Over the Vancouver Canucks' history, they've made some good, some bad, and some interesting trades throughout their 56 years as a franchise. In today's last piece for the "best and worst" week, we will focus on the best trade in team history.
If there was one trade that redefined and changed the course of the franchise for years and decades to come, it's the 2006 trade that saw Roberto Luongo become a Canuck. How did that trade 20 years ago reshape the Canucks over time?
Luongo is a Vancouver Canuck
Back on June 23, 2006, the Canucks made a trade that would help shape the franchise to be successful for a few seasons. To the point where they even made it to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. In that trade, the Canucks acquired Luongo, Lukas Krajicek, and a 2006 sixth-round pick from the Florida Panthers for Alex Auld, Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan Allen, and a 2007 conditional sixth-round pick.
The 2006 sixth-round pick became Sergei Shirokov, while the 2007 conditional pick was not exercised. The two big names that stood out in the trade were Luongo and Bertuzzi. Luongo wasn't happy with contract negotiations with the Panthers. Bertuzzi needed a change of scenery after the Steve Moore incident against the Colorado Avalanche.
Luongo spent eight seasons with the Canucks from 2006-07 to 2013-14, where he finished with a 252-137-50 record, along with a .919 save percentage (SV%), a 2.36 goals-against average (GAA), 38 shutouts, and 10 assists in 448 games (443 starts). In 64 playoff games (62 starts), Luongo went 32-31 with a .918 SV%, 2.54 GAA, and five shutouts.
Luongo would eventually become the franchise leader in wins (252) and shutouts (38). On the flip side, not much happened on the Panthers' side of the trade. Auld, in his first season with the Panthers, saw him start 25 games, finishing with a record of 7-13-5, a 3.35 GAA, and an .888 SV%.
Bertuzzi only played in seven games for the Panthers, tallying one goal and seven points. He got injured and missed the next five months. While he was gone due to injury, he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings.
Allan tallied 14 goals and 67 points in 284 games over the course of five seasons with the Panthers. Outside of Allan, the Panthers got the worst end of this deal, while the Canucks won in dividends.
If the Canucks missed out on making this trade for Luongo in 2006, who knows how different the 2006-07 and 2011-2012 seasons would have looked. They went out and got a goalie who helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2011 and set franchise records. When it comes to trades, the Canucks acquiring Luongo is definitely at the top of many lists in team history.
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