Carol Schram: Toffoli's heroics sting for Canucks fans, while Luongo's GM debut is golden A series-clinching overtime goal by Tyler Toffoli on Monday was bittersweet for Vancouver Canucks fans, while one-time Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo captures gold with Team Canada as a first-time general manager at the World Championship, and one-time forward Alex Burrows is on his way to Round 3 in his first season as an NHL assistant coach.

I would love to see Luongo come back as GM . He should immediately sign himself as a back up goalie and get rid of that last year of recapture.

OK, It is now time to think about which high-priced player(s) go and for what, and sign your young guns to long deals, or 4 yr bridge deals.

Thank's Carol,

It's refreshing to see the Canuck's mismanaged assets enjoying success with their new teams.

Thank you Carol. Great piece.

Kinda neat seeing members of the 2011 team move onto successes in their life after hockey. With the way things have gone for Burr, Lu, Bieksa and Kes, I have no reason to think the Sedins won't follow suit. That would pretty much be the leadership group from that team. Pretty impressive actually.

Toffoli was def a player they should have kept but you are fooling yourself if you think it would have made a difference this past season. If things return to normal next season, VAN should bounce back

Thx Carol, Personally I think Luongo shouldn’t be welcomed back. His heart has always been in Florida and he (frank)ed us over. Beat it Luongo

Thanks Carol, great blog although I didn’t see any mention of World Championship MVP, 6th round draft pick, leading goal scorer, Flames forward, Andrew Mangiapani.


Good to see TT leading the way for the Habs.

With Loungo’s record now as GM he instantly becomes a candidate for future duties in Vancouver. Wonder if he’ll come in and insist on making Bubbles captain.

Thank you Carol. Great piece.

Kinda neat seeing members of the 2011 team move onto successes in their life after hockey. With the way things have gone for Burr, Lu, Bieksa and Kes, I have no reason to think the Sedins won't follow suit. That would pretty much be the leadership group from that team. Pretty impressive actually.
- Load Management

Burrows and Luongo already have formed a successful wine import business.

https://www.burrowsluongo.com/

Wouldn't be a stretch for them to form a GM/coaching tandem at some point down the road. How successful that would be is a question mark.

Toffoli was def a player they should have kept but you are fooling yourself if you think it would have made a difference this past season. If things return to normal next season, VAN should bounce back
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

It was a strategic decision by the GM. He opted to sign Virtanen ($2,550,000) & Pearson ($3,750,000). There wasn't a need to make an offer to Toffoli ($4,250,000) MTL.

Thanks Carol, great blog although I didn’t see any mention of World Championship MVP, 6th round draft pick, leading goal scorer, Flames forward, Andrew Mangiapani.


Good to see TT leading the way for the Habs.

With Loungo’s record now as GM he instantly becomes a candidate for future duties in Vancouver. Wonder if he’ll come in and insist on making Bubbles captain.
- K-man25

Mangiapane was a huge difference maker, and good for him for going over late, on his own, after playing out those games against the Canucks.

I will say that the first time I ever saw him play was in Penticton at YoungStars, in...2017, I believe. Unusual name, so I remembered it while I was watching Canucks hopefuls like Demko, Boeser and Juolevi — and longshots like Cole Candella, Jakob Stukel and Brett McKenzie.

His career arc has been tremendous. Still only 25 — and under contract another year. He could be setting himself up for a nice payday.

Thanks Carol, great blog although I didn’t see any mention of World Championship MVP, 6th round draft pick, leading goal scorer, Flames forward, Andrew Mangiapani.


Good to see TT leading the way for the Habs.

With Loungo’s record now as GM he instantly becomes a candidate for future duties in Vancouver. Wonder if he’ll come in and insist on making Bubbles captain.
- K-man25

Never heard of him.

Toffoli was def a player they should have kept but you are fooling yourself if you think it would have made a difference this past season. If things return to normal next season, VAN should bounce back
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

It was a strategic decision by the GM. He opted to sign Virtanen ($2,550,000) & Pearson ($3,750,000). There wasn't a need to make an offer to Toffoli ($4,250,000) MTL.
- VanHockeyGuy

Yet Toffoli's 44 points is nearly double that of Pearson and Virtanen's point totals combined (23 points).

One could argue that Toffoli might not have reached that total on a poorly coached Canucks but it's not like Montreal has an overly talented team on paper so it's possible that Toffoli kept that pace going regardless of team.

Thanks Carol!

Lol Bloatsey, not the same Burrows or Luongo.

Thanks Carol!

Lol Bloatsey, not the same Burrows or Luongo.
- 1970vintage

I know, I've posted that before as a joke.

Never heard of him.
- Load Management

Welll son you’re going to here of him lots next year as he drives to the net around that pylon Schmidt to score on Bubbles.

Yet Toffoli's 44 points is nearly double that of Pearson and Virtanen's point totals combined (23 points).

One could argue that Toffoli might not have reached that total on a poorly coached Canucks but it's not like Montreal has an overly talented team on paper so it's possible that Toffoli kept that pace going regardless of team.
- bloatedmosquito

Toffoli was signed as a pure rental for the Cup run.

Mangiapane was a huge difference maker, and good for him for going over late, on his own, after playing out those games against the Canucks.

I will say that the first time I ever saw him play was in Penticton at YoungStars, in...2017, I believe. Unusual name, so I remembered it while I was watching Canucks hopefuls like Demko, Boeser and Juolevi — and longshots like Cole Candella, Jakob Stukel and Brett McKenzie.

His career arc has been tremendous. Still only 25 — and under contract another year. He could be setting himself up for a nice payday.
- Carol Schram

To think all teams passed on him in his draft year and the Flames selected him as an overage.

Yet Toffoli's 44 points is nearly double that of Pearson and Virtanen's point totals combined (23 points).

One could argue that Toffoli might not have reached that total on a poorly coached Canucks but it's not like Montreal has an overly talented team on paper so it's possible that Toffoli kept that pace going regardless of team.
- bloatedmosquito

I think if you looked back two weeks before Free Agency on Carol's old blogs you would be surprised of the number of posters in here that said do not sign Toffoli to a four year contract. They thought he was too slow.

Their counter offer was Jake was an 18 goal scorer the previous year and they would rather go that way.

I remember the discussions I had with quite a few telling them he was dropping in Greens opinion and was heading to the fourth line.

It turns out it was a bad decision one of many but it was the general opinions in here. VGH was one of the few guys that stood behind TT but there was not many others.

Thanks Carol for writing about Canucks players in your Canucks blog! I feel that you feel the same as us in here, in that no one cares about Calgary, its inhabitants, and its hockey players

Thanks Carol!

I do not want Luongo back, the Canucks need to seek experienced NHL executives that are not part of their alumni.

@Vantel

I remember it was split. Half the posters in here wanted virtanen, half wanted toffoli, very little wanted tanev and stecher.

I personally wanted toffoli and leivo

Thanks Carol!

I do not want Luongo back, the Canucks need to seek experienced NHL executives that are not part of their alumni.
- Marwood

As Carol indicated, the Sedin's may have some input in Luongo coming back here to run the team. Maybe he'll keep Elmer as a scout.

Toffoli was signed as a pure rental for the Cup run.
- VanHockeyGuy

Well then JB is even more dumb than I thought (which I thought was impossible).

I guarantee that if LE's $6M wasn't sitting in the press box Toffoli would still be a canuck.