Why the Canucks Need to Trade Roberto Luongo Now

Last season Roberto Luongo lost the starting goalie job with the Canucks to the younger Cory Schneider. Luongo was benched in the playoffs in favour of Schneider and he went to GM Mike Gillis to announce he was willing to waive his no-trade to be traded out of Vancouver. After a summer of speculation of Luongo staying in Vancouver or heading to Toronto, Luongo is still a member of the Vancouver Canucks- but not for much longer.

The Canucks are currently 2 games into their 48 game season and both Schneider and Luongo have started a game- both losing their first appearances. The Canucks have made it clear they want to move forward with Cory Schneider between the pipes and have Roberto Luongo back him up for now. But after the new number 1 netminder struggled in the opener things became a little more complicated in the Canucks goal crease. In order to smooth things over the Canucks must ship Roberto Luongo out of town as fast as they can or risk a goaltending war that will be a major distraction for the already banged up Canucks.

Sure Schneider had a rough start in the season opener, surrendering 5 goals on 14 shots and getting pulled in favour for Luongo- but it was the first game of the season after a 113 day lay-off, the Canucks defence played horribly and they're missing many key offencive weapons, you can't entirely blame Schneider! A side note for all Canucks fans freaking out about the rough start on Saturday- 12 other NHL goalies had a horrible day as well, just look at Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Quick. Schneider has proved he is more than capable of being the Canucks number one goalie with his play down the stretch and in the playoffs last season. He's going to get better as the season goes on and he'll be just fine- is it really worth ruining the kids confidence by keeping Luongo around and starting him every other game?

Not only will Schneider's play improve as the season goes on but the Canucks will as well. Right now their whole 2nd line has virtually been lost due to injury, their defence couldn't stop a peewee hockey team right now and some of the most talented goal scorers were unable to score in the shootout against the Oilers. It doesn't matter who's in net the Canucks team from opening weekend wasn't going to win either game. It's still early, players will become healthy again, Ryan Kesler will return and Schneider will bounce back.

Keeping Luongo only adds to the drama in Vancouver. When a team isn't winning the goaltender usually shoulders the most blame and having a "back-up" of Luongo's skill level only adds to the contraversy. How long till fans are chanting they want Luongo in net like they did last year for Schneider? In order to avoid chaos in the lockeroon, amongst the team and for the goaltenders, it's best if Luongo is sent packing. Sometimes having a solid goaltender as a backup pushes your starter to play his best, but in a case with Schneider and Luongo it's more of a distraction that would only hurt the the team. Luongo himself has stated it's time to move on, he wants to head somewhere and turn over a new leaf- this is now Schneider's team. Keeping Luongo around is like the Toronto Maple Leafs still allowing Brian Burke to make trades after being fired.

This is the perfect time for the Canucks to trade Luongo. It's early on in the season, he hasn't sat been sitting on the bench gathering dust and the Canucks could use some help with all the injuries. In a shortened season there's no time to get off to a slow start, with some healthier line-up the Canucks would be better off. Forcing players to play in front of 2 different goalies constantly isn't going to help chemistry and the Canucks could continue their slow start falling further behind. The Canucks made it clear Schneider is their man, keeping Luongo around as "insurance" doesn't help Schneider with his confidence and keeps controversy over the team and the goalies. It's tough enough to play in a Canadian hockey market and even tougher to be a netminder in a Canadian hockey market, why make it worse for your goalie?

The best thing for the Vancouver Canucks to do is trade Roberto Luongo as of yesterday to solidify that they are serious about moving forward with Cory Schneider between the pipes. The don't need the goalie circus to affect the team and could use the reinforcements Luongo would fetch. If the Canucks are serious about fixing their goaltending woes expect Roberto Luongo to be a member of another NHL club by the end of the week.

*Hey guys I've been nominated for a Shorty award- click this link and vote for me please! Username @Hockeylife30

NHL Opening Weekend Recap

This past weekend marked the return of NHL hockey and NHL opening weekend was absolutely beautiful. There were highlight reel goals, jaw-dropping saves and some good old fashioned fights. Rivalries were renewed not only on the ice but also on twitter after fans had been united in the battle against the lockout. Most importantly NHL opening weekend reminded fans just how great the game of hockey truly is. I must say I have missed the NHL- welcome back, welcome back.

