Luongo a Canuck!!!

[Regs]

Bertuzzi is being sued for fraud now by Steve Moore. I don't think Bert will ever be free of this controversy enough to be effective.

 

[Yoda]

What sort of fraud?
Pretending to be a first line, high scoring, center for an NHL hockey team?

 

[Regs]

He sold his house worth $1.2 million to his wife for $2 a few weeks after the incident... she's being sued as well.

 

[FCbytca]

hehe this is gettin funny, do you think the "canuck fans" care now?? or would they care more if he was still in vancouver (i'm sure he is tannin on the beaches in florida allreayd )

 

[Dial 9-1-1]

He sold his house worth $1.2 million to his wife for $2 a few weeks after the incident... she's being sued as well.

I don't blame him for doing so and he probably did so on the advice of his lawyer. If any of us were in danger of being sued for millions, we'd do the exact same thing to save our assets.

Side note...

A buddy of mine works for the CBC and we went out for drinks with a couple of the HNIC crew. One of the analysts (a former NHLer) told us how there were often times before a game when a player would state in the dressing room: "C'mon boys. Let's go out there and win one for our fans tonight."

This would cause a total uproar of laughter amongst the players.

Maybe one day the paying public will figure it out and quit tossing their hard-earned cash towards these guys who really could not give a flying you-know-what about the fans!

 

[canucklehead]

I have to agree with Regs.
There are those out there that are of the thinking that the Canucks should have held on to him and that they were just bowing to public/media pressures. With a 19m law suit on the table along with this fraud charge now, he's got more crap to deal with this year then he did last season. And if he were still here, he'd be dealing with media and all of the crap that goes with it. For him, the distance from Vancouver is the only thing that could help and really, do we have wanted to see a repeat of last year? Mind you, these are generally the same people that say that the Canucks should have hired Pat Quinn as coach again. Crazy!

 

[canucklehead]

I don't blame him for doing so and he probably did so on the advice of his lawyer. If any of us were in danger of being sued for millions, we'd do the exact same thing to save our assets.

Side note...

A buddy of mine works for the CBC and we went out for drinks with a couple of the HNIC crew. One of the analysts (a former NHLer) told us how there were often times before a game when a player would state in the dressing room: "C'mon boys. Let's go out there and win one for our fans tonight."

This would cause a total uproar of laughter amongst the players.

Maybe one day the paying public will figure it out and quit tossing their hard-earned cash towards these guys who really could not give a flying you-know-what about the fans!

Not surprising, really. Anyone who thought that they really give a crap about the fans is fooling themselves. It's just a business.

 

[Keeper]

He sold his house worth $1.2 million to his wife for $2 a few weeks after the incident... she's being sued as well.

He got ripped off. I would've given him five.

 

[Sandman]

According to tsn.ca

Lunogo deal is done 4yrs at 6.8 million a year. News conference this afternoon.

Sandman

 

[canucklehead]

According to tsn.ca

Lunogo deal is done 4yrs at 6.8 million a year. News conference this afternoon.

Sandman

That's alot of cake!! I hope this works out.
from tsn.ca:
CKNW Radio in Vancouver adds that the deal will pay Luongo $6 million US in the first year, $6.5 million US in the second year, $7 million in the third year, and $7.5 million in the final year. The contract also contains a no-trade clause for the final three years.

 

[Yoda]

he better work out with a no trade clause.

Why don't they let Jovo go and then pick up Arnott to center Naslund and Morrison.
Heck, even give him the "C".
We're sure to win the Cup then!

 

[Dapotayto]

Oh, c'mon Yoda, when have goalie trades ever not panned out for the Canucks?

Pssst. By the way, Bertuzzi wasn't impersonating a center, as he isn't one. He plays on the wing. Oh, and you don't need someone to center Naslund and Morrison as Morrison is a center. Hope this helps.

 

[Dude]

This is a good deal. You have to pay in order to get one of the best current and future goaltenders. Sure its a risk, but nobody gets anywhere without taking risks. Would rather take the riskier, less conservative approach to re-building the Canucks.

In this case, change is good...very good.

Yoda: give me one good, compelling reason why Naslund is a suitable Captain for this team, in it's current state. Hell, you can't even point to past success with him, when the team was playing well in the regular season and falling on it's face in the playoffs.

Leadership is key, and this squad was clearly lacking it, from the Coach, and from it's Captain(s), save the short spell we had Jovonoski in the line-up.

The coaching change was needed, and I'm willing to give Alain Vigneault the benefit of the doubt. He did have a great season in Montreal w/ a terrible squad, as well as last year motivating players that ultimately exceeded expectation. Crow's song and dance had become old.

I hope the 'Nucks can keep Jovo. Recent interviews and reports are leaving me hopeful. If he does, the right thing to do is to ask Naslund to pass it on to Jovo. If he's OK with that, then great...let the man play hard without the burden (since he clearly can't shoulder it). If not, and he objects to it, he needs to be moved, while he is still marketable.

 

[Sandman]

Jovo is gone.....

If Jovo was to sign for 6 million that would mean that 3 players (Luongo, Naslund and Jovo) would make up 42% of the team payroll. That folks would not make any sense.

Lets face it - Canuck success depends on a goalie who has never played a playoff game.

All our eggs in one basket? I would have rather signed Niedermeyer last year for that amount.

Sandman

 

[Yoda]

Hope this helps.

A tonne.

 

[canucklehead]

This is a good deal. You have to pay in order to get one of the best current and future goaltenders. Sure its a risk, but nobody gets anywhere without taking risks. Would rather take the riskier, less conservative approach to re-building the Canucks.

In this case, change is good...very good.

