There has been a steady stream of rumours bouncing around this week that the Canucks and Maple Leafs have finalized a deal that would ship Roberto Luongo to Toronto. The sources appear good but I believe the story has been overstated.
For one thing teams cannot make trades during the lockout. That doesn't prevent them from talking and perhaps one or both side believes they have a deal but it can't be a sure thing.
Another factor is the fact that there is not collective agreement in place. Trading a mega contract like this will be greatly impacted by the new CBA. Perhaps the new agreement will permit teams to pay part of the contract of traded players. That's something that Brian Burke has been lobbying for.
Maybe under the next CBA teams may still be on the hook for salary cap space for players that retire while still under contract. It has long been suspected that players will lengthy front-loaded contracts beyond age 40 will retire before the contract expires. They would lose very little money because the last few years often only pays $1 per season.
So all these things need to be know before you commit to this type of trade.
One thing for sure, if the trade is consummated then Tyler Bozak is off to Vancouver. At the draft it is rumoured that Mike Gillis was asking for Bozak, Matt Frattin, Jake Gardner and a draft pick. A price you could expect to ask if there was a high demand for Luongo, which is not the case. Bozak is still likely to be traded and perhaps another asset but that's about it. I can't see Jake Gardner going any where but I do believe everyone is asking about him.
Many Leaf fans do not want to see this trade happen. But the same fans want to see the Leafs qualify for the playoffs. Without a strong veteran in net, a playoff spot will not happen this year. The Leafs can likely afford overpaying Luongo if he can deliver. As far as I'm concerned making the playoffs without selling off the farm should be the primary focus. Bozak is far from a key piece of the puzzle.
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