Best and Worst Trades in Flyers History

[LastWordArmy]

The History of Trade is a mini-series going through each team’s best and worst trades of all time. Each team has their own history and some may cross over, but the series will try to stick to each team. This article will focus on the Philadelphia Flyers trade history, finding the best and worst of all time.

Philadelphia Flyers Trade History: Best And Worst Trades Of All Time - Last Word on Hockey

What do you think? Agree? Disagree with our choices?

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[FlyersMania2]

Don't know what the worst trade was, but one of my favorite terrible trades:

Sharp was traded by the Flyers, along with Éric Meloche, to the Chicago Blackhawks on December 5, 2005, for Matt Ellison and a third round pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

 

[Danko]

Hindsight but will always regret the Bobrovsky trade for what he has become. Stolarz may have some unearthly breakthrough and Bob stated he wouldnt resign to be a backup to Bryz, however i will always think about what could have been.

 

[AdamParrot]

Favourite trades:

Re-acquiring Parent
Voracek and Couturier (8th ovr pick) for Carter
Timonen and Hartnell for 1st round pick (Foppa)
LeClair and Desjardins for Recchi

Terrible trades:
Sharp to CHI
Brind'Amour to CAR (I know, Primeau wasn't bad, bad Rod was Selke winner player).
J. Williams to CAR
Handzus to CHI
Bobrovsky to CBJ

 

[FlyersMania2]

Favourite trades:

Re-acquiring Parent
Voracek and Couturier (8th ovr pick) for Carter
Timonen and Hartnell for 1st round pick (Foppa)
LeClair and Desjardins for Recchi

Terrible trades:
Sharp to CHI
Brind'Amour to CAR (I know, Primeau wasn't bad, bad Rod was Selke winner player).
J. Williams to CAR
Handzus to CHI
Bobrovsky to CBJ

I was on the fence about including the Handzus for Kyle Calder trade lol - how we made such awful trades with CHI back in the day is beyond me

 

[BillDineen]

It is not that Handzus was so great, it is mainly because Calder was just soooooo bad. Painful to watch.

 

[FlyersMania2]

It is not that Handzus was so great, it is mainly because Calder was just soooooo bad. Painful to watch.

That's why I was on the fence - realistically we didn't lose much by trading Handzus but at the same time the awfulness of Kyle Calder was unbearable

 

[Jack Straw]

Ironically Parent was involved in two of the Flyers best trades, but he was going in opposite directions. He was sent to Toronto as part of the 3 way deal that brought Rick MacLeish to the Flyers. And then of course his return. At the time he was traded away he was not yet saving as much as the Lord. When he came back, well we know.

 

[Kermit the Prog]

Ray Allison, Greg Adams, a 1st round pick (David Jensen) and 3rd round pick (Leif Carlsson) in the 1983 draft for Mark Howe and a 3rd round pick in 1983, which became Derrick Smith.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

The Lindros deal has got to be one of the worst.

The Carter/Richards trades were great

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Hindsight is not the best way to evaluate trades. The worst ones are those that were terrible from Day 1.

 

[ArchAngel55]

JVR for Schenn. I remember asking what else came with Schenn.

 

[Rodu58]

Meyer for Zhitnik, then Zhitnik for Coburn

 

[Laveuglette]

Timonen + Hartnell for a late 1st was amazing.

 

[tictactoe]

No question Bobrovsky... 2 time Vezina trophy winner for nothing.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Ray Allison, Greg Adams, a 1st round pick (David Jensen) and 3rd round pick (Leif Carlsson) in the 1983 draft for Mark Howe and a 3rd round pick in 1983, which became Derrick Smith.

Yeah, this one is pretty, pretty, pretty good. Two of my all-time favorites.

I can never remember these things, who went for what - I just tend to remember how sad I was when people got traded away. It's hard to pick a saddest trade, but it's between Mellanby, Ricci and Zezel. That last one, though, sending him to St. Louis, really made me nauseous, even though I got to see him all the time. Ridiculous that that guy ever wore a different sweater than ours, but there are always a ton of those situations. These are also the reasons I never warmed to guys like Lindros, Rod the Bod, etc. - they cost us my favorites. It's not logical or anything, but then this whole being a sports fan thing isn't, either.

 

[achdumeingute]

JVR for Schenn. I remember asking what else came with Schenn.

