Roberto Luongo to Islanders? Bob McKenzie puts it out there
The Isles have young players they may be willing to deal and they sure could use a all-star caliber goalie to re-establish the franchise and give John Tavares someone to get excited about playing with. It’s a club very much on the upswing and GM Garth Snow, having been one himself, knows that Luongo, who for all the media attention this past season in Vancouver, played great, could take them over the top. Naturally a stumbling lock would be Canucks GM Mike Gillis taking on Di Pietro and talking his boss, owner Francesco Aquilini , into buying him out.
The price? With what’s remaining on the oft-injured Di Pietro’s deal, Canucks ownership would have to shell out $1.5 million annually for 16 years, 24 million bucks. That’s a lot of dough to get rid of someone you never had in the first place but if Gillies can get something significant coming the other way while saying goodbye to Luongo’s equally lengthy contract, well, it’s at least a possibility. So then is McKenzie right? Did an someone in the Isles organization tell him such a move was being considered by Snow et all? It’s the kind of trade speculation that will only be shown to have been true if it happens. But hey, Bob McKenzie didn’t become Bob McKenzie by making stuff up.