Would Burkie pull the trigger for Luongo? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
With the possible end of the Vancouver Canucks 2011-12 season coming as soon as Wednesday night in Los Angeles, the team has a lot of off-season questions to answer.
The biggest one for GM Mike Gillis is what to do with his two-headed goalie monster: Roberto-Cory Luongo-Schneider.
If Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke is smart (we all know he is bold) he will call Gillis and ask him what it would take to pry loose the mercurial Roberto Luongo. With James Reimer as the so-called starter of the future, Burke must know that they are disturbingly light in the net.
Burke should be willing to offer anybody on the current roster, if Gillis wants to deal. Everybody in the league knows that something has to be done. If the Canucks are gone early, Luongo’s days are numbered in Van City.
With a cap hit of $5.33 million for the next 11 seasons (big numbers, but manageable for a wealthy team), Luongo doesn’t have a ton of value on the open market. His actual salary is $6.716 million, through 2017-18, then falls dramatically. That’s easily affordable for MLSE. (All numbers courtesy Gapgeek.com)
The Leafs are one of a small handful of teams who would be instantly upgraded by adding the 33-year-old netminder.
Another team that could use the services of Luongo, is the Tampa Bay Lightning. Lou would be a better (and younger) option than 42-year-old Dwayne Roloson, who is most likely not going to be signed for his current $3.5 million and is a free agent July 1.
Lightning are projected to have more than $16 million in space next season and a Quebec reunion with Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis might work out well for the Bolts.
An intriguing landing spot for Luongo might also be the U.S. capital as Washington is unsettled in the net.
They thought Tomas Vokoun was the answer but he has underwhelmed in his time with the Caps. They have $19 million in projected space next season, and have only Michal Neuvirth and Braden Holtby signed on next year’s roster.
New Jersey is another possible destination, and would provide Luongo a more peaceful atmosphere than the rabid Vancouver hockey market. 850-year-old Martin Brodeur has to retire sometime, and take up his permanent residence in the hockey hall of fame, doesn’t he?
Brodeur is a free agent after this year, but GM Lou Lamoriello wouldn’t refuse to re-sign the only starting goalie they have had since the 1993-94 season. If Brodeur decides he has had enough, who better than Luongo to patrol the posts?
New Jersey has a ton of cap space next season but have to address the contract of pending free agent Zach Parise. Lamoriello loves to keep his home-grown guys and adding another Montrealer to replace a legend makes a lot of sense.
Or does it make more sense to put Cory Schneider on the auction block?
For a rundown of Luongo’s career, here is a short NBC Sports piece.
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- Toronto Maple Leafs Draft 2012: Holes They Can Fill at the NHL Draft (bleacherreport.com)
- Cox: Maple Leafs’ goalie guru might retire, days after vote of confidence from GM – Toronto Star (thestar.com)
- NHL playoffs: Roberto Luongo era done for Canucks? (theprovince.com)
