Panthers Acquire Bertuzzi, Auld and Allen From Vancouver

 

 

SUNRISE, Fla. ? Florida Panthers General Manager Mike Keenan announced today that the club has acquired RW Todd Bertuzzi, D Bryan Allen and G Alexander Auld from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for G Roberto Luongo and D Lukas Krajicek.

 

?This is a trade that addresses a number of needs for our hockey club,? Keenan said. ?We?ve added an experienced and talented forward, a skilled goaltender and a strong defenseman that we expect to help our team immediately.?

 

Bertuzzi, 31, played in all 82 games with the Vancouver Canucks last season, placing third on the club with 71 points (25-46-71). Throughout his 12-year NHL playing career he has played in 710 games, scoring 306 goals with 529 assists and 1,031 penalty minutes. The two-time NHL all-star posted the best numbers of his professional career during the 2002-03 campaign when he registered 97 points (46-51-97).

 

The Sudbury, Ontario native has recorded at least 50 points in his last six NHL seasons and has scored at least 25 goals in five out of his last six seasons played. The New York Islanders originally drafted Bertuzzi with their first choice (23rd overall) in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.

 

Auld, 25, played in 67 games with the Canucks last season posting a 33-26-6 record with a 2.94 GAA and a .902 save percentage. For his career in the NHL he has played in 81 games going 39-31-8. Additionally, Auld was a member of the Canadian junior team that won a bronze medal at the 2001 World Junior Championships. Florida originally drafted Auld with their second choice (40th overall) in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.

 

Allen, 25, played in 77 games with Vancouver last season scoring seven goals with 10 assists and 115 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound blueliner has played in 216 NHL contests recording 32 points (14-18-32) and 285 penalty minutes. Vancouver originally drafted Allen with their first choice (4th overall) in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.

 

I am disappointed it didn't work out but its a good trade for both sides.

Aw, man. I'm going to miss him.

 

 

So... those of you who are more hockey savvy: do you think we got good enough players in return, so that fans could forgive trading our most popular player?

Panthers Acquire Bertuzzi, Auld and Allen From Vancouver

 

 

SUNRISE, Fla. ? Florida Panthers General Manager Mike Keenan announced today that the club has acquired RW Todd Bertuzzi, D Bryan Allen and G Alexander Auld from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for G Roberto Luongo and D Lukas Krajicek.

 

?This is a trade that addresses a number of needs for our hockey club,? Keenan said. ?We?ve added an experienced and talented forward, a skilled goaltender and a strong defenseman that we expect to help our team immediately.?

 

Bertuzzi, 31, played in all 82 games with the Vancouver Canucks last season, placing third on the club with 71 points (25-46-71). Throughout his 12-year NHL playing career he has played in 710 games, scoring 306 goals with 529 assists and 1,031 penalty minutes. The two-time NHL all-star posted the best numbers of his professional career during the 2002-03 campaign when he registered 97 points (46-51-97).

 

The Sudbury, Ontario native has recorded at least 50 points in his last six NHL seasons and has scored at least 25 goals in five out of his last six seasons played. The New York Islanders originally drafted Bertuzzi with their first choice (23rd overall) in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.

 

Auld, 25, played in 67 games with the Canucks last season posting a 33-26-6 record with a 2.94 GAA and a .902 save percentage. For his career in the NHL he has played in 81 games going 39-31-8. Additionally, Auld was a member of the Canadian junior team that won a bronze medal at the 2001 World Junior Championships. Florida originally drafted Auld with their second choice (40th overall) in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.

 

Allen, 25, played in 77 games with Vancouver last season scoring seven goals with 10 assists and 115 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound blueliner has played in 216 NHL contests recording 32 points (14-18-32) and 285 penalty minutes. Vancouver originally drafted Allen with their first choice (4th overall) in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.

 

I am disappointed it didn't work out but its a good trade for both sides.

 

 

Yeah, the trade itself is pretty good for both sides, but i'm definately disappointed that it didn't work out with Roberto.

 

That said, I think this trade will end up helping the Panthers. They upgrade 2 positions (forward and defense) and Auld is a good, starting caliber goalie. He is not an elite goalie, but look at this year's playoffs, teams with the top goalies did not neccessarily win.

We really upgraded on defense. So many people are really high on Bryan Allen. The advantage to Bertuzzi is if he plays like crap next year, its his FA year so we can let him walk and then have MORE MONEY to sign another bigtime player next year!

