Let the Roberto Luongo trade rumors begin....again...and again. Luongo was never supposed to play the 2013 season with the Vancouver Canucks. Then, he was never supposed to play the end of the regular season with the Canucks. Yet, somehow the playoffs rolled around and there was Luongo starting in the net for the first game against the New York Islanders. The veteran goalie has been the subject of every trade rumors in the book and yet was never traded. Vancouver just wrapped their 2013 season in disappointing fashion with their second-straight first-round exit from the postseason and once again, Luongo is being named the first player to go.
Getting rid of Luongo has proven to be just as hard as winning a playoff game for the Canucks. Luongo is currently signed through the 2021-2022 season. At 33, it is unlikely he will finish out that contract. The type of contract Luongo is signed to is now outlawed under the new CBA, which is hurting possible trade negotiations with other teams. An organization must be willing to take on such a hefty deal for a veteran.
Vancouver has tried to get almost every team in the league to bite at Luongo. Everyone from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Tampa Bay Lightning have taken a look at the accomplished veteran but have never made a formal offer for him. General manager Mike Gillis is confident that this summer's trade landscape will be much different and is highly confident that Luongo will not be returning to the team next year. Whether by trade or buyout, Gillis knows Luongo's time is up.
Letting go of Luongo is just the first of many changes headed to Vancouver. Speaking to the media on Thursday, Gillis said he will be meeting with team owner Francesco Aquilini to discuss everyone's job from his own to head coach Alain Vigneault. While some blame for the Canuck's postseason struggles on Vigneault, Gillis praised the coach's talents, but would not comment on whether he would return next season.
The core group of starting players on the team's roster are all safe. Gillis notes the Sedin twins, Ryan Kesler, Jannik Hansen and Zack Kassian are all valuable members who will help Vancouver grow in the future. He is unsure what "changes" are coming to the team, but vows that as the summer rolls on, a better Canucks organization will emerge.