"It's been a tough summer, not knowing what's going to happen ... with your family and everything,'' Luongo told the Sun Sentinel.
"[The Panthers] makes sense for myself, for my career and my family. This is a preferred location for obvious reasons, but I'm not shutting the door on other possibilities."
Luongo, who has 10 years at $5.33 million per remaining on his contract, is also being courted by the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks, though he owns a no-trade clause and ultimately controls his fate.
With Jose Theodore and Scott Clemmensen between the pipes, and young star goaltender Jacob Markstrom closing in on a full-time NHL career, it's unclear how willing the Panthers really are to acquire Luongo.
Panthers GM Dale Tallon has without a doubt expressed an interest, though he's not yet been willing to give in to the Canucks' asking price.
TFP was the first to report in July that the Canucks wanted center Nick Bjugstad, a player the Panthers are not interested in trading.
"Obviously, I want to start," Luongo said. "You're dealt different situations in life. You've got to handle them the right way. I don't know what's going to happen this year. The only thing I could do is work hard and have a positive attitude. At the end, I'm sure everything is going to work out."
