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Luongo: ‘I’m shocked’ after Schneider trade

Roberto Luongo

Vancouver Canucks’ goalie Roberto Luongo looks up during the singing of “O Canada” before the Canucks played the Edmonton Oilers in an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck

AP

It sounds like the Vancouver Canucks have a bit of fence-mending to do after goalie Cory Schneider was traded to New Jersey for the ninth overall pick during today’s NHL draft.

According to TSN host James Duthie, Roberto Luongo -- the goalie who was supposed to be traded all along --- is in shock and remains unsure what the future holds.

“I’m shocked,” Luongo told Duthie. “I have to let this sink in and figure out what I’m going to do.”

Canucks general manager Mike Gillis, on the other hand, told reporters on the floor of the Prudential Center that he didn’t expect any issues with Luongo.

Per the CBC’s Elliotte Friedman, Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini will fly to Florida to meet with Luongo.

How that meeting goes, we’ll have to wait and see. It’s been widely reported that Luongo desired a fresh start after he was supplanted by Schneider as Vancouver’s starter.

In May, after the Canucks were swept out of the playoffs, Gillis said it was “unlikely” that Luongo would be back next season.

Today’s trade apparently took Schneider by surprise, too. The 27-year-old told The Record’s Tom Gulitti that he learned of the move watching TV, and that he hadn’t talked to anyone from the Canucks organization since the end of the season.

Luongo, 34, is signed through 2021-22, with a cap hit of $5.3 million.

“It’s a very difficult decision to make between two really quality people and quality goaltenders,” said Gillis.

“It really came down to where we could get the most value, and we did it with Cory and now we have a young player (Bo Horvat) coming out of here in this draft, a big first-round pick.”