Canucks Trade Bertuzzi For Luongo

The Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers have completed a multi-player trade involving Roberto Luongo and Todd Bertuzzi, sources have told TSN.

Netminder Luongo is amongst a package that is going to Vancouver in exchange for a package that includes Bertuzzi.

Luongo instantly becomes the most highly touted netminder to ever play for Vancouver, a franchise that has almost always struggled to compete with below average goaltending. The city's been called a goaltending graveyard in the past — although that's generally been because the fellows in net have looked as limber as corpses.

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The ultimate question of 'who wins' this deal will fall to the play of the two centrepieces, Luongo and Bertuzzi. Given Bertuzzi's lacklustre play and declining production (his points per game average has dropped each year since his 'breakout' campaign in 2002-03), it's difficult to see how this deal can come back to bite the Canucks.

My initial reaction was this trade is a steal for the Canucks. After sleeping on it overnight I think more or less think the same. What Vancouver gets in this deal is two fold. First, they get the high-calibre goalie they have never had. Second, they save some money they despertely needed to in order to try to re-sign the Sedins as well as try and keep Jovanovski and Anson Carter. It is also all but certain that they will dump Dan Cloutier’s salary to the first team willing to take it off their hands. The big question mark on the deal is, will they be able to ink Luongo to a long term deal. If they can then this trade is a steal for the Canucks. If not and they lose Luongo next summer it will not be so great but it is not like they gave up a lot as Bertuzzi is a UFA next summer too.

I absolute love Roberto Luongo as a goaltender. He is the most talented goaltender in the NHL (Not the best at the moment, but he can could be), but giving up a stalwart defenseman like Bryan Allen and a cheap, league-average goaltender Alex Auld and getting only a loosey-goosey Lukas Krajicek back makes me go 'hmmm'. Both Bertuzzi and Luongo are in the same contract situation, so how does Dave Nonis give two cheap, younger players along in the deal? The Canucks are still left with an expensive backup in Dan Cloutier, and their defense is in serious danger of being thin.

Rejoice, Lightning fans… Roberto Luongo is heading for the Pacific Northwest.

A constant thorn in the Lightning’s side since he came to the Panthers several years ago, Roberto Luongo has my respects as possibly the best goaltender in the National Hockey League…