 

Goldie said it best just now:

 

The days of the goalie taking his team all the way is over. The key to it all is the defense.

 

 

 

And we have a huge, huge, chance that Jovocop will be coming to South Florida again!

I was always told that you never trade a great goalie and what I understand is that Luongo is one of the best. I was also told that trading a star goalie is like trading a star QB in the NFL teams just dont do it.

I was always told that you never trade a great goalie and what I understand is that Luongo is one of the best. I was also told that trading a star goalie is like trading a star QB in the NFL teams just dont do it.

 

 

That was true three years ago. The game has changed.

Jacqes Martin is on QAM now.

 

This is the analysis I just posted on my Panther's blog.

 

Let me preface this by saying that I am extremely disappointed in Luongo and his agent. We gave him the money but he rejected it.

 

This trade is a positive for both sides. Luongo goes to Vancouver. Bertuzzi comes to Florida. Both problem childs for their respective teams. But lets look at it from our end:

 

 

-For the money we were going to pay Luongo, we got three players!

 

-Kraijeck was the odd man out and I hope he can really pick up his play in Vancouver.

 

-Bryan Allen immedietly upgrades our defense. He is a top 4 defensemen who uses his size real well.

 

-Alex Auld is a more than capable goalie. This former Panthers draft pick had almost the same numbers as Luongo last year.

 

-Bertuzzi had an off year at 71 points! He would've been the second highest point scorer on the team. He will love playing with Jokinen and Stumpel.

 

 

Now to expand on each point.

 

Luongo was going to get 6 million dollars. For his money we got Bertuzzi, Auld, and Allen. We spread the money out. We now have money to get a defensemen like Jovocop. I really think this was the correct decision because this year's playoffs showed us the days of a goaltender leading his team throughout the playoffs are over.

 

Kraijeck was the odd man out in our defense core. He has tremendous potential, but we already have two young guys in Bouwmeester and Van Ryn who are proving to become tremendous offensive defensemen's with a good defensive game. And Allen is the first time in years we have a defensemen with size, some offensive talent, and plays a hard nosed game. And imagine if we get Jovocop or even Pronger, who is rumored to have Florida on his list of teams that he wants to be traded to.

 

Bryan Allen just made our defense so much better. He is a big guy who uses his size well. He also plays a solid defensive game. A lot of people from Vancouver are really high on him. Not to mention all the analysts who are high on this trade.

 

Alex Auld had similar stats to Luongo last year.

 

Luongo:

W-L-OT GAA SVPCT SHO SV MIN

35-30-9 2.97 .914 4 2275 4305

 

Auld:

W-L-OT GAA SVPCT SHO SV MIN

33-26-6 2.94 .902 0 1749 3859

 

 

Those are extremely similar stats. Auld is a former Panthers draft pick (Second Round). He is one of the more promising young goalies in the game today.

 

 

And for the primary piece, we got Big Bert. I am not letting my personal feelings about the Steve Moore incident get in the way. Bertuzzi had an off year at 71 points. How many of you would've loved to have that last year? Or the year before? An off year at 71 points. That tells you the type of skill set he has. If Bert plays well this year, the Panthers will resign him to an extension. This I am sure of. If he flounders, we have 5 million freed up for next year's free agent crop. This is a low risk, high reward move for the Panthers. Not to mention the influence he will have on Horton and Stewart, who are both very similar to Bertuzzi. Now they have Bertuzzi and Roberts, two of the best power forwards the game has ever seen. I can't ask for better hockey players to mentor Horton and Stewart.

 

With this trade, this is what I think the top 3 lines will look like:

 

LW-C-RW

Bertuzzi-Jokinen-Stumpel

 

Roberts-Nieuwendyk-Horton

 

Gelinas-Weiss-Kolnik

 

 

We became a really deep team with this trade. That is, count em, three scoring lines! We haven't had this in years.

 

Defensemen will look like this:

 

Bouwmeester-Allen/Jovocop?

 

Van Ryn-Allen/Hill

 

Hill-Montador

 

 

If we got Jovocop, that would give us the best top four we have seen in years in Florida. And definetly the deepest top 6 since the 96 season.

 

 

In the end, Martin and Keenan went with the move that made the most sense. It made no sense to pay 6 million dollars to Luongo with the salary cap era. We would not have had the ability to go out and get anyone for the next couple of years. Now we have the money to go after Jovocop or another top flight defensemen.

