UPDATED BLOG: 2:00 PM
The trade deadline has come and gone and, in fine Vancouver Canuck tradition, very little happened.
It sounds to me like Mike Gillis remained firm on his price of a young center, a prospect and a high draft pick in exchange for Ryan Kesler, but couldn't get a bite at that price.
I absolutely believe that Gillis' phone was ringing all day long, but as the hours wore on, I saw news of more and more teams dropping out of the running. The Flyers were probably the first to withdraw—they only ended up dealing defenseman Andrej Meszaros—then the Red Wings, who picked up David Legwand for Patrick Eaves and two other minor pieces, then probably Pittsburgh, who made a last-minute play for Lee Stempniak.
Seems like Anaheim was in it right till the end; after clearing both roster and cap space by trading Dustin Penner on Tuesday, they only added someone named Andre Petersson today.
That being said, the gap between buyers and sellers seemed big today and after Tampa Bay picked up Ryan Callahan and a bunch of picks in exchange for Marty St. Louis, that may have set the stage for some mismatched expectations as the day wore on.
In the end, Garth Snow was only able to rustle up Swedish prospect Sebastian Collberg and a conditional draft pick in exchange for Thomas Vanek. There's a guy whose hot-seat must be roasting his cheeks even more than Gillis' after he gave up a first-rounder and Matt Moulson to acquire Vanek just a few months ago.
That being said, Gillis created another tone-deaf moment by holding his post-deadline press conference on the golf course in Phoenix. Way to make it look like you've been hard at work!
So, we say goodbye to Raphael Diaz and his fantastic accent—an impending unrestricted free agent whose moderate effectiveness on the power play is no longer needed since the Canucks didn't draw a single penalty in Phoenix on Tuesday. Beyond that, we stay the course.
There's talk today that the Canucks' goal is now to concentrate on making the playoffs. Has anyone told them their odds are down to 11 percent? The team has scored eight goals in eight games since Feb. 1 and there's no magic production hiding in the shadows now. I made my pitch for a playoff run last week but a record of 1-2-1 and more of the same since the return from the Olympic break has thoroughly dampened my expectations.
It's going to be a bleak ride from here to the finish.
Goodbye Luo!
Roberto Luongo spoke to TSN's James Duthie on the phone this morning, and while he sounds a little sad to realize that he's really leaving Vancouver, he said that he spoke to his agent Pat Brisson after the Heritage Classic debacle and Brisson took matters into his own hands, contacting Florida himself.
This scenario is confirmed by TSN's Darren Dreger:
Luongo changed agents last summer, after failing to be moved at the deadline and after the Cory Schneider trade.
Click here for the story from last July.
This is not a deal that would have been available last year. New owner Vincent Viola and his chequebook are an important part of what has made this happen now, and NHL.com
reports
that the Panthers actually introduced a brand new president and CEO, Rory Babich, on Monday. Looks like he's the kind of guy who wants to make a splash.
As far as the return, it may not look like much but honestly, I'm impressed the Canucks were able to get anything at all. I really thought the race was on to a summer buyout.
Brisson also confirmed on TSN Radio in Toronto today that the Heritage Classic incident played a huge part in triggering his actions.
Torts continues to vigorously own that decision, insisting that Luongo wasn't being held out of the game because he was being shopped. Here's the tail end of that thought—the part that matters:
Is Torts a hero or a zero in the eyes of management for triggering an end to a long, awkward stalemate?
For the moment, Shawn Matthias sounds pumped to be joining the Canucks:
I didn't hear it, but apparently Jason Botchford was on TEAM1040 on Tuesday, talking about other deals the Canucks were offered over the last two years that Luongo squelched with his no-trade clause. If anyone has the link to that audio, please post it in the comments and I'll add it in here later.
I will share this link to Botchford's "Provies" from last night's game, which I thought really went deep into the feeling inside the dressing room surrounding Luongo's departure. That listless sense of loss certainly clouded the on-ice play in Phoenix.
This is well worth a read.
Tomorrow, I'll look at new goalie Jacob Markstrom, his past relationship with Lack, and how prominently goaltending coach Rollie Melanson figures in this whole scenario. We'll need something to discuss as the team plays out the string...
Oh yeah—after one wisecrack after his loss last night about Dale Tallon needing his tires pumped, Tim Thomas took the first flight to Dallas today. Wouldn't it be ironic if he's in net when the Canucks face the Stars on Thursday?
Back in Florida, I'm not sure how many of these they would have made given the notoriously small crowds at Panthers games, but it's awkward nonetheless:
New President Rory Babich says fans that want them will still be able to get them from the team.
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