[Article] Luongo was nearly traded to Bruins before Canucks got him

[RWJC]

Luongo was nearly traded to Bruins before Canucks got him

 

Noah Strang

Oct 30 2023, 6:01 pm

 

 

Not long before he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks, Roberto Luongo was nearly dealt to the Boston Bruins.

 

This is according to Jeff Marek, who told a story he heard from former Florida Panthers general manager Mike Keenan on the 32 Thoughts podcast today.

 

Luongo, who couldn’t agree to a contract extension during his first stint with the Panthers in 2005-06, was eventually traded by Keenan to the Canucks. But before that, Marek said Keenan had a deal in place to send Luongo to Boston.

 

The player they’d get in return?

Joe Thornton.

 

“One of the things he told me from when he was managing the Florida Panthers was they tried to get Joe Thornton from Boston and the deal that Mike had in place was Thornton for Roberto Luongo one-for-one,” Marek explained. “But the Panthers’ owner didn’t want to take money back.”

 

The trade was apparently on the table sometime around the 2005-06 season. Thornton was traded to the San Jose Sharks on November 30, 2005 — seven months before Luongo was dealt to Vancouver.

 

Luongo going to the Bruins during that time would have altered the course of hockey history.

 

Without Luongo, the Bruins signed Tim Thomas who had plans to play in Finland that season. Thomas would blossom into one of the better starting goaltenders in the league, playing a huge role in the team’s 2011 Stanley Cup victory against the Canucks.

 

Would Luongo have put up even better numbers behind a stout Bruins’ defence? He certainly would have been a better return for the Bruins than the eventual package of Marco Sturm, Wayne Primeau, and Brad Stuart that they accepted for Thornton.

 

Luongo was instead later traded to the Canucks in the summer of 2006. The Canucks gave up Todd Bertuzzi, Alex Auld, and Bryan Allen for Luongo, Lukas Krajicek, and a sixth-round draft pick.

 

“I think it’s a very good day for the Florida Panthers,” Keenan said at the time. “We tried and worked very hard at resolving a contract situation with Roberto Luongo. As an organization, we made a decision we had to move forward and doing so satisfied a lot of
the needs that we had”…

 

link to rest of article:

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/luongo-nearly-traded-bruins-before-canucks

Edited October 31, 2023 by RWJC

[Miss Korea]

I guess I wasn't paying attention to the Steve Dangle video.  Today I learned Mike Keenan kept the main branch of that Linden trade tree going.  Thanks again, Mike!  With those two trades he has helped the Canucks beyond anyone's imagination!  I'm not even sarcastic about it!

[NewbieCanuckFan]

22 minutes ago, Miss Korea said:

I guess I wasn't paying attention to the Steve Dangle video.  Today I learned Mike Keenan kept the main branch of that Linden trade tree going.  Thanks again, Mike!  With those two trades he has helped the Canucks beyond anyone's imagination!  I'm not even sarcastic about it!

 

 

[Coconuts]

Canucks legend, Marco Sturm

 

 

 

[Sabrefan1]

  The horror!  That stings to even think about, let alone read about...

[KesLord]

The year is 2011 - Stanley Cup Final

 

Vancouver Starting Goalie - Cory Schneider

Boston Starting Goalie - Roberto Luongo

 

Canucks win the Stanley Cup in 4. 

Edited October 31, 2023 by KesLord

[Phil_314]

Could hardly see that going well, we'd be stacked up the middle (114 Joe, 81 point Hank, 51 point Morrison) but who knows who would play goal?
Luongo that year also won 47 games (backup was Dany Sabourin), and we were 5th in terms of goals against in the regular season.
Of course we did lose to the eventual Cup champ Ducks, but I wonder how much Joe would've helped against them?

It is interesting to think about though.

[Morrissex95]

D. Sedin - H. Sedin - Bertuzzi 

 

One can only dream... 