I like the look of those lines but I think that Olesz and Jon Sim need to be included. Sim played outstanding last year. With him and Bertuzzi on the PP along with Olli, we may actually have a good PP for the first time in five or six years.

Luongo didn't prove too key in most of the Panther wins I saw this year. I always thought his importance to the team was overrated. I think this makes the Panthers better as long as an adequete goaltender is in there. (I don't know much about this younger goalie in the system, but I think he can dependable enough)

 

The only thing dissapointing about the Panthers next year is that they'll be 300 miles away and I'll only be able to go to 4-5 games.

Why the hell do I want a thug like Bertuzzi on the team? There's a difference between an enforcer thug and an injurious thug. This is one of the myriad of reasons why the Panthers lost my allegiance to the Penguins.

Bertuzzi is a punk youre absolutly right. I still cant believe the NHL allows him to play.

Why the hell do I want a thug like Bertuzzi on the team? There's a difference between an enforcer thug and an injurious thug. This is one of the myriad of reasons why the Panthers lost my allegiance to the Penguins.

 

Brooks Orpik, anyone?

Why the hell do I want a thug like Bertuzzi on the team? There's a difference between an enforcer thug and an injurious thug. This is one of the myriad of reasons why the Panthers lost my allegiance to the Penguins.

 

 

Thugs dont score 97 points (2002-2003). He is a very good player who is very tough. Sorry he isnt a pansy like Mario Lemieux. I guess you are a fan of that style of play since you went of to be a penquins fan.

 

 

Seriously though he is a very good player and will make the team much tougher, something we have not been. If we can get Jovo we be much better than last year.

Bertuzzi is a punk youre absolutly right. I still cant believe the NHL allows him to play.

 

He's not a dirty player nor is he a thug, that was just one incident that was incredibly stupid.

 

Aw, man. I'm going to miss him.

 

 

So... those of you who are more hockey savvy: do you think we got good enough players in return, so that fans could forgive trading our most popular player?

 

Absolutely. We got a superstar, a decent goalie, and a defensive beast.

Loungo was awesome, but we couldnt give him any help. The 5 years he was here we didnt make the playoffs once. He was the one that wouldnt sign the contract that the panthers were offering him.

 

We downgraded our goalie, and we vastly improved our offense. We'll see what other pieces we add this offseason.

for those that like the rough going....we got about 100 times bigger and stronger. Bertuzzi is quite possibly the biggest forward in the NHL and Allen is huge as well. Both play very physical games - which is no surprise with Keenan as GM.

 

I watched the Canucks alot last year on the Dish and the biggest downside for me is Auld. I really don't like him as a starter. He's a decent goalie - but I don't think "decent" is good enough. He's in that Robert Esche mold of goaltender - he can pass as a starter if needed but truly should be a backup.

 

Bertuzzi, if "on" his game is one of the best forwards in the league. Many thing the fresh start in a non-traditional market like Florida will help him alot. He scored 46 goals-nearly 100 pts in the "old" NHL where offense was extremely limited - so if he gets his head back on straight he could be big. If he plays like last year - hes a first liner who frustrates the piss out of you because he should be dominating games.

 

Allen is a #4/#5 defensman who is very physical. Good defensively. Doesn't bring any offense, but plays very physical.

One player doesn't change the defense, and Allen isn't exactly a difference maker by himself.

 

Really, the Panthers got raped on this one and I fail to see any way to say other wise.

 

Bertuzzi's an impending free-agent and I guarantee you he doesn't want to stay, nevermind the fact that he's coming off a 70 point -17 season and is pretty much negated by the new rules.

 

No one, and I mean no one, is going to want to come to Florida; Luongo was the main reason people would even give the Panthers half a chance because a goalie of that quality meant there was a chance on any given night.

One player doesn't change the defense, and Allen isn't exactly a difference maker by himself.

 

Really, the Panthers got raped on this one and I fail to see any way to say other wise.

 

Bertuzzi's an impending free-agent and I guarantee you he doesn't want to stay, nevermind the fact that he's coming off a 70 point -17 season and is pretty much negated by the new rules.

 

No one, and I mean no one, is going to want to come to Florida; Luongo was the main reason people would even give the Panthers half a chance because a goalie of that quality meant there was a chance on any given night.

