Roberto Luongo’s Performance This Season is His Ticket out of Vancouver

Roberto Luongo’s having an amazing season so far, isn’t he? I think we can all agree that it’s so much better than last season. Even though Cory Schneider is the Vancouver Canucks’ starting goalie, Luongo’s shown that maybe those rumors of his impending trade were hasty or even a huge bucket of cow chips.

Wake up, beautiful dreamer. Sure, Luongo’s having some good games and making amazing saves. But you’re delusional if you think he’s doing this to prove that he belongs with the Canucks. What he’s doing is very much to the contrary.

The simple truth is that Luongo doesn’t want to be there. He does have a no-trade clause, but he’s playing this in a clever way. Unlike Rick Nash, he’s not going to waive that when there are no teams with a deep interest in him. You know those classified ads that say “serious inquiries only”? Luongo’s wearing a sign stating that in flashing neon lights. He’ll drop that NTC the moment Mike Gillis gets some serious interest from other teams.

Until that time, Luongo’s going to showcase his talents. He’ll make those flashy glove saves and dive like he’s on the Canadian platform team. He’ll swat pucks away like flies. But it’s all in the name of grabbing attention. Hey, Florida Panthers, did you see that save he just made? Toronto Maple Leafs, are you watching? He’s hoping you and the 27 other teams are, and he’s putting on a goalie clinic just for you.

Luongo’s performance is nice, and it’s good for the Canucks if they want to be where they were last season. But when the April 3 trade deadline rolls around, don’t be surprised if he suddenly bids farewell to Vancouver and heads to greener pastures.

After all, he’s been auditioning for this new role the entire time.