With Vancouver out of the playoffs and the true off-season right around the corner, it’s once again time to start wondering what the Canucks are going to do with goaltender Roberto Luongo.
During the shortened-NHL season, there were a plethora of rumors about where Luongo was going to be traded. Potential destinations such as Toronto, Florida, and Philadelphia as well as a few other club were floated around. Unfortunately for both Luongo and the Canucks, nothing came to fruition and that was largely because of his terrible contract.
Fast forward to now and the rumors are back. This time around, however, one of them seems plausible as it appears that the team that originally drafted Luongo, the New York Islanders, are interested in dealing for the 34-year-old goalie.
Reportedly, the Canucks would buy out Islanders’ often-injured goaltender Rick DiPietro’s contract for $24 million while also sending a package of prospects for Luongo. While it may not seem like much, it may actually end up being the best thing for Luongo.
For starters, there is no doubt that Luongo would be the starting goaltender. While goaltender Evegni Nabokov was a trooper and consistent this past season, he has yet to negotiate a new contract with the club and as of now, is set to become an unrestricted free agent once July 1 hits.
Luongo would be an instant upgrade and could be counted on to play a ton of games. Luongo has played close to 750 games in the NHL (747), has been consistent in posting solid GAA’s, save percentages and shutout totals. Despite his age, the former all-star is still considered one of the best goaltenders in the league.
Luongo would also give New York a goaltender they could rely on in the postseason. While the Islanders were able to take the Pittsburgh Penguins to six games in their first-round matchup this year, had the club got better netminding, they might have been able to pull off a huge upset.
Although Luongo has yet to win a Stanley Cup, he has certainly played in a lot of playoff games over the last several seasons. In Vancouver, Luongo helped the Canucks win several rounds and brought them within one victory of a championship in 2011, when they lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games.
Luongo has also posted solid numbers in his post-season career. He has 32 wins, a 2.54 GAA, a .916 save percentage to go along with five shutouts.
There is no doubt that the Islanders have a lot of young talent up front with the likes of John Tavares, Matt Moulson, Kyle Okposo, Michael Grabner, Casey Cizikas, and up-and-coming Ryan Strome. Luongo would be the perfect veteran presence to have between the pipes for a young hockey club.
In his 13 years in the NHL, Luongo has dealt with it all. He has been a top-five pick in the NHL Entry Draft, has been traded a few times, played in the playoffs and Stanley Cup final. Not to mention, he has endured his fair share of criticism.
With all of his experience, Luongo could become a big leader in the Islanders’ locker room. By being able to provide leadership off the ice, the team would grow to trust him and play even harder for him on the ice.
Lastly, playing for the Islanders would bring Luongo’s career full circle. He was taken by the Islanders with the fourth-overall pick in the 1997 draft and played the first 24 games of his NHL career with the club.
The logistics of a potential deal of this magnitude may require lots of tweaking but if Luongo does end up coming back to Long Island, it might just end up being the perfect fit.