Roberto Luongo: 10 Reasons He's Bound to Be the Leafs Future Goalie

TORONTO--The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered a disappointing regular season. The team competed for the Northeast Division title in December and January, but then began an unbelievable slump down to fifth to last place in the National Hockey League.

The team struggled, according to Leafs coaches and management, because of inconsistent goaltending. Brian Burke openly addressed the media late in the season, and again with the end-of-season address saying that the Maple Leafs must and will find a solution for stopping the puck.

Although the list of free agent netminders is short, there is a possibility that the Vancouver Canucks may trade decorated goalie Roberto Luongo. Brian Burke said right after the season that the team is not prepared to lose major young assets to acquire a goalie, however, the team may view Roberto Luongo in a separate category.


UPDATE

Next week, Roberto Luongo will submit a short list to management of the teams he is willing to join. Sources tell TSN that the list includes the Toronto Maple Leafs as a possible destination.

Below are 10 reasons why Roberto Luongo will be on the Maple Leafs roster in 2012-13 season:


Affordability

Roberto Luongo has an affordable cap hit at 5.33mil and the Leafs have plenty of cap space to fit him in the lineup immediately.


Winning Pedigree

Luongo has posted at least 30 win seasons the last seven regular seasons, and he won 15 playoff games in 2011.

Workload

Prior to joining the Canucks, and also the first two seasons as a Canucks, Roberto Luongo has proven that he is at his best when he faces many shot attempts. The Leafs defense is young, and Luongo can calm the team down with regular game-changing saves.


Mentorship

In Vancouver, the Canucks were able to groom a young and developing goalie in Cory Schneider under Roberto Luongo. He is a good teammate, and a former captain. He places the team first, and James Reimer will benefit from his guidance.


Familiarity 

Dave Nonis and his scouting staff spent their due diligence in examining what type of goalie Luongo is. The Maple Leafs are probably the one team most familiar with the All-Star goalie of all the other 29 teams in the National Hockey league.


Canadian media

Playing in a hockey-centric city is a challenge for many players. Being a goaltender in a Canadian market is extremely tough, because the goalie is often the first to blame when the team struggles. Roberto Luongo has learned his craft at how to handle the media.


Location

Montréal is the offseason home, and the place Luongo grew up. His family is in Montréal, and playing with the Leafs will allow Luongo to pay visit to his family much more during the season. The Canucks may help him go to a team that fits his needs to show appreciation for his contributions.


Timing

The Canucks are looking to offload Roberto Luongo, and hoping to deem Cory Schneider the starting goalie next season. If a trade does take place, the Canucks are likely willing to part ways with Luongo at a slightly lower return if the Leafs can provide the Canucks some future assets.

Penalty Kill

The best solution to fix the penalty kill is the last line of defense. Toronto Maple Leafs finished the 2011-12 regular season 28th overall in penalty kill efficiency rating at 77.3%. The Canucks, led by Luongo, finished 1st in 2010-11 and 6th in 2011-12.


Playoffs Bound

It is a necessity that the Maple Leafs make their first playoff appearance in eight seasons in 2013. The team management will enter its fifth season under Brian Burke, and it is difficult to envision the team doing nothing to the front office after playing the card of coaching change in 2012.

Roberto Luongo is a significant piece of the puzzle for the Leafs quest for the playoffs.

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