From today's Vancouver Sun:
“We have a potential deal in place with one team that has to do something with another player that they have — and it’s not who anybody thinks it is — and so we have to wait. (But) we’ve been offered packages that don’t fit what our plan is, what we need,” said Gillis.
Like, how?
“Excess salary coming back with a [throw-in] player who can’t play in our lineup. They say, ‘OK, we’ll do this, but you’ve got to take this.’ Well, we’re not taking it. We’ve had lots of proposals like that with good pieces that can help us but the other part doesn’t help us, and oftentimes they have term attached to them, so we’d just be turning around and buying out a guy.
“I’d rather keep the guy we know, who’s a good person.”
The entire story is
here
Gillis tells us more of what we kind of already knew...Luongo will be dealt, still wants to be dealt, but Roberto is also doing a very pro job while Gillis works it all out.
Were I to give this a shot at interpretation I would say Gillis' last line confirms what I was told before...the Flyers will ONLY take Luongo if the Canucks were to take back Bryzgalov..Luongo is the "guy they know."
To read this you would get the impression Gillis is waiting for the Flyers to get more desperate here. This week the Flyers continue their tough early schedule of 7 games in 11 days as they visit NJ, the team who knocked them out last season, and then return home to the Rangers (the team who swept the Flyers last season) and it is not inconceivable the Flyers could fall to 0-4 to open the year.
However, so far Bryzgalov has really not been the issue. Bryz has played quite well and has been moving better than last year in his crease. The Flyers haven't played poorly in either game losing tight games to a very good Penguins team (who were out for revenge in game 1) and then less than 24 hours later losing a very tough luck game to the Sabres in their home opener.
But, back to Luongo...
The Sportsnet Central team has speculated that San Jose, Philly, and Washington were possible destinations for Luongo...
Based on what Gillis said, and based on common sense, I really don't see the Canucks taking Bryzgalov...so I don't see the Flyers as a factor.
The Canucks are desperate for a second line center.
The Sharks. I keep hearing Gillis wants to move Luongo east, but if he didn't the Oilers and Hawks would be able to put a better deal together for the goalie than the Sharks who won't part with Pavelski.
The Capitals, as I have written previously, are a possibility...as are, I am told today, the Senators...
But here's what I REALLY think..
I love this kind of stuff, and since I deal with rumors 24/7 I have learned first and foremost to look for agendas when a GM speaks openly. Because they almost never do. Gillis is a veteran GM and not one to put out these kinds of detailed statements to the press. To me this has all the smells of a classic message to "the team everyone thinks." GMs NEVER go on the record with such statements unless they have a selfish reason motivating them to do so. This is clearly about getting the Leafs to buck up more for Luongo. I see no other reason for Gillis to be so open and detailed through the press...
The obvious answer is so often the real answer. There is not suddenly a great bidding war to take on Luongo's contract...it's not Philly, SJ, Wash, Edm, Chicago, Ottawa...
It's all about Toronto. And trying to get more.
Well played sir, well played indeed.
The game continues...
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