One of the most talked about topics on Sports World Report in recent weeks has been the ongoing Roberto Luongo trade saga. Between intrigue as to where the All-Star netminder might wind up and what the deal would mean for the Canucks, SWR's readers have had plenty to talk about, with some even suggesting that the Stanley Cup "window" has already closed for the Canucks. While we at SWR wouldn't go that far, there is certainly a question about how much longer Vancouver's window will last.
Of the 21 skaters on Vancouver's current roster, 12 will be unrestricted free agents in the next two summers, headlined by Henrik and Daniel Sedin, who are scheduled to hit the open market in 2014 at the age of 33. While the Sedins are probably the least likely flight risks - they like playing together, and there probably won't be many desirable destinations with the cap room to sign both - the fact remains that the Canucks' forward corps likely to look much different in the next two seasons than it currently does.
That's a big part of why the Canucks and general manager Mike Gillis are keen on bringing in a top prospect in the trade for Luongo, with Florida Panthers prospect Nick Bjugstad the most frequent subject of speculation. The Canucks picked up one prospect for the future during the season when they traded Cody Hodgson for Zack Kassian, and have some intriguing prospects of their own like Nicklas Jensen and Jordan Schroeder, but there's definitely going to be an emphasis on young talent, particularly if the Canucks are going to use the cap hit they unload with Luongo to go after 35-year-old Shane Doan.
The Sedins are really the keys to the Canucks offensively, and while some of the other free-agents-to-be (Alexandre Burrows) are more important than others (Andrew Alberts), as long as Gillis can keep talent coming in to play alongside the Sedins, Ryan Kesler and David Booth, the Canucks' "window" should extend beyond 2014. Getting the right deal for Luongo will be a huge part of that.
