In the second and third periods of this week’s Puck Podcast we preview the NHL Final plus update you on the latest signings, injuries, trades and other news from the past week in the NHL. We will also check in with our fan correspondents and read your e-mails.
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Luongo to Colorado? I know you said that your list was teams that “might” be interested but I can’t see Colorado being interested for a number of reasons.
First, Luongo while not exactly old doesn’t fit the team’s plans for their youth movement. They went out and paid a heavy price to get what they thought would be the goalie of the future in Varlamov who fits that youth movement. Realistically when the Avs are truly ready to challenge in a couple years (though with a couple key signings this year who knows) Luongo will be up in years and won’t be around much longer.
Second, the Avs already have 6 goalies signed and while 4 are just prospects they have who they think are their two for this next season in the young Varly and the mentor Giguere. Varly really came about under Giguere last season and looks like he could be what the team bargain on in the future. Sure the Avs could trade one of these guys but scoring forwards (IMO) is where the team needs to improve, not in goal.
Another point would be the contract. The team has avoided long term, big money contracts in waiting for some news on the CBA. In doing so they have a majority of their players without contract even now and they have a ton of players to sign. Some of those players are going to deserve raises and while the team should be able to sign those players and pay Luongo they would be better served using that term and money elsewhere, say on a scoring winger to play with the centers they have.
Lastly for this post anyway, and this may be more my opinion than anything, but is Luongo a better goalie long term for the team than Varlamov? He may be better right now but Varlamov shows incredible potential to be better by the time the team is truly ready to challenge annually. Also Luongo has never proven to be able to handle the big game pressure and has shown consistency problems. Varly was also inconsistent at times and has yet to prove himself in the playoffs but he’ll get his shot down the road.