[6of1_halfdozenofother]

1 hour ago, Phil_314 said:

Could hardly see that going well, we'd be stacked up the middle (114 Joe, 81 point Hank, 51 point Morrison) but who knows who would play goal?
Luongo that year also won 47 games (backup was Dany Sabourin), and we were 5th in terms of goals against in the regular season.
Of course we did lose to the eventual Cup champ Ducks, but I wonder how much Joe would've helped against them?

It is interesting to think about though.

 

We wouldn't have traded for Joe Thornton with the Panthers.  Although Keenan had a boner for Bert, Nonis had a bigger mancrush on Luongo.  The trade Nonis would have done would've been with Boston, assuming Boston couldn't extend Luongo - or we would've continued being the Goalie Graveyard.

 

29 minutes ago, Morrissex95 said:

D. Sedin - H. Sedin - Bertuzzi 

 

One can only dream... 

 

Dream on.  Bert was already damaged goods before we traded for Luongo, courtesy of one Steve Fucking Moore, and it's not like he wasn't tried with them already before we moved him.

[gwarrior]

What is with Keenan and trading, arguably, franchise goalies? 1st he deals McLean when he was here. Then he ends up in florida and trades Luongo. How many times was that guy dumped on his fuckin head?!!!

[Rubik]

1 hour ago, Morrissex95 said:

D. Sedin - H. Sedin - Bertuzzi 

 

One can only dream... 

 

I mean, wasn't Bert their linemate for a few games in their first season?

[IBatch]

6 hours ago, Phil_314 said:

Could hardly see that going well, we'd be stacked up the middle (114 Joe, 81 point Hank, 51 point Morrison) but who knows who would play goal?
Luongo that year also won 47 games (backup was Dany Sabourin), and we were 5th in terms of goals against in the regular season.
Of course we did lose to the eventual Cup champ Ducks, but I wonder how much Joe would've helped against them?

It is interesting to think about though.

Florida gets Jumbo...we get Bertuzzi.   It would have changed a lot of things, including no chance we go to the finals...no peak Sedin era.   

[IBatch]

5 hours ago, gwarrior said:

What is with Keenan and trading, arguably, franchise goalies? 1st he deals McLean when he was here. Then he ends up in florida and trades Luongo. How many times was that guy dumped on his fuckin head?!!!

In fairness McLean's career arc was already on a slide.    No WCE era, no Sedin era, and well we got Linden back anyways.    The worst thing he did for us, was demanding to keep Zezel instead of Walker, otherwise no man has helped the team as much, as Keenan has other then Quin himself...it completely blew seeing him behind our bench though yes.    And it was the darkest era .. would be like

everything clicking a year or two ago, our team on the rise, going to the final this year, and them blowing the entire thing up in 3 years, trading QH (Linden), after he led us within one goal of OT game 7, against the best team in the league two years running..  adding another EP to the team (same age too, Mogilny of course) and blowing it up just as they were all entering their primes! 

Edited October 31, 2023 by IBatch

[IBatch]

4 hours ago, Rubik said:

 

I mean, wasn't Bert their linemate for a few games in their first season?

Only guy that worked with the Sedins, and they tried everyone, if there was a guy on the team, he was given a turn, if Naslund was a RW, or a RWC he'd of played too lol... was Carter one season, and finally, Burrows.   

 

As for Bertuzzi, not sure how much the Moore thing effected him but it definitely weighed heavy - a prime example of why league justice failed us.   Was a cheap shot, and really it was the COL coaches culpability as well.   Why even dress him, let things calm down for awhile.    Moore should have been benched after he fought right off the bat, and was continually targeted as the game went off the rails.   At the time - that exact moment it happened, who didn't cheer as a fan too, know I did, then felt sick when he was stretchered off the ice.    League should have suspended Moore.    They were also culpable.   Things have gone a long way in that regard.

