Happy Halloween, everybody! It feels so weird to not have any hockey going on this time of year, doesn’t it? Just wanted to bring you a quick blog to read before you can hit the streets and start collecting those candy bars...
Yep, today seems like the perfect day to look back at (perhaps) the Panthers’ spookiest (bad) move...
Like a lot of teams, Florida has made their fair share of bad trades, signings and picks. Some people feel these moves have contributed to the Panthers’ struggles to gain and sustain the success that they saw the first few years of their inception.
Hindsight is twenty-twenty and it’s easy to look back and see how rough some of the moves were when you have the results to reference. Heck, there was a number of them at the time that seemed strange - not protecting Marchessault in the Vegas Expansion Draft and Bob’s outrageous contract. But that’s business, baby (I guess).
You shake your head a little bit thinking back to the trade that sent Stu Barnes and Jason Woolley to Pittsburgh for Chris Wells. Or how about moving Dan Boyle for a draft pick that never reached the NHL?
Then there’s the time they sent a 2012 second and third round pick to Philadelphia for Kris Versteeg. The Flyers flipped the second rounder to the Lightning and used the third to draft Shayne Gostisbehere.
Interesting to note that both Boyle (during his time) and Gostisbehere (now) would have been help on a backend that’s historically lacking...but what can you do?
But let’s get to the meat and potatoes, the big Kahuna, the one that makes you go full-Ray Stantz...
via GIFER
Luongo to Vancouver for Todd Bertuzzi.
Yes, there was more involved, but those were the two big names. The trade saw the Panthers send Luongo, defenseman Lucas Krajicek and a 2006 sixth round pick to Vancouver for Todd Bertuzzi, defenseman Bryan Allen and goaltender Alex Auld.
Lu went on to play 448 games with the Canucks, where he averaged .919 SV% and a 2.36 GAA. In that time, he was a one-time All-Star and Jennings Trophy winner, two-rime Vezina finalist, and a 2007 Hart Trophy finalist. Not to mention he helped lead the Canucks to six postseasons and a Stanley Cup Final in 2011.
And Bertuzzi? Well...he played seven games for Florida...
The reason for such a short stay? He was diagnosed with a herniated disc and opted for surgery. With his status of re-signing with the Cats uncertain, Florida traded him to Detroit for Shawn Matthias, a 2007 conditional pick and a 2008 second round conditional pick.
Even though I’ve never been a big Bertuzzi fan, I have to give credit where credit is due: the guy notched seven points (1G,6A) in seven games with the Cats - in his first game he scored a goal and had three assists in a blowout win over the Bruins.
(Image from Florida Panthers Vault)
It makes me wonder what the Panthers would have looked like/achieved had they kept Lu during that time.
This was just a small snippet of some of the moves from over the years. What are some of the trades, signings, and draft picks that scare you when you think back on them?
Write them in the comments!
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