By: Jessy Dhillon
Finally the Canucks goaltending saga has come to an end! Everyone expected the Canucks to eventually part ways with Roberto Luongo, but in what sent shockwaves across the National Hockey League, Mike Gillis decided to trade Cory Schneider to the New Jersey Devils for their 9th overall pick in the draft. The Canucks picked London Knights centre Bo Horvat with the 9th overall pick. All season long, Canucks management had tried to trade their veteran goaltender Roberto Luongo; however, many teams who were in need of a goalie were not interested in taking on Luongo’s large contract. Roberto Luongo is 34 and still has nine years left on his contract, which means he will most likely retire before his contract is up. I agree with many people in the media that Mike Gillis was asking for way too much for Luongo before the start of last season. The Toronto Maple Leafs were interested in acquiring Luongo; but Mike Gillis demanded a hefty return for the Canucks all-time leading wins leader. Canucks ownership was not interested in buying out Roberto Luongo’s contract either. A buyout would pay Luongo half of his yearly salary for the next 18 years.
Let’s look at the deal that was made: Cory Schneider for the 9th pick overall. Now I would have loved this deal if it was made two years ago, but with Cory taking over the starting position and showing he was capable of blossoming into the star many expect him to be, this deal looks bad on Mike Gillis’ part. The Los Angeles Kings traded Jonathan Bernier, their back-up goalie, to the Toronto Maple Leafs for goalie Ben Scrivens, Matt Frattin and a second round pick. Scrivens and Frattin are NHL ready and both have had experience playing in the big leagues. I have a feeling Bo Horvat will be an impact player, but I feel the Canucks could have got more than a draft pick for their starting goalie, considering what L.A. got for Bernier. A veteran defensemen or a depth centre would have been nice to be added on to the trade. Gillis was in talks with Edmonton about moving Schneider to the Oilers, but the asking price was too much for the Oilers to give up (1st round pick, 2nd round pick and a high end prospect). Although the two teams play in the same division, I would have welcomed that trade, just as long as Cory did not end up leading the Oilers to a Stanley Cup. Many other teams at the NHL Draft were shocked and stunned when they heard Gary Bettman announce the trade. Word was that many teams had offered better packages for Schneider.
All the while the trade was in the process of being finalized, Francesco Aquilini just happened to be in Roberto Luongo’s Florida neighbourhood to let his former star goalie know that the Canucks wanted him back as their starting goalie. Why wouldn’t the Canucks notify Roberto Luongo earlier about maybe having him return? Why would they keep telling him, media and fans that they have been actively trying to shop around? Management and ownership knew that they were not going to find a trade suitor for Lou and ownership was not willing to buy him out. So the communication process should have been a lot clearer with Roberto on the direction that the team had decided to go. Luckily for the Canucks, Luongo is an honest hard working professional who plays with a lot of pride. He is a born competitor who still has a lot left in the tank.
The Canucks “championship window” is closing. They have two, maybe three years left with the core they have. The Canucks should have traded Cory before the start of last season, where they could have added some NHL ready depth to their team. Instead, Gillis buckled under pressure and traded a great goalie for a prospect that will be good once the “championship window” is closed. I find it funny that Mike Gillis mentioned that the Canucks wanted to develop Schneider into a NHL starter and then use him as an asset for a trade. What a load of crap. Mike Gillis has made many mistakes in his time as Canucks General Manager, but I feel this one was the worst of them all. His days are numbered in Vancouver.
