Thursday, September 03, 2009

Long Term Luongo


They say he plays like money in the bank and now he has the money to put in the bank!

The hopes and dreams for Vancouver Canuck fans of a Stanley Cup victory will continue to be hoisted upon the back and now increasingly thick wallet of Roberto Luongo.

The team captain and all star goaltender signed what most likely will be his last contract in the NHL, coming to terms with the Canucks for what is ideally a twelve year run, but one that for many most likely will not reach into 2021.

The 64 million dollar contract extension has provided Canuck's GM Mike Gillis with his second victory in the off season signing parade, having previously locked up the services of twins Henrik and Daniel Sedin.

The Luongo deal is one of the latest in these long term contract sessions that seem to have become a favourite of GM's in recent times. Locking in a valued player for an extended stay with front loaded deal.

It's a process that many suspect will come to an end once a new CBA is completed in two years, but will most likely find the current participants grandfathered in.

For Canuck fans the retention of Luongo in Blue and White will come as a relief, the perennially suspicious Vancouver fan base were fearful that Bobby Lou might be testing waters other than Pacific, seeking a return to Eastern play. With Gillis putting the finishing touches on the deal the captain was saying all the right things about life on the coast and how he's happy to be playing out his days in Vancouver.

Of course, for this twelve year commitment Canuck fans are hoping to see a Stanley Cup or two, something that has eluded the franchise since it's inception in 1970, signing Luongo is a solid first step towards that goal, but surely not the only one required.

Where Gillis goes from here with his cap space and ability to fill in the missing parts will go a long ways towards showing if the recent signings will pay off.

More importantly, if they haven't held a Stanley Cup parade down Robson Street within a few years, we suspect that Mr. Gillis won't be there to share in the final year of the twelve year deal and the retirement party at 43 for Mr. Luongo.

Vancouver Sun-- Luongo signing caps one heck of a summer for Canucks GM Gillis
Vancouver Sun-- 'We love Vancouver,' so Luongo, Canucks make 12-year, $64m deal
Vancouver Province-- Luongo a deal, but can he be the difference?
Vancouver Province-- Give Cory Schneider a chance ... to leave
Globe and Mail-- A lever over Luongo

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