The first big blockbuster deal of the NHL offseason was struck. A day before the 2006 Entry Draft takes place in Vancouver at GM Place, the host Canucks made some big news by acquiring goalie Roberto Luongo from the Panthers as part of a five player deal.
Vancouver GM Dave Nonis shipped star forward Todd Bertuzzi along with netminder Alex Auld and defenseman Bryan Allen to Florida in exchange for Luongo, defenseman Lukas Krajicek and a 2006 sixth round pick.
By acquiring the 27 year-old All Star, Nonis is hoping he finally solved his team's goaltending issue. Luongo won 35 games with a 2.97 GAA, .914 save percentage and had four shutouts in '05-06. The former Islanders' 1997 first round selection has never made the playoffs. He'll try to change that with his third team.
"We picked up a top goaltender and a very good young defenceman but we gave up a lot too," the Vancouver GM told the AP Friday night.
"We believe that in Roberto we are getting a player who has represented his country at the highest level, has been nominated for the Vezina Trophy and has proven that he is among the elite goaltenders in the world."
The first order of business will be signing his new netminder to a longterm deal. The restricted free agent couldn't come to terms with Florida GM Mike Keenan, which made the trade a foregone conclusion.
While Luongo will try to lead his new team back to the postseason next year, Keenan is optimistic that the players he got in return can bolster the Panthers' chances of returning the playoffs for the first time since 2000.
"This is a trade that addresses a number of needs for our hockey club," he told reporters. "We’ve added an experienced and talented forward, a skilled goaltender and a strong defenceman that we expect to help our team immediately."
The centerpiece of the deal is the 31 year-old Bertuzzi. A change of scenery could be just what the doctor ordered for the much maligned power forward.
"I think a lot of Todd Bertuzzi, I think he's going to have a very good year next year and I think he's been unfairly hammered in this market and he'll be better off in Florida," Nonis said after a tumultuous season where his star player faced plenty of media and fan scrutiny due to his attack on Colorado's Steve Moore in 2004.
Now he'll be reunited with his former Vancouver coach Keenan. Hopefully, it will spark the original 1993 Islanders first round draft pick to an inspired '06-07 season.
In '05-06, the two-time All Star had 25 goals and tallied 71 points in 82 games. A far cry from the 46 goals and 97 points he produced three years ago which got him named to the NHL First All-Star Team.
While it's imperative that Bertuzzi return to that form, the deal's success for Florida depends on Auld. An original Panther second round selection back in 1999, the 25 year-old netminder stepped in for injured starter Dan Cloutier and posted a career best 33 wins along with a 2.94 GAA and .902 save percentage. He'll be asked to carry the load with the Panthers.
There was also a swap of a defensemen. The Panthers received the 25 year-old Allen while Vancouver got the 23 year-old Krajicek. Allen had 17 points and 114 penalty minutes in 77 games this past season for Vancouver while Krajicek finished with 16 points in 67 contests.
Notes: Just four nights after clinching their first ever Stanley Cup in an exciting seventh game over Edmonton, the Carolina Hurricanes re-signed center Rod Brind'Amour to a five-year extension worth $18 million. The 35 year-old was the recipient of his first ever Selke Trophy at Thursday's NHL Awards show in Toronto. After posting 31 goals and 70 points during the regular season, the Carolina team captain followed it up with 12 goals and 18 points to help lead his team to its first championship. ... Islanders will pick seventh in Round One while the Rangers (21st) and Devils (25th) are slated to pick later on in the draft which gets underway 6 PM today.
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