Oh please Swift. Luongo dug his own grave. This is why its such a great trade. The Panthers will resign him if he has a very good season. That is a fact perpetuated by the coaching staff and everyone involved. We were going to lose Luongo regardless. Many people are extremely high on Allen, especially those who watched him all last year. And the biggest part of the trade is it is three players making the same money Luongo would've this season. Auld was a rookie last year. People forget that. He is going to make improvements. But bringing in another veteran backup who still can play 30-35 games would be a good idea. Anytime you get a forward who has more points than games played, a defensemen who is solid, and a goalie who was one of the solid young goalies of last year, its a great trade. Most people thought we couldn't get that much for Luongo.

Bertuzzi is an awesome pickup for the Panthers. Auld played brilliantly while Cloutier was hurt last season. Good to see Auld remain as a starter somewhere. He deserves it.

 

Sucks to see Luongo go but this deal should turn out good for us.

One player doesn't change the defense, and Allen isn't exactly a difference maker by himself.

 

Really, the Panthers got raped on this one and I fail to see any way to say other wise.

 

Bertuzzi's an impending free-agent and I guarantee you he doesn't want to stay, nevermind the fact that he's coming off a 70 point -17 season and is pretty much negated by the new rules.

 

No one, and I mean no one, is going to want to come to Florida; Luongo was the main reason people would even give the Panthers half a chance because a goalie of that quality meant there was a chance on any given night.

Oh please Swift. Luongo dug his own grave. This is why its such a great trade. The Panthers will resign him if he has a very good season. That is a fact perpetuated by the coaching staff and everyone involved. We were going to lose Luongo regardless. Many people are extremely high on Allen, especially those who watched him all last year. And the biggest part of the trade is it is three players making the same money Luongo would've this season. Auld was a rookie last year. People forget that. He is going to make improvements. But bringing in another veteran backup who still can play 30-35 games would be a good idea. Anytime you get a forward who has more points than games played, a defensemen who is solid, and a goalie who was one of the solid young goalies of last year, its a great trade. Most people thought we couldn't get that much for Luongo.

 

You're really such a homer it's sickening.

 

It's an absolutely horrendous trade.

 

Look at Bertuzzi's numbers, and his salary this season. Close to $6 million for a guy who's supposedly one of the best forwards in the league but has cracked 90 points only once and had 71 points and 60 points in his last two, not to mention his style of play is negated by the new rules. Teams like the Flyers of the '70's and '80's will not succeed in the new NHL and Bertuzzi is that kind of player.

 

If the Panthers are able to sign a premier free-agent after this, I'll be absolutely shocked. No one is going to want to come here and this move doesn't exactly free up cash.

 

The team still needs a pure goal scorer and a top defensemen. Bertuzzi's making the same money as Luongo and isn't nearly the type of "player draw" that Luongo was, people just don't want to play with Bertuzzi.

I am not a homer. My freaking god. I love the Panthers as much as anyone but I know a smart move when I see it. How is going to the net wrong for the game today? You obviously don't know a lot about hockey as driving the net is the cause of most goals, not a super pretty shot from the point. Bertuzzi does that. Get over it Swift.

 

 

People will still come down here. Go read Spector's blog if you want. He's arguably the top analyst anywhere in the hockey world. He calls it like he sees it.

If we kept Luongo and traded for Pronger or another top defenseman we make the playoffs.

 

I think this trade set us backwards.

 

as for Pronger do we even have enough amo to trade for it?

If we kept Luongo and traded for Pronger or another top defenseman we make the playoffs.

 

I think this trade set us backwards.

 

as for Pronger do we even have enough amo to trade for it?

It didn't set us backwards.

 

 

 

As for Pronger, we still do but I don't think he will get traded here. I'd die if that happened, but I think Jovocop is a better bet.

How would Loungo be a bigger free agent draw than Bertuzzi since they are both free agents at the end of the year? We have about 15 million in cap room (roughly) and we can go out and sign players. If we can sign jovo, who already lives in FL, that might get the ball rolling.

 

all we need now is Worrell back!

If we kept Luongo and traded for Pronger or another top defenseman we make the playoffs.

 

I think this trade set us backwards.

 

as for Pronger do we even have enough amo to trade for it?

 

Because another 25 goal, 46 assist, 71 point year like Bertuzzi had in 2005 would really "set us back". Not to mention a 33 game winning season with a .902 SV%. From a goalie that the Panthers drafted in 1999, 40th overall.