Let's talk about the games from NHL opening weekend- which featured all 30 NHL teams. While it may be too early to start judging teams based off their first showings, it's never too early to start talking hockey!

[caption id="attachment_2111" align="aligncenter" width="580"] Jonathan Toews celebrates a goal much to the dismay of the Kings[/caption]

Chicago Blackhawks (5) vs. Los Angeles Kings (2)

• Each member of the Los Angeles Kings- who won the Stanley Cup before the lockout- were given a chance to take a 2nd lap with the coveted Stanley Cup raised above their heads. Arrogant, cocky, or deserved? you decide, but it really seemed to spark the Blackhawks.


• Patrick Kane scored a goal from such a dirty angle that nothing was clean about it. That goal was also the first tally of the 2013 NHL season.


• Jonathan Quick did not look sharp- his angles were off and he wasn't the Quick we saw throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. But it is only the first game of the season and he is coming off back surgery- give him a week he'll be fine.


• Marian Hossa made quite the return scoring 2 goals and adding an assists after being knocked out of playoffs, literally, on a hit from Raffi Torres which left Hossa concussed.

 

[caption id="attachment_2115" align="aligncenter" width="600"] A little scrum from the game[/caption]

Pittsburgh Penguins (3) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (1)

• This was supposed to be the big ticket game on Saturday afternoon, after their intense battle in the first round of the last years playoffs but it simply didn't live up to expectations. There were a few penalties but no big fights, Claude Giroux didn't smoke Sidney Crosby, and neither Crosby nor Evgeni Malkin found the back of the net.


• Good news, both goaltenders seemed to have bounce back from their rocky playoff showings. Marc- Andre Fleury had a .963 Save Percentage and Ilya Bryzgalov had a respectable .923 and really couldn't be blamed for the Flyers loss.


• Luke Schenn made his Flyers debut but was less then stellar tipping a shot into his own goal.

Ottawa Senators (4) vs. Winnipeg Jets (1)

•  I know that the Senators put up 4 goals but this game really showcased the fact that the majority of players hadn't played since last may, this was a very sloppy game early on.


• Erik Karlsson started the year where he left off last- on fire- putting up a 3 points.

 

[caption id="attachment_2117" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Kadri opens the scoring[/caption]

Toronto Maple Leafs (2) vs. Montreal Canadiens (1)

• This was a game between two teams who will likely finish pretty low in the Eastern Conference and it showed- by most accounts a pretty boring game.


• I'm not to sure whether the Leafs actually played well or whether the Canadiens were just flat out horrible. I know it's just 1 game but it may be a long year in Montreal for Habs fans.


• Nazem Kadri had a big night scoring the first goal for the Leafs in 2013 and being arguably the best player on the ice for either team. Kadri was scoring goals and laying hits, he looked very good.


• Mike Kostka made his NHL debut and had a very successful night playing in the top defence pairing despite the majority of fans not knowing who Kostka was. But if he keeps up his strong play fans will quickly learn his name.

New Jersey Devils (2) vs. New York Islanders (1)

• Despite being 40 and having to deal with a tough shortened season, Martin Brodeur was able to pick up the win in his first game of 2013.


• New Jersey gets off on the right foot after losing Zack Parise in the offseason

 

[caption id="attachment_2120" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Lucic celebrates his goal[/caption]

Boston Bruins (3) vs. New York Rangers (1)

• Talk about lockout rust from Vezina winning goalie Henrik Lundqvist! Lundqvist did not look like the king last night, but did manage to make a huge goal-line save on a arguable call- possible save of the year candidate?


• Milan Lucic stayed true to himself scoring the Bruins first goal, taking a boarding penalty and then being kicked out of the game after chirping the Rangers bench. Good to see Lucic's new daughter hasn't affected his play on the ice.


• If there were any doubt that Tukka Rask was ready to step out of the shadows and into the limelight, those doubts were put away after he stopped 20 of 21 shots, to solidify the win for his team.

Tampa Bay Lightning (6) vs. Washington Capitals (3)

• After reaching the 60 goal plateau last season, Steven Stamkos kicked off 2013 with 2 assists.


• Rookie Cory Conacher made his NHL debut and scored a goal- not a bad debut for the kid. Look for Conacher to have a big year in Tampa being the AHL's best rookie last season.


