Make your best offer to get Luongo…

It's likely that very few Leaf fans believe the club is not at least trying to upgrade at the goaltending position.  That doesn't mean they will do something before the season starts, but they are talking trade, no doubt.  One name that keeps popping up is that of Jonathan Bernier, the young LA King goalie who remains more of a promising "prospect" than a proven NHL netminder.   He has supposedly been made available to a number of teams looking to get better in goal, but LA has apparently not been offered enough yet to let him go. (They no doubt have to determine when the 'peak' time is to move him.  If they wait much longer, will Bernier still be considered "can't miss?  Or will he eventually be perceived as just another unproven back-up?)

Are the Leafs one of those teams interested in Bernier?  I guess we'll find out.

Meanwhile, “rumours” (aren't they life-savers for information-starved fans?) persist that Roberto Luongo is still in play when it comes to the Maple Leafs.   Now that's a big name.  We know he eventually has to go somewhere.  And while I still think the best “hockey” fit for him would be Chicago, that may not be his—or Vancouver’s—first choice.

Regardless, it has to happen at some point.  We know the Canucks, as I’ve opined here before, could play the waiting game.  They could hold on to Luongo until next season’s trade deadline (or a little before that), to see who is “desperate” out there and may be willing to part with more key assets than they would by making the move this summer.  Of course, the risk in that approach is that Luongo’s presence would potentially create, at the very least, some discomfort in the Canuck dressing room.  Even if he acts the ‘team guy’ to the best of his ability, his teammates will know he doesn’t really want to be there, and they will also know the organization wants him gone.  At some point that has to be unhealthy, one would suspect.

And what would happen if, say, Schneider was injured, or played poorly? In comes Roberto, and let's assume his play is outstanding.  Do they still trade him?  Is there an inevitable goaltending controversy?  Do Canuck fans re-embrace him?

No, I think Luongo will be moved this summer, because the brass in Vancouver does not want to face the above scenarios.  They would prefer to live and die with Schneider as their number-one for better or worse, with no turning back, rather than face the prospect of a divided or unhappy dressing room—even if only for part of the 2012-’13 NHL season. 

Still, all this said, Gillis needs to get something in return, right?  Some have posted here and suggested that teams, including the Leafs, should not and will not send a whole lot to Vancouver, because Luongo has that long-term contract and Vancouver is not in a position of trading strength on this one.

While I absolutely understand that perspective, my view remains that Gillis needs and wants to make a “hockey trade”- not a cap-clearing deal alone.  Nor does he simply want to take a bad contract back, just to rid himself of Luongo.  Gillis has to live in Vancouver, and will also have to live with the aftermath of his trade of the franchise goaltender.  If he gets less than “full” hockey value, what will Canuck fans say?  How will it impact Gillis’ security as GM?  People will talk about this trade for years to come- especially if Schneider struggles and Luongo goes on to play really well.

So here we sit.  It’s mid-July.  Luongo is still a Canuck.  The Leafs, despite their brave public bravado that they are happy to go into the new season with Reimer and Scrivens, don't have a whole lot of other options, it would seem.  There is likely a lot of competition for Bernier- and does he really fit the job description of an experienced netminder?  Would they really suddenly be willing to part with what would likely be required (high-end prospects or good NHL'ers) to obtain him?

I have to believe that the Leafs would dearly love to have an All-Star to tend the net while Reimer and Scrivens (or whomever is next in line in their mind) continue to develop.  Could that guy be Luongo? (I posted recently that it might take a three-way deal for the Leafs to get their hands on Luongo.  Of course, I've also been thinking that since old-time Leaf great Johnny Bower will be at the Alumni game against the Red Wing legends, maybe we could keep him on our radar as well...)

Those who visit here know I’m not a Luongo guy (a tremendous goalie, I acknowledge), for reasons I’ve detailed over the last couple of years.  But many like him a lot, and think he would be an answer for getting the Leafs at least into the playoffs in the next few seasons.

Now that we're getting to what I'm guessing is a serious point in the Luongo (and maybe Bernier) trade discussions, if you’re in the latter category (a Leaf supporter who would like to see Luongo here), what do you think it would take, in specific terms, for the Maple Leafs to lure the veteran keeper away from Gillis?  If you were in Burke’s shoes, what would you give up?  Precious little?  A lot?

Realistically, who might, in your opinion, the Leafs actually offer?  Maybe we can break the stalemate here on VLM.  Someone has to blink first in the Luongo sweepstakes—the Canucks or whatever team they ultimately trade him to.

Your thoughts?