 

   Was a cancor sore, trading Bertuzzi for Luongo was one of the happiest days i've had as a fan.   Fixed two things all at once,  he wasn't the same player, lost his edge, like Lindros did after the Steven's hit, and we hadn't had good goaltending for more then half a decade by then.   Actually said "that's it this team is finally going to win a cup!".   Luongo was absolutely unreal in Florida.    Florida was a bad team, he made them all on his own, mediocre.   What could he do with a mediocre team?  And what could he do with a good team?    Made us good, then great.    Nonis should have never been fired.   First thing MG does when he comes in?  Offers his long term client Sundin, close to the max at 37 .. 2 years times 10 million lol, with all that cap Nonis had been waiting to shed...that would have killed this team before it even had a chance to be the best. 

 

Can't even remember a goalie that young, that good since him.   Not even MAF.   Would be like Hart being a Vezina and Hart trophy hopeful, every year from 20 onwards...he owned the highlight videos, for years before that trade.   Every single week was doing some Hasek like stuff.     

Edited October 31, 2023 by IBatch

[timberz21]

10 hours ago, RWJC said:

Luongo was nearly traded to Bruins before Canucks got him

 

Noah Strang

Oct 30 2023, 6:01 pm

 

 

Would Luongo have put up even better numbers behind a stout Bruins’ defence? He certainly would have been a better return for the Bruins than the eventual package of Marco Sturm, Wayne Primeau, and Brad Stuart that they accepted for Thornton.

 

 Not sure that this statement is necessarily true.  The fact that the Bruins traded Thornton for scraps or no big contracts coming back, allowed them to sign Chara and Savard the next summer.  If they had dealt for Luongo and most likely signed him, not sure they would've had the money to sign both Chara and Savard.  Maybe they would've chosen Savard instead of Chara that year.

 

This just shows that sometimes losing someone to free agency (even if he's a good player) is better than re-signing him long-term and have that contract become an anchor contract later on.  As soon as GMs understand that dynamics, I think the game would benefit from this.

[Bob Long]

22 minutes ago, timberz21 said:

 Not sure that this statement is necessarily true.  The fact that the Bruins traded Thornton for scraps or no big contracts coming back, allowed them to sign Chara and Savard the next summer.  If they had dealt for Luongo and most likely signed him, not sure they would've had the money to sign both Chara and Savard.  Maybe they would've chosen Savard instead of Chara that year.

 

This just shows that sometimes losing someone to free agency (even if he's a good player) is better than re-signing him long-term and have that contract become an anchor contract later on.  As soon as GMs understand that dynamics, I think the game would benefit from this.

 

Burke used to say you gain the cap space when a player walks to free agency. It's not always a big negative.

[IBatch]

5 hours ago, timberz21 said:

 Not sure that this statement is necessarily true.  The fact that the Bruins traded Thornton for scraps or no big contracts coming back, allowed them to sign Chara and Savard the next summer.  If they had dealt for Luongo and most likely signed him, not sure they would've had the money to sign both Chara and Savard.  Maybe they would've chosen Savard instead of Chara that year.

 

This just shows that sometimes losing someone to free agency (even if he's a good player) is better than re-signing him long-term and have that contract become an anchor contract later on.  As soon as GMs understand that dynamics, I think the game would benefit from this.

If it were that easy, then every GM would just do what Dorion did in OTT, and well, we'd of never had the peak Sedin era.  Kesler, Luongo, and the Sedins would have all been traded.  It takes a mix.    The RFA window for sure is the "window".     But it's for sure also not the only one either. 

[IBatch]

4 hours ago, Bob Long said:

 

Burke used to say you gain the cap space when a player walks to free agency. It's not always a big negative.

And Nonis had to wait for his cap to shed.  And his own as well.  MG walked into a pretty awesome situation.  His first move, which was actually a terrible one if it happened - was to sign all that cap those guys waited to shed, into a 37 year old Sundin.    2 x 10.   Thankfully, he never accepted the deal.  

Edited October 31, 2023 by IBatch

[Bob Long]

Just now, IBatch said:

And Nonis had to wait for his cap to shed.  And his own as well.  MG a walked into a pretty awesome situation.  His first move, which was actually a terrible one if it happened - was to sign all that cap those guys waited to shed, into a 37 year old Sundin.    2 x 10.   Thankfully, he never accepted the deal.  

