With the eyes of the hockey world firmly focused on the collective bargaining negotiations between the NHL and the players' union, trade talk has cooled down over the past week, along with talk of potential free agent signings.
With the league apparently headed towards a lockout, the prospect of a shortened season could throw a wrench in some teams' plans, and one of those teams could well be the Vancouver Canucks, who have been in the process of trying to trade All-Star goaltender Roberto Luongo.
The presumption since May has been that Luongo will be dealt this offseason in order to clear the way for Cory Schneider, who effectively supplanted Luongo as the Canucks' No. 1 goaltender during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, replacing Luongo in the Canucks' Western Conference Quarterfinal loss to the Los Angeles Kings. However, with trade talk cooling off amidst the CBA negotiations and a lockout likely to lead to a hasty start to the season, the Canucks could quite easily go into the 2012-13 season with Schneider and Luongo as their goaltending tandem.
Canucks general manager Mike Gillis has said, of course, that he's comfortable with that possibility, so at this point, don't be surprised to see Luongo still in a Canucks uniform when the season starts (and yes, it will start). The question is how long that state of affairs might last, and whether that will be affected by the shortened season.
After all, a shortened season could mean a condensed schedule, and a condensed schedule can certainly be a strain on a goaltender, particularly a first-time NHL starter like Schneider (although it is worth noting that Schneider regularly played back-to-back games at Boston College). If the Canucks find themselves dealing with a condensed schedule, it may be worthwhile for them to hold onto Luongo for one more year, and take advantage of having the best goaltending tandem in the NHL.
At the same time, it's hard to imagine that Gillis would turn down a good deal for Luongo if it becomes available. The risks of having Luongo remain in Vancouver are obvious: the risk of a goaltending controversy, the possibility that a sour Luongo could affect the locker room chemistry, etc. In addition, while Luongo would be the best backup goaltender in the league, no backup goaltender is worth $5.3 million.
At this point in the summer, given what else is going on, it may be too late for a Luongo trade...although the reality is that you never know. The Rick Nash trade, after months of speculation, came out of the blue on a Monday afternoon. Still, figure on Luongo starting the season as a Canuck, and possibly even staying that way until next summer.
