Panthers GM Dale Tallon spoke with reporters in Pittsburgh and says while he’ll be listening to the Canucks about Roberto Luongo, he’s not going to give up the farm to get him.
Tallon tells George Richards of The Miami Herald he won’t surrender any top prospects to get the 33-year-old goalie. The Panthers and Canucks have done business often in the past including the deal that sent Luongo to Vancouver back in 2006.
Florida has one of the better bank of prospects in the NHL and with Canucks GM Mike Gillis looking to score big on a deal, he’d want to have his choice of players to pick from. Gillis tells Jason Botchford that he’s the guy getting in the way of any deal involving Luongo.
“It hasn’t been close for me. I am the problem.”
At least he owns it. That said, the chances of Luongo returning to South Florida seem to be higher than they were even a week ago with Tampa Bay and Columbus making moves for goalies since then. The Panthers could wind up being Luongo’s salvation out of Vancouver after all.