 

I think he was just trying to show Vancouver was an elite destination. So I guess it did work from that pov, we did land some good UFAs under his time. 

[Canucklehead44]

1 hour ago, Bob Long said:

 

I think he was just trying to show Vancouver was an elite destination. So I guess it did work from that pov, we did land some good UFAs under his time. 

And Samuelsson was low key one of the best UFA signings. 30 goals in 74 games plus 8 in 12 playoff games from the second line, plus his defensive metrics were off the charts. Crazy going from signings like that to the monstrosity of signings that happened under Jim Benning that still haunt us 

 

Allvin has some common sense. Watching Loui Eriksson and then Mikheyev it is wild to think that Ilya cost us half the contract value he is light years better 

Edited October 31, 2023 by Canucklehead44

[IBatch]

15 hours ago, Canucklehead44 said:

And Samuelsson was low key one of the best UFA signings. 30 goals in 74 games plus 8 in 12 playoff games from the second line, plus his defensive metrics were off the charts. Crazy going from signings like that to the monstrosity of signings that happened under Jim Benning that still haunt us 

 

Allvin has some common sense. Watching Loui Eriksson and then Mikheyev it is wild to think that Ilya cost us half the contract value he is light years better 

In all fairness, MG did his very best and shouldn't be overly criticized, but of course his deals came at a high cost as well.  Luongo's for one.   That for sure wasn't in "the spirit of the CBA" was warned but did it anyways.   That deal was also structured so he'd get a lot of his money at the start (front loading needs to go IMO, it doesn't help the team, just helps the player ... future value of money, investing and all of that), and most of his legacy deals aged poorly, as they often do.  Claused up even good support players.    

 

Of course JB had to wait for that cap to shed too, and of course he made a lot of mistakes, but some worked out, Millers, Demko's, QHs, EPs too IF he re-signs with us, that's up to 14 years we end up having him for.    Schenn was a great deal for us.   Benn was really average.  And what to expect.    We won't get a Cole every year folks.   Horvats deal was also solid.    Myers was actually pretty average and look at how much he gets picked on.   We shouldn't be too expectant, that once Beau, Myers and Garlands cap sheds, that Allvin isn't going to waste some too.  Mikheyev ... he's been solid when he plays so far.   Wasn't exactly cheap though.   Pearson was also a solid deal from JB.     People expect a crappy team to attract good UFAs at a bargain price is entirely unrealistic (Beagle, Roussel).   

 

Tactically JB wasn't good.   One year off on his cap and we never should have been a cap team going back two years of the Sedins last deal (which JB didn't sign ... the moment the ink dried on that deal, our fate was sealed).

 

Also need to be both realistic and pragmatic about expectations.   How's a team, that hasn't had a solid draft since Nonis's first one (that's 9 years in case someone need to look it up!), supposed create a new core out of thin air!   

 

Back to MG.  Yes he signed our core to below market value, because of how they responded for two years .. two.  Years.   But if you actually do a deeper dive, and look at the actual cap percentage, it tells a slightly different story given what they had accomplished up to then.   JT Miller actually did more than the Sedins really ... what's his cap percentage?  Kesler was paid like a first line center, a 1b anyways.   Luongo was always paid like a super-star goaltender, going back to Nonis's first deal.    Even with his monster term contract, he was paid like a top goalie in the league.   And well all those clauses to save cap, and great support deals - was wasted the day he didn't re-sign Mitchell, who was our best defenseman a couple seasons, and instead traded a first and added Booth and Ballard.   Yikes!    I still think we win a cup if Mitchell was re-signed.   

 

Made sense on paper, but those two guys ended up getting bought out.   MG made mistakes too. 

[Rrodja]

These types of articles bring out the asd in me. He wasn't. He was traded to Canucks. Move on.

 

Just like several ladies could have gone to the dance with me but didn't. Not bitter obviously.