• Alexander Ovechkin made his debut at left wing and managed to do absolutely nothing, heck he couldn't even draw a penalty properly as he was called for a dive.


• It may only be 1 game but it looks like the Lightning have the potential to challenge for a playoff spot this season.

Florida Panthers (5) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (1)

• First off, did anyone at all see this coming after the Hurricanes offseason moves?


• Another surprise the Panthers actually sold out for their home opener!


• Jordan and Eric Staal combined for 0 goals while Alex Kovalev notched a goal and added 2 assists coming up big for the Panthers, despite nobody knowing he was playing for them.


• Jose Theodore made 41 saves in the win, who said the Panthers needed Roberto Luongo?

St. Louis Blues (6) vs. Detroit Red Wings (0)

• After losing Niklas Lidstrom to retirement there were questions about the Wings defence- but I don't think anyone expected them to be that bad!


• Vladamir Tarasenko made his NHL debut and scored 2 goals, throwing his name into the mix for potential rookie of the year debate.

Columbus Blue Jackets (3) vs. Nashville Predators (2)

• The Columbus Blue Jackets won after trading franchise player Rick Nash to the New York Rangers...


• This was a surprising win for the Blue Jackets who were left with virtually a AHL team after the Nash deal- but then again it's only the first game.

[caption id="attachment_2121" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Jaromir Jagr[/caption]

Dallas Stars (4) vs. Phoenix Coyotes (3)

• What a game for one of the ageless wonders Jaromir Jagr who recorded his 666th career NHL goal. He finished off with 2 goals and 2 assists giving him the league lead in points.


• After a fantastic year leading the Coyotes to the Western Conference Finals, Mike Smith had a rough start between the pipes finishing the night with a .846 Save Percentage. Luckily there's still plenty of time for him to turn it around.


• After being traded to the Stars from the Sabres, Derek Roy won 70% of his faceoffs.

Minnesota Wild (4) vs.  Colorado Avalanche (2)

• Danny Heatley scored 2 goals and both were assisted by offseason acquisition Zach Parise.


• The Avalanche's young stars weren't able to hold off the relentless attack of the Wild veterans.

Anaheim Ducks (7) vs. Vancouver Canucks (3)

• Everyone knew the Canucks were a little banged up both on offence and defence- but no one knew they would be this badly off.


• Remember how Cory Schneider was going to replace Luongo- yeah that didn't last too long as Schneider was pulled in favour for Bobby Luo after 5 goals.


• Much like Jagr- Temmu Selanne never seems to age. He's back for another NHL season with the Ducks at age 42 and is off to a fast start with 2 goals and 2 assists on opening night.

[caption id="attachment_2123" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Thomas Vanek scores 1 of 2 goals[/caption]

 

Buffalo Sabres (5) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (2)

• How about Thomas Vanek? Despite a somewhat sluggish start from the winger- he picked his game up scoring 2 goals and assisting on the other 3. A 5 point night for Vanek giving him the NHL scoring lead.


• Sabres goalie Ryan Miller looked in mid-season form, looking sharp and keeping the Sabres afloat until they found their scoring touch. Looks like it may be a bounce back year for Miller.


• The Flyers have started their season 0-2, it's still early on but not a good start for Bryzgalov and the Flyers.


• Hartnell took 1 boarding penalty and hit Tyler Ennis from behind which went uncalled, unlike last years Sabres, this years decided they would do something and stand up to Hartnell. Drew Stafford, yes Stafford- challenged Flyers tough guy to a fight to stand up for his linemate Ennis. There's a new breed of physical Sabres in town and I like them.


• Sabres' youngsters- Cody Hodgson, Marcus Foligno and Mikhail Grigorenko looked good and sparked some youth into the rest of the team.

San Jose Sharks (4) vs. Calgary Flames (1)

• Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Dan Boyle all hade multipoint games.


• The Flames drew first blood and dominated the first period but their flame was put out in the second period.


• Flames rookie Sven Baertschi looked impressive in his debut.

Pittsburgh Penguins (6) vs. New York Rangers (3)

• The king Lundqvist seems to have fallen off his throne early on, losing his second straight game and being pulled against the Penguins.


• The Penguins are proving they are for real defeating their 2nd divisional foe in as many nights. As a result the Penguins are now 4 points ahead of both the Rangers and Flyers.


