--New GM Mike Gillis said one of his first priorities was getting a handle on the status of star goaltender Roberto Luongo, whose late season slump coincided with having to rush home to Florida for the birth of his first child because his wife spent almost all of the season at their old home. That led to speculation Luongo, or just as importantly or his wife, was not happy in Vancouver.

Gillis has already been convinced that is not the case.

"I've had a couple of opportunities to speak in detail with Roberto and I feel great about the conversations and his mindset about moving forward with this team," Gillis said in an interview with a local radio station. "He is completely devoted to the team, wants to be competitive, wants to be in the playoffs, wants to win, and he made absolutely clear to me that's his focus. The idea that he doesn't want to be here is the furthest thing from being accurate."

--Gillis also feigned surprise, but said he was flattered that his former client -- and pending unrestricted free agent -- Pavol Demitra was in Vancouver recently and has apparently expressed interest in playing for the Canucks. According to one report, which cited several unnamed sources, Demitra spent a weekend checking out the city prior to returning to his native Slovakia for the summer. The 33-year-old, who would instantly upgrade the Canucks' offense, was given a guided tour by captain Markus Naslund, another impending free agent and former Gillis client.

--Gillis still hasn't chosen a coach for next season -- he has to decide whether to bring back Alain Vigneault or find a replacement -- but the new boss wasted little time following through on his promise to add a "capologist," hiring former Phoenix Coyotes assistant GM Laurence Gilman to be the team's new moneyman.

Gilman's official title is director of hockey administration, but his most important job will be keeping up on the intricacies of the salary cap.

"Take all the financial issues off the table for (assistant GM) Steve Tambellini and myself," Gillis said. "That includes contracts, CBA analysis, cap analysis and even things like budgeting that distract us from player-personnel issues."

Gilman, who was contacted by the Canucks two days after Gillis was hired on April 23 to replace Dave Nonis as GM, said his new job will entail much more than simply managing the salary cap. It includes establishing new salary structure models.

"That involves identifying your core asset players, ideally locking them up and building around them," Gillman told the Vancouver Sun. "As you do that and you have young players in the system who will mature, you must contend with the things that happen organically in their careers. They will become Group-2 free agents, they will have arbitration rights, they will eventually become unrestricted free agents. So when you are operating your franchise, you have to not only keep your eye on your bottom line today, but also know where you are going to be tomorrow."

QUOTE TO NOTE
"She's taking over the No. 16 now." -- Long-time Canucks forward Trevor Linden, after presenting one of his jerseys to a local politician at a cancer fund-raising rally, which along with his commitment to a mid-August cycling race, is yet another hint the 38-year-old will retire after 19 NHL seasons.

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