Update (12:50 PM): IwoCPO likes Khan’s reasoning as well as the idea of Roberto Luongo in the Winged Wheel. Maybe I’d be okay with the idea too, were it not for the reasons listed below. - Matt
Ansar Khan believes acquiring the League’s most overrated goalie will be the blockbuster/inspirational move the team needs to restore everyone’s confidence. Khan sees the need for Holland to do what he did in the summer of 2001 (which just happened to be one of the best free-agent/trade markets ever), when he acquired Dominik Hasek, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille and “shocked the hockey world.”
The difference between those deals and anything that would happen with Luongo this summer was that they hardly cost the Wings anything in terms of personnel. Slava Kozlov was a contributor but Hasek had established himself as one of the game’s best, from the regular season all the way to the Finals, unlike Luongo, who hasn’t carried his team anywhere like Dom did. That was a worthwhile trade and was so lopsided in the Wings’ favor as to be grossly unfair for Buffalo, who had to do it because Hasek demanded it.
The only way to get Luongo is to trade away someone significant. Sounds like a great idea, Ansar. Trade Pavel Datsyuk for Roberto Luongo and then lose him on the free agent market after next season. To me, that’s the most likely scenario. Khan says the Wings have nothing to lose by such a deal but if Luongo isn’t signed to a long-term deal, it absolutely will not be worth it to trade away players like Pavel Datsyuk, Jimmy Howard or any other player the Wings’ have pegged their future on. They have a lot to lose and would be hinging their hopes on a prima donna goalie who has never been in the postseason. Ever.
Haven’t we dealt enough with goalies that have no playoff experience? I want someone who’s been there, done that, not some postseason virgin, regardless of his name.
