Roberto Luongo is winning starts. He's winning games. And he's winning plaudits for his poise amid the never-ending trade-watch marathon. He also picked the Baltimore Ravens to win the Super Bowl.

"Of course, you should know that," he chuckled Monday following the game-day skate.

That wasn't the only one-liner the Vancouver Canucks goaltender delivered. And whatever line you choose to believe with general manager Mike Gillis and assistant Laurence Gilman sighted Sunday in Washington - where the struggling Capitals again proved their goaltending is in peril with the tandem of Michal Neuvirth and Braden Holt-by - the drama will continue to play out. Gillis did reach out to Caps GM George McPhee and said his appearance wasn't meant to cause a distraction, but it did just that.

Let's be honest. It created an instant buzz and widespread speculation. Centre Marcus Johnasson and prospect winger Filip Forsberg were quickly considered the right package for Luongo, even if nine full years left on his contract after this season isn't a fit for McPhee. The $5.3-million US salary cap hit is attractive, but not the $6.7 million Luongo will be paid the next five years. At least that's what McPhee was saying.

"I really don't have any comment about it," shrugged Luongo, who took the league's second-best goals-against average (1.46) and save percentage (.944) into Monday night's meeting with the Oilers. "Mike hasn't approached me with anything in regards to that. I'm not going to speculate and I don't want it to be a distraction. There's no point in worrying about it and it would only hurt my game and my teammates.

"I don't know what's going to happen down the road. I don't like to think it out - I just like to play. I tried to figure it out for seventh months and I couldn't and I'm still here. I stopped doing that a while ago."

Luongo's career numbers speak for themselves, but his fourth-straight start and being named NHL third star of the week will quicken the pulse of impulsive owners and desperate GMs looking to save their jobs. That probably has a lot to do with Luongo's laid-back demeanour and Cory Schneider's realization that he's got to allow the process to play out. The Florida Panthers also have a goaltending problem with Jose Theodore and Scott Clemmensen and rank 29th in goals allowed per game. The Capitals are 27th.

The Panthers are in Winnipeg on Tuesday, so why not continue the tour? Let's see. How about third-line centre Shawn Matthias, tough blueliner Keaton Ellerby and Clem-mensen for Luongo? The leverage pendulum may have swung back in the favour of Gillis.

All this makes you wonder what Schneider is really thinking. He signed a three-year, $12-million US contract extension because he was named the starter in the third game of the playoffs and knew Luongo had agreed to waive his no-trade clause and move on. But Schneider's agent, former goalie Mike Liut, warned of expecting the unexpected.

"We decided to sign that contract knowing full well what the possibilities were and how remote or likely or whatever you want to call it," Schneider said. "You sign a contract and it's your word and you have to try and fulfil it and that's what I'm trying to do. I'm not trying to overthink this. Roberto is playing extremely good hockey and I'm just waiting for my opportunity to play again. I don't sit and dwell on it and think of what could be.

"It would be extremely selfish to put our needs ahead of our teammates and make it harder on them than it already is."

Schneider should take comfort in his body of work during the 2011-12 season. In five straight November victories when Luongo was briefly injured, the starter watched his younger crease companion post back-to-back shutouts in Colorado and Phoenix and a 43-save win in San Jose. Schneider also had the monumental win in Boston and rescued the Canucks in the second half of back-to-back road games with a shootout victory at Tampa Bay.

"As a pro, you accept that," Schneider said. "If you're being outplayed, somebody's going to take your job and it's as simple as that. Nothing is given and nothing is guaranteed in this world."

The only guarantee in Edmonton appears to be Devan Dubnyk starting every game unless he falters badly or gets injured. In a recent three-game road trip against Phoenix, San Jose and Colorado, he stopped 100 of 105 shots and had a 2.53 GAA and .925 saves percentage after eight games. In a way, those numbers are probably easier to accumulate than the ongoing Luongo-Schneider drama. Playing is one thing. Not playing is something else when both can start.

"Probably the most frustrating thing for them is you (media) guys talking about it all the time," Dubnyk said. "I'm sure they're more comfortable with it than people make it seem."

Luongo said he is comfortable with the "compliments and a lot of support and [people] asking me if I want to play for their team."

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