Problems with a Luongo trade
The problem with making the Roberto Luongo trade is that each side wants the other to beg.
The Vancouver Canucks see their deposed starter as a National Hockey League star who is a three-time Vezina Trophy finalist and remains one of only a handful of netminders who guarantees his employer 30-40 wins a season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers – and probably others – see Luongo as a 33-year-old, $53.3-million account payable.
So you can imagine there might be a fair amount of indignation when potential deals are discussed. How dare you demand our best prospect for Luongo? How dare you offer flotsam for Luongo?
Whatever Toronto Maple Leaf general manager Brian Burke pitched to Gillis at the NHL entry draft landed well short of acquiring Luongo, so the Canucks left Pittsburgh with both their No. 1 goalies in the organization and five newly-drafted prospects. The four chosen Saturday are all of a certain type: big, older, late-blooming, low-budget gambles.