Wha

Snap Wilson

Registered User
Sep 14, 2003
5,838
0
jiggs 10 said:
They just got shafted when the leagues merged. Had they been able to keep Hull, Hedberg, Neilsson and Shoberg, they would have been in the top half of the NHL in 1979-80. But because of the loss of Hedburg and Neilsson to the Rangers, etc. They were already screwed.


They were able to keep Hull and Sjoberg, who both played for Winnipeg after the merger. As for Nilsson, that was their own fault. They had an opportunity to protect two players. They understandably protected Morris Luckowich, coming off of a 65-goal season, but with their second pick they chose Scott Campbell over Nilsson, which was sheer idiocy. Even if they couldn't afford Nilsson, he would have garnered a lot more in trade than Paul MacLean (who was pretty good for the Jets, but still).
 

jamiebez

Registered User
Apr 5, 2005
4,025
327
Ottawa
moneyp said:
They were able to keep Hull and Sjoberg, who both played for Winnipeg after the merger. As for Nilsson, that was their own fault. They had an opportunity to protect two players. They understandably protected Morris Luckowich, coming off of a 65-goal season, but with their second pick they chose Scott Campbell over Nilsson, which was sheer idiocy. Even if they couldn't afford Nilsson, he would have garnered a lot more in trade than Paul MacLean (who was pretty good for the Jets, but still).
If I recall correctly, the rights for any players who had played in the NHL reverted back to their original teams, so Bobby Hull became a Blackhawk again, until the Jets drafted him back in the expansion draft. Ditto Kent Nilsson who went back to the Flames, who naturally held onto him. They had the right to protect 2 skaters and 2 goalies, and I do agree, that they should have protected Nilsson.

As the above poster mentioned, Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson were long gone - they left for the Rangers after the 1977/78 season.
 

reckoning

Registered User
Jan 4, 2005
7,012
1,251
I think moneyp was referring to Kent Nilsson, not Ulf Nilsson. John Ferguson tried to set up a deal with Atlanta to trade his rights back but they wouldn`t budge. As stated earlier the Jets protected Lukowich and Campbell. It looks bad now, but at the time Campbell was only 22 and was considered a blue-chip prospect who would develop into a #1 Larry Robinson-type defenceman- didn`t happen. Chicago also reclaimed Hull, Ruskowski and Preston from the Jets; Ferguson took Hull back in the subsequent expansion draft, mostly because he was angry at Chicago for renegging on a trade to send Ruskowski back to Winnipeg.

The other WHA teams protected players:

Edmonton: Wayne Gretzky and Bengt Gustafsson

Quebec: Paul Baxter and Garry Lariviere

Hartford: Mark Howe and Mike Rogers

Since Gordie Howe was technically considered retired by the NHL, Hartford was allowed to keep him without having to protect him.
 

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