As far as the Chicago Blackhawks' pursuit of Roberto Luongo is concerned, no news may, in fact, be good news.
Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman was at the team's prospect camp on Friday, but wouldn't comment on whether he's interested in acquiring his team's playoff nemesis from the Vancouver Canucks, according to beat writer Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune.
"GM Stan Bowman wouldn't comment on whether team is interested in acquiring goaltender Roberto Luongo," Kuc posted on his Twitter account (@ChrisKuc).
The 33-year-old Luongo went 31-14-8 last season with 2.41 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage, but played his way out of the starting goaltending job in the playoffs, going 0-2 with a 3.59 GAA and a .891 save percentage. Cory Schneider played the remainder of Vancouver's playoff games, and signed a three-year contract extension this summer worth $12 million. The Canucks and Luongo have agreed that a trade is best for all concerned, and Chicago has been mentioned as a possible destination.
Luongo has been a favorite target of Blackhawks fans in recent years, as the teams met in the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, but he described Chicago as a great city to play in during a radio interview last week. The Blackhawks got less than stellar goaltending last season from the tandem of Corey Crawford and Ray Emery, who combined to go 45-26-11 with a .902 save percentage and a 2.75 GAA. They were in the mix earlier this summer when New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur tested the free agent market before ultimately re-signing with New Jersey. With a top-level goaltender like Luongo playing behind a team that includes the likes of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, and Duncan Keith, a return to the Stanley Cup glory of 2010 is certainly possible.
The Blackhawks have more than $7.5 million in space under the salary cap for 2012-13 based on the current figure of $70.2 million (which could change in collective bargaining talks between the NHL and the players' union). Luongo's current contract runs through 2022 with an annual cap hit of just over $5.3 million.
The question, of course, is what Vancouver wants in return. They're not dealing from a position of strength given the need to move Luongo and keep him from becoming a distraction, but that doesn't mean they're going to take a bad deal. With the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs also among rumored landing destinations for Luongo, they shouldn't have to, but for Chicago, Luongo could certainly be worth the price.