A flat out awful deal, and it was from day 1. I asked myself the same question, what else was coming. We gave up the better player, there was no doubt.

 

[OrangeAndBlackMetal]

Zhitnik for Coburn has to be one of the best.

 

[achdumeingute]

First for Steve Eminger was bad the minute it went in.

 

[achdumeingute]

The Lindros deal has got to be one of the worst.

The Carter/Richards trades were great

Carter/Richards was great.

Can't put Lindros deal in the worst category. He was an elite player for many years here, even though the outgoing assets were alot.

 

[FlyerFire]

Carter/Richards was great.

Can't put Lindros deal in the worst category. He was an elite player for many years here, even though the outgoing assets were alot.

Very true on Lindros. Not only was he elite, but he alone put people in the seats. We paid alot granted
Forsberg was the toughest loss but.....

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

It is easy to criticize and praise any trade after the parts have settled. The Lindros trade can be denounced but if Quebec doesn't relocate to Colorado, no way does Montreal trade Patrick Roy to the Nordiques.

Sharp had much to do with the head coach at the time.

The best trades to analyze are what were instantly deemed controversial. Three to consider:

1. Darryl Sittler for Murray Craven and Joe Paterson. Vilified by many at the time. How could Bobby Clarke do what he just did?! The night before the season opener. A future Hall of Famer for.... who?! And then history said otherwise. Craven remains one of the most underappreciated forwards in team history.

2. Certainly the Peter Zezel for Mike Bullard trade. While Zezel had a legion of followers as one of the most popular players with fans at the time, Bullard helped a struggling Flyers squad instantly burn through the League in a trade that had few equals at least initially. Tough to be critical of Zezel but he may have needed a change with Mike Keenan having been replaced by Paul Holmgren. Keenan always liked Zezel even through difficult times.

3. Anyone remember trading Maxime Ouellette and picks for Adam Oates when key players were seemingly sidelined with injuries? The power play needed help. This was a move made for the playoffs. And then zap, out in round one. The controversy eventually fizzled and the trade was for all intents and purposes an afterthought since the moved parts didn't materialize; however, who knows if the Flyers would have used those picks to draft young talent.

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The combined (made a few days within each other but joined forever) trade of Dave Poulin and Brian Propp to Boston reeked; seeing them in the Stanley Cup Finals weeks later was a mix of emotions. Clarke had his reasons and those are well-documented, but that was a signal of ripping apart the second most liked core in team history.

Trading Brad McCrimmon was disastrous from day one. Poorly executed and flawed. And McCrimmon wasn't without fault but his skills should have been emphasized.

And perhaps my favorite trade to analyze is Pete Peeters for Brad McCrimmon. Straight up. A goalie for a d-man. The Flyers had a talented goalie in the system named Pelle Lindbergh but were in dire need of blue liners. Boston, just the opposite: desperate for a goalie with a plethora of talented defensemen. Peeters went on to win the Vezina for Boston in his first year after the trade while McCrimmon was OK. In brief... Short term: Bruins. Long term: Flyers.

Getting Reggie Leach from the Seals for Larry Wright, Al MacAdam (decent NHL player) & a 1974 1st Rounder (Ron Chipperfield). While not necessarily lopsided, Leach was a steal.

And Rod Brind'Amour to and fro. His acquisition, presence and departure, was omnipotent in all directions.

 

[tymed]

Giving away Maroon for nothing was pretty brutal, both at the time and in hindsight.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

Carter/Richards was great.

Can't put Lindros deal in the worst category. He was an elite player for many years here, even though the outgoing assets were alot.

Idk. That trade basically won two Stanley Cups for Colorado and while Lindros had good years, he was too oft hurt and never delivered the one thing everyone wanted from him.

 

[Hockeypete49]

I will not judge any deals using the" hindsight criteria". So I will just list the best and worst deals the moment they went down.

Best: Since they will always be joined at the hip, the Jeff Carter and Mike Richards deals, the gifts that keep on still giving.
Worst: Trading Maxime Quellet who was a 1st round pick by us,plus our 2002 1st, 2nd and 3rd round picks for 39 year old Adam Oates who played in 14 reg. season games 3-7=10 and five playoff games 0-2=2. For me this was like a punch in the stomach when it went down.