• Evgeni Malkin lead the way with 3 assists and Crosby managed his first point of 2013.

Minnesota Wild (1) vs. Dallas Stars (0)

• The first shutout of the 2013 season goes to Wild goalie Josh Harding.


• Zach Parise scored the games lone goal, earning his big contract signed this offseason.

Edmonton Oilers (3) vs. Vancouver Canucks (2) S/O

• Sunday evening saw the first shutout and the first shootout of the 2013 season. The young Oilers had a comeback win against the banged up Canucks in the shootout.


• Luongo started the game- all be it as he was scheduled to anyways but was able to drag out a point for his Canucks. Does it make a whole lot of difference in the long run? Probably not, the Canucks have made it clear they're going through with Cory Schneider but it does give folks something to talk about.


• Jordan Eberle scored a beautiful goal to put the Oilers on the board beating Luongo from a sharp angle. I stick by my claim that Eberle will challenge for the MVP award.

Chicago Blackhawks (6) vs. Phoenix Coyotes (4)

• Coyotes goalie Mike Smith continues his rough start with another poor performance allowing the 6 goals against, for a total of 10 goals against in 2 games- the good news for him is his counterpart didn't fare that much better as Ray Emery let in 4.


• The Blackhawks seem to for real, still early on but with 2 back- to -back wins on the road to kick off the season, there isn't much to complain about.


• Marian Hossa continued his hot start by potting another 2 goals in the win.

 

How many people were happy to see the NHL return over the weekend? It was a fantastic weekend of hockey- Some teams got out to hot-starts (Blackhawks, Penguins) while others dropped their first 2 games (Flyers, Rangers). What did you think of this weekends games? Which one's did you watch? What was your favourite highlight- goal or save? I hope you enjoyed the 2013 NHL Opening Weekend!

Top Free Agents

Free agency is just days away and rumours are starting to swirl around who's going where. So it's time to break down the free agency market and see who's available and where they may possibly land.

Forwards:


Zach Parise

Likely the biggest name on the market this season. Chances are Parise will not resign with the New Jersey Devils. While Parise wants to remain loyal to his team it's looking like the financial trouble the Devils may be facing could scare him away. Parise is a complete package any team that is able to afford his price tag will instantly be made better. He never takes a shift off and was a born leader, leading the Devils to within 2 wins of a Stanley Cup. He's a brilliant forward who can put the puck in the net, forecheck hard and never disappoints on defence either.

The three teams in the front running are: Pittsburgh, Detroit and Minnesota. With Sidney Crosby rumoured to have agreed to a 12 year contract with the Penguins there is rumour Parise will be joining him in Pittsburgh as the two are good friends.


Alexander Semin
Semin is a hit and miss player, sometimes he's on fire and other times it's like he's not even on the ice. The Capitals and Semin have virtually parted ways so he will not be returning to his old team. There was some talk he might head over to the KHL but if he can get a team to throw him a large contract he will likely stay. Semin plays a very good offensive game but not a good defensive game. When the Capitals were firing on all cylinders Semin fit in and became one of the top scorers in the league. When the Capitals turned to a more defensive style he struggled and found himself on the bench more often than not.

He would benefit most by going to a team that needs scoring, perhaps the Montreal Canadiens.


Dustin Penner

When the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup they had to give up certain players because they could no longer afford them. Just the same the Kings may have to start unloading some players one of them may be Penner. He's a curious case as he has the size, speed, skill and strength to be a successful NHL player but he scored just 7 goals all regular season. But despite his lack of success during the regular season Penner was a major contributor during the Kings Stanley Cup run much like he was for Anaheim in 2007.

After winning the cup in 2007 he signed by the Oilers but did not succeed in Edmonton. This time around he won't get signed for big money but might find a spot with the Calgary Flames. But if Penner doesn't mind taking a pay cut he could stay with the Kings.


Shane Doan
It would be shocking and painful for Coyotes fans not to see their captain back in the desert next season. He is the heart and soul of the team, the coyotes go as Doan goes and he was a major reason they made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. But at 36 Doan is going to want to make a run at a Stanley Cup and may want to play in a market that is more hockey friendly.

He's a solid goal scorer (reaching the 30 goal mark twice) and a natural leader. If the Devils are unable to retain Parise look for them to take a hard run at Doan.


