Sportsnet’s John Shannon got everyone excited this week talking about how Toronto will swing a deal for Roberto Luongo once the lockout ends. While Canucks GM Mike Gillis shot that down, the speculation remains news to some people.
One such person is Luongo’s agent, Gilles Lupien.
Lupien told 1130 AM radio out of Vancouver that he’s heard nothing at all about the Maple Leafs acquiring Luongo and he hasn’t spoken with Gillis since June. He also adds that he hasn’t been asked if Luongo would even accept a trade to Toronto.
Obviously a lot of that has to do with the lockout being in place since September 15. Teams aren’t allowed to swing deals during the work stoppage.
Add to that Cory Schneider’s contract extension and the looming changes to the CBA after the lockout, teams interested in Luongo wanted to be sure the new rules wouldn’t bury them with his bad contract. Regardless of all that, expect the same suitors (Toronto, Florida, Chicago) to still be interested in him once the lockout is over.