Facts Over Hype

This notion that Roberto Luongo is the "best" goalie in the NHL of course is hyperbole given his play the past two seasons in Vancouver. You can blame his injury this season or the distractions of his wife's difficult pregnancy in '07/08, but bottom line is his play has been average at best.

He's no longer a top 5 goalie. Let his save pct. record speak for itself:

w/ the Nux
'08/09 12th overall (.916 save pct)
'07/08 14th (.917)
'06/07 4th (.921)

w/ the Panthers
'05/06 9th (.914)
'03/04 3rd (.931)
'02/03 9th (.918)
'01/02 9th (.915)
'00/01 5th (.920)

To compare to a de facto "best," Dominik Hasek led the NHL in save pct. for 6 straight seasons in his prime (93/94 thru 98/99) and was not out of the Top 5 in save pct. until the '02/03 season.

The real deal