Brad Boyes
It wouldn't be a good post if it didn't have some sort of tie to the Sabres. Boyes is a player who puzzles me. He's got all the skill and scoring ability yet he is a 4th line player who rarely contributes to the success of the Sabres. Boyes would likely benefit from a change in scenery (and a new coach).

Right now he is dead weight for the Sabres and hopefully will not be resigned. He can still score some goals and would be a solid 20 goal scorer for a team that needs a little scoring boost for their back end. Look for him to meet with the Wild.

Defence


Ryan Suter
Like Parise, Suter is the biggest free agent defenceman available right now.
Suter showed great poise and was huge for the Predators all season including during their playoff run. Right now all eyes are on him so the ball is in his court he will likely head to a team that will utilize him as a number one defenceman.

Look for the Dallas Stars to pursue Suter and offer him a contract.


Bryan Allen
Allen is ranked or regarded as high as Suter but he is a solid defenceman that many teams could benefit from. He doesn't produce a lot of goals but he plays a steady defensive game.

If the Stars are unable to land Suter, look for them to pursue Allen.


Justin Shultz

If you have not heard of Justin Shultz stop reading this article and kindly stop calling yourself a hockey fan. Right now this kid is the hottest name around. Just about 29 teams are looking at. Shultz is playing the Brad Richards card having teams come to him instead of him going to them. The thing about him is he hasn't even played a game in the NHL as he is just coming out of the University of Wisconsin.

Whatever team does end up with the "highly ranked" prospect who skipped the draft will likely end up over paying due to how much interest there reportedly is. He will be a hit or miss prospect that will hopefully perform well for whatever team courts him.

The short list is down to 5 teams including: Toronto, Vancouver, New York Rangers, Edmonton and Ottawa.


Hal Gill
Hal Gill is a player I have always loved to watch play, right from his days in Toronto. Although he suffered an injury that cut his season short he still saw an improvement in his goals and point production this year with Nashville. He is expected to make a full recovery over the off season and be ready for training camp.

Look for the Predators to retain Gill, especially if they lose Suter. Note Hal Gill resigned a 2 year deal with the Predators worth $4 million.

Matt Carle
While Carle will test the free agency markets he will still keep a foot in the door with the Flyers. A very solid defenceman who will be sought after during free agency. But I wouldn't expect him to leave the Flyers.

Goalies:


Cory Schneider
Technically Cory Schneider is not a real free agent and the Canucks have to intention of letting him walk and he will be their starter next season. Schneider single out played world class goaltender Roberto Luongo for the starting job and as a result chased the veteran out of town.


With Scneider between the pipes the Canucks have a bright future and a clean slate, they can put all this Luongo drama behind them and run with the young goalie who has a bright future.

Note- Cory Schneider agreed to a 3 year deal worth $12 million with the Canucks. 


Martin Biron
Biron is one of the most valuable back up goalies in the league. If a teams starter goes down to injury Biron is more than able to step right in and carry the work load of the starter. He spent last season in New York backing up the king Henrik Lundqvist and while his stats are no where close to the starter he was still a very solid back up goalie.

The Rangers would like to maintain Biron's services next for next season, but if they don't offer him some decent money 29 other teams would be more than willing to give the 34 year old a shot.


Martin Brodeur
If Brodeur decides that he is able to come back and play another season in the NHL the New Jersey Devils would gladly welcome him back. His performance last season taking the Devils to within 2 games of a Stanley Cup didn't hurt his cause either. Although Brodeur is 40 now he has not slowed down much and can still outplay young goalies, just when you think he's getting old he makes an amazing save out of no where.

It is unlikely Brodeur will part ways with the Devils as he has played with them his hole career, so it's just a matter of time before he resigns with them to end off his career.


Scott Clemmensen
With such a dry goaltending market this off season Clemmensen may be able to find a team that wouldn't ordinarily need his services. He played in just 25 games last season and as a result his Goals Against Average was a little high, but it will likely come down with some more consistent playing time.

Clemmensen would be a solid cheap back up for any team especially a team who has a starter who is shaky or goes down to injury.

More interesting free agents to keep an eye out for: Ryan Smyth, Teemu Selanne, Jaromir Jagr, Ray Whitney and Paul Gaustad.

Also be on the lookout for deals the involve Rick Nash and Bobby Ryan.

Tune in July 1st to see where some of the big name free agents are heading.