Yoda: give me one good, compelling reason why Naslund is a suitable Captain for this team, in it's current state. Hell, you can't even point to past success with him, when the team was playing well in the regular season and falling on it's face in the playoffs.

Leadership is key, and this squad was clearly lacking it, from the Coach, and from it's Captain(s), save the short spell we had Jovonoski in the line-up.

The coaching change was needed, and I'm willing to give Alain Vigneault the benefit of the doubt. He did have a great season in Montreal w/ a terrible squad, as well as last year motivating players that ultimately exceeded expectation. Crow's song and dance had become old.

I hope the 'Nucks can keep Jovo. Recent interviews and reports are leaving me hopeful. If he does, the right thing to do is to ask Naslund to pass it on to Jovo. If he's OK with that, then great...let the man play hard without the burden (since he clearly can't shoulder it). If not, and he objects to it, he needs to be moved, while he is still marketable.

All good points. In listening to Ronning this week, he stressed the chemistry is the MOST important part of success. That no amount of talent would beat out chemistry. Rangers, case in point. All talent, no chemistry no playoffs. Enter Jagr, build chemistry around him with Chech National team and you get a far better team with a playoff appearance. Obviously the culture of the team stank last year and some of that has to fall back on Naslund not being able to get the room pulling the same way. Like you said, change is good. Agreed that Jovo would be a good chioce for C and also felt optomistic this week after hearing him speak but we will soon know what his intnetions are. They will have to bring a player in from outside of the team to wear the C should Naslund give it up/lose it/or be traded.

 

[Yoda]

For those of you who've been hiding in a cave today, or those who depend on these threads for the latest sports news

Canucks lock up Luongo
June 29, 2006

(CP) - Roberto Luongo is the top-paid goaltender in the world. Now he simply hopes to prove he's worth it.

"It's up to me to deliver," Luongo said Thursday after signing a $27-million US, four-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks.

His $6.75-million average salary matches Chicago's Nikolai Khabibulin for the highest-paid by any goaltender in the NHL.

"I think he is (worth it), he's one of the top two or three goaltenders in the game," Canucks GM Dave Nonis said on the phone from Vancouver. "He's not an old man by any stretch of the imagination and we wanted him here for more than one year.

"I'd rather take him out of free agency now, get him comfortable, and see if we can't have any success as a group."

After six losing seasons with the Florida Panthers and New York Islanders, Luongo hopes his new lucrative contract also includes a first-ever playoff game.

"There's no doubt in my mind that once I get we're going to make a run for the Stanley Cup and that's why I'm coming there."

The Canucks needed to pay big to keep the 27-year-old Montreal native from become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

It took Vancouver GM Dave Nonis only a matter of days to accomplish what the Panthers weren't able to do in over a year.

"As soon as my agent made contact with them it was smooth sailing right away," Luongo said. "The offer we signed today was the same we offered the Florida Panthers (before being traded)."

Florida's last offer last Friday was $25 million over four years. But it's more than $2 million that kept the Panthers and Luongo apart.

Luongo's new deal has a no-trade clause that kicks in July 1, 2007. He's make $6 million next season, $6.5 million in 2007-08, $7 million in 2008-09 and $7.5 million in 2009-10 -- the same year he could be starting for Team Canada in the Vancouver Olympic Games.
"It's funny you say that, I actually did think about that once the trade was done," said Luongo, who backed up Martin Brodeur in Turin this year. "That would be a great story in the making. But it is still four years away and I have to make sure I stay on top of my game, there's a lot of great young goalies out there who will battle for that."

The trade remains a tough sell at home.

"Definitely, my wife is from Florida, all her family is there," said Luongo. "It's not an easy situation for her to be part of. But I'm sure once we get there and settle down ..... and she can go back any time and visit her family, so I think she'll enjoy it."

Luongo, now the highest-paid Canuck ahead of captain Markus Naslund and his $6-million average salary, is pumped about playing in a passionate hockey market like Vancouver for the next four seasons.

"I'm going to a great hockey team and a great hockey city," he said. "The arena is sold out every night, everybody is watching and paying attention. So right there it puts more pressure on a player and that's something that I enjoy. I feel that raises my level of play a notch when I'm in a situation like that." .

Luongo was 35-30-9 last season with a 2.97 goals-against-average, a .914 save percentage and four shutouts. Luongo has played a total of 341 NHL games, posting a record of 115-168-41, a 2.72 GAA and a save percentage of .919.

Anyone else hear the stat that he had more shots on him than anyone else in the league, 2488 to be exact. Next highest was Brodeur with 2105. That's a difference of 383 shots!
I think he's going to be bored in Vancouver.

 

[FCbytca]

thats all nice and dandy but he still doesn't want to be here. Nucks need to pick up 3 more solid guys but I think I am gettin on sumtin here when i say, naslund will be playing w/ the twins on the first line next year, poor carter, he is about to get screwed

 

[canucklehead]

Anyone else hear the stat that he had more shots on him than anyone else in the league, 2488 to be exact. Next highest was Brodeur with 2105. That's a difference of 383 shots!
I think he's going to be bored in Vancouver.

In listening to some media personalitites, it sounds like a big reason for his huge shot totals has to do with giving up a ton of rebounds. I am sure that with a quality goalie coach they can work that out. Cloutier improved on his positioning 1000% while working with Ian Clarke and weather they keep him or bring in someone else of similer ilk, he should be alright.

 

[Kevin Hector]

Who cares about reid. He wouldn't have made the team las year with Crawford as coach. He may make the team but what is he really. A 3rd liner at best. Not a real differenc maker

Yeah I agree, another reason to love the Canucks