"Am I a Vet?", Leandro Goncalves Veteran Presence

[leandrofg 1,156]

It's early morning in Portugal. The sun comes through the windows as the early birds chirp outside. The temperatures are slated to reach 32ºC today, but at this time of the day, they have only reached the 20ºC mark. With a cup of fresh coffee, Leandro sits by the pool, taking the view of peaceful Alentejo.

 

(Thanks @airbnb)

 

Unlike the VHL, life in Alentejo runs in slow motion. Everything is easier to do if you have all the time in the world or don't have the pressure to perform. Leandro has learned to appreciate these moments away from all the noise after all these years under the spotlight.

 

That spotlight didn't prepare him for the scrutiny of the VHL. After all, this is the show, and nothing else matters. After getting picked Top-10 in the S83 VHL Draft and 1st overall in the VHLE, his first two seasons have been lackluster.

 

Not only did he struggle to make ends meet in his VHLE season with Vasteras, but his first season in the VHL with Calgary wasn't better. Not at all.

 

And so the season ended for the Portuguese. He was once the "Wonder," but this only marked a point where "wondering" was all he did. Entering the last season of his rookie contract means his growing years should be over, but the growing pains continue.

 

That ended in Alentejo. The peaceful bliss, the quietness, and the calmness that place transpired can only do good, but the best part was a call he got from the Wranglers Front Office.

 

During this call, Kris Rice settled his player down while touching base on the future of the Wranglers and taking input from Leandro's preferred pathway. Leandro played his first VHL season on the wing since Calgary has two great Centers in Saku Kotkakoivu and Daniel Janser.

 

Could this be why he underperformed this season? Leandro doesn't seem to think so. It's always easier to slide a Center to the wing than the other way around. So that conversation revolved around Leandro's versatility and willingness to keep playing wherever the team requires him.

 

The conversation continued as Rice and Leandro spoke about their respective off-seasons, but then it came.

 

'Have you given any thoughts on an extension with Calgary and what you want for your future?"

 

Woof. Was that something Leandro wanted to hear...

 

Not only did he hear it, but there was enthusiasm on the other side of the call, which ended in a 4-season agreement and a No-Trade Clause.

 

"Am I a Vet?" wondered Leandro after agreeing on the extension. The answer is no, not yet, at least. Calgary's S83 and S84 Draft Class is their future core, yes. But their arrival marked the end of their team's rebuild. Now, it's buy-in time. 

 

With Kotkakoivu, Janser, and Jokinen on the squad, the new kids on the block will have to wait a little longer to be a veteran on the team.