After over a year of gridlock, under arbitration on 30 June 1992 Quebec traded the rights to Eric Lindros to the Philadelphia Flyers for forwards Peter Forsberg and Mike Ricci, goaltender Ron Hextall, defensemen Steve Duchesne and Kerry Huffman, “future considerations†which eventually became enforcer Chris Simon, two first-round picks and US$15 million. One of the draft picks was used by the Nordiques to select goaltender Jocelyn Thibault, the other was traded twice and ultimately used by the Washington Capitals to select Nolan Baumgartner. As of March 2003 here’s what happened:
Peter Forsberg made his NHL debut in the lockout-shortened 1995 season and immediately became an integral part of the Nordiques offense. He continues to produce in Colorado (at least when he’s not injured). Some have called him the best hockey player of his generation.
Mike Ricci played on the 1996 Stanley Cup team in Colorado. He was traded early in the 1997-98 season to the San Jose Sharks along with a second-round pick for Shean Donovan and a first-round pick (Alex Tanguay). Ricci was still with the Sharks as of March 2003.
Ron Hextall played the 1992-93 season in Quebec, but was traded to the New York Islanders the following summer for goaltender Mark Fitzpatrick (who was promptly taken by the Florida Panthers in the 1993 expansion draft, as Hextall would have been had he not been traded) and a draft pick which became Adam Deadmarsh. Deadmarsh blossomed, played on the 1996 Stanley Cup team in Colorado, and was ultimately traded to the Los Angeles Kings in February 2001 for defenseman Rob Blake. Hextall returned to Philadelphia in 1994 and retired as a Flyer five years later.
Steve Duchesne played a single season in Quebec. He was dealt to the St. Louis Blues in January 1994 for veterans Bob Bassen, Garth Butcher and Ron Sutter, all of whom have since retired. Duchesne himself retired in 2002 after winning the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings.
Kerry Huffman, the other defenseman in the deal, spent a season and a half in Quebec before being claimed off waivers in January 1994 by the Ottawa Senators. Huffman remained with the Senators for a couple years, returned very briefly to Philadelphia, then descended to the minor leagues where he effectively retired after the 1998-99 season.
Chris Simon split his time between Quebec and AHL Halifax before becoming a regular NHL player in 1993-94. After winning the Cup in Colorado in 1996, he was traded to the Washington Capitals along with Curtis Leschyshyn in exchange for Keith Jones and a 1998 first-round draft pick (right wing Scott Parker, now an Avalanche regular). Simon finished the 2002-03 season with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Jocelyn Thibault backed up Stephane Fiset beginning in 1993-94 and moved with the team to Colorado. He was traded to Montreal in December 1995 along with Andrei Kovalenko and Martin Rucinsky for Mike Keane and another goaltender you may have heard of, Patrick Roy. By the 2002-03 season Thibault was the starting goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks.