As psychologically damaged as Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo might be after years of playoff disappointment and annual scape-goating, his detractors are substantially more insane. The booing at home in October. Whatever the hell "Occupy Luongo" meant during Thursday night's visit from the Nashville Predators. And, in the pages of The Province newspaper, an editorial urging the Canucks to trade Luongo for Vincent Lecavalier.
Wait, what?!
That's right: a daily newspaper used the space typically reserved for policy debates and political endorsements for an HF Boards-level trade proposal that would flip Lou for Vinny. From The Province, the greatest piece of hockey analysis you'll read today, perhaps all month:
Many people say the Canucks made a huge mistake in signing Lou to a 12-year, $64-million no-trade contract in 2009 because it makes parting with him impossible. So here's our solution.
Trade Luongo straight up for Vincent Lecavalier of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who has a similar, $85-million, 11-year no-trade deal. With Steve Stamkos in Tampa, Lecavalier is no longer top dog and could use a fresh start as much as Lou.
Tampa needs better goaltending; we need a power forward. Lou's wife could finally be closer to her family, and Lecavalier could play hockey again in a city that actually cares about his sport.
This has to be another general columnist trolling hockey fans, right?
This isn't actually a clarion call for the Canucks to swap a Vezina nominated netminder for a past-his-prime center, bringing him to a team that already has Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler in the middle, is it?
This isn't a newspaper editorial suggesting that Lecavalier is desirous to leave a place where he's raising a family, heavily involved in charity and where he wants to play "the remainder of his career," all because The Province looks down on Tampa Bay as a hockey market? Is it?
Hopefully Luongo puts together a nice winning streak before The Province gets around to trading him for Wade Redden ?
No comments:
Post a Comment