Cherry: Why would Luongo want to play for Toronto?

Last month Sportsnet’s John Shannon stated that a “reputable source” told him Roberto Luongo will be traded to Toronto following the lockout, but Luongo’s agent and Canucks GM Mike Gillis have distanced themselves from the report.

Now Don Cherry is weighing in. He doesn’t see why Luongo would waive his no-trade clause to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“Why would he want to come here and step into the same thing as Vancouver? Every time they lose, it’s his fault. He only took them to the seventh game (of the 2011 Stanley Cup final). How many goaltenders have taken them to the seventh game?” Cherry told Sportsnet 590 The Fan.

“I don’t think he wants to step into a real hotspot like here. I think he wants to go to Florida because his wife comes from Florida.”

Cherry does think that Luongo would be a great addition to the Leafs if they can convince him to waive his no-trade clause.

Even if it’s not to Toronto, it would make sense for the Vancouver Canucks to trade Luongo. They have already made a commitment to Cory Schneider by signing him to a three-year, $12 million contract extension. Trading Luongo would spare them of his $5.3 million annual cap hit through 2021-22. That’s especially important when you factor in how close the Canucks were to the projected cap before the lockout began.