all on the Sedins, then yes, I suppose they're on the decline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Fivehole0 Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 Great article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamJamIam Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 Exactly. You take out guys like Salo and Ehrhoff who they had natural chemistry with, and obviously their point totals will go down. They were making vintage Sedin plays all last season, the problem was just that lack of a second line, and third line for that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 That's not at all what he said although I do agree that Ehrhoff was a great piece of the team (though not worth what Buffalo pays him) and Salo was great until 2012 when he really slowed down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Fivehole0 Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 Who do you think was responsible for QBing our powerpkay? Ehrhoff and Salo. Take them out of the equation and obviously our powerplay is gonna suffer, and therefore the Sedins production. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabatoge95 Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 Agreed - i think Juice is a Torts kinda player. He responds well when he's pissed off. I think Torts will light a fire under him. Edler is the big question mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanucksSayEh Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 He needs to stop waiting till he's mad to play good. Stop avoiding contact and make the right passes, will really help in his brain fart turnover moments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onions Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 everyone makes mistakes.... some more than others.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xbox Posted August 3, 2013 Share Posted August 3, 2013 This is exactly why I love Bieksa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckNORRIS4Cup Posted August 3, 2013 Share Posted August 3, 2013 Gillis basically did the same thing he did with Hodgson. He was show boating Schneider for a trade, he took advantage of a shortened season to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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