Luongo in reflection about his future

[Shake]

They couldn't trade him. What would allow them to trade him now or later in off season? Not much would change, the contract is the contract...same now as it will be in September. I think give it a few more weeks or a month let some things blow over a bit, he'll be there in training camp.

[emustyle]

I think He'll show, Contract and NHL aside, Its an Olympic Games year and if he has aspirations of being on Team Canada (possibly) He'd probably have to be playing and playing well to be considered no?

[ds760]

He can put his big boy pants on and suck it up. This is a business and that's how it worked out. No one offered the canucks anything for him and when they did he didn't want to go to that team (toronto) so they had no choice but move the asset that gave them something. Was Gillis an idiot in how he handled this and ended up getting ripped off? Yes but that's no excuse for Lulongo to cry about it now, not report and miss his 6.7 million dollar cheque. He's a number 1 goalie on the team again. I'd love it if he didn't report and got nothing for being a baby.

[JagrBomb]

He can put his big boy pants on and suck it up. This is a business and that's how it worked out. No one offered the canucks anything for him and when they did he didn't want to go to that team (toronto) so they had no choice but move the asset that gave them anything. Was Gillis an idiot in how he handled this and ended up getting ripped off? Yes but that's no excuse for Lulongo to cry about it now and not report. He's a number 1 goalie on the team and grets to play. I'd love it if he didn't report and got nothing for being a baby.

being a baby? he handled this with the most class that i've from any hockey player. any other guy would have demanded to be traded after all the shit vancouver put him through.

if i was luongo i'd demand a trade and force vancouver to trade him for an awful deal. luongo has all the leverage, if the nucks dont trade him he can just play like shit until they do. and this is assuming there is even a market for him anymore, so waivers would be the only option, which I'm sure luongo would agree to. He has NMC so he had every right to decline a trade to toronto last year (if in fact that is even true). Gillis wanted too much and now is screwed with having a disgruntled goalie. he'll be fired at least by midseason.

[leaftodd]

To Clarify.

As per the CBA.

The player can refuse to report. The player and the team can then mutually agree to terminate the contract. The player then becomes free to sign with any other team.

Note that this "loophole" was just exercised by the Predators on Kostitsyn.

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2...-signs-in-khl/

[JagrBomb]

To Clarify.

As per the CBA.

The player can refuse to report. The player and the team can then mutually agree to terminate the contract. The player then becomes free to sign with any other team.

Note that this "loophole" was just exercised by the Predators on Kostitsyn.

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2...-signs-in-khl/

no way will NHL allow that to go through for Luongo, clearly circumventing the cap. nucks would probably be disciplined with a 1st round pick forfeit too.

[leaftodd]

It is yes. But they have set a precedent by allowing it already. Nuck's would easily win an appeal to a third party arbitrator or in court.

[Carcillo]

To Clarify.

As per the CBA.

The player can refuse to report. The player and the team can then mutually agree to terminate the contract. The player then becomes free to sign with any other team.

Note that this "loophole" was just exercised by the Predators on Kostitsyn.

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2...-signs-in-khl/

Cant' compare Luongo to Kostitsyn who had a one-year remaining and will play next year in KHL.

Like praba said above, NHL wouldn't allow mutual termination of a long-term contract like Luongo's. Heck, the NHLPA wouldn't allow it. That would set a precedent and undermine the guaranteed contracts which is the biggest win NHLPA has ever gotten in CBA negotiations.

Also there is no loophole. The CBA allows termination of a contract but is silent on the specifics of the rule. The cap circumvention rule would come into play if a team and a player would want to terminate a contract and the player would then sign with another NHL-team. That isn't allowed. Nowhere in the CBA does it specifically allow that and NHL would certainly view that as a cap circumvention. Ask the Devils how they feel about pending the rules and NHL's reactions to that.

Edit. I stand a bit corrected since there's a part about termination of the contracts in case of failing to report in the SPC part of the CBA. Still that doesn't exclude the cap circumvention rules to come into play.

[leaftodd]

I concur its no way assured it could happen cleanly.

But there's no way to refute that the option exists and that the Nuck's would have a legal position to stand on based on precedent.

[leaftodd]

Having re-read the clauses. And not being a lawyer. It sure looks like the CBA contains the language the allow the termination of a contract without buyout.

[Carcillo]

I concur its no way assured it could happen cleanly.

But there's no way to refute that the option exists and that the Nuck's would have a legal position to stand on based on precedent.

The league would also have a legal position to stand on based on precedent. Which is that Luongo wouldn't be allowed to play in NHL under a new contract after the contract termination. I doubt that's ever happened. For as long as the terminated contract would have been in effect, the NHL would make Luongo to play under that contract if he wanted to resume his NHL-career.

Therefore this won't happen. Luongo wouldn't give up all that money and an opportunity to play in NHL under a new contract.

Also Canucks and Luongo could fight NHL in courts all they want, but in the end they'd have to do what NHL says. The court battle would be a long one and Luongo's career couldn't take that. In the meantime NHL would certainly count his salary against the cap etc.

There's no way this happens. Because if it happens, next time in CBA negotiations NHL would seek to get rid of guaranteed contracts and use this as a precedent. If a player can get rid of it by refusing to report, NHL would argue teams have the right to do same. Luongo would then royally screw all future NHL players. Good luck with that.

[leaftodd]

You just stated the exact reason i believe the league would let this fly.

I think they've already targeted guaranteed contracts on the next cba. This would open the battle ground wide up. And by doing so they'd appear to be the good guys for letting Lu go somewhere else.

[Carcillo]

You just stated the exact reason i believe the league would let this fly.

I think they've already targeted guaranteed contracts on the next cba. This would open the battle ground wide up. And by doing so they'd appear to be the good guys for letting Lu go somewhere else.

Players association isn't stupid enough to just sit back and watch the league tear apart Luongo's contract though.

[ericdaoust]

Worst case is Luongo gets bought out next summer since the Canucks still have one left.

[bigbabybuda]

Good on Lou I wouldn't go back there either. No offense (as Vancouver is my 2nd favorite city) but your entire fan base and your entire management showed 0 class during this entire endeavor! He leads you to a cup final, wins a gold medal in your home town, puts up top 5 numbers in the league year after year and you guys try and pitch fork him out of town. All well being a class act and contributing to the community. Any other city they would have built statues to the guy. It was a joke and a disgrace! I swear to god if it was me I would rather forfit me remaining money retire to my private island and **** Vancouver the way theytried to screw me!